Art for the DF series - Page 3

Stripe · 10-14-2009, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kuroshima

Sincerely, I couldn't care less about the art. Layout? Yeah. Boxes and quotes breaking the big blocks of text into manageable chunks? double yeah. Art? Who cares.

Yikes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kromm

This. To dispel a common misconception: We do not go out looking for artists. We expect them to locate our website, read our guidelines, contact our art director, arrange to show off their portfolio, and ultimately see if they can swing a contract. It's like looking for any other kind of work – you have to go get it, it won't knock on your door.

BIG yikes.

...Wow.

Turhan's Bey Company · 10-14-2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stripe

Yikes.

FWIW, I suspect that, when it gets down to it, presentation matters a lot more than people think it matters to them. Intellectually, I want an awesome game and don't want to spend my gaming dollars on art. In the wild, though, I know I'm more likely to look at something pretty first.

Kuroshima · 10-14-2009, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

FWIW, I suspect that, when it gets down to it, presentation matters a lot more than people think it matters to them. Intellectually, I want an awesome game and don't want to spend my gaming dollars on art. In the wild, though, I know I'm more likely to look at something pretty first.

Well, the art must not be so bad that it is actually painful to look at. Such art distracts me from the text. On the other hand, as long as it is not that bad, art serves a similar function to boxes, breaking huge "walls-of-text" into manageable chunks, with the advantage of not containing "walls-of-text" itself (something that boxes can do), reducing text density to manageable levels (There is such a thing as too dense text, trust me on this).

In fact, I sometimes go back to some of my GURPS books, and specifically look at the art. It usually surprises me, since it can be the first time I have actually looked at it.

Of course, truly gorgeous art stands out in a good way (Dragons, I'm thinking at you)

b-dog · 10-14-2009, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

FWIW, I suspect that, when it gets down to it, presentation matters a lot more than people think it matters to them. Intellectually, I want an awesome game and don't want to spend my gaming dollars on art. In the wild, though, I know I'm more likely to look at something pretty first.

For me if the art is really good it actually makes reading the book more enjoyable. It is no surprise that the Dungeon Masters guide with the Efreet on it is the one most people think of. The picture was really cool and once I saw that cover I *had* to open it and take a look. Even the name Dungeon and Dragons is artistic because it sounds good. Gygax was a very artistic minded person and I believe his vivid details in descriptions and choice of art helped make D&D the leading RPG.

Rocket Man · 10-14-2009, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by b-dog

For me if the art is really good it actually makes reading the book more enjoyable. It is no surprise that the Dungeon Masters guide with the Efreet on it is the one most people think of. The picture was really cool and once I saw that cover I *had* to open it and take a look. Even the name Dungeon and Dragons is artistic because it sounds good. Gygax was a very artistic minded person and I believe his vivid details in descriptions and choice of art helped make D&D the leading RPG.

I remember that cover, too! (And yes, it was cool.) Funny thing, though -- that edition had really poor interior art, as I recall. In some cases, I think First Edition AD&D sold in spite of the artwork, rather than because of it.

jimminy · 10-15-2009, 05:29 AM

I can see b-dog's point because I loved some of the old overblown D&D art and it did make me pick up books in the shop. A friend of mine pretty much bought a Monstrous Manual just for the pictures.

I can also see the cost problem...

I was actually a big fan of the B&W art on 3E, that really sold me on that book, it looked so grungy and fun and action filled, like a comic.

Shouldn't DF have John Kovalic art? :p

jimminy · 10-15-2009, 05:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Fox

If I had my way about it, all our books would have covers like this. Now that's fantasy art.

It's probably best they don't let me near Production.

Man, Fox, that is actually the PERFECT art for DF! Gave me a laugh.

Seriously though, it would make the best DF cover.

Kuroshima · 10-15-2009, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimminy

Shouldn't DF have John Kovalic art? :p

Nooooooo!

Seriously, Iike Kovalik art in Munchkin and Chez Geek. It fits the mood. I wish to have some more serious art for DF, even if it's slightly silly.
The current art is fine. Interesting, evocative and not distracting.

Kromm · 10-15-2009, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stripe

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kromm

This. To dispel a common misconception: We do not go out looking for artists. We expect them to locate our website, read our guidelines, contact our art director, arrange to show off their portfolio, and ultimately see if they can swing a contract. It's like looking for any other kind of work – you have to go get it, it won't knock on your door.

BIG yikes.

...Wow.Yikes.

It might be surprising to you, but based on 15 years of discussions with colleagues in my business, I can say that this is how most of the games industry works. Only a few large companies with big budgets can afford to handle art differently. SJ Games isn't one of those. We're 20-30 people, not all full-time, working on small-run projects.

I've yet to attend a GenCon where there weren't lots of artists showing off portfolios to lots of company reps, hoping to get a deal. That's pretty much how it's done.

lachimba · 10-16-2009, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

On some reflection, I would like to come out a bit more in favor of art. Good art is (for me, anyway) inspirational. Frex, one of the reasons I found Tales of the Solar Patrol so utterly charming was the gorgeous period artwork. It gave me a tone and feel for the setting which words alone wouldn't have. I could say similar things for GURPS Goblins and early Paranoia with its spot-on Jim Holloway illustrations.

Ironically, though, DF is a genre for which I don't actually need illustrations. It's the single most popular gaming genre there is and it's infiltrated the mainstream enough that I can easily get my fantasy art fix elsewhere. I can browse the D&D web site, look at Warcrack-related pages, or just do a Google Images search for "sword," "castle," "dwarf," or whatever else I want. And that's to say nothing of my own library of archaeological, historical, and art historical texts. If DF gives me crunch, I can find my own pretty pictures to go with it.

Another great example is Hellboy RPG powered by GURPS. Without Mignola's art (and short comic) it wouldn't have worked half as well.

10-15-2009, 05:29 AM	#26
jimminy Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Adelaide, Australia	Re: Art for the DF series I can see b-dog's point because I loved some of the old overblown D&D art and it did make me pick up books in the shop. A friend of mine pretty much bought a Monstrous Manual just for the pictures. I can also see the cost problem... I was actually a big fan of the B&W art on 3E, that really sold me on that book, it looked so grungy and fun and action filled, like a comic. Shouldn't DF have John Kovalic art? :p __________________ I have a role-playing (loosely) themed radio show 'The Role-Playing Hour'. Tune in online and listen! Audio clips (some are a little blue, I warn) here and episodes here!