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Old 08-18-2008, 08:44 AM   #1
Jeffr0
 
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Default The thing about Smif...

is that he's no Loubet, Speed, or Chung.

Compared to previous SJ related artists, he just didn't give a feel of "this is something fundamentally cool in and of itself." His stuff in 3e Basic Set, Compendiums, and Vehicles just gave it an atmosphere of "this is a lame knockoff for people who are too cheap to get the real thing." The stuff I saw had a lame munchkiny spin to it.... I just couldn't get into it.
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Old 08-18-2008, 09:59 AM   #2
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Default Re: The thing about Smif...

To each his own. Personally I like his stuff. Of course I like "thick line" art. He gave a dark gritty feel for a lot of things.
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Old 08-18-2008, 10:00 AM   #3
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Default Re: The thing about Smif...

de gustibus non est disputandum. Smif's art largely defined my view of GURPS, In Nomine, and Car Wars. I love his stuff.
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Old 08-18-2008, 10:09 AM   #4
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Default Re: The thing about Smif...

I mostly don't pay enough attention to pictures when I read the system. For some reason I feel 4e has more 'filler', even though I know it isn't true. Then again, I read Powers, I treated it as a Physics textbook - I wanted diagrams, tables and illustrations, not fluff/mood/context art.
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Old 08-18-2008, 10:32 AM   #5
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Default Re: The thing about Smif...

A whole new thread just to bash Smif? I have to disagree. I loved his stuff and I wish he'd do some for 4th ed.
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Old 08-18-2008, 11:58 AM   #6
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Default Re: The thing about Smif...

I liked his stuff from the cyberpunk books (Cyberpunk,Cyberworld and Cthulhupunk), for me really conveyed the right mood for a cyberpunk setting. Ther other 3e stuff i've read doesnt feature any of his art.
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Old 08-18-2008, 01:33 PM   #7
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Default Re: The thing about Smif...

Quote:
Originally Posted by El Guapo
A whole new thread just to bash Smif? I have to disagree. I loved his stuff and I wish he'd do some for 4th ed.
Seconded. As an illustrator myself, I have quite a bit of admiration for his work, especially his cyberpunk pieces.
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Old 08-18-2008, 02:20 PM   #8
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Default Re: The thing about Smif...

Quote:
Originally Posted by El Guapo
A whole new thread just to bash Smif? I have to disagree. I loved his stuff and I wish he'd do some for 4th ed.
Seco... Thirded!

Also, geesh OP, be nice, no need to insult someones life's work like that. Criticism is good and all, but calling him cheap and his art a lame knockoff?
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Old 08-18-2008, 02:30 PM   #9
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Default Re: The thing about Smif...

I liked some of Smif's pieces. For Car Wars, I generally prefer Speed, Loubet, et al., but I might feel differently had I experienced Smif in my first Car Wars books.

The biggest problem with Smif is that his style is incompatible with other artists'. It's hard to put his piece on the same page with another artists' without them clashing.

He must have been very reliable, but some of his work looked as if it was rushed to meet a deadline. SJG may have used too much of his stuff.

Aesthetically, my biggest issue with Smif was his overuse of words. Every vehicle needs a logo, every weapon needs a name, every t-shirt has to advertise something, etc. It's distracting and often feels inappropriate.
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Old 08-18-2008, 02:51 PM   #10
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Default Re: The thing about Smif...

Quote:
Originally Posted by JMason
To each his own. Personally I like his stuff. Of course I like "thick line" art. He gave a dark gritty feel for a lot of things.
Ditto. His style seemed very appropriate to the books I've seen it in.
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