The thing about Smif...

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by Gollum

To my mind, flamboyant pictures are good for heroic and epic games... like D&D.

Not to my mind ;^D

Do you remember early D&D pictures before XXI century and its third edition? Many of them kept a more sober flavour, and it was heroic and epic.

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

Maybe for some, but I'm used to William Morris woodcuts, Gustav Doré illustrations, pre-WWII newspaper cartoons, and the kinds of architectural diagrams and renderings you'll find in the earlier part of the previous century

That's interesting. Speaking of woodcuts, we can't forget people like Albrecht Dürer and things like alchemical engravings. I agree the past still is a rich source for many things -including images, and much of it is rather unknown, especially if it's non-European.

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by demonsbane

Not to my mind ;^D
Do you remember early D&D pictures before XXI century and its third edition? Many of them kept a more sober flavour, and it was heroic and epic.

You're right. Here is a topic where my English level really gives me a penalty!

:-)

What I wanted to mean is that some artistic styles correspond very well to some gaming styles. GURPS Discworld illustrations, for instance, are very fine for the Diskworld world. But this style of pictures wouldn't do the job for a Cyberpunk book. Likewise, Smif's black and white pictures would not fit very well to illustrate a Diskworld book.

I'm not at all saying that Smith or GURPS Diskworld's artist are not able to illustrate other books! Both are very good and, to my mind, can illustrate exactly what they want. I'm just telling that they would have to change their style to do it well.

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by Gollum

You're right. Here is a topic where my English level really gives me a penalty!

OK but... I really think your English is better than mine!

I understand what you're saying about artistic styles.

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by Gollum

GURPS Discworld illustrations, for instance, are very fine for the Diskworld world. But this style of pictures wouldn't do the job for a Cyberpunk book.

I don't know. I'd have to classify Paranoia as a sort of Cyberpunk setting, and it strikes me that Kidd's art would work very well there. Just draw everybody with Rincewind's face, pretty much...

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by demonsbane

OK but... I really think your English is better than mine!

Thank you! But my English requires a good dictionary at hand...

;-)

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

I don't know. I'd have to classify Paranoia as a sort of Cyberpunk setting, and it strikes me that Kidd's art would work very well there. Just draw everybody with Rincewind's face, pretty much...

Paranoia, as Diskworld, is a humorist world... I'm not sure such illustrations would fit in a serious dark cyberworld...

It is maybe the problem with Smif's art. As said by many posters above, it is a strong art: one which immediately gives an atmosphere about the world described... So, it may not be the best for a universal and generic system – which is supposed to be used in any genre.

[vitruvian]

Originally Posted by Gollum

Paranoia, as Diskworld, is a humorist world... I'm not sure such illustrations would fit in a serious dark cyberworld...

It is maybe the problem with Smif's art. As said by many posters above, it is a strong art: one which immediately gives an atmosphere about the world described... So, it may not be the best for a universal and generic system – which is supposed to be used in any genre.

See, I tend to disagree. I thought his art suited Celtic Myth quite as well as any of the Cyberpunk books, and loved it in the Basic book and the Compendia as well. He covered a wide variety of 'subjects' very nicely, that really gave me the sense of generic and universal you're talking about.

[demonsbane]

Originally Posted by Gollum

Thank you! But my English requires a good dictionary at hand

Brother, you aren't alone in that respect...

Originally Posted by vitruvian

See, I tend to disagree. I thought his art suited Celtic Myth quite as well as any of the Cyberpunk books, and loved it in the Basic book and the Compendia as well. He covered a wide variety of 'subjects' very nicely, that really gave me the sense of generic and universal you're talking about.

I completely agree with vitruvian here. GURPS third edition Basic Set book, before including Smif art pieces, was aesthetically very, very dull. I even had problems for introducing my players to the system because that. Smif art, with the revised Basic Set, enlivened the book enormously! The same concerning both Compendiums. And I think Gollum will agree too:

Originally Posted by Gollum

Smif's art (...) it may not be the best for a universal and generic system – which is supposed to be used in any genre.

Think about that remembering the earlier Basic Set I just mentioned before Smif.

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by vitruvian

See, I tend to disagree. I thought his art suited Celtic Myth quite as well as any of the Cyberpunk books, and loved it in the Basic book and the Compendia as well. He covered a wide variety of 'subjects' very nicely, that really gave me the sense of generic and universal you're talking about.

I own all these books. And I like them very much too...

But, precisely, I find that Smif's black and white art give to all of them the same atmosphere: a realistic but mysterious adventure with something sad, maybe a bit desperate... It really fit to a Celtic Myth or a cyberpunk adventure. It also fit to an horror or a science fiction world. But I don't think it could correspond to something humorous like Diskworld or Paranoia...

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by demonsbane

And I think Gollum will agree too [...] Think about that remembering the earlier Basic Set I just mentioned before Smif.

Yes, I like Smif's art. And since I am learning to do black and white illustrations (as an amateur), I even admire it. But I still believe there is two problems with this art for a game like GURPS.

1) It is so strong than, as said above, it can't easily be mixed with other artists' illustrations.
2) It conveys this stange atmosphere which is amazing, but which doesn't correspond to some genres.

To explain better what I mean, I would add that Smif's art would be very good for a fantasy setting with something dark, but it wouldn't be for a flamboyant and optimistic one...

Note that I would say the same thing about other great artists like Mike Mignola (Hellboy) and even about painters like Alan Lee or John Howe...