GURPS Monster Hunters: what will you do with it?

[Pragmatic]

Forgive me if I'm stepping on some toes here, RPK, but is there any reason why the artwork (or the majority of it...) couldn't be bought during the end of the playtesting/editing process?

I mean, by that point, you know what the majority of the book is going to be like, so there shouldn't be too many surprise decisions about what sort of art you're looking for.

[PK]

Originally Posted by Pragmatic

Forgive me if I'm stepping on some toes here, RPK, but is there any reason why the artwork (or the majority of it...) couldn't be bought during the end of the playtesting/editing process?

Because we don't know what artwork we need until the book has been laid out in full.

Broadly speaking, the layout process involves determining how to get everything to fit onto each page in a nice, easy-to-read manner. Among other things, we have to make sure each chapter ends on a page, without spilling over into the next one; we have to make sure that each text-box ends up somewhere close to the relevant main text; we have to avoid things like a header on one page and then its text starting on the next; and so on. (And when I say "we," I mainly mean Nikki Vrtis, who's our patron goddess of layout.)

It is during this process that the art holes are determined. For example, the Inhuman Races chapter ended up fitting perfectly into exactly the allotted page count. No muss, no fuss. So it would be a waste of time to try to cram artwork into it. But the Ritual Path Magic chapter had a gap near the end where a piece of artwork would fit beautifully. So (among other things), we commissioned a piece featuring a magician working a ritual.

Now, if I were to have guessed at what we might need, I honestly would have said that the Inhuman Races chapter would probably have had room for art, but that the Ritual Path Magic system would fit just fine as-is. (Seriously, that's what I was expecting to happen!) So we would have commissioned something featuring a vampire or a were or some such, and then when the book was actually laid out, we'd have ended up sticking the vampire into the Magic chapter. Yech.

Part of getting good, useful art is that you don't just ask for generic artwork -- you figure out what you need by looking at where you need it, and then get as specific a piece as you can. This is true whether we're reusing old art or commissioning new stuff.

(In addition, consider that sometimes we need art that might be, say 7" wide by 1" tall. Not all artwork fits into a nice square! So if we "pre-commissioned" half a dozen pieces of artwork, we might still need to get another piece, because regardless of content, the stuff we haven't doesn't physically fit!)

[griffin]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

I am soooo totally okay with the book being delayed for art, because it was custom art drawn by Rod Reis. HELL YES!

(see here for more info)

Ghostdancer

Thanks for the clarification. I kept wondering why the delay since in the past most e23 PDF books have just used recycled art work.

I'm not blown away by the little bit of artwork by Rod Reis I've seen on the web - he appears to be a much better colorist than artist - but he's a definite step up from a lot of the recycled art we've seen in many GURPS PDFs. I wish I could find more examples similar to what GURPS Monster Hunters will need. The artwork I've seen so far is supers with powers and such. What I want to see is weapon wielding characters - guns, stakes, swords, bows, etc. I was really disappointed in the SVU piece he has posted.

Still should be an improvement over some of the recycled stuff that would be the alternative.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by griffin

Thanks for the clarification. I kept wondering why the delay since in the past most e23 PDF books have just used recycled art work.

I'm not blown away by the little bit of artwork by Rod Reis I've seen on the web - he appears to be a much better colorist than artist - but he's a definite step up from a lot of the recycled art we've seen in many GURPS PDFs. I wish I could find more examples similar to what GURPS Monster Hunters will need. The artwork I've seen so far is supers with powers and such. What I want to see is weapon wielding characters - guns, stakes, swords, bows, etc. I was really disappointed in the SVU piece he has posted.

Still should be an improvement over some of the recycled stuff that would be the alternative.

I'm pretty sure that separate 'lines' (like Action or DF) have gotten some original art.

I'm really bummed that folks are not more excited about this. To me Rod Reis's artwork *is* the Teen Titans comics, well back when I was collecting.

I mean it's got crossbow guy, sword guy, automatic weapons guy, vampire baddie? How can this not be cool...

-sigh-

Ghostdancer

[PK]

Originally Posted by griffin

I'm not blown away by the little bit of artwork by Rod Reis I've seen on the web - he appears to be a much better colorist than artist - but he's a definite step up from a lot of the recycled art we've seen in many GURPS PDFs. I wish I could find more examples similar to what GURPS Monster Hunters will need.

Did you see the sample artwork (for MH1) that I posted on my Twitter feed? That feed (link in my sig) is where I tend to drop most casual leaks and hints.

If not, the picture (not the feed!) is here: http://twitpic.com/4bx9ij

[griffin]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

I'm pretty sure that separate 'lines' (like Action or DF) have gotten some original art.

I'm really bummed that folks are not more excited about this. To me Rod Reis's artwork *is* the Teen Titans comics, well back when I was collecting.

I mean it's got crossbow guy, sword guy, automatic weapons guy, vampire baddie? How can this not be cool...

-sigh-

Ghostdancer

As far as I can tell Action features mostly recycled "SMIF" artwork (i.e. Dan Smith). I don't care for most of Dan Smith's stuff but he does occassionally have some nice gunslinger/shooter art. The illustration in Action 1 on p. 12 is very nice and rather dramatic.

As for MH and Rod Reis, I'll have to wait and see. I'd be more excited if at least some of the art were full color and Reis handled the coloring himself. I've only seen limited samples of his work on the web, but stuff I've seen him listed as the colorist tend to be very nicely done. His use of color is very good.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by griffin

As far as I can tell Action features mostly recycled "SMIF" artwork (i.e. Dan Smith). I don't care for most of Dan Smith's stuff but he does occassionally have some nice gunslinger/shooter art. The illustration in Action 1 on p. 12 is very nice and rather dramatic.

As for MH and Rod Reis, I'll have to wait and see. I'd be more excited if at least some of the art were full color and Reis handled the coloring himself. I've only seen limited samples of his work on the web, but stuff I've seen him listed as the colorist tend to be very nicely done. His use of color is very good.

Yeahhh uhhh color art isn't going to happen for e23 products (from what I understand, I could be wrong). But I agree, Rod's use of color is pretty good.

I think that the art is going to be a fantastic addition to a already fantastic book.

Ghostdancer

[griffin]

Originally Posted by Rev. Pee Kitty

Did you see the sample artwork (for MH1) that I posted on my Twitter feed? That feed (link in my sig) is where I tend to drop most casual leaks and hints.

If not, the picture (not the feed!) is here: http://twitpic.com/4bx9ij

No, I hadn't seen it. Still not blown away, but it's a definite upgrade. I definitely would like to see the sword weilding inhuman in an action scene - i.e. swinging the sword.

Hopefull the wait won't be too much longer and the artwork will be good and deemed worth the wait. Despite the delay, I am happy SJ Games has seen fit to comission original artwork for the MH series.

[Tinman]

While I'm as eager as Icelander to get the books NOW!!!!

I think that good art defiatly enhances the final product. one of my favorate pics is from Traveller: Ground Forces. I use it as my desktop backround.

Good art can also help inspire the imagination.

[Crakkerjakk]

Generally the only art in 4e books that I really liked was Dragons and Biotech. That said, MH art looks a hell of a lot better than what we usually get.

Place me in the camp that would have preferred the book sooner if it could have been done with recycled art, but since it's already been delayed and that delay is over because the art is in, I will admit that it is pretty lookin'.