Catullus64
2021-06-18, 12:51 PM
Well, I’ve had a bellyful of talk about rules and balance and content release to last me a good long while. Let’s talk about something that has never started any controversy: art design!
What follows is mostly a collection of stray thoughts I have regarding the artwork in the 5th Edition books, beginning with the first part of the PHB in rough sequence. I welcome your alternate takes, expert insights, and vehement disagreements. I’ll be using my own inexpert terms to describe what I see, but stop me if at any point if I sound like I think I know what I’m talking about.
I am of mixed mind regarding the cover of the Player’s Handbook. As a piece of art by itself, I find it serviceable, though I find the mid-air pose of the adventurer in the center-left to be a bit suspect. I do question the use of this particular image as the cover for the Player’s Handbook, arguably the most important book in the game. I think I would have liked something showcasing more wonder and mystery, and certainly with a larger cast of characters visible in the action. I also would have appreciated something less monochrome; the red hue of everything is doubtless to help the three core books form a handsome gradient when arranged next to one another, but by itself it feels far too restricted in its color palette. The frontispiece shows up as a main chapter artwork later, so I’ll touch on it in that sequence.
Part 1: Creating a Character
The frontispiece of Part 1 is the sort of image I would have preferred grace the cover; a large cast of distinct, brightly-colored characters, nicely framed against a tremendous dragon (the cover got the Dungeons part right, but really fell over at the finish line of Dragons). That said, a few things bug me about the composition of this image. The first is that the dragon seems farcically large relative to the heroes and the city in the background, although I could just be reading the perspective wrongly. The second thing is the fact that, save for the red-bearded dwarf, none of the heroes appear to be actually looking at the dragon itself, making me wonder what they are posing at. The third thing is that the way in which they are all crammed onto this very small bit of exposed rampart looks a little comic to me. How did they all get up there, and why? Still, I’m more favorably inclined towards this than I was towards the cover.
The scene on page 10 is our first instance of what I would call the dominant style of the 5th edition art; this sort of heavily-shadowed, soft-edges look. Overall, I think it’s one of the strengths of the edition, and I like the implicit drama and scene dynamics implicit in the small facial and hand gestures of the characters here.
The full-page piece on page 16 is the kind of scene I always like to have; non-action scenes that nonetheless show activity and characterization on the subjects. It’s a good fit for a character creation section, since the campfire atmosphere evokes going on a hiking trip with your buddies, the perfect vibe for assembling a party.
The Dwarf on page 18 is great; I don’t demand historical authenticity from fantasy armors, but I do appreciate it when they look like something a person could actually wear. And that expression on her face is pure dwarf.
Time to see what Elves look like… what are you doing here, Drizzt? Get out of here, shoo! Nothing terribly wrong with the picture itself, and I like Mr. Do'Urden fine, I just question the wisdom of having any specific, well-established character serve as the template image for general Elfkind.
The full-page Elf on page 24 is very pretty, and that’s one excellent mouse on the end of her staff, but I have one little objection to lodge with the colorist. The lining on the Elf’s dress is almost the exact same shade as her skin, meaning I always do a double-take when I see it, unsure whether it’s fabric or slits of exposed skin. Minor nitpick.
Time to turn the page and…. GAH! Is this the Monster Manual? Ok, it’s hardly a fresh observation that a lot of the little people in this book are terrifying to behold. If I have anything new to add, it’s that I blame the more general trend of trying to make halflings and dwarves more attractively formed, less squat or fat and closer to human proportionality, which leads to this lean-but-big-headed horror. As for this particular picture, it looks like the face was drawn to a photographic reference; I have a hard time believing someone thought that expression was a good idea on their own.
Love the costume design on the human of page 29. Just the right meeting place, for me, between detail and simplicity.
Nothing much to say about the Dragonborn of page 32. I like the details on his staff, particularly what I just noted to be the shrunken heads of various humanoids. That’s some visual storytelling for you!
Page 35’s Gnome is a little less horrifying, possibly because they’ve actually given her a more alien facial structure to match her inhuman proportions. I would have appreciated something more lively in concept, but this is still good.
Like the costume design on the half-elf of page 38, even if it does not look remotely suitable for adventuring life. I think the face has the right features to communicate just a touch of the fey.
The Half-Orc on page 41 Is very… pink. That’s really all I have to say about this piece.
The Tiefling of page 42 is less to my liking. I’m not entirely sure what’s holding some parts of that costume together, particularly that faux-breastplate brass thing on her torso. The silhouette doesn’t read clearly to me; I would be hard-pressed to identify her as a tiefling from shape alone.
The chapter on classes brings me to one of my biggest positives and one of my biggest negatives. The positive is the picture on page 44. Not only does it just strike me as a well-composed action scene, but it represents the start of one of the best decisions made for all the art in this book, and that is this party of a dwarf, elf, human, and (Gnome? Halfling? Wizardly archetype says Gnome). We’ll see this same foursome show up in various scenarios, both in this book and others, and I love the sense of narrative provided by seeing these same people in diverse situations.
But as we turn the page, we’ll see my biggest gripe, which is that the class artwork is of characters posing in the void, rather than scenes of characters acting. The race section is about what kind of creature your character is, so posed individuals make sense there. But the class chapter is about what your character can do. Wouldn’t it be great if the actual pictures were as vivid and dynamic as the ones painted by the opening text? As it is, the pictures tell you nothing about the class but what clothes they wear, what weapons they carry, and what attitude they hold towards whatever is in the middle distance.
Yes, there are some scenes to be had, and I’ll touch upon those in order, but they’re not the main image of the class, and not all classes get them. Overall, I’d say the unrelated background images that are layered onto the pages do a much better job selling the class identity than the foreground pictures themselves.
Mr. Barbarian of page 46 is ok, I guess. I’m a sucker for the Frazetta-esque, loinclothed Barbarians of old, but this fellow, with his fashionably trimmed beard and strangely layered pants will do fine. The snow-covered village in the background, on the other hand, looks ace, and really sells a cool, Nordic vibe, with its longhouses and standing stones.
Ms. Barbarian of page 48 would get points for being in an actual scene, facing down a suitably menacing dryad, but points are then detracted for said scene consisting only of glowering. The perspective and cropping of the scene leaves me unsure whether she’s a humanoid or a dwarf, but she looks suitably warlike either way.
Nothing much to say about the Bard on page 51, other than a fondness for the detailing on his mandolin. If fingerless gloves in fantasy art are ever justified, I suppose it’s for someone who plays a stringed instrument. The real standout here, though, is the carnival scene in the backdrop of the page. Don’t know whether the tightrope walker is a Bard or not, but the scene for me combines both milieu and activity, so I have to love it.
The bardic scene of page 55 is more what I would have preferred from class artwork. A clear activity showing what kind of person this class helps portray. Neat clothes on the main figure, though it looks rather difficult to see with that cap. Maybe he’s meant to be blind, judging from how he’s running his fingers over those runes?
While I’m generally a man who favors simple designs over complicated ones, the details of our Cleric on page 56 have such a neat sense of specificity and purpose to them. This, to me, looks like an adventuring priest to me above all else, with his braids and belts of potion bottles, the handaxe strapped to his boot, the multiple holy symbols on his circlet and ring, even a few useful-looking beard accessories. And while his pauldrons do still strain the limits of sensibility, at least they create a cool silhouette with those anvil icons.
For the sort of detail I don’t like, you can look at the (presumably Light Domain) cleric of page 61. Loads of vaguely-runic glowing bits, weird pieces of implausible armor… his high collar even appears to be made of mail. Do you suppose he starches it?
The Druid of page 64 is perfectly good. Simple, clear pose, and with one hell of a nice hawk. The druid on page 67, though… I really don’t know what the idea here was with her clothing. It looks too flimsy to be practical, too disjointed to be stylish, and too ridiculous to be titillating. Nice kukri, though, and that’s a first-rate tiger.
Page 70’s Fighter probably gets my vote for the best character design of the class-portraits. For starters, he authentically advertises what the class is about, since nearly every fighting style in the game seems to be represented on him; but the multitude of weapons look feasibly arranged, and his armor is ornate without seeming impractical. Full marks for this one. That tapestry on page 73 is also wicked cool, and definitely helps lend a touch of old-school class to the section.
Well, Ms. Monk from page 76 does at least appear to be actually doing something action-oriented, though you wouldn’t know it from her serene facial expression. Inner peace, I suppose. Very much appreciate the simplicity of the costume design here. Although, now that I look at her hair and the skirt of her tunic… which way is the wind blowing, exactly?
Just like the Cleric, I think the Paladin on page 82 hits a good midpoint between simplicity and detail, although some features of his armor and clothing do bother me a touch.
The Ranger on page 89 starts to skirt into overly-detailed territory for me. So long as we’re going for poses, the notched-arrow-about-to-draw look is one I really like. Were it not for her costume, which looks all kinds of ill-suited for the wilderness, this one would really work for me.
The spiderweb patterns on the gauntlets of the Rogue on page 94 look cool; that’s about the only thing nice I have to say about this guy. The rest of him is a horrid mess of knives and unnecessary belts, capped off with a truly ridiculous pose. I feel like of all the classes, Rogues are the ones whose clothes ought to look the most ordinary, seeing as thieves and murderers tend to avoid broadcasting their professions.
The Sorcerer on page 99 is a good design; and while it’s hardly an action scene, at least it gives a real sense of power and mystery. The dragonborn sorcerer of page 103 I’m less fond of, though I do like the look of magic going through his hand. Does the positioning of his head and neck look off relative to the rest of his body?
Now the lady Warlock on page 105 knows how it’s done. Blind seers are always an evocative setup, and the various bone pins and arcane ingredients tucked around her really sell the whole thing, as does the way her clothing melts into smoke. Usual complaint about lack of action, but this one really packages the class fantasy into a great design.
The Wizard of page 113 has a cool staff, which I would interpret as being his main spellbook. I’m loving the beads on his clothes and accessories, and his facial expression reads suitably as “the Wizard is done with your nonsense.” His hat is far too small for my tastes, though. The astronomer Wizard on page 116 seems a very well-composed image.
Chapter Frontispiece: Well, this halfling is a significant step up from the main illustration on the halfling page, if only because his face looks drawn to evoke actual whimsey and glee rather than sinister laughter. He’s also suitably plump, which helps offset his great bobble-head. The scene itself has a lovely warmth and softness to it. Although I note here a recurring decision to have halflings in shoes (clucks disapprovingly).
The cleric-y fellow on page 124 looks fine, if a little boring.
Something about the brawl scene on page 126 doesn’t seem right to me. Maybe it’s because the perspective makes everyone stacked on top of one another, but I also think it looks too posed for what is supposed to be a chaotic scene; everyone appears to be at roughly the same point in their swing!
The tiefling Criminal on page 129 heard my complaints about the Drow rogue and is menacingly telling me that I haven’t seen anything yet. Does he really go out in public dressed like that?
Page 130 has a solid Entertainer. You don’t see a lot of breastplates worn with crevattes. I like it.
Again, on page 132, we see the convergence of awkwardly proportioned halflings with weird, freeze-frame facial expressions. As I pointed out before, plumpness goes a long way in making their heads look less enormous, and I like this guy’s clothing, which is stylish and practical.
The Hermit of 134 is suitably mysterious.
The Outlander of page 137 must get her wardrobe tips from the leopard-skin bra Druid. She’s got a well-drawn face, and I’ve already expressed my liking for the notched-and-about-to-draw bow pose, but that’s really all this picture has going for it. Also, this book has so far been mostly free of form-fitting leather pants, but nothing lasts forever.
The Sage of 138 has adopted a sadly familiar comic-book pose, with her spine at a recurve angle, thrusting out her chest and butt. Character artists, please stop drawing this pose. Her costume looks fine, but the arcane (hah) posing makes it hard to tell for sure.
The Soldier of page 140 is great; stylish and colorful while still adhering reasonably to real historical designs. Only question is how those hair pins fit under her helmet.
Page 142 gives us the return of our adventuring foursome. Not enough D&D art features arguing and divvying up loot, despite how much of the game that can be. I feel like the purple ring is currently in the process of tempting the Paladin to evil; she's even grasping a dagger!
I don't have all that much to say about the pieces of item drawings scattered throughout the sections, other than that the weapon designs sketched on pages 146-147 trend too much away from the realistic and towards the fantastical for my liking. More fanciful weapon designs are fine for character artwork, but I would prefer the weapon section itself lean more into historical weapons for its images.
The little action snippet of page 148 really grabs me. Ordinarily I might nitpick the combination of flowing silks and tassels with armored fighting, but the lady’s pose, and the way the silks flow with her momentum is very dynamic and cool.
Page 157 gives us a nice, atmospheric travel scene with distinct characters, including some very personable animals. Not sure if the guy in the back, with the spear and the barded horse, is a member of this party, or is riding up alongside them, but a scene that makes me question these things and use my imagination is not a bad thing.
Page 162 gives us what I presume is the Elf of our recurring party in a solid pose, which contrasts him very well with the spreading wings of his falcon buddy. Only thing that’s odd is his face; it looks like a different facial reference was used here than for what we see of his face on page 44, and in later scenes.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that the guy on page 166 is meant to be using the Inspiring Leader Feat (which, to be fair, is on the far side of the opposite page) to rally his companions, and not a very awkward attempt to portray a warrior mid-swing.
Oooh, now this lady on page 169 (Ms. Ritual Caster, I presume) has it going on, with an evocative pose, pimped-out costume, and classically gorgeous face. Not a gown that I would take adventuring, but she’s clearly working in a study, so I’ll let it slide. That’s a neat owl; in fact, this book has had outstanding birds of prey in general so far, for which it deserves credit.
That’s all for Part I. See you in Part 2, Playing the Game!
What follows is mostly a collection of stray thoughts I have regarding the artwork in the 5th Edition books, beginning with the first part of the PHB in rough sequence. I welcome your alternate takes, expert insights, and vehement disagreements. I’ll be using my own inexpert terms to describe what I see, but stop me if at any point if I sound like I think I know what I’m talking about.
I am of mixed mind regarding the cover of the Player’s Handbook. As a piece of art by itself, I find it serviceable, though I find the mid-air pose of the adventurer in the center-left to be a bit suspect. I do question the use of this particular image as the cover for the Player’s Handbook, arguably the most important book in the game. I think I would have liked something showcasing more wonder and mystery, and certainly with a larger cast of characters visible in the action. I also would have appreciated something less monochrome; the red hue of everything is doubtless to help the three core books form a handsome gradient when arranged next to one another, but by itself it feels far too restricted in its color palette. The frontispiece shows up as a main chapter artwork later, so I’ll touch on it in that sequence.
Part 1: Creating a Character
The frontispiece of Part 1 is the sort of image I would have preferred grace the cover; a large cast of distinct, brightly-colored characters, nicely framed against a tremendous dragon (the cover got the Dungeons part right, but really fell over at the finish line of Dragons). That said, a few things bug me about the composition of this image. The first is that the dragon seems farcically large relative to the heroes and the city in the background, although I could just be reading the perspective wrongly. The second thing is the fact that, save for the red-bearded dwarf, none of the heroes appear to be actually looking at the dragon itself, making me wonder what they are posing at. The third thing is that the way in which they are all crammed onto this very small bit of exposed rampart looks a little comic to me. How did they all get up there, and why? Still, I’m more favorably inclined towards this than I was towards the cover.
The scene on page 10 is our first instance of what I would call the dominant style of the 5th edition art; this sort of heavily-shadowed, soft-edges look. Overall, I think it’s one of the strengths of the edition, and I like the implicit drama and scene dynamics implicit in the small facial and hand gestures of the characters here.
The full-page piece on page 16 is the kind of scene I always like to have; non-action scenes that nonetheless show activity and characterization on the subjects. It’s a good fit for a character creation section, since the campfire atmosphere evokes going on a hiking trip with your buddies, the perfect vibe for assembling a party.
The Dwarf on page 18 is great; I don’t demand historical authenticity from fantasy armors, but I do appreciate it when they look like something a person could actually wear. And that expression on her face is pure dwarf.
Time to see what Elves look like… what are you doing here, Drizzt? Get out of here, shoo! Nothing terribly wrong with the picture itself, and I like Mr. Do'Urden fine, I just question the wisdom of having any specific, well-established character serve as the template image for general Elfkind.
The full-page Elf on page 24 is very pretty, and that’s one excellent mouse on the end of her staff, but I have one little objection to lodge with the colorist. The lining on the Elf’s dress is almost the exact same shade as her skin, meaning I always do a double-take when I see it, unsure whether it’s fabric or slits of exposed skin. Minor nitpick.
Time to turn the page and…. GAH! Is this the Monster Manual? Ok, it’s hardly a fresh observation that a lot of the little people in this book are terrifying to behold. If I have anything new to add, it’s that I blame the more general trend of trying to make halflings and dwarves more attractively formed, less squat or fat and closer to human proportionality, which leads to this lean-but-big-headed horror. As for this particular picture, it looks like the face was drawn to a photographic reference; I have a hard time believing someone thought that expression was a good idea on their own.
Love the costume design on the human of page 29. Just the right meeting place, for me, between detail and simplicity.
Nothing much to say about the Dragonborn of page 32. I like the details on his staff, particularly what I just noted to be the shrunken heads of various humanoids. That’s some visual storytelling for you!
Page 35’s Gnome is a little less horrifying, possibly because they’ve actually given her a more alien facial structure to match her inhuman proportions. I would have appreciated something more lively in concept, but this is still good.
Like the costume design on the half-elf of page 38, even if it does not look remotely suitable for adventuring life. I think the face has the right features to communicate just a touch of the fey.
The Half-Orc on page 41 Is very… pink. That’s really all I have to say about this piece.
The Tiefling of page 42 is less to my liking. I’m not entirely sure what’s holding some parts of that costume together, particularly that faux-breastplate brass thing on her torso. The silhouette doesn’t read clearly to me; I would be hard-pressed to identify her as a tiefling from shape alone.
The chapter on classes brings me to one of my biggest positives and one of my biggest negatives. The positive is the picture on page 44. Not only does it just strike me as a well-composed action scene, but it represents the start of one of the best decisions made for all the art in this book, and that is this party of a dwarf, elf, human, and (Gnome? Halfling? Wizardly archetype says Gnome). We’ll see this same foursome show up in various scenarios, both in this book and others, and I love the sense of narrative provided by seeing these same people in diverse situations.
But as we turn the page, we’ll see my biggest gripe, which is that the class artwork is of characters posing in the void, rather than scenes of characters acting. The race section is about what kind of creature your character is, so posed individuals make sense there. But the class chapter is about what your character can do. Wouldn’t it be great if the actual pictures were as vivid and dynamic as the ones painted by the opening text? As it is, the pictures tell you nothing about the class but what clothes they wear, what weapons they carry, and what attitude they hold towards whatever is in the middle distance.
Yes, there are some scenes to be had, and I’ll touch upon those in order, but they’re not the main image of the class, and not all classes get them. Overall, I’d say the unrelated background images that are layered onto the pages do a much better job selling the class identity than the foreground pictures themselves.
Mr. Barbarian of page 46 is ok, I guess. I’m a sucker for the Frazetta-esque, loinclothed Barbarians of old, but this fellow, with his fashionably trimmed beard and strangely layered pants will do fine. The snow-covered village in the background, on the other hand, looks ace, and really sells a cool, Nordic vibe, with its longhouses and standing stones.
Ms. Barbarian of page 48 would get points for being in an actual scene, facing down a suitably menacing dryad, but points are then detracted for said scene consisting only of glowering. The perspective and cropping of the scene leaves me unsure whether she’s a humanoid or a dwarf, but she looks suitably warlike either way.
Nothing much to say about the Bard on page 51, other than a fondness for the detailing on his mandolin. If fingerless gloves in fantasy art are ever justified, I suppose it’s for someone who plays a stringed instrument. The real standout here, though, is the carnival scene in the backdrop of the page. Don’t know whether the tightrope walker is a Bard or not, but the scene for me combines both milieu and activity, so I have to love it.
The bardic scene of page 55 is more what I would have preferred from class artwork. A clear activity showing what kind of person this class helps portray. Neat clothes on the main figure, though it looks rather difficult to see with that cap. Maybe he’s meant to be blind, judging from how he’s running his fingers over those runes?
While I’m generally a man who favors simple designs over complicated ones, the details of our Cleric on page 56 have such a neat sense of specificity and purpose to them. This, to me, looks like an adventuring priest to me above all else, with his braids and belts of potion bottles, the handaxe strapped to his boot, the multiple holy symbols on his circlet and ring, even a few useful-looking beard accessories. And while his pauldrons do still strain the limits of sensibility, at least they create a cool silhouette with those anvil icons.
For the sort of detail I don’t like, you can look at the (presumably Light Domain) cleric of page 61. Loads of vaguely-runic glowing bits, weird pieces of implausible armor… his high collar even appears to be made of mail. Do you suppose he starches it?
The Druid of page 64 is perfectly good. Simple, clear pose, and with one hell of a nice hawk. The druid on page 67, though… I really don’t know what the idea here was with her clothing. It looks too flimsy to be practical, too disjointed to be stylish, and too ridiculous to be titillating. Nice kukri, though, and that’s a first-rate tiger.
Page 70’s Fighter probably gets my vote for the best character design of the class-portraits. For starters, he authentically advertises what the class is about, since nearly every fighting style in the game seems to be represented on him; but the multitude of weapons look feasibly arranged, and his armor is ornate without seeming impractical. Full marks for this one. That tapestry on page 73 is also wicked cool, and definitely helps lend a touch of old-school class to the section.
Well, Ms. Monk from page 76 does at least appear to be actually doing something action-oriented, though you wouldn’t know it from her serene facial expression. Inner peace, I suppose. Very much appreciate the simplicity of the costume design here. Although, now that I look at her hair and the skirt of her tunic… which way is the wind blowing, exactly?
Just like the Cleric, I think the Paladin on page 82 hits a good midpoint between simplicity and detail, although some features of his armor and clothing do bother me a touch.
The Ranger on page 89 starts to skirt into overly-detailed territory for me. So long as we’re going for poses, the notched-arrow-about-to-draw look is one I really like. Were it not for her costume, which looks all kinds of ill-suited for the wilderness, this one would really work for me.
The spiderweb patterns on the gauntlets of the Rogue on page 94 look cool; that’s about the only thing nice I have to say about this guy. The rest of him is a horrid mess of knives and unnecessary belts, capped off with a truly ridiculous pose. I feel like of all the classes, Rogues are the ones whose clothes ought to look the most ordinary, seeing as thieves and murderers tend to avoid broadcasting their professions.
The Sorcerer on page 99 is a good design; and while it’s hardly an action scene, at least it gives a real sense of power and mystery. The dragonborn sorcerer of page 103 I’m less fond of, though I do like the look of magic going through his hand. Does the positioning of his head and neck look off relative to the rest of his body?
Now the lady Warlock on page 105 knows how it’s done. Blind seers are always an evocative setup, and the various bone pins and arcane ingredients tucked around her really sell the whole thing, as does the way her clothing melts into smoke. Usual complaint about lack of action, but this one really packages the class fantasy into a great design.
The Wizard of page 113 has a cool staff, which I would interpret as being his main spellbook. I’m loving the beads on his clothes and accessories, and his facial expression reads suitably as “the Wizard is done with your nonsense.” His hat is far too small for my tastes, though. The astronomer Wizard on page 116 seems a very well-composed image.
Chapter Frontispiece: Well, this halfling is a significant step up from the main illustration on the halfling page, if only because his face looks drawn to evoke actual whimsey and glee rather than sinister laughter. He’s also suitably plump, which helps offset his great bobble-head. The scene itself has a lovely warmth and softness to it. Although I note here a recurring decision to have halflings in shoes (clucks disapprovingly).
The cleric-y fellow on page 124 looks fine, if a little boring.
Something about the brawl scene on page 126 doesn’t seem right to me. Maybe it’s because the perspective makes everyone stacked on top of one another, but I also think it looks too posed for what is supposed to be a chaotic scene; everyone appears to be at roughly the same point in their swing!
The tiefling Criminal on page 129 heard my complaints about the Drow rogue and is menacingly telling me that I haven’t seen anything yet. Does he really go out in public dressed like that?
Page 130 has a solid Entertainer. You don’t see a lot of breastplates worn with crevattes. I like it.
Again, on page 132, we see the convergence of awkwardly proportioned halflings with weird, freeze-frame facial expressions. As I pointed out before, plumpness goes a long way in making their heads look less enormous, and I like this guy’s clothing, which is stylish and practical.
The Hermit of 134 is suitably mysterious.
The Outlander of page 137 must get her wardrobe tips from the leopard-skin bra Druid. She’s got a well-drawn face, and I’ve already expressed my liking for the notched-and-about-to-draw bow pose, but that’s really all this picture has going for it. Also, this book has so far been mostly free of form-fitting leather pants, but nothing lasts forever.
The Sage of 138 has adopted a sadly familiar comic-book pose, with her spine at a recurve angle, thrusting out her chest and butt. Character artists, please stop drawing this pose. Her costume looks fine, but the arcane (hah) posing makes it hard to tell for sure.
The Soldier of page 140 is great; stylish and colorful while still adhering reasonably to real historical designs. Only question is how those hair pins fit under her helmet.
Page 142 gives us the return of our adventuring foursome. Not enough D&D art features arguing and divvying up loot, despite how much of the game that can be. I feel like the purple ring is currently in the process of tempting the Paladin to evil; she's even grasping a dagger!
I don't have all that much to say about the pieces of item drawings scattered throughout the sections, other than that the weapon designs sketched on pages 146-147 trend too much away from the realistic and towards the fantastical for my liking. More fanciful weapon designs are fine for character artwork, but I would prefer the weapon section itself lean more into historical weapons for its images.
The little action snippet of page 148 really grabs me. Ordinarily I might nitpick the combination of flowing silks and tassels with armored fighting, but the lady’s pose, and the way the silks flow with her momentum is very dynamic and cool.
Page 157 gives us a nice, atmospheric travel scene with distinct characters, including some very personable animals. Not sure if the guy in the back, with the spear and the barded horse, is a member of this party, or is riding up alongside them, but a scene that makes me question these things and use my imagination is not a bad thing.
Page 162 gives us what I presume is the Elf of our recurring party in a solid pose, which contrasts him very well with the spreading wings of his falcon buddy. Only thing that’s odd is his face; it looks like a different facial reference was used here than for what we see of his face on page 44, and in later scenes.
It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize that the guy on page 166 is meant to be using the Inspiring Leader Feat (which, to be fair, is on the far side of the opposite page) to rally his companions, and not a very awkward attempt to portray a warrior mid-swing.
Oooh, now this lady on page 169 (Ms. Ritual Caster, I presume) has it going on, with an evocative pose, pimped-out costume, and classically gorgeous face. Not a gown that I would take adventuring, but she’s clearly working in a study, so I’ll let it slide. That’s a neat owl; in fact, this book has had outstanding birds of prey in general so far, for which it deserves credit.
That’s all for Part I. See you in Part 2, Playing the Game!