Over at the Escapist - which I generally avoid because of their hijacking advertisements - some of the art from the Tyranny of the Dragons panel at PAX East has been released, and I'd like to comment on three of them.
 |
| The new Beholder |
I've been looking at this picture most of the morning and I can't decide if I like or hate it. Without a doubt the artist is an impressive individual who has really made this bad boy look like something that could jump off the page. But if you cover the eye and mouth it looks like a giant testicle with ten fleshy dicks writhing about it. I hate saying that because this is one of the best beholders I've ever seen, but it's all can see.
 |
| The new Cloaker |
This picture is what a Cloaker should look like and if you had asked me what was in my head when it came to one this would have dropped out. The colors are amazing on this guy and I fucking love the Frazetta influence with the creature's body texture. He's gone from being a nondescript, flying stingray into a creature that fucking rocks.
I want to fight this thing and I want to win.
This is the sort of art I wished for when Third and Fourth editions came into my hands. I'm loving this shit!
 |
| The new Ogre? |
I believe that this is the new Ogre and all I can say is FUCK YES! There's a clear influence from Warhammer - which is not a bad thing at all - as this guy is the sort of brutal son of a bitch I've wanted showing up in my games for years.
Wizards keep giving us this more of this shit! I fucking love this art style!
I kind of tyhink the Beholder (in general) looks like the evil offspring of Mike Wazowski and Celia, from Monsters, Inc.
ReplyDeleteBut, I'm with you on the art. I am eager to see how they represent my beloved Orcs...
Oh I can't wait!
DeleteYeah I can see why you avoid the place. Between game "journalists" that would side with a con artist instead of listening to proper criticism, advertisements, and social justice garbage I don't find it hard to believe why anyone would avoid the site. Movie Bob alone convince me to just move on to better people.
ReplyDeleteThough the art for dnd next is looking awesome. I wonder what the outer plane beings will look like. Always been a fan of planescape torment and I love how weird these beings can be.
"Between game "journalists" that would side with a con artist instead of listening to proper criticism"
DeleteWhat are you talking about LevyK? I'm unfamiliar with this noise.
"Though the art for dnd next is looking awesome. I wonder what the outer plane beings will look like. Always been a fan of planescape torment and I love how weird these beings can be."
If this art is the standard and not just the exemplary then I can't wait to find out either!
I also like a lot of these arts. And I like also the beholder. It reminds me those of 1st and 2nd ed. (look at Di Terlizzi designs, but with a dash more clean). This creature, imho, should not scare you too much in its appearance, his powers make change the mind of who it meets! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with you Giuseppe! The first artist I thought of when they started showing the new art was DiTerlizzi. Even though his style is more ethereal, he adds a realism to it that just blows me away. It's like they took his style, and decided to up the realism and make it grittier. I love where they are going with this!
DeleteHell yeah!
DeleteI like that Beholder for the central eye... it looks much more intelligent and cunning as it's 3.x counterparts...
ReplyDeleteTrue story.
DeleteSometimes a beholder is just a beholder. :)
ReplyDeleteI agree -- great monsters.
Ha!
DeleteYour flying nutsack looks like it's off the set of the Langoliers...
ReplyDeleteHehe!
DeleteCloakers are finally something! Ogres look too... meh imo.
ReplyDeleteBeholders will be beholders.
The more I look at them the more I think that Wizards has hired some of the old Games Workshop artists to redesign their new look.
Delete