Why was 2E's art so superior?

Instead of using the fan-submitted artwork along with the fan-submitted monster writeups, they had enough money to pay for art while using the fan-submitted monster writeups.

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Fiend Folio has a lot of cool art.

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If I had to get a tattoo it would probably be something out of this book.

>>47022111
That knight dude always struck me, even as a kid, as having some seriously tiny legs.

It kind of threw off the whole picture for me (as iconic as it is and as clearly as I remember it).

>>47022169
Mr. Half-Orc is still the most charming example of his kind ever put to paper, though.

>>47022111

That shit looks awful.

>>47022111
You actually get some sort of idea of the character of these races.

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>>47022111
It was made by passionate people for passionate people.

Today its made via diversity quota to not offend anyone by inserting to many white or male characters.

>>47022504
Yeah, I have no idea what everyone else itt is talking about.

Unless OP's pic isn't actual 2E art, which is entirely possible.

>>47022987
>OP's pic isn't actual 2E art
It's the race illustration from the 1e PHB. 2e didn't have half-orcs as a core race.

>>47022111
This meme needs to die.

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I love the heavy black line art that was in a lot of books.

It's nice to see it coming back into fashion in OSR products. Barrowmaze Complete has some amazing art.

>>47022111
Superior to what exactly? I've thrown up things that look better than that.

>>47024753
That's 1E art.

>>47024287
This, on the other hand, IS 2e art.

Shitty Forgettable Realms bullshit, but better than most 1e art from a technical point of view.

>>47022169
>hey guys what's going in this party

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Looks like drawfag stuff. There's a bit of personality to it that you can't get with most art for some reason.

This actually drawfag art. Don't remember who drew it, but you can see how it'd fit in pretty well with all the other stuff so far.

>>47027113
Even the OP's example was above industry average when it was printed. You know, in the 70s.

>>47022169

yee

>>47022111
Isn't that from AD&D?

>>47022504
You look awful.

>>47027040
Most 2E settings had some really amazing illustrators, even though a lot of people still blame DiTerlizzi's Planescape art for preluding the 3.PF dungeonpunk shit.

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ohai

Planescape art was always my favorite

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>>47022290
>>47022317
Russ Nicholson ftmfw

>>47027113
I like this actually

>>47031314
>yeah, yeah, breathin' fire, i guess

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>>47022111

That's 1e art.

THIS is 2e art.

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>>47022111

It was great depicting mundanish stuff and humanoids/semi-humanoids, but it fell apart when it came to having to depict exotic creatures like Modrons.

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>>47035559

That's 1e art.

This is 2e art.

>>47035559
Is that it's actual face from the art?

That looks so much like a 4chan face edit I refuse to believe the actual art looks like that.

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>>47022941


Not just that, but also made by industry artists. So...
Working on business-minded deadlines..
With no inherent passion for the work..
Pumping out hundreds of generic, samey-looking images..

This is why OSR art is so much more inspired, even if it isn't done by industry-level artists.

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Posting more modern OSR-styled artwork

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Also can't go wrong with Berserk

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>>47022111

>>47022111
Because you like it and don't want to feel like an old fat piece of shit. So you hate new thing.

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>>47036939

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>>47036954

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>>47036968

>>47022941
Playtesting a game for 10 years has always been a better measure of quality than decision by committee.
Everything in the newer editions was a decision by committee.

>>47036939
AYY

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>>47024287
The B&W art in the red box D&D was fucking great. Not only best girl (pictured) but other stuff like the fighter buying rope and haggling with some merchant.

>all these newfriends thinking that the OP picture is 2e

You can find bad 2e pretty easily by just opening the monster manual. But most of the supplements had actual artists working on them. I'm a fan of the settings where the look was created by a hired artist, such as Tony DiTerlizzi on Planescape and Brom and Thomas Baxa on Dark Sun.

>>47036702
I read 1e monster manuals before bed every night for maximum comfy.

I can assure you, this is a Base Modern from the 1e Monster Manual 2.

Also where my Dave Trampier art at?

>>47039802
>Bad D&D art.
>No Trampier.

You tell me, anon.

>>47022111
Because Larry Elmore.

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>>47027113
sad that even though he gave a name in a thread I can't find him

>>47022111
That sentence makes no grammatical sense.

>>47036808
This art is fucking fantastic, but the fact that the fighter is holding the torch in front of him where he's looking really bugs me and I will never be able to unnotice it.

>>47036939
LMAO