Why did 2E have the best art?

>>51015352
The 80's. Artists then knew who to be derivative of.

nostalgia glasses

>>51015352
Shading. Adherence to classical proportions and principles. Skill at painting.

>>51015352
>>51015375
>>51015379

t 50+ years old fagits

Because that's your preference?

Personally I prefer the more modern flavour of anime-style fantasy art and the sort of thing 4e went for, but it's all a matter of taste really.

>>51015352
Becasue of Easley, Elmore, Parkinson and others.
They all worked well into the 90's too, don't forget.

I theorise that by the time 3rd edition rolled around they were just too expensive to commission for covers or interiors. I can't imagine there was an actual push within wizards of the coast that said 'nah, lets have worse art instead'.

>>51015352 >>51015375
Availability of competent artists. Go a bit farther back, and there's a limited supply a good artists. Go a bit farther forward, and there's an abundance of just-good-enough tablets tablets tablets artists.

>>51015386
You're probably the sort of person that thinks Boris Vallejo is a better artist than Frank Frazetta.

>>51015397
>it's all a matter of taste really
yeah. I mean, if you're comparing cartoons sure.

But OP is clearly asking from a quality standpoint.

I'm not gonna tell you that the new art is bad, because it isn't. It demonstrates a certain mastery of anatomy and movement. But the color palette is generally god-awful and the backgrounds nonexistent if not half-assed. There is a certain value to be seen once you yourself have explored artistic pursuits for yourself and there is, on the whole, a massive drop in quality and realism after the 80's that was never fully explained.

>>51015682

I guess I've just never particularly valued realism in fantasy art.

>>51015352
The internal art is mostly shit imo.

File: 1424922467516.jpg (187KB, 610x800px) Image search: [Google]

187KB, 610x800px

Well, I admit it's before my time, but I notice that a lot of the art has a lot of detail, but there's not a lot in the way of color. Even kind of mute or dull colors will pop out. Also, the backgrounds don't seem to be all that complex - sometimes they seem to be heavily based in nature, sure, but there's not too much complexity in colors to distract you from the subtle details. In the OP pic, we can really appreciate the magic flowing around the magister's hand because of the dull background around it.

But I can't say all the art was the same way, or all that great. It's hard to describe, but a lot of the faces were fairly similar, and the haircuts as well. Sometimes things felt unimaginative or dull - there was rarely a sense of grandeur or expanse, except with the most wizardest of wizards.

>>51016961
That art is so gorgeous. I love the interplay of colour. The dark armour of those soldiers against the whiteness of the environment marks them as outsiders to that land; stark in contrast. Look at what else is likewise dark. That great maul held by the monstrous fellow. It too is from outside, the civility and technique of its construction contrasting with the brutal hands that wield it.
Looks great. The birds have the sense to flee where the civil men do not. Thier heads are darkly feathered. That is, they're heading out.
Not even the trees are quite so black as these things. They are tinged with white. They belong. The shield is, too, and white eats away at the armour of the fallen man. In their doom, they will become naturalised to this wintry realm.
It's grand.