So far, this video has the most accumulation of what type of art we'll be seeing in D&D Next.  It starts really at about the halfway mark.

I'm not sure what to think yet.  I like that it's a little more "mature" than Tony D's style in 2e, and that it  isn't all Wayne Reynolds.  It's not as "mature" as I'd like (for reference I prefer the dark grittiness of 1e), but it's a nice compromise that also could appeal to a younger generation.

Some of the art reminds me of Tony Di'Terlizzi's style. Not bad!

I found a few more pieces on the design blog.  I'm not embedding all of them because they are too big, but you can follow the links.

Gnoll: (I really like this one)

Trogs and Lizardfolk

Gnome from the playtest packet

Troglodytes are the ones with the blackish scales and huge spines? Those suck.

The lizardfolks are alright though.

prefered 3.5e's lizardfolk artwork to that concept tbh, the gnome resembles a dwarf without a beard which im not sure about but at least its better than the 4e version,

Quote from: Sacrosanct;578427I found a few more pieces on the design blog.  I'm not embedding all of them because they are too big, but you can follow the links.

Gnoll: (I really like this one)

Trogs and Lizardfolk

Gnome from the playtest packet

Some of those look ok I suppose but I am really getting weary of computer graphic art for everything. I really like the warmth of hand drawn pieces.

Quote from: Exploderwizard;578625Some of those look ok I suppose but I am really getting weary of computer graphic art for everything. I really like the warmth of hand drawn pieces.

I'm hoping that there will still be b/w art included.  I think with 3e going forward, there is this assumption that color art equals better art, and that's not the case.  You can get a great feel with b/w art that you really can't get with color.

I see. They had been taking bids from various concept art studios.

I like the work seen in the video, looks like they decided on quite a good studio.

Thanks for passing along those links!

Quote from: Exploderwizard;578625Some of those look ok I suppose but I am really getting weary of computer graphic art for everything. I really like the warmth of hand drawn pieces.

Quote from: Sacrosanct;578631I'm hoping that there will still be b/w art included.  I think with 3e going forward, there is this assumption that color art equals better art, and that's not the case.  You can get a great feel with b/w art that you really can't get with color.

Right.

My eyes glaze over those modern full color books. Yes, they make you go "wow!" the first time you see them. Les Ombres d'Esteren, Cadwallon: awesome books.

But having a gorgeous color illustration on every other page dwarfs the impact of your current cover. D&D3 had filler art that looked better than covers of games from just a few years earlier, or d20 modules that came shortly after.

I'd rather have one iconic color piece as a cover, and several equally iconic (but in a different way because they serve different purposes) b/w line art pieces in the interior than a coffetable artbook.


Now, having said that I really wish WotC to do an artbook full of 5/Next design art. In the computer game industry this kind of merchandising is huge.
Final Fantasy, Valkyria Chronicles, Megaman/Rockman Z, Gothic, World of Warcraft, Wakfu/Dofus - they all have "Making of" artbooks that are full of sketches of landscapes, buildings, towns, weapons, armor, clothing, etc. that can be mined for p&p RPG. Not the finished, glossy color pieces (that I have in the rule book anyway) but the rough sketches, including discarded ideas.

I could only watch about half (buffering problem midway thrugh for me) but i like the halflings I saw. Much more in line with what I think of of as alflings than 3E - 4E.

Quote from: BedrockBrendan;578744I could only watch about half (buffering problem midway thrugh for me) but i like the halflings I saw. Much more in line with what I think of of as alflings than 3E - 4E.

Me too.  I don't like the alien heads of halflings in 3e.  I normally actually like to play halflings, but in 3e it was just a turn off for me.

Quote from: Exploderwizard;578625Some of those look ok I suppose but I am really getting weary of computer graphic art for everything. I really like the warmth of hand drawn pieces.

Digital painting needs to be avoided completely.

For me, the black and white trial sketches in the background would be more useful than the color pics in front.

Instead of trying to come up with one look, they should have many.

Feeling mixed on the art.  The gnool looks pretty weird, like a mutant hyena-man.

Lizardfolk look cool, though.