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Ken McCracken · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 9:13 am

Just curious to hear what people think about this - what are the elements that make a work of fantasy, science fiction, horror, etc. a really interesting piece?

marky · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 10:23 am

Ken - do you have a brother called Phil ?

sorry only jokin'

burn0ut · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 1:50 pm

i really dig it when fantasy art has a nice story behind the characters, and the costumes they wear...
okay enough of me.

gLitterbug · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 3:18 pm

His brother�s name wasn�t Phil, his name was Zak! :P

Jezebel · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 4:29 pm

I think it takes a good artist to make good fantasy art.

Understanding of anatomy, lighting, composition - all that typical good stuff tends to make a good image no matter what the subject matter.

Personally I really enjoy fantasy art, but I grow bored of the static "Boris" type poses. I dislike the cheesy naked women with swords because it's just too unrealistic. Sure it's fantasy... but not THAT kind of fantasy

For an image to be good, it needs to be full of emotion/mood. As long as it has that I'll even like the static nekked chick pictures sometimes.

Overall I enjoy something where I can look at it and suddenly form a story in my head about the image - or I can begin to imagine the characters past and overall attitude.

My 2 cents :>

Beth

Noctali · member Member # Joined: 06 Jun 2001 Posts: 91 Location: ?

Look all about Luis Royo, Boris Vallejo, Dorian Cleaveger, Gerald Brom, Keith Parkinson, Michael Whelan, Julie Bell, Sorayama, Chris Achilleos, Brian Froud, etc...

burn0ut · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 6:10 pm

frazetta makes good fantasy art....

BiGJoN · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 7:16 pm

Good fantasy art in specific has to firstly have some sort of old traditional feel to it.. swords, dragons, armour, whatever. You know what I mean? Well thats my opinion anyway.

It has to have that something that makes people start to imaginate the world the picture is set in. Like someone already said it has to have emotion, character and realism. With these the audience starts to think "Wow! Wouldn't it be cool/different/bad to live in a place like that.." for whatever reason. So... it has to provoke a response.

Convincing image with a traditional feel.

But of course the main question is subjective so don't take my word for it! Thats just my opinion!

Ken McCracken · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 7:37 pm

I am undecided about whether good fantasy art requires good technique or not. An artist may have excellent technique, but fall flat at being able to tell a story because the scene is too silly or unbelieveable. I think Vallejo and Royo slide past intriguing and sexy right into silly and cheesy. Those guys know how to paint their asses off, but they aren't as good as alot of people (IMHO) whose technique isn't as polished, who nonetheless tell a better story.

The converse is true also, I think. An excellent story can be marred by technique so poor that it becomes distracting.

CapnPyro · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 7:37 pm

quote

Quote:

What Makes Good Fantasy Art?

Pointy ears.

Steven Stahlberg · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 8:48 pm

Oscar Chichoni is one of my alltime favorites for fantasy.

Also Phil Hale, Jon Foster, Adam Hughes...

Try to get one of those Spectrum books, anyone of them, all of them... no better collection of fantasy art on earth. Each page will have you gasping and staring.

Does anyone know if Vallejo might be on this list?

Ahcri · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 11:21 pm

I'd say it depends on the artwork itself. If it's well-drawn, even an ugly creature like a dwarf could look nice. But if it's badly drawn, then the character really has to be interesting or it won't have any redeeming value.

Pat · Posted: Tue Jul 17, 2001 11:49 pm

Fantasy art always struck me as having rather strict parameters. It's usually character driven, and the characters are typically archetypal. I suspect this is so because there's a strong escapist theme to a lot of the genre so you see lots of mystical creatures, exotic locales and other subjects you're not likely to encounter in every day life.

As for what makes good fantasy art... for me the painting which most successfully accomplishes the above I consider good. Unlike Ahcri, for me that has only a little to do with rendering technique --although if the artist is try to be realistic and blows, say the hands or something, nothing yanks me out of the visual narrative faster.

-Pat

[ July 17, 2001: Message edited by: Pat ]

YAZ · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2001 12:13 am

I like to see art that breaks the traditional boundaries of classical "fantasy" art (cheesy naked women with swords). I feel that fantasy art shouldn't be limited to what fantasy artists have done in the past.

gekitsu · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2001 12:46 am

the athmosphere has to fit.
no mater if you take fantasy, horror, scifi, etc...
for example a pic with a 70's styled guy in his car... the athmosphere has to make you wanting to wear 70's style of clothes and drive around in 70's cars...

if a fantasy pic makes you want to do that, there may be something wrong...

starfish · member Member # Joined: 07 Feb 2000 Posts: 126

Yo Ken McCracken!

what always strikes me with the 'fantasy-'
as well other fictional art-works that
I find amazing, is that I, just by looking
at them, automaticly 'understand' the
situation that's depicted.
and that my mind starts to come up with
more cool stuff related to the picture.

Wireframe · junior member Member # Joined: 03 Jan 2001 Posts: 28

Seems to me what would make good fantasy art is aside from technical skill, the ability to encapture the viewer instantly and make them want to stare at the image for a long while.

PlantMan · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2001 6:12 am

Stay away from generic orcs/elves nonsense. Its been done before and a hundred times better!

jr · Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2001 6:29 am

my favorite fantasy illustrators are donato giancola , dorian vallejo , frazetta, and anyone that know's how to tell a cool story with a picture. donato's art