Snowmancer – Viktor Fetsch

Among the artistic goals I set for Legends & Labyrinths was:

Goal #2: Find a balance between men and women.

I suppose one could claim this represents some sort of agenda for political correctness on my part. But, really, I just like pictures of pretty women doing heroic things.

Another goal was:

Goal #3: Realistic armor.

And this one is completely agenda-driven.

Primarily, this is about eliminating chainmail bikinis. But it’s also about recapturing the simple realism of a bloke in plate armor facing the terrifying and supernatural unknown.

I’m a huge fan of Final Fantasy and anime and World of Warcraft, but I think there’s a current imbalance in fantasy art. I also think that the interesting contrast between the mundane and the supernatural in fantasy art has been lost as heroes and monsters alike both reach for ever-more-gonzo proportions.

And after all, as Viktor Fetsch so aptly demonstrates with his Snowmancer, you can still look completely badass while dressed in completely reasonable clothes.

Smoky torches? Check. Worn stairs? Check. Black-mawed doors? Check. Inexplicable carvings? Check. Vapors of a worrisome nature? Check and check.

Nothing more exciting than a good dungeoncrawl.

Note, too, how the central figures are dwarfed by the enigma of the locale. They could be anybody. They could be you.

Which way will you turn?

Dove City – Alex Drummond

So far we’ve been featuring fantasy heroes in this series, but of equal important, in my opinion, are the startling vistas of fantasy.

Alex Drummond‘s conception of a place called Dove City draws my eye into the misty depths of forgotten antiquity. I yearn to cross those bridges of stone and explore the byzantine chambers which lie behind those intricate walls of bas relief.

What do you think lies within?

The Barbarian – Viktor Fetsch

There is a very specific aesthetic I want to achieve with the art for Legends & Labyrinths. To keep myself on task, I drew up a list of artistic guidelines for the project. As guidelines, all of these would end up getting violated at one time or another, but for the most part they helped keep me on track.

Goal #1: No posing.

A lot of recent fantasy art has trended towards people posing for the imaginary camera. This has occasionally been used to good effect, but more often it results in flat and contrived imagery. It’s my belief that showing people in action — actually living in a land of fantasy and adventure — is not only more interesting, but also more effective at capturing the imagination of players and drawing them into the game world.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that every picture needs to be action-packed, but the fluid motion and sheer power captured in this painting by Viktor Fetsch immediately excited me.

The Rogue – Bonnie Tang

It was surprisingly difficult to find a painting of a rogue that didn’t look like a slavering madman or an emo cosplayer. I was initially looking for a picture in an urban setting (perhaps with a bit of lockpicking action), but this sylvan elf by Bonnie Tang enchanted me completely.

Hopefully it will enchant you, too.