Am i the only one who prefers old GW codex/rulebook art?

[HereticMarine1]

To me the more modern GW digital art never seems to capture my imagination as much as the old drawn art from rogue trader to 5th edition, in general it just seemed to be of better quality imo. I still love Dave Gallagher, John Blanche, karl kopinski artwork.

Edited May 1, 2019 by HereticMarine1

[Jolemai]

Punted to Amicus Ades as this isn't News, Rumour, or a Board Announcement

[HereticMarine1]

Sorry, didn't realize i was looking at the news board when i decided to make this thread.

 

Paul Dainton is another favorite of mine of the old GW artists

[Marshal Rohr]

No, you're not. In many cases it is objectively better. One only has to look at some of the new Primaris, Centurion, and Wulfen art and compare it to the 4th Edition's Uriel Ventris, or the Black Templar Codex, or the Eldar art to see how far it has fallen. 

Edited May 1, 2019 by Marshal Rohr

[MARK0SIAN]

I’m not sure you have to go back as far as 5th edition, a lot of the art as recent as 7th edition was pretty great. There’s definitely a different style and tone to it in 8th that I’m not a fan of. It seems overly simplified, less gritty recently.

[Exilyth]

While I do admit that there is some really good new art and aknowledge that a lot of new art is really high quality in terms of technique, it often feels like there is something mossing from many pieces. It's a bit too perfect at times. I do not know if "no model no art' really exists as a rule, but if it does, that really limits the subject matter - e.g. we get much less depictions of civilian live in the 42nd millenium and images of troops not in combat (or posing heroically) have become somewhat more uncommon too. Also, many places look much too clean.

 

A lot of the new art is best described as 'nobledark'.

A lot of the older art was properly grimdark.

 

3rd edition rulebook is still my favorite as far as artwork goes.

That and a lot of stuff by John Blanche.

 

 

edit:

added remark about millenia old ruins looking like a battalion of janitos just licked them clean.

Edited May 1, 2019 by Exilyth

[HereticMarine1]

I think in many cases it looks more perhaps sterile to me, and less gritty as you said. There is also an otherworldly vibe to some of the old 40k art which is missing today imo.

 

Some of the depictions of civillian life in the old books was among my favorite, I also have great memories of just looking through the 3rd edition rulebook just for the art, the depiction of the eternity gates and golden throne in particular i have fond memories of, might have to get another copy sometime. 

Edited May 1, 2019 by HereticMarine1

[Doghouse]

No school like the old school for me, Kev Walker is my hero when it comes to 40k artwork and comics.

[Vykes]

Frankly I kind of fall into the range that 'it depends, but it is neither better nor worse on the whole'.  I know that I have a lot of nostalgic feelings towards the 2nd and 3rd edition artwork with Blanche in particular contributing a lot of really novel sketch ideas that I like.  Similarly, the black and white artwork and vibrant saturated colours from that era are at least unique and I still remember them fondly, but I'd be lying to myself for sake of being some sort of hipster to say they're just objectively better.  They're not, they're subjectively better.  

 

Flipping through the 3E-5E books right now says that it's a very old school comic exaggerated style which is definitely telling, easily recognizable, but they aren't divinci.  A lot of the Horus Heresy sketches and the like in the hardbacks are particularly great and feel like a refinement of that 'techno-punk' Blanche style keeping it very artistic and generally 'human'.  Well, as for Kopinski, I really really detested the 4E+ 40K style yet adored his warhammer fantasy art.  Kopinski was that era of gaming and era of art that I felt way too elaborate and didn't resonate with me on a personal level for aesthetic.  Some of his pieces were still great, but all in all, not my thing.  

 

Now, I do definitely agree that I want to see more non-battle poses and non-greek heroic postures, which means I also want more normalcy and citizen life both good and bad.  I don't get that in a lot of the official art.  What I DO downright love is the FFG 40K RPG artwork which absolutely knocks it out of the park for me (There's a particular piece for a female mordian iron guard all beat up staring into the dying embers of a fire while clenching her fist that nails all my positive feelings for the guard better than anything since the Codex Cityfight cover*).

*And yes, I'm away that it's Kopinski who did it.  That's kinda what I mean, some stuff is great and it gets the feeling for me, some of it isn't.  It's a mixed bag. 

Edited May 1, 2019 by Vykes

[redmapa]

I dont think anyone isnt missing the likes of Kopinski or Adrian Smith, that being said I do like the current batch of artists and they are a thousand times better than the gutter dregs that GW had in 7th edition, now THAT was dumpster tier art.

[No Foes Remain]

I agree, there has only been one new art that I like which is this one and I think thats mainly because it emulates the older art. I dunno whether its changed to more digital art, but it just lacks something, as an image its really good but as 40k art it just lacks.... something.

[Biscuittzz]

Curse of the Wulfen should answer any questions anyone has about the path GW took their art.

[Stoic Raptor]

While I do admit that there is some really good new art and acknowledge that a lot of new art is really high quality in terms of technique, it often feels like there is something missing from many pieces. 

 

What's missing is the Gothic aspect that the game was originally based upon.  Somewhere along the line, they forgot about that part - and that is what Blanche does best.

[battle captain corpus]

Two words to Google...

 

Mark...

 

&

 

Gibbons...

 

You're welcome ;)

 

BCC

[Volt]

IMO a lot of the 8th edition art is crap besides the ones done by Tze Kun Chin (did I get the name right?) and Dave Gallagher.

 

 

This is Tze

 

 

And of course this is our good 'ol artist Gallagher still pumping out beautiful stuff for 8e.

[MegaVolt87]

Yeah 8th ed art isn't doing it for me. HH art seems to be drifting to mainline GW style as well unfortunately. 

[Marshal Rohr]

IMO a lot of the 8th edition art is crap besides the ones done by Tze Kun Chin (did I get the name right?) and Dave Gallagher.

 

 

This is Tze

 

 

And of course this is our good 'ol artist Gallagher still pumping out beautiful stuff for 8e.

Custodes wear capes. Always. Even in zero gravity.

[Lexington]

8th Ed illustration always reminds me of that like from Grosse Pointe Blank about the Energizer Bunny -“It's got no brain, it's got no blood, it's got no anima!” It feels like an ad for a video game or a franchise movie, all slick and glossy and grown from an algorthmic bath in a lab somewhere.

[Felix Antipodes]

I wish this topic had come up before the recent GW survey. I think a lot of people complaining about the decline in the art style utilised might have got their attention.

[Lord_Caerolion]

Eh, some of the artwork from Dave Gallagher really isn't that great. Sure, he's got some great ones, but he's got others that just look horrible, with the perspective being really bad.

[HereticMarine1]

I think Dave Gallagher can be a bit like marmite to some, his style can look a bit comic booky but that is why i like it. The custodes pic is superb.

 

I'm glad you mentioned Mark Gibbons, Corpus. That guy easily created some of my favorite art. I think the thing to me is i can tell when something is drawn digitally rather than buy hand, and it never looks as good as by hand to me.

[The God Empress Of Mankind]

No you are far from alone, I like the art in the fantasy flight RPG source books.

[Lord_Caerolion]

I think it was his codex cover artworks that got a bit bad, as well as some of his Warhammer Fantasy artworks. When he's good he's awesome. Otherwise...

[Quantum]

Of all the artist I only know John Blanche, and I think his work is awful. Like an obscura or spook induced hallucination of 40k.

 

Using his work to get a glimpse of the 40k universe, is like using a painting by Salvador Dali to get an idea of our own world.

[Brother Casman]

I'll be honest: I think the current art is perfectly serviceable and enjoyable artwork. I would like to see more evocative "setting" pieces, but that's just me.