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Upgraded Rock Lizard


MOB

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Better texture, tongue and lack of frill. Funky left paw and digits though.

Edited by Sayerson
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Let's remember too that this is a cover composition, and not every corner of the picture needs to be highly detailed and perfectly finished.

Cover art needs to be integrated WITH the text with which it's going to share visual space.  It's sad when I see a beautiful piece of cover art that nobody dares sacrifice any portion to go under text, so they shrink the art excessively/needlessly and leave it hanging independently in space.  Looks totally disjointed, particularly when the art COULD HAVE been much larger if better integrated with the wording.

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This change works well. Its interesting seeing the different versions. The first was much more 50's pulp monster movie as iskallor mentioned, clever & fun. Though now seeing this new version, it feels like perhaps a better way to go. 

Theres a great weight to the rock lizard now, and well realised musculature that adds to the drama and feeling of power in the beast. Its brilliantly realised. 

Being (perhaps overly)  critical:

  • I feel that there could be a change to the warriors expression, to show some hint of vulnerability.
  • Perhaps the warriors sword arm could be raised up a tad, and a little bit back from the viewer to express a greater feeling of movement in the composition through the flex of the arm. At the moment it feels a little static compared with the great sense of movement elsewhere in the composition. It needs a bit more urgency in that sword arm :) I think all it would take would be a very slight adjustment in the angle of the elbow, to break the strong horizontal it creates (just a little). It may help to create a greater feeling of movement with the follow through of the arm as it swings at the monster. 
  • The sense of cool reflected light ( presumably from the blue sky) on the monster is great. The cool reflected light  could also be emphasised more on the highlights in the armour & the warrior in general, as It works so well on the beast. The 2 subjects would match (unify) better in terms of their shared colour world, and the armour would have more "zing", with stronger contrasts of cool and warm colours.
  • Perhaps a greater sense of texture in the warriors clothes, and skin tones, to show a little grime and dirt. The wonderful contrasting red helmet plume could perhaps have a tiny bit more variety in its colour to texturise it and break it up just a little.

 

Excellent work though, really glad you've found this artist. Its what Runequest deserves. 

Edited by Paid a bod yn dwp
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3 hours ago, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

This change works well. Its interesting seeing the different versions. The first was much more 50's pulp monster movie as iskallor mentioned, clever & fun. Though now seeing this new version, it feels like perhaps a better way to go. 

Theres a great weight to the rock lizard now, and well realised musculature that adds to the drama and feeling of power in the beast. Its brilliantly realised. 

Being (perhaps overly)  critical:

  • I feel that there could be a change to the warriors expression, to show some hint of vulnerability.
  • Perhaps the warriors arm could be raised up a tad, and a little bit back from the viewer to express a greater feeling of movement in the composition through the flex of the arm. At the moment it feels a little static compared with the great sense of movement elsewhere in the composition. It needs a bit more urgency in that sword arm :) I think all it would take would be a very slight adjustment in the angle of the elbow, to break the strong horizontal it creates (just a little). It may help to create a greater feeling of movement with the follow through of the arm as it swings at the monster. 
  • The sense of cool reflected light ( presumably from the blue sky) on the monster is great. The cool reflected light  could also be emphasised more on the highlights in the armour & the warrior in general, as It works so well on the beast. The 2 subjects would match (unify) better in terms of their shared colour world, and the armour would have more "zing", with stronger contrasts of cool and warm colours.
  • Perhaps a greater sense of texture in the warriors clothes, and skin tones, to show a little grime and dirt. The wonderful contrasting red helmet plume could perhaps have a tiny bit more variety in its colour to texturise it and break it up just a little.

 

Excellent work though, really glad you've found this artist. Its what Runequest deserves. 

I'd say that most of what you're talking about is changing the original's more "campy, pulpy" tone to a rougher, more realistic feel.

I agree with the point previously about it being more rock-colored in fact, but my $0.02 would be that we want to keep a gut-connection with Louise Perrin's original iconic cover art, where the lizard was green.  Color and gross shape composition are the very first-recognized elements to art, and (imo) changing the lizard to grey would disconnect that.

IF realistic is what we're going for, then this is better.

FWIW I'd go back to the campier version.  I think it ages better over time.  Also, I think it delivers a lighter tone which IMO might be more broadly appealing.

Edited by styopa
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2 hours ago, styopa said:

I'd say that most of what you're talking about is changing the original's more "campy, pulpy" tone to a rougher, more realistic feel.

I agree with the point previously about it being more rock-colored in fact, but my $0.02 would be that we want to keep a gut-connection with Louise Perrin's original iconic cover art, where the lizard was green.  Color and gross shape composition are the very first-recognized elements to art, and (imo) changing the lizard to grey would disconnect that.

IF realistic is what we're going for, then this is better.

FWIW I'd go back to the campier version.  I think it ages better over time.  Also, I think it delivers a lighter tone which IMO might be more broadly appealing.

 Very much like the grey green colour of the lizard. I much prefer it on second and third looks to the first one. Not necessarily because it's more realistic, but that it captures the gravity and power of the creature better. It's that contrast with the lighter physique of the warrior that works so well. It's monstrous. 

Perhaps it could have a an added crest to match the original, and make it feel a bit more fantasy, but I think the treatment of the creature overall is excellent 

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On 26/3/2017 at 3:26 AM, MOB said:

We upgraded our rock lizard for the new RQ Quickstart cover!

You know, I went on for DECADES thinking that the monster on the RQ2 cover was a Slarge. I was probably influenced by the Griffin Island cover. I should have thought that Slarges don't live in Dragon Pass...

By the way, the authors of RQ6 seem to have had the same misconception when they name "slargr" the creature in their tribute cover: "Anathaym didn't hear the slargr - a massive, old male - until it was upon her."

But now, let Slarges remain in far away Pamaltela. I'm happy to swear by the new and improved rock lizard. Rock lizards rock.

 

 

runequest-griffin-island.jpg

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3 hours ago, Sabueso said:

Pale skin, blue eyes. Not very greek for a hoplite, that's for sure. :)

Not necessarily. The Dorians, ancestors of the Spartans, are often described as fair haired and blue eyed. ;)

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5 hours ago, Yinkin said:

Can you tell us when the RQ quickstart will be available to download from you?

I believe Chaosium has said that general availability for widespread d/l will be shortly after "Free RPG Day" (which itself is 17 June); I want to say 1 July, but I don't recall if that was anything official, or just a fan's "best guess" (such as I am making now).  If you have a FLGS participating in Free RPG Day, you may be able to get the hardcopy of it in person on that day ...

 

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16 hours ago, smiorgan said:

Same for me. I'm not a huge fan of the lady's grin.

A good warrior is always CERTAIN they're going to win.

Until they don't, that is.

 

EDIT I just happened to see a clip on liveleak of a (huge) guy fighting a number of bouncers at once.  I swear at 30 seconds in he was was smiling, enjoying it.

Edited by styopa
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Guest Vile Traveller
17 hours ago, smiorgan said:

You know, I went on for DECADES thinking that the monster on the RQ2 cover was a Slarge.

That's nothing, I and everyone I knew thought it was a dragonewt. And it clearly wasn't. But I suspect the reason we never cottoned on to it being a rock lizard was the same as mentioned above, that it wasn't grey (though it was kind of pebbly).

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On 3/29/2017 at 0:07 AM, Paid a bod yn dwp said:

Quite like to see this artist tackling a variety of RQ Trolls 

Andrey has just finished a quite beautiful full page color pic of a dark troll wandering through the Vale of Flowers, with some trollkin in the background riding on giant bees etc. This is for 13AG.

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On 3/29/2017 at 1:40 AM, Vile said:

That's nothing, I and everyone I knew thought it was a dragonewt. And it clearly wasn't. But I suspect the reason we never cottoned on to it being a rock lizard was the same as mentioned above, that it wasn't grey (though it was kind of pebbly).

The new rock lizard is grey with greenish tinges, to keep everyone (un)happy it seems

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34 minutes ago, MOB said:

... to keep everyone (un)happy it seems

Isn't that the working definition of "a good compromise?"  Everybody can work with it, nobody's really happy with it?

:wacko:

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Don't sweat the face, it's glorious. It is a face that says, "I am about to cleave this gods damned rock lizard's face in twain!"   Look at the runes on her sword, Vinga's set + Mastery, Luck, & Fate? She fears no mere beast! Nobody looks at a Frazetta Conan and says, "It could use a bit of doubt in his eyes." Similarly, I prefer the "Steel in her veins!" Eowyn from the old RotK cartoon to the "On the verge of panic!" Eowyn from Jackson's movie.

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1 hour ago, JonL said:

Don't sweat the face, it's glorious. It is a face that says, "I am about to cleave this gods damned rock lizard's face in twain!"   Look at the runes on her sword, Vinga's set + Mastery, Luck, & Fate? She fears no mere beast! Nobody looks at a Frazetta Conan and says, "It could use a bit of doubt in his eyes." Similarly, I prefer the "Steel in her veins!" Eowyn from the old RotK cartoon to the "On the verge of panic!" Eowyn from Jackson's movie.

I was getting "Damnit, I already have a check in 1h sword and shield today!"

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