I don't really like Jeff Easley's art.
Don't get me wrong, he's done some iconic and genre defining work, but at it's core, I don't like his style. Not that I could do any better or even anything resembling art, but I don't like the way substitutes blur and swirl for sharp and crisp detail. It's mostly when he does flesh and clothing, but it's always sorta irritated me. I have a weird OCD habit of analyzing fantasy artwork to look for little hidden gems that you don't always catch with a casual glance. Believe me, I haven't found any of that in his work. I'm not even saying he's not a great artist. It's not about that. Hell, I love Erol Otus' work and that's as campy and cartoonish as you can get, but I just don't like his style.
Eh....probably just me...
Easley is very hit or miss with me -- mostly miss, at least where his color artwork is concerned. I actually like his B&W inkwork better than his paintings.
ReplyDeleteIt's still better than most Wayne Reynolds stuff, though.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it's the same problem I had with 2e; certainly pretty to look at once or twice, but it just never inpires.
ReplyDeleteI agree about Erol Otus' work. It could be campy and cartoony, but it always seemed to evoke new ideas.
A running theme in the one AD&D I ran years ago was a feud between two cults that kept engulfing the characters. It was inspired solely by his Deities & Demigods cover.
Oh, and his women all looked like the same person in different wigs to me. o_O
i'll take Reynolds over Easley any day. old school-wise, Elmore is my guy.
ReplyDeleteHighly variable - sometimes I really hate his work, and other times it's merely ok.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else notice that Wayne Reynolds draws feet and mouths really weird sometimes?
ReplyDelete