Curse

Storn · May 11, 2005, 01:03 PM // 13:03

Thought I would introduce myself.

I've just started GW. Quite the noob. And it is my first MMORPG, being mostly a first person shooter guy like Call of Duty multiplayer. But I am a pro artist for the role playing game industry.

And one of the things I love about GW is its clean aesthetic. It isn't overly gothic or baroque (like Warhammer or Warcraft). Gothic and baroque is fine, but my personal taste tends to the clean and sleek.

oh yeah, if you are interested, my website is:
http://www.stornc.rpggallery.com/

dozens and dozens of images, a lot of superheroes, lot of fantasy stuff.

Delil Isiorion · May 11, 2005, 04:15 PM // 16:15

Actually... dealing with your reference to Gothic or Baroque, I think your application of the terms is a little confused. From what i've seen of the game, it has incredible Gothic and Baroque influences. Gothic in both senses of both being 'gothik' in representation, impressing, monumental, awe inspiring, and Gothic in the sense that some of the architecutre (though post searing is a lot of ruins) is very gothic-esqe in that it is highly articulated with emotional works, monumentally tall, and some are highly articulated with windows and or light sources.

Baroque in a sense incompases three major landmarks; A fusion of stylistic influences, a tennebristic quality of light and emotion, and a look back to classical style rendition. This I see a lot of influence as well in Guild Wars, especally with the emotional quality of light. Also, becuase of the several different regions, cultures, and landscapes inflused in this game, you get a sense of fusion of sytlistic influences. Two major landmarks of the Baroque tradition.

I, myself, am an Art student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I'm not an industry professional yet, but everything aisde from the artistic style comment, I agree with. It's an amazing game. Also, the pieces in your porfolio are quite impressive, very nice job.

-delil

Storn · May 11, 2005, 08:27 PM // 20:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Delil Isiorion

Actually... dealing with your reference to Gothic or Baroque, I think your application of the terms is a little confused. From what i've seen of the game, it has incredible Gothic and Baroque influences. Gothic in both senses of both being 'gothik' in representation, impressing, monumental, awe inspiring, and Gothic in the sense that some of the architecutre (though post searing is a lot of ruins) is very gothic-esqe in that it is highly articulated with emotional works, monumentally tall, and some are highly articulated with windows and or light sources.

Baroque in a sense incompases three major landmarks; A fusion of stylistic influences, a tennebristic quality of light and emotion, and a look back to classical style rendition. This I see a lot of influence as well in Guild Wars, especally with the emotional quality of light. Also, becuase of the several different regions, cultures, and landscapes inflused in this game, you get a sense of fusion of sytlistic influences. Two major landmarks of the Baroque tradition.

I, myself, am an Art student at the Savannah College of Art and Design. I'm not an industry professional yet, but everything aisde from the artistic style comment, I agree with. It's an amazing game. Also, the pieces in your porfolio are quite impressive, very nice job.

-delil

Heh. Hoisted by my petard. Yes, you are right... the landscape, the architecture is very gothic... I certainly wasn't specific enough with my language.

But the character aesthetic is NOT warhammer/warcraft...which has the overblown, huge weapons, lots of spikes thing happening... "grotesque" might ahve been a better term. Sure, there is some of that with the large warhammers and armor of the warrior class... but it isn't over the top. It doesn't blow my versimilitude.

Good colleague of mine went to SCAD. I went to CCAD (Columbus College of Art and Design). So, boy howdy, do I know the grind you are currently involved with.

Delil Isiorion · May 11, 2005, 11:44 PM // 23:44

Yea, i'm loving SCAD, definantly worth every penny, and every hour of time spent...... Which can equate to about 60+ on some of my drawings... yea, just 1. lol. What was your major at CCAD? From what I can tell it looks to be either Illustration or Sequential, maybe both. I'm a Visual Effects major, Animation minor here at SCAD, Just finishing up my first year. My 'forte' I guess would be digital painting, can't get enough of it, but i pretty much love to dabble in all mediums (with the exception of 'real' paints... they absoloutely hate me, but.. I haven't used them enough to really say if I hate them back. hah)

I do understand what you mean though. Personally, I really, really, really, really, reaaalllyyy dislike WoW's character models. They call it 'style', I call it the unimaginative port of their Warcraft III characters to their ugly 3 diemensional counterparts. The scenes are pretty impressive, and it's a good game overall, but the character models, the animations, and the gaudy cliche enormous weapon models totally turned me off to WoW. I can tell you, that about 85% of the gamers here at SCAD play WoW, and every time someone mentions how awesome it is, and I object, I get about 20 fanboys/girls screaming at me about how 'stoopid' I am. I'm sorry, I just couldn't imagine going on an epic quest as a magical cow, that's too 'diablo-esque' for me.

WoW's pre-rendered cinematic trailer though..... Oh... My.. God..... just simply... amazing.

take care,
-delil

Storn · May 12, 2005, 01:49 PM // 13:49

I started as an Advertising Major (I went back to school at 26, having dropped out at 19 from NYU after 2 years). But I was already freelancing as an illustrator, just have gotten my first substantial client AFTER applying to CCAD. So after the first year, I switched to Applied Arts (re: illustration program). Because I like graphic design... but I LOVE illustration.

I wanted to be a comic book artist til my first year at CCAD. Then I discovered oil painting (which I sucked at, btw, but the challenge SO enthralled me.) and I knew that I would never do comics unless I could do pencils and color... which precludes me from 99% of all monthly titles. So I moved over to doing RPGs and covers and such.

I do a fair bit of digital (have one cover on my mac right now, next to the PC that I'm writing this on). Just as some advice: don't give up on traditional paint. Keep trying. I find SO much dialogue between digital and traditional color. Stuff I figure out in digital informs my oil or watercolor.... stuff, especially color theory, I figure out in my oil or watercolor comes back and informs the digital work.

I never was interested in WoW. I liked Warcraft III as only "its okay", prefered Starcraft. But I'm thrilled with GW. It is becoming a bit deeper in its strategy the further I go. And I totally agree with your thoughts on the look.

But I go WAAAAAY back... I was playing Pong and pinball as a young pup at the coin op arcades. How far electronic games have come!!!!

If you have a website with some art samples, would love to see it!!!!

OffDutyNinja · May 26, 2005, 12:26 PM // 12:26

*sigh* i wish i had an interesting life...

kudos on the site very nice work

Spirit Firefly · May 26, 2005, 01:40 PM // 13:40

Wow someone has an art book infront of them describing different types of art n1.

Storn · May 26, 2005, 02:05 PM // 14:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spirit Firefly

Wow someone has an art book infront of them describing different types of art n1.

nah. I love art history/ art theory. It is pretty much ingrained. Not that I'm opposed to looking stuff up. Like forgetting the name of an artist or what time period something was done in. Sometimes I have the most insane mental blocks on names that I've known for years!

But periods of art can trip me up. And Delil was right on target when he corrected me. No biggie. My ego can take it. <grin>

Visual Storytelling
http://www.stornc.rpggallery.com/

Delil Isiorion · May 27, 2005, 03:55 AM // 03:55

I actually didn't have an art book in front of me. I did however just finished Survey of Western Arts 1 and 2 these past two quarters at college, so it was all pretty fresh in my mind.

-delil

Akilles · Jun 01, 2005, 05:08 AM // 05:08

CCAD!!! LMAO!!!

the Media Studies major is a joke, why animation is not put in the illustration major is beyond me.

I went there!

My last year they were putting up that HUGE red Art thing. Ahhhh.... I had fun in the dorms! We had the basement which meant 5 rooms and no RA! I had to leave early due to medical issues

Iron Amadeus · Jun 03, 2005, 07:45 AM // 07:45

Storn. I LOVE your artwork. One of your images look far too much like a Charr for me to pass up this opportunity though.

Storn · Jun 04, 2005, 02:02 PM // 14:02

Wow!!! Iron Amadeus!!! That is hilarious and awesome! Love the -11 dmg. But dude, yer 20th lvl, that Chaar is 5th and yer gettin schooled!!!

I never thought of that!!! That card predates GW by a few YEARS!! Meebee they took the idea from MEEEEEE!

Nah.

Actually, that demon is a character in the Legend of 5 Rings card game and was the 2nd time he was depicted. I worked off the original card, who the artist was... I don't remember, but I should not get credit for that character design. The composition of the card? Sure, I'll take credit for that.

and btw, I play a monk as my primary character too..... <grin>