Art in the OSR

An interesting discussion at Discourse and Dragons on the topic of Art and Ideology in the OSR:  http://discourseanddragons.blogspot.com/2011/02/art-and-ideology-in-osr.html.  As a contributing artist to several OSR publications, I’d have to say that my art is not consciously or intentionally political.  The work I’ve done is not an in your face commentary against the big gaming companies.  Quite simply, I was raised on the aesthetic of not just OD&D, but medieval romance and fantasy imagery that was more grounded in real world traditions or has some verisimilitude.  So, that is just where my comfort zone is.  Draw what you know. 
I think an interesting subdiscussion was developing in the comments in regards to the quality of the art in the OSR.  I’ve heard from time to time folks say that some of the production values are low.  Well, guess what, much of the OSR material is published by hobbyists for a small niche of enthusiasts.  I’m actually pretty impressed by the quality of the art in the OSR.  Several publishers of late have been putting out some great looking stuff.  Lamentations of the Flame Princess, North Wind Publishing, Goblinoid Games, Brave Halfling, Expeditious Retreat Press, Mythmere Games, Frog God Games, Black Blade Publishing, etc have put out some really fine work.  I can think of several artists who have been doing great work and only continue to get better:  Peter Mullen, Stefan Poag, William McDevitt, Andy Taylor, and many, many more continue to impress me with their work (not to mention, they inspire me to better the quality of my own work).  So on the whole, I think the quality of the OSR stuff is rising.  Having said that, I also think that the single greatest strength of the OSR lies in its accessibility and the fact that ANYONE can participate.  It very much reminds me of my punk rock days.  It didn’t matter if you could play an instrument or not, it was all about getting up there and giving it ago.  Sure, some rose above the rest, but the fact that you didn’t need anything special to contribute other than the sheer desire to do so was awesome.  The OSR has a special energy driven by enthusiasts and hobbyists of all stripes.  I for one, hope it never loses that vibrancy. 

Comments

  1. Gothridge ManorFebruary 16, 2011 at 4:28 AM

    Johnathan, I agree with you there that the OSR art is impressive. Not to mention all the different styles and personalities that come through. So many publishers are stepping up to make sure the quality of the art is enhancing the product instead of just something to break up the text.

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  2. TreyFebruary 16, 2011 at 5:35 AM

    I think OSR art is generally pretty good--though obviously mostly going after a certain nostalgic aesthetic--which isn't a bad thing. I think it's been broadening though. With my own project, I've used guys with "OSR styles" who have worked on other projects, but also guys I've worked with on comics projects that have more of a "comic book-y" style. We'll see how it turns out, and how its accepted, I guess.

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  3. XyanthonFebruary 16, 2011 at 6:59 AM

    I think there is an interesting combination of styles. At the outset, many of the folks (and I include myself in this group) aped the work of folks like Trampier, Sutherland Dee, or Otus. I think as things progress, there is a more interesting divergence of styles that still remains true to the subject matter while not necessarily aping the past.

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  4. Stefan PoagFebruary 16, 2011 at 9:27 AM

    I hope that much of the art used in the OSR, as it continues and evolves, does not lose that 'rough around the edges DIY aesthetic,' much like the 'zines we made in the 80s had stuff collaged together, titles made of words and letters cut from the newspaper (like a ransom note), doodles in the margins, etc. The 'DIY' aesthetic of the zines seems a direct result of how they were produced (we put them together with tape and glue, took them to a copy store and ran 100 off). I'm not sure what the DIY aesthetic will be now that everyone has word processing software and similar stuff, but I think 'good' and 'interesting' need not mean, 'professional looking.'

    ReplyDelete
  5. XyanthonFebruary 17, 2011 at 1:46 AM

    Stefan, I heartily agree. I like the rough around the edges aesthetic. I think there is enough room in the OSR for all types of stuff.

    On another note, I got your package the other day with Hack Master Basic and Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. Thanks again!

    ReplyDelete

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