Warm-up Sketches: Adventuring Trio

A few more D&D pencil sketches in the 5E concept art style.  These three are from a much longer running group, who play much less frequently then the group mentioned in the previous post.  The heroic dwarven weapons highlighted a few months back were created initially for this campaign, after a successful stint in Ulek (via a converted "Patriots of Ulek" adventure).

(Link to digital update done in Manga Studio)

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Warm-up Sketch: All Four Portraits

I have really enjoyed the 5th edition concept portraits by the D&D art director, Richard Whitters.  So much so that lately I have been fooling around with similar portraits in my sketchbook.  Here are the inspired pencil-and-paper portraits for the previously sketched Sorcerer, Bard, Monk, and Fighter:

(Link to digital update done in Manga Studio)

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Warm-up Sketch: Greedy Fighter

Yet another player in one of my 5E campaigns!

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Warm-up Sketch: The Continuing Orc Binge

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Practice Image: Michael Barrett's Metalmasher

Dragon magazine's art had more influence on me than I would realize at the time.  A few artists' images always stuck with me.  There is one specific, stylistic image from Janet Aulisio that used to appear in ads for "Amazing Stories" (example: Dragon #141, p. 49, from Jan. '89; dark bazaar, hooded woman leading a shocked boy through the crowd as he tries to comprehend what is just off-page to the lower right) that I have never forgotten.  There were also a few monster images in an Ed Greenwood article titled "The Dragon's Beastiary" that I really loved as well (Dragon #139, pp. 70-74, Nov. '88).  I believe the artist is Michael Barrett, but I am not positive and I have never been able to find anything like a current online portfolio to verify (and ogle).

At any rate, here is a quick pen-and-marker-on-paper practice sketch of something called the Metalmasher, using one of Barrett's images as a direct reference.

All credit for the original reference goes to Barrett and Greenwood.

If anyone knows where I can find more of Michael Barrett's artwork, I'd love the heads up!

Warm-up Sketch: Fabi-orc

More practice in Manga Studio.  No real reference to Fabio, other than what orcs might put on the cover of their fantasy novels.

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Warm-up Sketch: Last Words

Practicing in Manga Studio again (still using Debut 4.0), this time in an effort to better understand the panel and word bubble creators.  I figured out the panel system well enough, liked the cloud/bubble creator, but I really have to work on in-program trim, text, and line spacing.

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The practice image is from one of my D&D 5E groups: the party of 3 (plus an animal companion and a cowardly NPC) is facing off against a banshee and a few scarecrows.  They burn the banshee down (unknowingly) to 1 HP, only to have it drop 5 of the 6 with its wail.  Nervous jokes ensue as I describe the death save mechanics in 5E.  There is a pause.  The wizard, standing alone and face to face with the threat, finally says:  "Do I have any slots left to cast fly, and can it attack me if I fly away?"  Dead silence from the other two until he finally decides to cast Magic Missile and end the fight.  (His plan was to kill it from afar, and then come back and gather everyone up, but intent gets jumbled when nerves are running that high!)

Warm-up Sketch: Way of Shadow Monk

Yet another player in one of my 5E campaigns!

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