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Post by Shan on Jun 19, 2007 23:20:55 GMT
Larry ElmoreI have been creating fantasy and science fiction art for over 20 years. I worked as a staff artist for TSR, Inc. from 1981 to 1987. While at TSR, I helped set the standards of gaming art in the role-playing genre. Besides creating covers for Dungeons & Dragons, AD&D and other gaming books, I may be best known for my work with the world of Dragonlance. Since 1987, I’ve been working as a freelance illustrator, doing covers for comics, computer games, magazines, fantasy and science fiction books and many more projects too numerous to list here. My time at TSR, Inc. is best exemplified on the covers of the DRAGONLANCE book series. Since then, I have worked for other publishers such as BAEN books, Bantam, Warner Books, ACE/Berkley, Doubleday, and Del Rey. I am also the co-author of "Runes of Autumn" and creator of the "Sovereign Stone" series. In the gaming and comic industries, I have freelanced for TSR, Inc, FASA, Mayfair Games, Game Designer’s Workshop, White Wolf, Iron Crown Enterprises, Dragon Magazine, Amazing Magazine, Wizard Press, D. C. Comics, First Comics, Eclipse Comics and Frank Frazetta’s Fantasy Illustrated. Miscellaneous credits include: LJN Toys, Mattel, Lucas Films, Tonka, Monogram Models, Western Publishing, Sony Entertainment’s Ever Quest, and various computer game covers. Larry Elmore's website: Larry Elmore
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Post by Shan on Jun 19, 2007 23:22:44 GMT
One of my favorites. Trouble
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Post by Shan on Jun 19, 2007 23:23:45 GMT
Demon Contemplating Man
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Post by Shan on Jun 19, 2007 23:28:29 GMT
Dragon Lance The First PaintingOriginally painted by Larry in 1985, this was the first Dragonlance painting that was ever done.
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Post by Shan on Jun 19, 2007 23:39:07 GMT
I love this one. : )
Dechara's Tree
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Post by Shan on Jun 19, 2007 23:41:23 GMT
Out of Darkness
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Post by Gray Lensman on Jun 20, 2007 0:05:57 GMT
Larry Elmore is always a good call. I've always liked his TSR work. Oddly, even though I've seen many of his Dragonlance and other TSR covers and pieces, I haven't seen most of these before. I do like the original Dragonlance cover, though, for all that it's an older piece. His work has improved since then, though. I like Out Of Darkness, which is a Dragonlance piece that's new to me. IIRC, it's set in the middle of Dragons Of Autumn Twilight, because I remember the encounter with the black dragon. It's always good to see Elmore draw Raistlin, in any case.
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Post by Shan on Jun 20, 2007 18:44:04 GMT
Thanks for the input Steve. I had seen alot of Larry Elmore's paintings and really liked them before I ever knew who he was or that he was associated with Dragon Lance. One of my favorites has always been Early Snow. I find it fascinating to find paintings done by artists when they are first starting and and later ones. Sometimes the comparison is unbelievable. Did Dragon Lance start out as a D&D game or as novels first? Have you played any of them?
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Post by Gray Lensman on Jun 20, 2007 18:51:59 GMT
Good questions. Dragonlance started out as a D&D game, and then it evolved into the novels and then into the whole campaign setting. The writers of the books and some others had played the characters in the novels in a game, and then they kind of adapted the game into the first novel. I played a little bit of Dragonlance at one point, IIRC, though not a great deal. Most of my actual play experience has been on DM-created worlds, honestly. But I've done a little bit of playing in established settings too. Elmore has become the definitive Dragonlance artist for me, though. Probably because he's done so many of those covers that I sort of see his style in the world now.
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Post by Shan on Jun 21, 2007 2:28:58 GMT
Thanks for the answer Steve. Have you read the novels? Also did you have a favorite Dragon Lance character?
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Post by Shan on Jun 21, 2007 2:31:45 GMT
Dragons of Autumn Twilight '94
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Post by Shan on Jun 21, 2007 2:32:29 GMT
Dragons of Autumn Twilight
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Post by Gray Lensman on Jun 21, 2007 3:05:49 GMT
I read the main Dragonlance books, Shan, yeah. Mainly I kept to the books by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman, since theirs is the main vision for what Dragonlance is. I read and enjoyed the first two trilogies (The Chronicles Trilogy and the Legends Trilogy), which I consider to be the definitive Dragonlance stories. I read some of the Tales short story collections, mainly because Weis & Hickman wrote a number of short novellas. I also followed Second Generation, which featured the children of the original Companions of the Lance, which set things up nicely. I lost interest following Dragons of Summer Flame, unfortunately, as I found it to be a disappointing ending after Second Generation started so well. There have been a few books following it that I didn't read, too. Still, who knows, I may go back there some day. Can never tell. Favorite Dragonlance characters... two, actually. My favorite is probably Raistlin Majere, who you'd recognize in the Elmore pics. (Raistlin is depicted as a gold-skinned wizard with white hair, often wearing either red or black robes.) I also really love Steel Brightblade, son of the knight Sturm, from the Second Generation stories. (IIRC, Steel should be on the cover of Second Generation). Steel was a Knight of the dark goddess Takhisis... he was an honorable knight, capable of nobility of self-sacrifice, but devoted to the spreading of evil. Both of them were quite fascinating and complex characters.
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Post by Shan on Jun 21, 2007 22:28:08 GMT
Thanks Steve. I thought you had mentioned once before that you had read some of the books by Weis and Hickman, but I couldn't be sure. Dragons of Summer FlameDo you recognize this picture? You mentioned being disappointed in the book.
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Post by Shan on Jun 21, 2007 22:31:40 GMT
I also assume this is Elmore's picture of the character, Raistlin, you mentioned. Raistlin and Crysania Time of the Twins War of the Twins '94Were Raistlin and Crysania twins or did they have twins?
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Post by Shan on Jun 21, 2007 22:41:37 GMT
Heroes of Fantasy
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Post by Shan on Jun 21, 2007 22:43:06 GMT
Villians of Fantasy
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Post by Gray Lensman on Jun 21, 2007 22:43:21 GMT
Dragons of Summer Flame... yeah, that was the disappointing book. ;D Thanks for posting the cover too. Steel Brightblade is in fact on the Dragons of Summer Flame cover. Steel is the knight fighting the dragon with the white-robed mage. Steel got killed off at the end of the book, too, which annoyed me. Time of the Twins... you're on the right track, but not quite. Raistlin is one of the twins, though, yes. Raistlin has a twin brother named Caramon Majere, who's a warrior. Basically, Raistlin was born with great intelligence and a weak body, while Caramon is strong, noble, but not all that smart. The conflicted relationship between the brothers drives the whole of the second trilogy. Crysania isn't one of the twins. She's the High Priestess of one of the Gods of Good. (I want to say she's a Cleric of Paladine... it's been a while since I read that series.) Crysania becomes a pawn in one of Raistlin's schemes. Problem is, Raistlin didn't plan on falling in love with her. Quite the complex character is Raistlin.
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Post by Shan on Jun 21, 2007 22:44:21 GMT
This one has always been one of my favorites. Early Snow
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Post by Shan on Jun 22, 2007 22:03:43 GMT
Here is Larry's painting of the twins Steve mentioned. Raistlin and Caramon 94
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