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Author Topic: Top 10 Card Artwork  (Read 9477 times)

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rinkworks

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Top 10 Card Artwork
« on: July 31, 2011, 12:16:54 am »
+2

Must give a shout-out to the generally excellent artwork on the Dominion cards.  My top 10:

Honorable Mention: Masquerade - A brilliant idea that just misses the list only because it doesn't quite seem to pop the way it should have.

10. Spy - Wouldn't want to cross this guy!
9. Lighthouse - Love the colors in the sky.
8. Cutpurse - No pretty colors or fancy composition here, and yet the illustration is immediately evocative.
7. Haven - Great depth and lighting, if a little busy.
6. Fortune Teller - Something about the bright red and the warm glow of the light makes this one really stand out.  Whereas many of the people cards are portraits and therefore feel a little artificial, this character is immersed in her world.
5. Golem - I hope I'm on this guy's side.  Great dramatic, visceral image here -- but down further in this list than it would be just because my brain doesn't seem to parse the shape and position of the Golem without re-examining him every time.  It's probably just me.
4. Treasury - It's not instantly recognizable as the others in my list are -- you have to examine it on purpose to really "see" it.  But what a great perspective on this humonogous load of loot.  Great lighting, too.
3. Thief - I definitely wouldn't want to cross this guy.
2. Wharf - An improvement on Haven and great for all the same reasons.  The color balance here is beautiful.
1. Young Witch - Hard to explain why I find this so attractive.  The earthy tones are peaceful rather than drab, and the unconventional composition -- almost nothing on the left side to balance the frame -- paradoxically draws and holds my eye every time this card comes up.
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shark_bait

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2011, 04:05:46 pm »
+1

What!?!?!  No Harem in the list!  :P
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Censure

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2011, 05:11:02 am »
0

Familiar trumps all of those on the basis of "wouldn't want to cross him".

Agreed with YW as #1, but where's the love for Bishop? Jester is awesome too, in a creepy way.

Worst artwork seems mean, but I nominate Navigator and Shanty Town. The cartoony style just doesn't do it for me, and really doesn't fit the theme of most of the other cards.
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brokoli

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #3 on: January 31, 2012, 07:14:13 am »
+1

Hinterlands came with a lot of beautiful cards...
This is my current Top 10 :

10 : Masquerade
9 : Treasury
8 : Caravan
7 : Highway
6 : Farmland
5 : Inn
4 : Jester
3 : Outpost
2 : Lighthouse
1 : Ill-Gotten Gains

Yes, I love the landscapes.
About characters (other than Jester), I like the woman in the Forge, the Adventurer, Apothecary, Fortune teller, Cartographer, Sea Hag and Young witch.

The ugliest card is for me Shanty town. However, maybe I'm crazy... but I quite like Harem !
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Dubdubdubdub

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #4 on: January 31, 2012, 07:45:30 am »
+1

With Harem (definately the worst card for me), my eye keeps getting drawn to the suburban social worker in the back left. She's trying so hard to blend in, to send the message: "I understand you. You are all strong women, just like me."
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petrie911

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #5 on: January 31, 2012, 07:57:57 am »
0

My particular Dominion playing group has a running joke about they "ugly women" in Harem.

Does anyone else think Noble Brigand's art is pretty bad?

I particularly like IGG, Bishop, and Jester's art.  They're just really great at capturing the mood of the card.  Also, Witch and Familiar have some pretty badass art.

On a somewhat related note, I recently played Assassin's Creed, and can't help but notice how similar the Saboteur looks to Altair.
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Kirian

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2012, 08:36:39 am »
+1

Everybody hates Maura.  Poor Maura.

Edit:  I mean, seriously.  First Google hit for "Maura Kalusky" is a BGG post asking RGG not to use his art in later expansions.
« Last Edit: January 31, 2012, 08:48:39 am by Kirian »
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paddyodoors

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #7 on: January 31, 2012, 10:13:55 am »
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Must give a shout-out to the generally excellent artwork on the Dominion cards.  My top 10:

Honorable Mention: Masquerade - A brilliant idea that just misses the list only because it doesn't quite seem to pop the way it should have.

10. Spy - Wouldn't want to cross this guy!
9. Lighthouse - Love the colors in the sky.
8. Cutpurse - No pretty colors or fancy composition here, and yet the illustration is immediately evocative.
7. Haven - Great depth and lighting, if a little busy.
6. Fortune Teller - Something about the bright red and the warm glow of the light makes this one really stand out.  Whereas many of the people cards are portraits and therefore feel a little artificial, this character is immersed in her world.
5. Golem - I hope I'm on this guy's side.  Great dramatic, visceral image here -- but down further in this list than it would be just because my brain doesn't seem to parse the shape and position of the Golem without re-examining him every time.  It's probably just me.
4. Treasury - It's not instantly recognizable as the others in my list are -- you have to examine it on purpose to really "see" it.  But what a great perspective on this humonogous load of loot.  Great lighting, too.
3. Thief - I definitely wouldn't want to cross this guy.
2. Wharf - An improvement on Haven and great for all the same reasons.  The color balance here is beautiful.
1. Young Witch - Hard to explain why I find this so attractive.  The earthy tones are peaceful rather than drab, and the unconventional composition -- almost nothing on the left side to balance the frame -- paradoxically draws and holds my eye every time this card comes up.

I wholeheartedly agree with you not putting any Intrigue artwork in the top ten... those pictures are quite poor in comparison to the other expansions.  Seriously, Shanty Town always makes me think of the Simpsons for some reason.

Masquerade was good, though.  An outlier.  It is a fair Honorable Mention.
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brokoli

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #8 on: January 31, 2012, 10:43:04 am »
0

I wholeheartedly agree with you not putting any Intrigue artwork in the top ten... those pictures are quite poor in comparison to the other expansions.  Seriously, Shanty Town always makes me think of the Simpsons for some reason.

Masquerade was good, though.  An outlier.  It is a fair Honorable Mention.

The worst artwork is in the base set, imho. In intrigue, I like Masquerade especially, but also Wishing well, bridge, Ironworks, Coppersmith, courtyard, trading post and Harem.
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GendoIkari

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #9 on: January 31, 2012, 10:48:28 am »
+1

Man, I opened my new set of Hinterlands the other day and couldn't think anything but "huh?? This isn't the right art for these cards! Scheme doesn't even have Vizzini on it!"

In other words, thanks to Isotropic, I have no clue what the artwork on the cards is.
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chwhite

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #10 on: January 31, 2012, 10:57:45 am »
+1

1. Jester- Just seems to really "pop" out of the page, with an appropriately menacing edge.
2. Farmland- I really like the limited color palette of blues and greens- very picturesque (and goes well with the green border of course!)
3. Oasis
4. Harvest- After Farmland, these are easily the best two landscapes (and well I like landscapes).  Here you've got brighter, complementary colors, with the yellows of Harvest indicating lushness whereas the bright blues and greens do it for Oasis.  Same artist, unsurprisingly.
5. Bishop- I really like the abstract background here.  Almost reminds me of Robert Delaunay, who is basically the best painter ever.
6. Wharf- Everyone likes this, and I'm no exception.
7. Noble Brigand- Sort of like Jester, the perspective makes the picture here.
8. Scrying Pool- That's a wonderfully mischievous grin Ms. Scryer has; also that thing that looks like a cloud raining eyeballs is creepy and confusing but hey that's appropriate for Alchemy.
9. Outpost- Another landscape.  This one looks perilous and tiny (that's not the most hospitable of places to put a house!), appropriate for the tiny hands it'll give you.
10. Salvager- Really like the light, and again the blue-greens.  The guy holding his breath like a squirrel holds acorns is a nice touch too.

I'll concur with the general idea that Intrigue's artwork was not up to the standard of the other sets.  Base set's not much better, though.
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jsh357

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #11 on: January 31, 2012, 12:17:22 pm »
0

Hinterlands art is definitely the best so far.  It's hard to pick favorites, really. 
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dondon151

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #12 on: January 31, 2012, 01:19:49 pm »
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Haggler is one of my favorites. He looks like he's really trying to work for you.

I showed one of my friends the artwork of Haggler on the Hinterlands box (before he knew what any of the cards were) and he correctly guessed that artwork as a haggler.
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blackb

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #13 on: January 31, 2012, 02:36:53 pm »
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1 : Ill-Gotten Gains
Yes a very nice picture. I agree on that. Hinterlands has really the best ones.
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Robz888

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #14 on: January 31, 2012, 04:21:59 pm »
+1

Favorite artwork? Gotta go with my girls, Peddler and Forge.

Peddler: She's just so adorable. Seriously, I'd buy everything on her cart, until I was out of buys.

Forge: This girl clearly has a story. Her father was a blacksmith, and his father, and his father before him. He passed his craft on to her before he was killed by an evil knight. She swore revenge, and has been dutifully reforging her father's sword, patiently waiting. Soon, she will rain vengeance down upon the evil knight's dominion. She will trash everything he holds dear.
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Arya Stark

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #15 on: January 31, 2012, 07:12:06 pm »
0

I think the artwork is terrible, I don't even know what most of the pics are. I can prob reconize more magic cards than dominion
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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #16 on: January 31, 2012, 07:57:01 pm »
0

I think the artwork is terrible, I don't even know what most of the pics are. I can prob reconize more magic cards than dominion
Fully agreed. This actually keeps me from buying the game. Yes, I don't even have the base. Partly because I only have an older brother and a father to play with(both of which don't know what this is, and my brother is very skeptical) but mostly because the art is terrible :'(.
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lympi

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #17 on: February 01, 2012, 07:54:11 pm »
0

I just put together a top ten, and I guess I'm a sucker for theme. Which is funny, because theme is something Dominion is notoriously lacking. Still, when a card's function and name and art come together, I guess I dig it.

Honorable mention: Jack of All Trades - Great card, with great art to boot. Just look at that guy. Such a pimp. He's like "'Sup. I'm adequate."

10. Possession - Captures the card's purpose perfectly.
9. Tactician - Love that it looks like the dude is facepalming.
8. Witch - Still strikes fear, just looking at her.
7. Border Village - That's an epic-looking village. Fits.
6. Stash - Almost photorealistic. (I think it sort of is, SdJ judges and all.)
5. Watchtower - The blue Reaction border accentuates the wintery theme. Looks good.
4. Noble Brigand - Even more badass than the Jack. I'm taking your Gold, sucka.
3. Hunting Party - I'd love to see this full size, you can tell there's tons of detail.
2. Trusty Steed - How could this not be your first Prize pick?
1. Ill-Gotten Gains - Those gains? Those gains are trouble.

Seems I agree that Hinterlands has the best art. Although maybe it's just because it's still new?

Worst single card art-wise is a toss up between Navigator and Tournament. I like Harem, man. Woman, even. It's different, but it's got style. It's like Wind Waker. Navigator and Tournament though. Yeesh. They look like something I'd draw.

And that is not a compliment.
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sitnaltax

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Re: Top 10 Card Artwork
« Reply #18 on: February 01, 2012, 10:27:55 pm »
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I own all the sets except for Alchemy, but I can't get the Isotropic pictures out of my head.
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