Breakfast Topic: What's your favorite Blizzard art?
by Mathew McCurley 
Feb 29th 2012 at 8:00AM
One of my favorite art pieces from the original World of Warcraft was a crashed zeppelin image that just always stuck with me. While my art book isn't next to me, I remember cracking open the book or at least a website and seeing that shot, analyzing it, looking at that little scale dude at the bottom. I have no idea what about the image is awesome to me. Maybe because the image eventually came back in spirit in the Cataclysm cinematic when that zeppelin over Orgrimmar hits one of the central buildings.
That being said, we have not seen the concept art for the newest mount to hit the pet store, the Heart of the Aspects. I'm willing to bet it's pretty cool, and I want to see it. Which pieces of Blizzard concept art are your favorites? Let's show off our favorite Blizzard art pieces.
Filed under: Breakfast Topics
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
razion Feb 29th 2012 8:12AM
http://us.media.blizzard.com/wow/media/artwork/wow-mop/wowx4-artwork-03-full.jpg
I love a lot of the art that I'm seeing depicting Pandaria in the coming expansion. The piece above I enjoy particularly. I think a lot of it has to do with there being nothing really quite like it elsewhere in Azeroth.
exogenesis. Feb 29th 2012 8:21AM
For me, has to be the drawings of the Gilnean buildings:
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/media/artwork/wow-cataclysm?keywords=&view#/env-building-01
and such. I've always had a love of architectural drawings and sketches, and I just fell in love with those as soon as I saw them.
razion Feb 29th 2012 8:28AM
It's really too bad they didn't make much use of Gilnean architecture in Cataclysm. Particularly when they spent so much time developing and implementing it in Gilneas, you would think they would take advantage of the available art assets and give the Gilneans a few more than the two or three questing hubs out in the world so other explorers could enjoy the architecture in more of the revamped old world. It's a darn shame, really, the architecture was done really well in my opinion, too.
Noyou Feb 29th 2012 8:35AM
I agree with both Razion and exo. I like both the Gilnean and Pandaran concept art I have seen so far. Just wish that would have made it in the game instead of what we got. Also, this artist seems to have captured my attention. Hoping the female Pandaren looks a lot like her renderings.
http://tarajenkins.deviantart.com/gallery/
There really hasn't been a lot of fan art I didn't like. It all seems to be very well done.
Culhag Feb 29th 2012 8:25AM
I was very impressed by the drawings in the Warcraft 2 manual.
I used to copy them everywhere when I was bored in school !
Drakkenfyre Feb 29th 2012 10:06AM
The Elf Archer with the skimpy thong (essentially.) (This isn't my answer, just noting it was in there.)
Prior to WoW, there was always a bit of nudity slipped in somewhere. Diablo had the topless succubuses, but the sprites were so small you could barely tell. Diablo 2 had the topless cat women, but again, small sprite size made it a small detail. The Elf Archer image had her wearing a loin cloth-like bottom which was so low, you could see a good chunk of her ass. And that was in the manual.
Killik Feb 29th 2012 8:37AM
This still sets the standard for me - love the brightness and dynamism, even though I never raided Sunwell.
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/media/wallpapers/patch?view#/sunwell
byronius_prime Feb 29th 2012 8:55AM
I agree, used to have this for a wallpaper on my desktop for a very long time! Terrific art indeed.
Buran Feb 29th 2012 8:39AM
I can't really pick a favorite (though I'm drawn to draenei art and want to see more done with them) but my favorite category is definitely concept art. "How things are made" is fascinating, and the creativity that goes into a final product, including WoW, is amazing to see. What makes the final cut? What doesn't? And why?
The art book was half the reason I bought the collector's edition (the other half being the pet, I admit) and the book alone would have made it worth it.
Noyou Feb 29th 2012 8:49AM
Agreed. Almost all the concept art I have seen has been better than the final product.
Buran Feb 29th 2012 12:12PM
Part of that is adapting the style of the painting/drawing to what's in the game, and part is technical considerations -- this software is meant to run on a wide variety of systems, and too much detail will tax graphics systems too much. Ten years from now, though, photorealism will be viable for home computers -- but even then, WoW has a style all its own that might preclude that.
I did find the painting of Nagrand stunning, though, and worthy of inclusion in an art gallery. How many people would imagine that it was a location from a game?
Noyou Feb 29th 2012 3:03PM
Good point Buran. I didn't even think of the programming aspect :p
Marcosius Feb 29th 2012 8:44AM
Picture of Dalaran floating in the sky above Crystalsong:
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/media/artwork/wow-wrath?view#/dalaran3
It just looks so... Magical. As befitting a city of mages.
Alternatively, this shot from Silvermoon just pleases my eye.
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/media/artwork/wow-races?keywords=blood-elf&view#/bloodelves07
And this concept of Nagrand just takes your breath away:
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/media/artwork/wow-bc?view#/region-nagrand
Of them all, I like the picture of Dalaran perhaps most. Not just that one, but the others too.
Nina Katarina Feb 29th 2012 8:50AM
I really loved their original concept art for the Worgen females. So sad that they ended up looking nothing like that.
HappyTreeDance Feb 29th 2012 9:07AM
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/media/artwork/wow-classes?keywords=&view#/druid09
This is the first piece of art from WoW that I remember really made me stop and say "awesome." My first toon (and still my main) was a tauren druid, and so this image just made me totally get who the character was. Plus it makes a female tauren look badass, so it deserves comment just for that!
I love most of the concept art from Wrath, especially of the snowy landscapes and Ulduar. Probably not such a surprise that these remain my favorite zones today.
Oh, and this piece of concept art of goblin females made me beyond excited to play Cata. That's probably the reason the first thing I did when the expansion dropped was roll up my little goblin hunter and pay to race change my priest!
http://us.battle.net/wow/en/media/artwork/wow-cataclysm?keywords=&view#/env-goblin-heads02
LynMars Feb 29th 2012 9:13AM
A few months ago I looked at various region concept art for Burning Crusade--it's all pretty amazing. Wrote a short series of semi-poetic snippets for my RP groups to show off that great concept art. It turned me into a bit of a Peter Lee fan, too, as many of my favorite pictures came from him.
I want to do a similar project with Wrath and Cata, but the weapon sketches and familiar loading screens on the Blizzard website aren't catching me yet. There are a few other shots I may make use of eventually, though.
yagamimoon Feb 29th 2012 9:21AM
I know it didnt translate as much as it looks in this concept image, i still like both of them :)
http://eu.media.blizzard.com/wow/media/artwork/wow-wrath/region-howling-fjord01-full.jpg
Howling Fjord. I can almost listen to the music right now :)
Oh wait, its on my mp3 xD
Blazing Rain Feb 29th 2012 9:27AM
Pretty much anything by Wei, that guy can really draw.
Starlin Feb 29th 2012 9:31AM
I was always drawn to this concept art. Very realistic. http://us.battle.net/wow/en/media/wallpapers/other?keywords=&view#/horde01
Jordan Feb 29th 2012 9:37AM
Just about everything they do is incredible.