WOW: Trollwoven Spaulders (2009)
Night into day
I’ve discussed some of the issues with doing art for illustrations whose entire purpose are to highlight a single piece of equipment. In Magic, there is the desire to focus on the object, minimizing context or use. In this case, I was asked to illustrate some shoulder guards, or spaulders, unique to the World of Warcraft game. While fun to look at, some fantasy buffs scoff at the design of WoW armor since it often makes very little sense, and would be completely unworkable in “real life,” nevermind that it is worn by walking bulls, wolfmen, the undead, and other denizens of the imagination also not likely found in the real world.
It’s helpful, when illustrating a specific item, if that item is normally worn on the upper torso. A necklace, helmet, or in this case, spaulders, can be portrayed on a character in a way that still shows the character’s head and such. It can make for an interesting image on its own. Versus a pair of boots, for instance.
