Interior art -- how important is it?

[Andrew Morris]

Good point about setting, Bob. I'll have to think about that for a bit. I think there's an "and," "or," or "and/or" in there somewhere (as in, "heavy in setting and/or...") but I'm not sure what it is.

[anthony kilburn]

If you are going to use art I've found pictures of people - and people in action - especially if you can see their eye (the gateway to the soul) are eye catching. Still lifes, and landscapes are much less compelling.

This is 100%.  Why?
a) Easier to relate to people/characters than stuff
b) Still-lifes are posed (usually).  Landscapes are static (usually).  Dynamic motion, characters doing "stuff".... that's all about the living, breathing world.  Art should make that world come to life.

In that, a lot of the Rifts game art is uneffective because it's just a lot of characters posing—in action, but posing (which is not to say that it sucks, it's just not as effective as it could be).  I think the best picture in the Rifts main book (for those familiar with it) is in the color insert.  It's that party of adventurers, traveling up a mountain, looking at the expanse of a ley line.  That was powerful and could inspire adventure.  Unique impressionist art is good too, as proven by Oathbound: Domains of the Forge.  Bizarre style, but still engaging.

What do you think about something like Dogs in the Vineyard, then? It's selling well, and people are having lots of fun playing it. It has no interior art at all, except for the little tree end-of-chapter icons. The cover art is distinctive and memorable, though.

Not incredibly familiar with it.  It probably has a lot of word-of-mouth advertising and promotion, though.

[komradebob]

Good point about setting, Bob. I'll have to think about that for a bit. I think there's an "and," "or," or "and/or" in there somewhere (as in, "heavy in setting and/or...") but I'm not sure what it is.

I think this thread is drifting a bit from is interior art necessary towards more of a desirabilty vs. cost issue in my mind. I actually think that art, layout, basically everything that goes into presentation is hugely important. However, for the smaller producer, I think a few key evocative pieces, interior and exterior, are more important than the amount of art.

I think that bad art hurts a product, and most makers are better off without art than stuck with bad art. If art is unavailable for whatever reason, layout, use of whitespace, font styles, borders, etc all come in to play. The Secret Life of Gingerbreadmen has very little art, but it is consistent, evocative of the feel of the game, and colorful, all of which points to a fun, light-hearted game.

I also think that a consistent art style is best. You might just plain want a different cover and interior artist. The cover art should really be well thought out. I think evocative cover art comes in other flavors than those mentioned above. The VtM cover, with the rose and blood drops on green marble background, absolutely nailed the feel that the makers were shooting for.

How much art do you think a game should have per page count?
In a standard size game book? In a digest size game book?

[anthony kilburn]

How much art do you think a game should have per page count?
In a standard size game book? In a digest size game book?

Ideally, a half page of art every 2-3 pages, I would think for a standard size book.  Not sure about digest size.... if there's even a difference.