I want art that tells a story, or, even better, hints at one. Places and situations are better than mug shots.

Think "Emirikol the Chaotic."

Something I think every gamer should read is the article "Brilliance and Dross in RPG Artwork", which you can find in this PDF fanzine:

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/panurge/imazine37.pdf

Oh, and prefer black-and-white line art on non-glossy paper.

Not only is it cheaper, but bright colors and gloss are just...garish. It's too much. My game books don't need to look like Vegas casinos.

Well, on the topic of art here's some art I'd like to see in some stuff I have:

In gurps the "electrolaser" is becoming a default weapon in a lot of SF settings, partly because they have so FEW sf weapons for 4e and have had so few for so long, but there is no illo of an electrolaser anywhere I can find.

In the transhuman space line, they have a couple things I've love to see illos of. One is the 'mobile helmet' that supposedly follows it's users around and automatically attaches itself in event of airloss. There are some weird 'cybershells' that I'd like to see illoed and lastly there's the strap on 'gun pod' that you wear on your arm.

Illos of all could have been useful, along with some illos of the stranger bioroid/transhuman types. Few are provided.

Black and white.
Flat, non-gloss paper.
Paperback book.
CHEAP.

Quote from: S. John RossAgain, it's fascinating how things I love can be things other people want to see avoided.

Yeah... Just look at all the folks who hated Dan Smith's artwork. I thought he was the perfect artist for the Gurps 3rd books, personally, but lots of folks just hate his stuff.

I suppose I'll always have a preference for nice, clean, black-and-white line art, as long as it's appropriate for the book.

For the artist to charge as little as possible so I can use more of it.

Quote from: GrimGentOr the "drowning in the ceiling" illustration on page ten of the second edition. Actually explaining what's going on in there in terms of the game would take a bit of effort, but it manages to get the mood just right.

That's the other one I thought of.

What ARE the "Messing With Time" demons called, anyway? It's been years...

EDIT: RE: Dan Smith -- I don't like his work.  When I had the chance to tell Steve Jackson as much, he said, "A lot of people don't, but he's always on time."

I want my art to be evocative. Color is neat, B&W is great, what matters is the art getting across the type of game I want to play and letting me see what the designer thought the world looks like.

I also love it when the art is obviously distinct to the artist. Guys like Brom, or Erol Otus, even Elmore. You can spot their work from a mile away, and that tickles me somehow.