Why did this kind of painterly, pulpy fantasy style just completely disappear? It exists from time to time in MtG cards but even those feel different.
because it's old, you dumb niggersomething new trendy came along and killed the demand for the stale style
that's more cartoony than painterly
>>7828467Because nowadays the simpler and more digital the art the more popular it is. Just look at 90% of twitter artists and gacha art
>>7828467Whenever you climb your way into a globalized market the DNA of art changes pretty drastically and it ends up being pretty difficult going back to something that is stylistically naive.It exists in a weird little world, novel enough to grab your attention, but without cultural inertia it just can't be replicated. You have to also figure this man is very likely self-taught, no tutorials, the cake batter is wrong, he's armed with nothing but what makes his little neurotransmitters fire off and the pattern is stuck in the 80's.It's like trying to draw like a child again. It'll always look like an imitation.
>>7828467Changes in taste and style, though trends are often somewhat circular, so I suspect the overly simplified vector-ish art that's been popular as of recent will become less so, and we'll see a return of more detailed work that leans toward the more realistic.However, AI throws a wrench in this circular system - a lot of AI images have a greasy realistic look to them, so I wouldn't be surprised if art trends lean more abstract because of this.
>>7828467Went from trad to digital is real answer.
>>7828512Why is simple & digital art more popular?
>>7828564because its quicker, easier and better food for the content monster
>>7828564What the anon above said, but also a lot of illustrations are made by graphic designers who have no drawing ability, so they're doing the best they can with the tools they know (vector) to do their illustrations, and usually within a strict deadline.This is the main cause for the 'globohomo' style everyone loath these days; big tech billion dollar companies being too cheap to just hire an illustrator.And through exposure, this style sort of gains an appreciation, so actual illustrators (talented and untalented) pick up aspects of it, or take it on full hog.