Fine Arts
From Tazlure Gaming System Wiki
|
This article is part of the |
|---|
|
The Theme Park |
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
This article was written for a medieval fantasy game, but can be easily adapted to any time period or genre. If you are not a singer or a master artist it can be difficult to write about the fine arts, just as it is hard to write about a great sword fight if you’ve never held a sword. The trick of course is to know the right lingo and the right instruments.
On the other hand it is important that you leave your player enough room to indeed create something of their doing instead of only filling in the blanks in your posts.
Thirdly it still has to be an interesting read! Are you going to put the art in a central position or will it have a role in a bigger adventure?
[edit] Knowing your instruments
If you want to write about singing, you have to know something about different voices and melodies. The same for woodcarving where you have to know the difference between chisels and files or any other art.
Big tip: Google. Just type in the art you’re looking for and lo: sites where you can actually see pictures and read all about the art you are trying to translate into words! It also helps to simply read stories or an article on the chosen art. It will give you some insight. Wikipedia can also give a good jumping point.
[edit] Artistic freedom
One of the scariest things here is to grant your player the freedom to go with the flow. Are they going to take the road you suggest or will they think up fantastic new creations that you’ll have to realize in your mod-posts?
This is a fantasy game with realistic elements. Why not give them that little extra chance they long for in their creations? Is it really such a big deal to keep to exact real-life standards? Not really. This is about enjoyment of a game and part of that enjoyment is finding out what you’re good at.
You will be amazed at the posts you get back once you grant them that little extra freedom to explore their art:
- Gillian found her instruments right where she left them. With the time and opportunity to finally get to her masterpiece she could now start to fasten the little dryads on their pins to they could dance around each other when the musicbox opened.
Boring…fast forward…you already told her what she is supposed to make! It’s like giving Van Gogh a colour-by-numbers painting.
- Gillian found her instruments right where she left them. Time and opportunity were hers to finalize her masterpiece. Everything she needed was here and the girl was assured that no one would disturb her as she focussed on her precious work. The little decorations were waiting on one end, the empty musicbox on the other. Now it was all up to her.
Now you give the girl a chance to get creative with the pieces you handed her.
[edit] Ask the expert
Don’t be afraid to actually ask your player what they are trying to do. Often they choose a certain art because they have experience with it in real life, or they have done a great deal of research on it because it fascinates them. If they have a good grasp, why not let them teach you a bit? Most players enjoy a little ooc conversation about their written arts.
- The paint was there, as was the canvas. The lovely model was waiting to be placed in position, not hindered by any embarrassment at her nudity. She looked at the new artist with great interest, her dark lashes adding a strange contrast to her incredibly light eyes.
The stage is set. Let the player describe what he’s gonna do and you’re home free.
[edit] The final Mold
How are you going to pour these words and descriptions into a story without making it unreadable for laymen or simply boring to anyone but a fanatic? Is it the art that makes the story or is it a part of a greater whole?
[edit] Training threads-The art makes the story.
Most players have one of those. It’s a thread specifically designed to teach them more about one thing or another. This means you get to play the expert, even when you’re not. Scary? Not at all if you keep aforementioned hints in mind. The player will in fact guide you along as long as you have a decent idea about the chosen art (remember the websites?).
- “So you wish to be a ventriloquist? Well then…here is my cane. Make it talk. Do something…funny.” The red-headed teacher sat down on a chair by the window and waved his hand. “Well? Entertain me!”
You did not have to do anything here but grant your played the stage.
In these threads it is the art that comes first, meaning you will find yourself emerged in meaningful words and specialist terms. Dive as deeply into it as the both of you want! You might even learn a thing or two you had not picked up from different sites or experts and it’s the kind of thread where one can get as creative as the players themselves.
It can be great, it can also be a chore if you don’t feel comfortable writing about this specific subject. If that be the case, you can always call on another moderator to step in.
Nothing else matters in these threads although it might be fun to throw in an element or two…maybe the tutor reeeeally likes the student, or maybe not! A lute might be misplaced, a carving spoiled, wages unpaid…So many minds, so many ideas. Don’t shy away from mixing a training thread with external influences. It usually adds the spice and gives the player something to fight for.
[edit] Adventures - the art is part of a bigger picture
The story comes first, but the art in question might play a pivotal role. What if someone will need to make up a song to advance in the adventure? What if only a really good painter will notice the falsification of this great work?
A song sounded. Anyone would have thought it to be a random following of notes, but to the experienced ear of the bard it was nothing less but the very song he had composed days earlier. Someone had been there in the room with him! That same someone was now here, waiting for confirmation…waiting for the second verse. Any other melody would trigger the crossbows aimed at them.
[edit] Beating about the bush
Sometimes the art only makes a fleeting appearance as comic relief or a non-crucial aspect of the story, but still the same rules apply: get yourself at ease with the subject at hand or at least know how to talk your way around it!
The ship sailed smoothly through the night. Now that the storm had passed people gathered on deck for soft thanks-givings and murmured stories. Someone poked Rayon in the side. “Hey you, didn’t you say you were a woodcarver? Can’t you take out your thingamajiggie and give our Lady back her face?” He pointed to the statue at the bow.
[edit] Challenge
A nice challenge adds the flavour to what might become a boring recitation of professionalism. It can be as easy as letting them think up a new song or an inventive way of sculpting someone they have never seen! There is no reason to treat an artistic thread differently from romance to name but an example: after the first courtship real life butts in and makes things difficult and after a setback or two they finally reach the finale and have what they wanted.
- The new arrival looked at the man on stage. “Very well, I challenge you to finish this…” He placed his hands in his side and started a limerick:
- “There once was a man from Citadel
- Who knew all the maidens very well”
- The man waited for the poet on stage to finish it with a big grin on his face.
[edit] The colour of magic & divine inspiration
Whoa! Magic? Faith? But we were talking fine arts!Yup, but if you have ever heard a song that touched your soul or saw that painting that gave you the shivers you know that magic is never far off. Whether it be called the soul of art, divine inspiration or a magical performance, the fact is that this is what most artists strive for: that one perfect moment.
As we stated before: this is a fantasy game. Why not have more of those moments? Sure! Or maybe not: there is something to be said for the ultimate reward after hardship and endurance. Give them the magic they long for, but don’t make it commonfold or the special moment will be lost.
Don’t forget there are deities and other beings who might be called to attention by a specific performance or masterpiece. They have an eye for art as well. This is a different kind of magic but no less powerful. Maybe they have a purpose in inspiring their favorite artist or maybe they simply admire beauty, that’s up to you and your players.
