Roy G. Krenkel: Artistic Contradiction
Even if you don’t recognize the name, you know who Roy G. Krenkel is.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Calendars
Mark it on your (NEW) calendar: 2016 has begun!
But, Baby, it’s Cold Outside
To see the cold, you need a little warmth.
Visions of Frankenstein
VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN is currently playing in theaters, although by the time you read this it may very well not be, having slunk away in disgrace after failing to pull the box office mojo. It stars James McAvoy as Doctor Frankenstein and Daniel Radcliffe as Igor. It is yet another retelling of the Mary Shelley classic […]
The Art of Pellucidar
When it comes to Down Under, Australia’s got nothing on Pellucidor
Ken Kelly: An Artist I Can Trust
Ken Kelly: NOT a Frazetta wannabe, as Mr. Jackson is quick to point out
Cavemen! (and Women)
Oddly enough, cave women and cave men are frequently featured in SF and fantasy art.
Black and White: No Room for Gray Shades
Early science fiction and fantasy magazines of the twentieth century, of which Amazing Stories was chief, employed artists for their interior illustrations who could produce images of great variety using only ink applied to paper.
Vampirella: Character or Commodity?
Do we need an excuse to look at images of Vampirella?
Pictures of the Moon
Visit the Moon, then go out and play in the sunshine
Illustrating Barsoom
Barsoom. Sooner or later, every artist has to try their hand illustrating Burrough’s tales
Fantasy and Science Fiction Art on the Web
Unlike in the olden days when we had to walk barefoot in the snow, uphill, both ways, to find fantasy art, today there are hundreds, if not thousands of online resources to slake your need.
Art Goes Hollywood: SF and Fantasy Concept Art
It seems that all good fantasy artists head for Hollywood
Manly Art for Manly Men
You don’t have to be “manly” to paint “manly”.
Where is my Muse?
Here’s one technique for wooing your Muse back
Judging More Books by Their Covers: The Silver Warriors
Judging books by their covers is made more difficult when the book in question has two titles as does Michael Moorcock’s The Silver Warriors
Am I Blue?
Monochromatic painting has been part of the avante garde since the end of the 19th century, but science fiction and fantasy artists use monochromatic painting techniques to a great effect.
Conan, by Crom!
Depictions of Conan have evolved over the years, from Emshwiller to Brundage to Arnold and now, to Jackson.
ROBERT E. HOWARD and the Many Faces of CONAN
Conan, from Weird Tales to remakes – with a dash or two of Frazetta thrown in for verisimilitude.
The Artful Collector: A Savvy Collector Comes up with Art Hierarchy #10!
Jane Frank had one last thing to add to her Art Hierarchies: Familiarity.
The Artful Collector: Art Hierarchies #8: Art by Someone Known Is Better than Art by Someone Unknown (even if the art is good)
Jane Frank discusses Michael Whelan’s value … no, wait, Jane Frank discusses the value of Micheal Whelan’s art… no, wait, Jane Frank discusses the value of value and how our different goals and perceptions influence the way we view, purchase and value art.
Bad Science Fiction and Fantasy Art
In order to understand what makes really good science fiction and fantasy art, you have to look at a few pieces of bad science fiction and fantasy art.
Separating the Art from the Artist
Suppose an artist or a writer says something that is loathsome or morally reprehensible? Can we therefore judge the artist’s work as having no value simply because the artist is a jerk?
Part Two of the Art of Covers
This is part two of Eric Gustafson’s guest post for me on covers. It’s a huge topic, and even if you aren’t responsible for your own covers, you should understand how a bad cover can tank your book, and fight for a better one. You can find Eric here, to ask questions and check out […]
I Can’t Compete with CGI!
When I was in senior high school (thirty looong years ago) I had an appointment with a career counsellor. I had an aptitude for art and was interested in science.. Based on these two pieces of information he told me that I should pursue a career in computer art. I laughed in his face. You […]
Art Theft
I’ve been thinking this week about art theft. I don’t mean art theft as in black stocking cap clad thieves pulling off a museum heist. What I’m talking about is art swipes, instances where artists have outright copied another artist’s work. Now, here I have to be careful because a charge of plagiarism is a […]
Sexism and the SFWA
So there’s a brouhaha brewing around the Science Fiction Writers of America and accusations of blatant sexism within that organization. (Actually it’s more like a raging storm in some corners). The controversy surrounds the 200th issue of the SFWA Bulletin, a magazine put out by the organization for its members. The controversy have been delineated elsewhere far […]
The Artful Collector: Should You Worry About Forgery in SF Art?
How important is Fraud in the SF/F art market? I could write lengthy blogs on how forgers break down and then reconstitute the same clay to fashion Mid- and South American artifacts, using original (thousand-year-old) molds. But there are Archaelogy magazines for that. I could tell you how numismatists weigh coins to identify the fakes, […]
The Artful Collector: Is it All in the Image?
At the heart of this debate is a real difference between how some creators of commercial art (i.e, art produced for the purpose of persuasion/marketing) view the kind of art they are commissioned to create, and how they view the art they create that no one is paying them to produce, what they call “personal […]
Buying a Book for its Cover
So you know you’ve done it. I’m sure we all have at one point or another. You know what I’m talking about, right? You walk into a bookstore and there it is… the cover that just jumps out at you. You see it and you know you have to have it. Maybe you skim over […]