- Paperback: 248 pages
- Publisher: Underwood Books (6 Nov 2008)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1599290278
- ISBN-13: 978-1599290270
- Product Dimensions: 30.5 x 22.9 x 2.3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
267,165 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1 in Books > Art, Architecture & Photography > Art Issues > Reproduction
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Product Description
Product Description
With art drawn from a wide variety of sources -- books, graphic novels, video games, films, galleries, and advertising -- "Spectrum 15" reinforces both the importance and prevalence of fantasy art in today's culture. Featuring over 300 exceptional works by artists from around the globe, this gorgeous full-color collection celebrates a cadre of creators working in every style and medium. Included are luminaries such as Brom, James Gurney, Marc Gabanna, Shaun Tan, and 2008's Grand Master Award winner, John Jude Palencar.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The beauty of sci-fi/fantasy art is that it appeals to all formats & is free of boundaries. The problem is that if you like it but don't know which artists will appeal to you then it can be a bit of a lottery choosing a book you will enjoy.
For 15 years 'Spectrum' has been the 1 place you can guarantee finding something to your taste. A huge selection of artists & styles within the genre are selected. A competition is held each year & artists old & new submit their work. Those that win are shown annually in 'Spectrum'.
This years,(well 2007), see's the largest edition ever & a truly outstanding collection that continues the fine tradition of style, quality & skill at it's highest.
The mediums include oil, digital, acrylics, bronze & a whole host of others.
The featured artists include Michael whelan,(the cover artist), Paul Bonner, Scott Gustafson, Francis Vallejo, Jaime Jones, Dave Mckean, Boris Vallejo, David Bowers & many more.
Describing the contents is near impossible as the variety is huge. However there is a brief chairmans message to begin with, a look at the year & then it is simply the artwork itself, each piece having brief details next to it.
A page may hold just one or several pieces. With over 260 pages & hundreds of works this is superb value for money. Added to this is the excellent print quality with heavy glossy paper & eye watering full colour reproduction each piece is given full justice.
You are unlikely to love everything chosen but there is a vast collection of styles including humour, horror, comic, adverts, full on fantasy & sci-fi etc.
Be aware that this is an adult collection & some of the artwork is very adult in theme & is not suitable for the young.
Whether you are new to this genre or just love art or are looking for inspiration, this is quite simply the finest publication currently available. A huge collection of stunning images beautifully displayed. Highly recommended.
For 15 years 'Spectrum' has been the 1 place you can guarantee finding something to your taste. A huge selection of artists & styles within the genre are selected. A competition is held each year & artists old & new submit their work. Those that win are shown annually in 'Spectrum'.
This years,(well 2007), see's the largest edition ever & a truly outstanding collection that continues the fine tradition of style, quality & skill at it's highest.
The mediums include oil, digital, acrylics, bronze & a whole host of others.
The featured artists include Michael whelan,(the cover artist), Paul Bonner, Scott Gustafson, Francis Vallejo, Jaime Jones, Dave Mckean, Boris Vallejo, David Bowers & many more.
Describing the contents is near impossible as the variety is huge. However there is a brief chairmans message to begin with, a look at the year & then it is simply the artwork itself, each piece having brief details next to it.
A page may hold just one or several pieces. With over 260 pages & hundreds of works this is superb value for money. Added to this is the excellent print quality with heavy glossy paper & eye watering full colour reproduction each piece is given full justice.
You are unlikely to love everything chosen but there is a vast collection of styles including humour, horror, comic, adverts, full on fantasy & sci-fi etc.
Be aware that this is an adult collection & some of the artwork is very adult in theme & is not suitable for the young.
Whether you are new to this genre or just love art or are looking for inspiration, this is quite simply the finest publication currently available. A huge collection of stunning images beautifully displayed. Highly recommended.
Format:Paperback
Spectrum series and number 15 did not disappoint me. Excellent. I have the whole series so it was a natural thing to buy it. I still have to go through it again-and-again as I always notice new details. What I immediately noticed, I think there are a lot of new artists in this volume. Waiting for the next issues!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
13 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Every Year
21 Nov 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Every year, I pre-order the Spectrum annual, and every year I enjoy it from cover to cover. Some of the most mind blowing artists work is presented in this book every single year. You will not be disappointed.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Another Mind-Blower
2 Nov 2008
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
What can you say at this point? These annuals are an inspiration, a resource, and an accurate read on where the bar is in fantasy, sci-fi, and concept art. A total feast, once again.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
A Feast of Fantastical Art--a must for SF art lovers!
18 Dec 2008
Format:Hardcover
This is the sort of compilation you really do keep on your coffee table so that you can sit on the couch and, over the course of weeks, dip into it and enjoy the offerings.
What's in there? Well, the introduction, naturally, and the Grandmaster Award for the outstanding John Jude Palencar--one of my faves! There's a review of the year in SF art (this is for 2007), which highlights, among others, a nicely urban-infrastructure-architectural work by Michael Whelan and the covers from some of the art books published last year. Artists who have died are given space in an obit list.
Ah, the art comes. First, the Best in Show award went to James Jean (and if you have been reading the terrific and engrossing FABLES series of comics by Bill Willingham, his cover art will be familiar to you). His winning entry is the cover for THE GOOD PRINCE, a wonderful piece full of understated grays (steel, water, stone) with one blazing arc of orange that is the plume of Prince Ambrose's helm. Cool.
The winner of the Gold award makes me giggle every time I look at it--a technicolor bit of zombie-alien silliness with a retro (as in 50's-60's) album cover feel. More silliness by Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo graces page 31--a full page reproduction of the artwork for AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE. As a fan of the cartoon, I got a particular little thrill seeing Frylock, Master Shake, and Meatwad rendered in Vallejo's trademark style--curvy women included.
One of the other reviewers called this the "all digital" issue. Well, on this spread alone--the two pages of 30-31--there is Vallejo's oil painting, one digital, one mixed media, and one acrylics/goache. Jean's best-in-show winner was a mixed media piece.
Another of my fave two-page spreads--because of the gorgeous, gorgeous works by Shaun Tan and a refreshing "blue" work by the fantasy master illustrator Charles Vess--is 56-57, which showcases two works of acrylics/oils (Tan), one in colored inks (Vess), and one goache/digital.
The previous page--55--which I was going to mention anyway, has a full-page repro of an oil on paper piece by Donato Giancola. It reminds me of Victorian works and is a masterful "bird's eye" perspective on a shoreline with dead mermen and a maiden holding one of the victims. The mermen are rendered in glowing pale greys and dark greys, their gills gaping redly. I was so moved by this work, I came online to see the book for which it served as a cover art piece (THE GOLDEN ROSE).
Just for reference, the page right after the one with the Tan/Vess pieces, has four wonderful works--two acrylics by Scott Bakal, an ink/digital by Yuko Shimizu and a really interesting oil work by Brad Holland.
So, I'd hardly say that more traditional media are not employed. However, we are in the digital age, and digital artwork will continue to gain space and popularity. As this compilation books hows, many digital works are skilled, beautiful, and effective, and should not be scoffed at.
There is so much here to enjoy, that I will let you buy it and see for yourself, rather than yammer on about the contents.The contents rock!
Mir
What's in there? Well, the introduction, naturally, and the Grandmaster Award for the outstanding John Jude Palencar--one of my faves! There's a review of the year in SF art (this is for 2007), which highlights, among others, a nicely urban-infrastructure-architectural work by Michael Whelan and the covers from some of the art books published last year. Artists who have died are given space in an obit list.
Ah, the art comes. First, the Best in Show award went to James Jean (and if you have been reading the terrific and engrossing FABLES series of comics by Bill Willingham, his cover art will be familiar to you). His winning entry is the cover for THE GOOD PRINCE, a wonderful piece full of understated grays (steel, water, stone) with one blazing arc of orange that is the plume of Prince Ambrose's helm. Cool.
The winner of the Gold award makes me giggle every time I look at it--a technicolor bit of zombie-alien silliness with a retro (as in 50's-60's) album cover feel. More silliness by Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo graces page 31--a full page reproduction of the artwork for AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE. As a fan of the cartoon, I got a particular little thrill seeing Frylock, Master Shake, and Meatwad rendered in Vallejo's trademark style--curvy women included.
One of the other reviewers called this the "all digital" issue. Well, on this spread alone--the two pages of 30-31--there is Vallejo's oil painting, one digital, one mixed media, and one acrylics/goache. Jean's best-in-show winner was a mixed media piece.
Another of my fave two-page spreads--because of the gorgeous, gorgeous works by Shaun Tan and a refreshing "blue" work by the fantasy master illustrator Charles Vess--is 56-57, which showcases two works of acrylics/oils (Tan), one in colored inks (Vess), and one goache/digital.
The previous page--55--which I was going to mention anyway, has a full-page repro of an oil on paper piece by Donato Giancola. It reminds me of Victorian works and is a masterful "bird's eye" perspective on a shoreline with dead mermen and a maiden holding one of the victims. The mermen are rendered in glowing pale greys and dark greys, their gills gaping redly. I was so moved by this work, I came online to see the book for which it served as a cover art piece (THE GOLDEN ROSE).
Just for reference, the page right after the one with the Tan/Vess pieces, has four wonderful works--two acrylics by Scott Bakal, an ink/digital by Yuko Shimizu and a really interesting oil work by Brad Holland.
So, I'd hardly say that more traditional media are not employed. However, we are in the digital age, and digital artwork will continue to gain space and popularity. As this compilation books hows, many digital works are skilled, beautiful, and effective, and should not be scoffed at.
There is so much here to enjoy, that I will let you buy it and see for yourself, rather than yammer on about the contents.The contents rock!
Mir
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