Micheal Whelan
Del Rey
Nonfiction, Art
*****
Michael Whelan's Works of Wonder
The Art of Michael Whelan
Micheal Whelan
Bantam
Nonfiction, Art
*****
DESCRIPTION: A compilation of the famous sci-fi/fantasy artist's works, both from book covers and his own personal paintings, annotated with Whelan's remarks and interviews.
REVIEW: Michael Whelan is the artist whom I would most like to be able to draw like (yeah, me and half a million other fantasy fans... but I digress.) Fantasy lovers have undoubtedly seen his works gracing the covers of many popular books. Perhaps his most famous images are the covers from Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series. His personal paintings are beautiful, as well. I love this collection! Even the interviews are interesting! I consider myself especially lucky for having found it in the Clearance section of a now-defunct bookstore for less than half of the original price; it's the only way I could possibly afford it.
You might also enjoy:
Fabulous Beasts (Malcom Ashman, Fiction - An illustrated bestiary featuring Ashman's images)
The Art of Amy Brown (Amy Brown, Art - A collection of the popular fairy artist's works)
The Book of Dragons (Ciruelo, Fiction - Dragon lore, featuring images by the popular fantasy painter)
Dragonhenge and The Stardragons (Bob Eggleton and John Grant, Fiction - Illustrated tales of dragons, from their earlies myths to their interstellar future)
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (John Grant and Ron Tiner, Art - An overview of sci-fi/fantasy art)
The Dinotopia books (James Gurney, YA? Fiction - Gurney's lushly illustrated tale of a lost world populated by humans and sapient dinosaurs)
Imaginative Realism (James Gurney, Art - Making the unreal appear real)
Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe (John Howe, Art - A collection of John Howe's imaginative works)
Fantasy Art Masters and More Fantasy Art Masters (Dick Jude, Art - A collection of fantasty and surreal artists)
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Micheal Whelan's Works of Wonder
Micheal Whelan
Del Rey
Nonfiction, Art
*****
Michael Whelan's Works of Wonder
DESCRIPTION: One of fantasy/sci-fi's most widely-recognized illustrators compiles and annotates several images he created for such immortal genre works as Isaac Asimov's Foundation series, Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern and Crystal Singer books, and Edgar Rice Burrough's Mars adventures. With a foreword by Isaac Asimov and an introduction by Donald Munson.
REVIEW: Half Price Books has been good to me lately, unlike much of the rest of 2008... but I digress. This is an older compilation of Whelan's work, coming out long before his spectacular The Art of Michael Whelan (reviewed above), but with surprisingly little overlap or reprints from the former appearing in the latter. These were all done for specific books, though he states here that he already wanted to turn more toward private projects, which he now does almost exclusively. His annotations explain some of the creative struggles and symbolism which he works into almost every cover illustration; unlike some artists, Whelan actually reads the source material clear through, and it shows in the end product. A great collection of art from one of the masters of his field. If and when I ever get one of my stories published, I hope to get a cover artist like him, even if I can't get him to do it himself.
You might also enjoy:
Fabulous Beasts (Malcom Ashman, Fiction - An illustrated bestiary featuring Ashman's images)
The Art of Amy Brown (Amy Brown, Art - A collection of the popular fairy artist's works)
The Book of Dragons (Ciruelo, Fiction - Dragon lore, featuring images by the popular fantasy painter)
Dragonhenge and The Stardragons (Bob Eggleton and John Grant, Fiction - Illustrated tales of dragons, from their earlies myths to their interstellar future)
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (John Grant and Ron Tiner, Art - An overview of sci-fi/fantasy art)
The Dinotopia books (James Gurney, YA? Fiction - Gurney's lushly illustrated tale of a lost world populated by humans and sapient dinosaurs)
Imaginative Realism (James Gurney, Art - Making the unreal appear real)
Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe (John Howe, Art - A collection of John Howe's imaginative works)
Fantasy Art Masters and More Fantasy Art Masters (Dick Jude, Art - A collection of fantasty and surreal artists)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
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