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Spectrum #19
Spectrum 19: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art
Challenging, controversial, educational, and irreverent, the award-winning Spectrum series reinforces both the importance and prevalence of fantastic art in today’s culture. With exceptional images by extraordinary creators, this elegant full-color collection showcases an international cadre of creators working in every style and medium, both traditional and digital. The best artists from the United States, Europe, China, Australia, South America and beyond have gathered into the only annual devoted exclusively to works of fantasy, horror, science fiction, and the surreal, making Spectrum one of the year’s highly most anticipated books.
Featured in SPECTRUM 19 are 300 diverse visionaries, many of them world-renowned, including Michael Whelan, Sam Weber, Donato Giancola, Leo & Diane Dillon, Kinuko Craft, James Gurney, Peter de Sève. With art from books, graphic novels, video games, films, galleries, and advertising, Spectrum is both an electrifying art book for fans and an invaluable resource for clients looking for bright new talent. The entire field is discussed in an invaluable, found-nowhere-else Year In Review. Contact information for each artist is included in a handy index.
Often imitated, never equaled, SPECTRUM 19 continues the freshness and excellence that was established seventeen years ago.
Featured in SPECTRUM 19 are 300 diverse visionaries, many of them world-renowned, including Michael Whelan, Sam Weber, Donato Giancola, Leo & Diane Dillon, Kinuko Craft, James Gurney, Peter de Sève. With art from books, graphic novels, video games, films, galleries, and advertising, Spectrum is both an electrifying art book for fans and an invaluable resource for clients looking for bright new talent. The entire field is discussed in an invaluable, found-nowhere-else Year In Review. Contact information for each artist is included in a handy index.
Often imitated, never equaled, SPECTRUM 19 continues the freshness and excellence that was established seventeen years ago.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 13, 2012
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107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 15, 2013
The Spectrum series has long been a favorite of mine. I have them all -- well, had them all, as the movers lost some about a decade ago -- and every year there is amazing artwork to be found inside.
James Gurney was chosen as this year's Grand Master, a long-overdue award. He's most famous for Dinotopia, but he's also done a ton of work for National Geographic and the like. Coincidentally, I had just read his excellent book Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist, so I'm having a James Gurney month. He has a number of entries here, as well, and that's always a good thing.
Some years are better than others, of course, and I don't know if it's due to the work submitted, what that year's judges chose or a combination, but inevitably there are a good dozen pieces in each book that I find amazing. The 19th edition is no exception.
This year I did spot some definite trends. If you're into dragons, this is the tome for you. This is probably one of the most dragon-heavy editions yet, if not the the top spot holder. There are also a fair number of mermaids, octopus tentacles (as hair, limbs or on octopi... and some squids, too) and at least four paintings are that moment from Lord of the Rings where Eowyn faces ol' whatsisname. And a couple more are inspired by that scene.
This year there is more Fantasy than Science Fiction, which seems part of the natural ebb and flow of these things. There are a few standout pieces for me.
"Astronaut" by Toi Okunyoku, Jr. is spectacular. The sculpt is amazing, but his paint job puts it over the top. He looks like he's standing on Mars. In looking for photos of it online, I discovered you can buy unpainted versions of this on his website: http://www.toiogunyokuart.com/#!
"Shelter" by Eric Velhagen is terrific. It's the kind of image that makes me want to know what's going on here. He also has a couple other works in the book, and you can see them on his website: http://ericvelhagen.carbonmade.com/
I also like "Leap" by Todd Lockwood http://www.toddlockwood.com/
[image error]
Domincik Saponaro's cover for the SF Book Club's Destroyermen omnibus perfectly captures the widescreen action of that series. http://www.swashbucklestudio.com/
"Hitchers" by Sam Wolfe Connelly is another that intrigues me about the story behind it. http://samwolfeconnelly.com/
Paolo Rivera's take on the Fantastic Four is swingingly cool. http://paolorivera.blogspot.com/2010/...
I stopped reading Arnie Fenner's "Year in Review" pieces a very long time ago. I wish they would just cut that stuff out because the guy is a downer. Every year publishing is the worst ever, commercial art is the weakest it's ever been, the world is going to hell, blah blah blah. Just for the purposes of this review I looked at this year's entry and sure enough, everything is shit according to Arnie. Lighten the fuck up, dude.
Anyway, there's a bit less whimsy in this year's collection, but there are a couple pieces that I enjoyed. I'd upload more pics but it seems as if Tinypic has crapped out on me. Hopefully you can see the ones I've already uploaded.
Another sterling entry in the Spectrum series. If they'd had a bit more Science Fiction and a fewer typos, this would be a 5-star book for me. But I've enjoyed pretty much every entry in this series.
James Gurney was chosen as this year's Grand Master, a long-overdue award. He's most famous for Dinotopia, but he's also done a ton of work for National Geographic and the like. Coincidentally, I had just read his excellent book Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist, so I'm having a James Gurney month. He has a number of entries here, as well, and that's always a good thing.
Some years are better than others, of course, and I don't know if it's due to the work submitted, what that year's judges chose or a combination, but inevitably there are a good dozen pieces in each book that I find amazing. The 19th edition is no exception.
This year I did spot some definite trends. If you're into dragons, this is the tome for you. This is probably one of the most dragon-heavy editions yet, if not the the top spot holder. There are also a fair number of mermaids, octopus tentacles (as hair, limbs or on octopi... and some squids, too) and at least four paintings are that moment from Lord of the Rings where Eowyn faces ol' whatsisname. And a couple more are inspired by that scene.
This year there is more Fantasy than Science Fiction, which seems part of the natural ebb and flow of these things. There are a few standout pieces for me.
"Astronaut" by Toi Okunyoku, Jr. is spectacular. The sculpt is amazing, but his paint job puts it over the top. He looks like he's standing on Mars. In looking for photos of it online, I discovered you can buy unpainted versions of this on his website: http://www.toiogunyokuart.com/#!
"Shelter" by Eric Velhagen is terrific. It's the kind of image that makes me want to know what's going on here. He also has a couple other works in the book, and you can see them on his website: http://ericvelhagen.carbonmade.com/
I also like "Leap" by Todd Lockwood http://www.toddlockwood.com/
[image error]
Domincik Saponaro's cover for the SF Book Club's Destroyermen omnibus perfectly captures the widescreen action of that series. http://www.swashbucklestudio.com/
"Hitchers" by Sam Wolfe Connelly is another that intrigues me about the story behind it. http://samwolfeconnelly.com/
Paolo Rivera's take on the Fantastic Four is swingingly cool. http://paolorivera.blogspot.com/2010/...
I stopped reading Arnie Fenner's "Year in Review" pieces a very long time ago. I wish they would just cut that stuff out because the guy is a downer. Every year publishing is the worst ever, commercial art is the weakest it's ever been, the world is going to hell, blah blah blah. Just for the purposes of this review I looked at this year's entry and sure enough, everything is shit according to Arnie. Lighten the fuck up, dude.
Anyway, there's a bit less whimsy in this year's collection, but there are a couple pieces that I enjoyed. I'd upload more pics but it seems as if Tinypic has crapped out on me. Hopefully you can see the ones I've already uploaded.
Another sterling entry in the Spectrum series. If they'd had a bit more Science Fiction and a fewer typos, this would be a 5-star book for me. But I've enjoyed pretty much every entry in this series.
May 31, 2017
Big, heavy, coffee table type book. Which is good. The images deserve to be as large as possible so you can see the detail. It's full of images/pictures with just basic information to go along with it such as artist and title.
The images/pictures and imagination that go with this book are mind-boggling. If you've ever looked at a book cover and been fascinated, you'll like this book. It's for sci-fi/fantasy fans, book readers, art enthusiasts, college art majors and anyone interested in visual media.
The images/pictures and imagination that go with this book are mind-boggling. If you've ever looked at a book cover and been fascinated, you'll like this book. It's for sci-fi/fantasy fans, book readers, art enthusiasts, college art majors and anyone interested in visual media.
November 19, 2016
Der jährlich erscheinende Bildband der SPECTRUM-Reihe ist inzwischen eine Institution, auch bei mir. Der 19. Band wurde noch von den Fenners herausgegeben und ist in der gewohnt herausragenden Weise gestaltet. Es sollten die besten visuellen Arbeiten des Jahres im Phantastik-Genre gewürdigt werden, wie immer wird ein Künstler mit dem Grand Master Award für sein Lebenswerg gewürdigt, hier ist es James Gurney, dessen schöne Bilder uns schon bei Dinotopia beeindruckt haben.
Der einzige Nachteil dieses Bandes ist, dass auch dieser Band wieder in der gewohnt amerikanisch-egozentrischen Art herausgegeben wurde, d.h. der Band nimmt für sich in Anspruch, die besten Arbeiten eines Jahres in der ganzen Welt zu würdigen. Tatsächlich sind der überwiegende Teil der Künstler Amerikaner und auch das amerikanische Kunstverständnis ist hier in der Mehrheit vertreten.
Es schafften es aber dennoch einige Nicht-Amerikaner in den Band, unter anderem Luis Royo und Oliver Scholl...
Thomas Thiemeyer, der in einigen Bänden der Vergangenheit vertreten war, sagte einmal, es wäre das größte, für einen bildenden Künstler des Phantastikgenre, in der SPECTRUM-Reihe vertreten zu sein.
Ich hoffe, dass die oder der Nachfolger der Fenners als Herausgeber der Reihe, diese Auswahl auch über die USA hinaus wagen werden, denn auch diese Künstler haben es verdient, auch hier vertreten zu sein um die Vielfalt des Phantastikgenres zu bezeugen...
Der einzige Nachteil dieses Bandes ist, dass auch dieser Band wieder in der gewohnt amerikanisch-egozentrischen Art herausgegeben wurde, d.h. der Band nimmt für sich in Anspruch, die besten Arbeiten eines Jahres in der ganzen Welt zu würdigen. Tatsächlich sind der überwiegende Teil der Künstler Amerikaner und auch das amerikanische Kunstverständnis ist hier in der Mehrheit vertreten.
Es schafften es aber dennoch einige Nicht-Amerikaner in den Band, unter anderem Luis Royo und Oliver Scholl...
Thomas Thiemeyer, der in einigen Bänden der Vergangenheit vertreten war, sagte einmal, es wäre das größte, für einen bildenden Künstler des Phantastikgenre, in der SPECTRUM-Reihe vertreten zu sein.
Ich hoffe, dass die oder der Nachfolger der Fenners als Herausgeber der Reihe, diese Auswahl auch über die USA hinaus wagen werden, denn auch diese Künstler haben es verdient, auch hier vertreten zu sein um die Vielfalt des Phantastikgenres zu bezeugen...
January 24, 2019
Another year, another Spectrum art book, and the Fenners offer another great collection of fantasy and sci-fi art that is fun to flip through and glean inspiration from. The introduction by Arnie Fenner is a nice retrospective with some honorable mentions for 2011's Grand Master Award recipient James Gurney (I loved to flip through his Dinotopia series as a kid), as well as memoriums for Jeffrey Jones and Darrell K. Sweet. That section offers the only lengthy writing in the book with a conversational tone that is accessible if a bit long-winded, and there are some noticeable typos that could have been easily edited out of the final print. However, the art is excellent with some pieces that I greatly enjoyed, so I may check this book out again from the library to further appreciate the excellent works from 2011.
Final note: There are a few works whose subject is Eowyn vs. The Witch King, and I'm not sure how this specific moment from Lord of the Rings was so popular in 2011. They were all great pieces but a weird repetition throughout this book.
Final note: There are a few works whose subject is Eowyn vs. The Witch King, and I'm not sure how this specific moment from Lord of the Rings was so popular in 2011. They were all great pieces but a weird repetition throughout this book.
November 20, 2017
The Fenner duo of art directors bring together another amazingly compiled work of fantastic art from all types of artists. In their year of review they talk about the competition of ebooks stabilizing, new books, and closing of magazines (Why Realms of Fantasy?!) They lament and discuss the losses of Jeffrey Jones and Darrell K. Sweet, and further developing a requiem section for the artists that have past within that year. On lighter notes, beautiful artwork by Rebecca Guay, Emily Fiegenschuh, Scott Gustafson, Todd Lockwood, Jason Chan, Winona Nelson, Erin McGuire, Virginie Ropars, Erin Kelso, Seb McKinnon, Donato Giancola, Bob Eggleton, John Stanko, Omar Rayyan, Cory Godbey, Eric Velhagen, Sam Burley, Charles Vess, and Hannah Christenson. I need to look more at these particular artists. Though anyone who reads and views this artwork may find and connect with the multitude of artistic styles shown here. Then they may find a new artist to admire and inspire them as well.
April 3, 2018
Because of the cover, that artwork by Brom drawn me to check 'Spectrum 19.' It's my 2nd art book to read & it was as usual great to read, occupied by beautiful artwork. Want to continue to read the series of course...
June 25, 2017
The art work in the Spectrum collection always amazes. I can never tire of reading these books.
July 31, 2015
Long before I knew the folks at Spectrum I had made it a regular part of my library. A comprehensive survey of the best in contemporary fantastic art each annual provides a wealth of inspiration both for the artist and the writer. Each page is a doorway to universes of imagination and it is hard not to get caught up in an image transfixed in a daydream of dragons, spaceships, and heroes. Fantastic Art is a genre that does not get much critical attention because of its connection of the popular cultures of toys, games, and comics but the work inside each volume is a brilliant representation of symbolism, surrealism, and magic realism rivaling the best work in galleries and museums across the world. Spectrum 19 is the best yet but I am already looking forward to Spectrum 20.
July 6, 2013
I love the Spectrum books. Basically a huge book of page after page of gorgeous fantastic art. Spectrum 19 is up to the usual high standard and covers a full range from published work to unpublished, comics to sculpture. I think I marginally prefer Spectrum 18 for its art, but this is a personal preference, and there will be work in here for most tastes.
December 29, 2014
Spectacular as always. And yet only a few pieces of art that make me want to take the book apart and frame it for the wall. Which I'd never do. The books also has just a great feel to it as well. I wish they weren't so expensive and yet in hand it definitely feels worthwhile.
January 25, 2016
If you love fantasy and SiFi art of any type; paintings, drawings, sculpture, cartoons then this is the book for you. Fantastic selection of the years art. You can't help but find something you like inside. Highly recommended
October 19, 2014
I like these books.
January 4, 2015
An excellent collection of Fantasy art.
August 24, 2015
Fun SF and fantasy art, mostly commercial but some unpublished. There are a few gems in here.
August 30, 2016
Another really good read, with some good art pictures. Fantasy kind of art. Also dragons. Love me some dragons. The art style is really creative, weird at times but really interesting.
Read
December 25, 2017One of my favorite art books, Spectrum's fantastic art is always well appreciated for inspiration and motivation, not to mention its beautiful layout.
Read
January 7, 2018Great art
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews