Dreams: The Art of Boris Vallejo

by Boris Vallejo, Nigel Suckling

This new collection by best-selling fantasy artist Boris Vallejo has never before been published in book form and includes a rare selection of Vallejo's private work not yet published in any format. The lavishly illustrated book brings the artist's exotic women, sinewy men, and fantasy worlds to life in over 110 full-color paintings. There are images of stunning winged women and muscled men fighting ferocious beasts, as well as strange alien worlds filled with metallic spacecraft and colorful citizens. Renowned fantasy author Nigel Suckling offers insight into Vallejo's work with fascinating and informative extended captions.

Genres: Art, Fantasy

128 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 1999

About the author

Boris Vallejo is a Peruvian-born American painter. He immigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Vallejo works almost exclusively in the fantasy and erotica genres. His paintings have graced the covers of dozens of science fiction paperbacks and are featured in a series of best-selling glossy calendars. Subjects of his paintings are typically Sword and sorcery gods, monsters, and well-muscled male and female barbarians engaged in battle. His latest works still retain heavy fantasy elements, but lean more towards the erotic rather than pure fantasy themes.

Reviews

[Florin Pitea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read it back in 2010. Recommended.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so another title from my latest Paper Tiger haul and I have to say one I was greatly surprised with - now for me I have been familiar with the work of Boris Vallejo for almost as long as I have been reading Fantasy books. After all he has made his name with their covers (although this book goes to great lengths to demonstrate he is NOT just a book cover illustrator) as I was starting to read them in the 80s when I think his artwork was probably most famously shown (who remember Athena?)

But I think for me one of the interesting things is the text - many of the models of the various pieces here are from bodybuilders of that time a lot of whom actually sort out Boris to paint them. Another large proportion are from Julia Bell his collaborator and now wife.

I often find the story behind the piece makes the at artwork come to life - as you realise now not only what the artist is trying to convey but also WHY and I often wonder if that is missing from a lot of the narratives of these artists - but what do I know i am the least experienced and talented but I know what I enjoy

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boris art is known worldwide for his portraying of strong self reliant women who can hold their own alongside the men.
Beautiful artwork that has helped me through today while bedbound.
Mmmm, This book number four or five I've read, today I think.
Time to sleep for the hundredth time.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Ninja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection of images, across a range of themes including mythology, video games, aliens, recent work. But my favourite images were probably from Women of Wonder, Mythical Beasts and Primeval Chaos. Most of the images are from the 90s, some of the 80s. Perhaps a little better than Imaginistix.

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread

[MB Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boris's art is visually stunning, but it never seems as alive as the best of Frazetta or Olivia...

[Rudy Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this guys work and have been a fan for years. This is the first of his books I've read and thoroughly enjoyed both the details behind the painting and the images themselves. In my bucket list is to own an original Boris. I will be ordering a few more Boris books today because I truly enjoyed this one and can't wait to get others. If you enjoy fantasy art you'll love this book.

[Antonio Meridda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bellissimo libro illustrato del maestro Vallejo, incentrato su figure muscolose e ambientazioni fantasy.

[Ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the art!

Violence: Moderate (fantasy violence)
Drugs: Mild (alcohol advertisements)
Sex: Moderate (nudity)
Language: None

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's easy to dismiss Boris Vallejo as sexist or just another fantasy beefcake artist, but there's a reason he stands as one of the biggest and most important imaginative realism painters living and working today. A former bodybuilder, Vallejo has spent a career mastering the human form, and his depictions of men and women alike are exemplary. Are they the idealized versions of our best physical selves? Yes, but that's part of the fantasy that's often overshadowed by the more overt elements of dragons, griffins, and every other form of mythical and alien beast imaginable. A wonderful retrospective of Vallejo's work in the 80s and 90s.

[Lena Tumasyan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful artwork and great short but informative insights about each piece. I read the whole thing and I really love the input! The art was well placed with good detail!

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating!

[Little Timmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The incredible paintings of a fantastic artist gathered together. Very recommended