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Spectrum #23
Spectrum 23: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art
The best-selling Spectrum series continues with this twenty-third lavishly produced annual. 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 23 are over 300 diverse visionaries. With art from books, graphic novels, video games, films, galleries, advertising and the fine arts, 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.
Often imitated, never equaled, Spectrum 23 continues the freshness and excellence that was established over twenty years ago.
Featured in Spectrum 23 are over 300 diverse visionaries. With art from books, graphic novels, video games, films, galleries, advertising and the fine arts, 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.
Often imitated, never equaled, Spectrum 23 continues the freshness and excellence that was established over twenty years ago.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2016
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 3, 2018
Ugh I love this series so much. The art is so wonderful. I just want to eat it.
August 19, 2019
If you enjoy fantasy or SiFi art of any type, sculpture, paintings, drawing then grab up a volume of Spectrum and get ready for some awesome eye candy. Fantastic selection of all sorts of fantasy and SiFi related art. High recommended
February 14, 2018
Spectrum is always an impressive collection of artwork, and this volume is no different. I liked the variety of the artwork, representing many different art styles and fantasy concepts. There's some beautiful imagery, well presented. The introductory section is an improvement in this collection, doing a better job of explaining the different categories and touching on a lot of the year in different areas of the art world. Having Mike Mignola as the Specrum Grand Master makes for a nice introduction and presentation of his unique and genre-creating style.
Honestly, if you've ever looked at a Spectrum collection before, you know what you're in for - the overall presentation and quality is as sterling as always. I wasn't moved by quite as many of the images this year as I have been in some previous years, but there's still enough beautiful work included that it's worth picking up if you have an appreciation of Fantasy and Science Fiction art.
Honestly, if you've ever looked at a Spectrum collection before, you know what you're in for - the overall presentation and quality is as sterling as always. I wasn't moved by quite as many of the images this year as I have been in some previous years, but there's still enough beautiful work included that it's worth picking up if you have an appreciation of Fantasy and Science Fiction art.
January 14, 2018
Dieser Bildband aus der SPECTRUM-Reihe und der Regie von John Fleskes stammt noch aus dem Jahr 2016 und ist stark dominiert von Fantasy-Motiven.
In diesem Band wird auch die Jury genauer vorgestellt und ein Bericht der Award Ceremony vom 7. Mai 2016 in New York gebracht.
Als diesjährige Grand Master wurde Mike Mignola prämiert, der als Comiczeichner (u.a. Hellboy) bekannt wurde.
Auch ein kommender Star am Graphic-Himmel wurde präsentiert, den SPECTRUM RISING STAR erhielt Victor Maury, der bekannt als Illustrator von Fantasy-Romanen und Spiele-Covers ist.
Insgesamt hat mir dieser Band nicht so gut gefallen, wie andere SPECTRUM's aus der Fleskes-Ära, da einfach zu wenige SF-Motive präsentiert wurden.
Allerdings ist SPECTRUM immer nich einzigartig, was die phantastische Bilderkunst in allen seiner Facetten und über alle Genres hinweg betrifft....
In diesem Band wird auch die Jury genauer vorgestellt und ein Bericht der Award Ceremony vom 7. Mai 2016 in New York gebracht.
Als diesjährige Grand Master wurde Mike Mignola prämiert, der als Comiczeichner (u.a. Hellboy) bekannt wurde.
Auch ein kommender Star am Graphic-Himmel wurde präsentiert, den SPECTRUM RISING STAR erhielt Victor Maury, der bekannt als Illustrator von Fantasy-Romanen und Spiele-Covers ist.
Insgesamt hat mir dieser Band nicht so gut gefallen, wie andere SPECTRUM's aus der Fleskes-Ära, da einfach zu wenige SF-Motive präsentiert wurden.
Allerdings ist SPECTRUM immer nich einzigartig, was die phantastische Bilderkunst in allen seiner Facetten und über alle Genres hinweg betrifft....
November 11, 2017
As always this compendium has its year in review and to start. It talks about some interesting artworks, along with talking about the issues of trolling and to farther extent the question of censorship. Silly how some people react to another's portrayal of subject matter. Life is too short for such dramas. Anyways I saw some beautiful artwork from artists new and old to me. From the adorable anthropomorphic animals of Omar Rayyan, Peter Diamond's rendition of the Black Rabbit of Inle (Watership Down!), Nico Delort's Universal monster posters, Scott Gustafson's Beauty and the Beast, Chris Ayers's Dapper bat, Cory Godbey's Dark Crystal homage, and many more. All are quite lovely and worth further exploring on these artists' works.
April 24, 2018
Beautiful illustrations as like always. Like other spectrum art book. This one has that some more detailing description to read. Anyway as again looking forward to read more from other spectrum art books...
July 7, 2017
Superb and inspiring. Masses of pictures, masses of talent. Recommend.
August 30, 2017
Another really good read with some good art. That cover.
October 24, 2017
Amo el arte😍
March 18, 2018
Always a collection of wonderful and inspiring art
December 31, 2016
I could simply cut and paste my review from last year, but to sum up: excellent art, heavier on the Fantasy than the Science Fiction, mostly the usual suspects.
This year along with the typical coterie of dragons we have quite a lot of underwater scenes (especially mermaids and enormous turtles), foxes, and birds. Given the rise of superhero films I'm rather surprised there wasn't more of that stuff.
There were a few pieces of comic art featuring Princess Leia and R2D2, which normally wouldn't be remarkable except that both Carrie Fisher and Kenny Baker passed away this year. Surprisingly, there was a new cover for Watership Down, and Richard Adams also died. I know Fisher and Adams died long after this book went to press because I had it on my kitchen table when the news of their deaths hit.
Anyway, you can't go wrong with this book if you love cool genre art.
Here are a few pieces I liked with links to the artist's website:
"Cobra War Trilogy" by Dave Seeley
"The Evertide" by Todd Lockwood
"The Rose" by Victor Maury
"Faerie Miscreant" by Steven Belledin
"Rousing the Troops" by Lucas Slominski
This year along with the typical coterie of dragons we have quite a lot of underwater scenes (especially mermaids and enormous turtles), foxes, and birds. Given the rise of superhero films I'm rather surprised there wasn't more of that stuff.
There were a few pieces of comic art featuring Princess Leia and R2D2, which normally wouldn't be remarkable except that both Carrie Fisher and Kenny Baker passed away this year. Surprisingly, there was a new cover for Watership Down, and Richard Adams also died. I know Fisher and Adams died long after this book went to press because I had it on my kitchen table when the news of their deaths hit.
Anyway, you can't go wrong with this book if you love cool genre art.
Here are a few pieces I liked with links to the artist's website:
"Cobra War Trilogy" by Dave Seeley
"The Evertide" by Todd Lockwood
"The Rose" by Victor Maury
"Faerie Miscreant" by Steven Belledin
"Rousing the Troops" by Lucas Slominski
March 31, 2017
Amazing art from the world's best. Fantastic!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews