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Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess
Verdant fairy forests. Whispering mountains. The fallen towers of ancient kings. Spirit-filled lakes. The distant strains of elven bards. For over 30 years, the fantasy art of Charles Vess has been acclaimed worldwide; his rich palette, striking compositions, and lavish detail second to none in the field.
200 pages, Hardcover
First published December 1, 2009
5 people are currently reading
1189 people want to read
About the author
Kentaro Miura
371 books2,645 followersKentarou Miura (三浦建太郎) was born in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, in 1966. He is left-handed. In 1976, at the early age of 10, Miura made his first Manga, entitled "Miuranger", that was published for his classmates in a school publication; the manga ended up spanning 40 volumes. In 1977, Miura created his second manga called Ken e no michi (剣への道 The Way to the Sword), using Indian ink for the first time. When he was in middle school in 1979, Miura's drawing techniques improved greatly as he started using professional drawing techniques. His first dōjinshi was published, with the help of friends, in a magazine in 1982.
That same year, in 1982, Miura enrolled in an artistic curriculum in high school, where he and his classmates started publishing their works in school booklets, as well as having his first dōjinshi published in a fan-produced magazine. In 1985, Miura applied for the entrance examination of an art college in Nihon University. He submitted Futanabi for examination and was granted admission. This project was later nominated Best New Author work in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. Another Miura manga Noa was published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine the very same year. Due to a disagreement with one of the editors, the manga was stalled and eventually dropped altogether. This is approximately where Miura's career hit a slump.
In 1988, Miura bounced back with a 48-page manga known as Berserk Prototype, as an introduction to the current Berserk fantasy world. It went on to win Miura a prize from the Comi Manga School. In 1989, after receiving a doctorate degree, Kentarou started a project titled King of Wolves (王狼, ōrō?) based on a script by Buronson, writer of Hokuto no Ken. It was published in the monthly Japanese Animal House magazine in issues 5 and 7 of that year.
In 1990, a sequel is made to Ourou entitled Ourou Den (王狼伝 ōrō den, The Legend of the Wolf King) that was published as a prequel to the original in Young Animal Magazine. In the same year, the 10th issue of Animal House witnesses the first volume of the solo project Berserk was released with a relatively limited success. Miura again collaborated with Buronson on manga titled Japan, that was published in Young Animal House from the 1st issue to the 8th of 1992, and was later released as a stand-alone tankōbon. Miura's fame grew after Berserk was serialized in Young Animal in 1992 with the release of "The Golden Age" story arc and the huge success of his masterpiece made of him one of the most prominent contemporary mangakas. At this time Miura dedicates himself solely to be working on Berserk. He has indicated, however, that he intends to publish more manga in the future.
In 1997, Miura supervised the production of 25 anime episodes of Berserk that aired in the same year on NTV. Various art books and supplemental materials by Miura based on Berserk are also released. In 1999, Miura made minor contributions to the Dreamcast video game Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage. 2004 saw the release of yet another video game adaptation entitled Berserk Millennium Falcon Arc: Chapter of the Record of the Holy Demon War.
Since that time, the Berserk manga has spanned 34 tankōbon with no end in sight. The series has also spawned a whole host of merchandise, both official and fan-made, ranging from statues, action figures to key rings, video games, and a trading card game. In 2002, Kentarou Miura received the second place in the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award of Excellence for Berserk.[1]
Miura provided the design for the Vocaloid Kamui Gakupo, whose voice is taken from the Japanese singer and actor, Gackt.
Miura passed away on May 6, 2021 at 2:48 p.m. due to acute aortic dissection.
That same year, in 1982, Miura enrolled in an artistic curriculum in high school, where he and his classmates started publishing their works in school booklets, as well as having his first dōjinshi published in a fan-produced magazine. In 1985, Miura applied for the entrance examination of an art college in Nihon University. He submitted Futanabi for examination and was granted admission. This project was later nominated Best New Author work in Weekly Shōnen Magazine. Another Miura manga Noa was published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine the very same year. Due to a disagreement with one of the editors, the manga was stalled and eventually dropped altogether. This is approximately where Miura's career hit a slump.
In 1988, Miura bounced back with a 48-page manga known as Berserk Prototype, as an introduction to the current Berserk fantasy world. It went on to win Miura a prize from the Comi Manga School. In 1989, after receiving a doctorate degree, Kentarou started a project titled King of Wolves (王狼, ōrō?) based on a script by Buronson, writer of Hokuto no Ken. It was published in the monthly Japanese Animal House magazine in issues 5 and 7 of that year.
In 1990, a sequel is made to Ourou entitled Ourou Den (王狼伝 ōrō den, The Legend of the Wolf King) that was published as a prequel to the original in Young Animal Magazine. In the same year, the 10th issue of Animal House witnesses the first volume of the solo project Berserk was released with a relatively limited success. Miura again collaborated with Buronson on manga titled Japan, that was published in Young Animal House from the 1st issue to the 8th of 1992, and was later released as a stand-alone tankōbon. Miura's fame grew after Berserk was serialized in Young Animal in 1992 with the release of "The Golden Age" story arc and the huge success of his masterpiece made of him one of the most prominent contemporary mangakas. At this time Miura dedicates himself solely to be working on Berserk. He has indicated, however, that he intends to publish more manga in the future.
In 1997, Miura supervised the production of 25 anime episodes of Berserk that aired in the same year on NTV. Various art books and supplemental materials by Miura based on Berserk are also released. In 1999, Miura made minor contributions to the Dreamcast video game Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage. 2004 saw the release of yet another video game adaptation entitled Berserk Millennium Falcon Arc: Chapter of the Record of the Holy Demon War.
Since that time, the Berserk manga has spanned 34 tankōbon with no end in sight. The series has also spawned a whole host of merchandise, both official and fan-made, ranging from statues, action figures to key rings, video games, and a trading card game. In 2002, Kentarou Miura received the second place in the Osamu Tezuka Culture Award of Excellence for Berserk.[1]
Miura provided the design for the Vocaloid Kamui Gakupo, whose voice is taken from the Japanese singer and actor, Gackt.
Miura passed away on May 6, 2021 at 2:48 p.m. due to acute aortic dissection.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 4, 2010
Stunningly beautiful artwork in this volume. I knew I loved Vess' work before Drawing Down the Moon was released, but this book is a real treat. It's well put together, from many aspects. It has a lovely full-color hardcover, the pages are heavy and glossy, with transparent overlays for some of the full-page pieces. There's tremendous detail, with the inclusion of his thoughts on inspiration, and reproductions of his pencil drawings and rough drafts for some of the art. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy art.
December 4, 2012
(More pictures at parkablogs.com)
I like Charles Vess' style. The scenes and images are magical, watercolours are beautiful, and there's a classic feel to his art. He's perfect for illustrating fantasy stories. By the way, he was won three Eisner Awards among others.
Drawing Down the Moon is a well constructed hardcover from Dark Horse. There are 200 pages and a couple are translucent with line art that overlays on the finished coloured piece beneath on the next page. Unfortunately, the overlay is just slightly misaligned, for my copy.
Over two hundred pieces of paintings and comic art are featured, from covers, comics, private commissions and personal pieces, along with them notes from Charle Vess. Creating enchanting backgrounds and fairytale characters is his specialty. So much so that it makes you want to find out more about the story after looking at the pictures.
He has created a whole lot of art for countless publications. The most notable ones are probably the paintings he did for Neil Gaiman's Stardust, which was made into a movie (I love that movie!). A few of the 175 pieces created for Stardust are featured here, not the concept art though. He's able to capture Neil Gaiman's imagination perfectly and make them come real.
The book finishes off with an interesting look at his creation process, how he handles a commissioned project, though there are no pictures of how he actually paints.
This is an inspiring retrospective for Charles Vess. Highly recommended to fantasy artists.
June 14, 2020
Charles Vess is one of my all time favourite illustrators, a true artist steeped in the craft and history of modern illustration. I have become a ravenous collector of anything he puts out.
April 4, 2017
Konacno da ovu predivnu knjigu nabavim....stvarno je posebna
November 12, 2009
I first added this book to my "wish list" on Amazon over a year ago when I first heard about it. Since then, the Amazon listing has gone from not yet in stock to out of print to showing a release date, to the release date randomly disappearing. I'd almost given up hope on the book's existence at all, when Vess posted to his blog that it would finally be released in December. And then, a few days before Faeriecon in Baltimore, he announced that he would have 50 copies of the book on hand to sell. Well, I grabbed up one lickety-split and got it signed by him at the event.
At $40 (well, $27 on Amazon, but I paid full price at the event), this book may seem a bit expensive, but even apart from the gorgeous art contained, the publishing quality is amazing and well worth the wait and the cost. It is a thick coffee table book with no dust jacket, and each section of the interior is begun with a vellum page showing a sketch for one of Vess' artworks, shown in full on the following page. The colors of the finished work show through softly on the vellum sketch page, and the result is breathtaking.
The format is gorgeous, the renditions of the art outstanding. Vess did a great job too of choosing what art to include in this volume. All of his major projects are covered, including some independent work done for local festivals and plays. His very recently completed Midsummer Night's Dream fountain is even shared.
Absolutely recommended to anyone who enjoys the art of Charles Vess. Or to anyone in general who enjoys to dream.
At $40 (well, $27 on Amazon, but I paid full price at the event), this book may seem a bit expensive, but even apart from the gorgeous art contained, the publishing quality is amazing and well worth the wait and the cost. It is a thick coffee table book with no dust jacket, and each section of the interior is begun with a vellum page showing a sketch for one of Vess' artworks, shown in full on the following page. The colors of the finished work show through softly on the vellum sketch page, and the result is breathtaking.
The format is gorgeous, the renditions of the art outstanding. Vess did a great job too of choosing what art to include in this volume. All of his major projects are covered, including some independent work done for local festivals and plays. His very recently completed Midsummer Night's Dream fountain is even shared.
Absolutely recommended to anyone who enjoys the art of Charles Vess. Or to anyone in general who enjoys to dream.
November 6, 2017
It is a delight all of Charles Vess' fans.
November 17, 2018
Beautiful watercolours
November 11, 2011
Review copy provided by NetGalley.
To be honest I hadn’t really heard Charles Vess’s name before I looked at this book...but once I looked at the book I realized I had seen, and greatly enjoyed, his art before. The selection of images used in this volume are fantastic and Dark Horse has done a great job of reproducing the colors in the work. I really do like that we get some of Vess’s thoughts on what he created and how he created them. My one complaint about the book is that I wish there was a bit more of Vess’s writing, to give us insight into how he works, how he got to a finished project, and what inspires him. Overall though it’s a great book and worth getting for any fan of Charles Vess.
To be honest I hadn’t really heard Charles Vess’s name before I looked at this book...but once I looked at the book I realized I had seen, and greatly enjoyed, his art before. The selection of images used in this volume are fantastic and Dark Horse has done a great job of reproducing the colors in the work. I really do like that we get some of Vess’s thoughts on what he created and how he created them. My one complaint about the book is that I wish there was a bit more of Vess’s writing, to give us insight into how he works, how he got to a finished project, and what inspires him. Overall though it’s a great book and worth getting for any fan of Charles Vess.
September 6, 2011
It was surprisingly difficult to get my hands on this: I reserved it at NYPL, but their only copy disappeared, and it took awhile to come via ILL. Kudos to the library and staff for tracking it down for me. It was worth the wait. I love Vess's sinuous, sensual art, almost always a little scary. He maps his whole career thus far in this beautiful volume, from his earliest days to his current work, and everything is exquisitely reproduced. Wizard.
June 26, 2011
Astounding. I really appreciated seeing so much of his earliest work from art school days. And the last pages showing how he completes a drawing from beginning pencils to final colors. Will probably end up buying myself a copy of it. So much to look at!
February 9, 2015
Stunning artwork.
June 30, 2017
I hate to say it, but if I hadn't already been a fan of Charles Vess', this book would not have turned me into one. It's a collection of artwork from throughout his career, up to 2009, although the vast majority is from earlier in his career. And the art that is here is usually beautiful and definitely has his style. But the organization, and the choices of selections, are both very haphazard. There's a couple of pages from the World Fantasy Award winning Sandman #19, and a couple pages from other comics he's done, but never enough to give a real feel for the overall stories, which is where the depth and detail of his artwork really comes alive. And seeing so much of his fantasy work in one place kind of desensitizes you to its wondrousness. I know his graphic novel versions of Coraline and the Graveyard Book came out after this collection was created, but I would strongly recommend those over this - they get a wider breadth of his vision and talent in a coherent manner that emphasizes its qualities. This is nice to see some of the rare and previously uncollected work (a poster he did for Little Shop of Horrors was a personal favorite), but it doesn't really seem to do his work justice.
April 22, 2024
A wonderful book full of delight ... loved watching his evolution as an artist while also getting snippets in his own voice of his process and life. And going through, as he would talk about different books and projects I realized I have a whole lot more of his art than I knew, as I ran to my bookcase to pull out different anthologies or graphic novels, yep, there he is! I brought this book to our local convention this past month to get it signed by him, but was too busy and never got around to it. He was hanging around in the lobby after the con was over and we were all running around packing it away. He signed my membership badge, instead, with the same art as the cover of this book, so I call it all good!
August 26, 2021
Wow! What an amazing book. I bought it years ago at an antiquarian book fair and never looked at it as I had packed it away for yet another move. Charles Vess has provided illustrations of some of my favorite fantasy authors: Charles De Lint, Neil Gaiman and George R.R. Martin.
April 13, 2023
I’ve never seen an art book (or any book for that matter) have transparent pages to show the sketch vs final drawing. Very cool, more books should include that.
February 19, 2022
An amazing collection of art and fascinating insights into the process of one of the greatest contemporary illustrators. High printing quality.
August 26, 2017
Charles Vess is one of those illustrators that every fantasy fan has seen -- he's done comics and illustrations for Neil Gaiman, mainstream graphic novels, and covers for authors like Charles de Lint, Diana Wynne-Jones, Terri Windling and George R.R. Martin. "Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess" brings together countless pieces of Vess's gorgeous art.
The artwork is divided into Vess's early artwork, "Playing in Someone Else's Sandbox" (comic book artwork, such as Spiderman, Bone and Sandman), "Drawing Between the Lines" (adaptations of classic tales and various gorgeous illustration works for "Stardust," "Deep Secret," "Peter Pan" and various Charles de Lint stories), "Ballads and Sagas," and "Odds and Ends."
There are also a lot of other, random tidbits of artwork throughout the book, such as flyers and advertisements, such as an illustration depicting Tori Amos as a floating fairy. And there are odds and ends that have been just sort of in the ether, like previously unpublished illustrations.
Each picture has a title, and quite a few have an explanatory paragraph showing why Vess drew what he drew, the thought processes behind it, and something of the progression of his art. For instance, his love of hit comics like Prince Valiant and Fables, or his desire to take more "personal" projects.
But Vess' artwork is the real star here -- luminous colors, delicate lines, and beautiful fey creatures that are just a little freaky and unearthly. Some are black-and-white pencil sketches, and they are full of fragile beauty.
But the pictures with color simply seem to float out of the pages, glowing with soft mossy greens, rich leathery browns, pale yellows, shadowy blacks and a layer of pale starlight. Some are simple depictions of a solid image (the cover of Diana Wynne-Jones' "Deep Secret" has a centaur jumping over a bunch of convention-goers), but others are entwined with tree boughs, crumbling stone walls, low-hanging moons and old-world buildings.
Those who love fantasy art will probably adore "Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess," which brings together the works of this talented artist. Gorgeous and luminous.
The artwork is divided into Vess's early artwork, "Playing in Someone Else's Sandbox" (comic book artwork, such as Spiderman, Bone and Sandman), "Drawing Between the Lines" (adaptations of classic tales and various gorgeous illustration works for "Stardust," "Deep Secret," "Peter Pan" and various Charles de Lint stories), "Ballads and Sagas," and "Odds and Ends."
There are also a lot of other, random tidbits of artwork throughout the book, such as flyers and advertisements, such as an illustration depicting Tori Amos as a floating fairy. And there are odds and ends that have been just sort of in the ether, like previously unpublished illustrations.
Each picture has a title, and quite a few have an explanatory paragraph showing why Vess drew what he drew, the thought processes behind it, and something of the progression of his art. For instance, his love of hit comics like Prince Valiant and Fables, or his desire to take more "personal" projects.
But Vess' artwork is the real star here -- luminous colors, delicate lines, and beautiful fey creatures that are just a little freaky and unearthly. Some are black-and-white pencil sketches, and they are full of fragile beauty.
But the pictures with color simply seem to float out of the pages, glowing with soft mossy greens, rich leathery browns, pale yellows, shadowy blacks and a layer of pale starlight. Some are simple depictions of a solid image (the cover of Diana Wynne-Jones' "Deep Secret" has a centaur jumping over a bunch of convention-goers), but others are entwined with tree boughs, crumbling stone walls, low-hanging moons and old-world buildings.
Those who love fantasy art will probably adore "Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess," which brings together the works of this talented artist. Gorgeous and luminous.
July 15, 2013
Charles Vess's fantasy artwork has been collected in a beautiful volume.
I love just about every piece of art in this book. The few that I don't like are probably the few that are science fiction. I am not at all knowledgeable about art so I can't write in any kind of meaningful way about it. I do know what I like and I most definitely like this.
I tried hard to take my time poring over this book. I can flip way too fast through illustrated books, focusing too much on the words. I knew that Vess hides a lot of details in his work and it would be worth the time to look carefully at every page. It was. The vibrant colors, the classic fantasy elements with the occasional modern twist thrown in, this collection was all that I expected it to be and more.
The problem is that now I want to add all of the books he's worked on to my wishlist! He's been a busy man! I already own quite a few of them because he tends to collaborate with authors I love in their own right, such as Charles de Lint and Neil Gaiman. I did not realize that Vess had worked on an illustrated edition of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series but now that I do, I feel the burning need to own it. Unfortunately, it was apparently a limited edition and is now pretty much unavailable or way beyond my means. Here's hoping for a wider release.
Fans of fantasy art and/or writing will love this collection. It will be displayed proudly in my home.
I love just about every piece of art in this book. The few that I don't like are probably the few that are science fiction. I am not at all knowledgeable about art so I can't write in any kind of meaningful way about it. I do know what I like and I most definitely like this.
I tried hard to take my time poring over this book. I can flip way too fast through illustrated books, focusing too much on the words. I knew that Vess hides a lot of details in his work and it would be worth the time to look carefully at every page. It was. The vibrant colors, the classic fantasy elements with the occasional modern twist thrown in, this collection was all that I expected it to be and more.
The problem is that now I want to add all of the books he's worked on to my wishlist! He's been a busy man! I already own quite a few of them because he tends to collaborate with authors I love in their own right, such as Charles de Lint and Neil Gaiman. I did not realize that Vess had worked on an illustrated edition of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series but now that I do, I feel the burning need to own it. Unfortunately, it was apparently a limited edition and is now pretty much unavailable or way beyond my means. Here's hoping for a wider release.
Fans of fantasy art and/or writing will love this collection. It will be displayed proudly in my home.
July 12, 2012
I first experienced the art of Charles Vess through the issues and cover art of the Vertigo/DC Comics series The Sandman and Swamp Thing during the 1990's. Along with the stories in those comic books, his artwork definitely left it's impression on me as well. An ethereal feel to the art, sort of a blend of the old fashioned Art Nouveau style with classic fantasy art. And a few years later I read through the Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess illustrated novel Stardust (after I watched the movie, which I also love), and fell in love with his artwork all over again.
Fast forward a few years later and, from Dark Horse Books, comes 'Drawing Down The Moon: The Art Of Charles Vess'. This is a superb collection of paintings, pencil sketches, pen and inks from a legend of fantasy art. Over 200 pages of luscious artwork, some with descriptions by Charles himself, and includes some of his work for Swamp Thing, Stardust as well as other works such as for George RR Martin's 'A Storm Of Swords', and 'Spiderman' and 'The Books Of Magic'.
Presented as a large format book, with most of the art taking up the full page, and with a foreword by Susanna Clarke (author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell), this book is a joy to read and must for those that love quality art and fantasy art in particular! Totally recommended!
Fast forward a few years later and, from Dark Horse Books, comes 'Drawing Down The Moon: The Art Of Charles Vess'. This is a superb collection of paintings, pencil sketches, pen and inks from a legend of fantasy art. Over 200 pages of luscious artwork, some with descriptions by Charles himself, and includes some of his work for Swamp Thing, Stardust as well as other works such as for George RR Martin's 'A Storm Of Swords', and 'Spiderman' and 'The Books Of Magic'.
Presented as a large format book, with most of the art taking up the full page, and with a foreword by Susanna Clarke (author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell), this book is a joy to read and must for those that love quality art and fantasy art in particular! Totally recommended!
October 31, 2011
I received a digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. This is a book that you definitely want to get in print, rather than as an e-book. Vess's artwork is wonderfully detailed and intricate, and you just can't see all the details on a digital copy. This large collection features plates from a variety of projects with notes from Vess on the genesis of the piece, his working relationship with the author, project specs and more. It's really interesting to get this insider look into the act of creating some amazing illustrations. The best part about the book is the walkthrough he provides on a large illustration, from the initial conception of the piece through multiple versions, showing his process. I think emerging artists and longtime fans both will appreciate what's here, and Susannah Clarke's introduction puts into words the specific magic that is an illustration by Charles Vess. Nobody does Shakespeare like he does (his Puck is THE best), and his Green Apple Man from Charles de Lint's stories is one of my favorite characters. While I wholeheartedly recommend this collection, personally I'd rather have the individual books (I've got quite the collection already).
October 4, 2015
This is really a beautiful book. Mr Vess has deserved a collection of his work on a more or less linear timeline for a very long time, and it's hard to imagine a better book to fill that need.
I'd actually gotten to the point of finding him a little one-note as he's risen to the position of Venerable Artist, and I was so glad to be jolted out of that complacence. Although some of his people look similar to me, the sheer exuberant creativity that goes into his work - and the clearly deep thought behind it - shines through when you see the art in its original form.
I highly recommend it to anyone who's seen Vess's work before, anyone who's intrigued by the concept of watercolor and pen and ink fairy tale art, and anyone who wants to spend some time disappearing into another world.
Keep an eye out for old friends out of context - the characters from Bone pop up in some unusual places, and most of the big woodland panoramas have a little Totoro hidden somewhere. And the landscape of the Lonely Mountain from Middle-Earth, which he was contractually obligated to keep anonymous, is lovely and haunting.
I'd actually gotten to the point of finding him a little one-note as he's risen to the position of Venerable Artist, and I was so glad to be jolted out of that complacence. Although some of his people look similar to me, the sheer exuberant creativity that goes into his work - and the clearly deep thought behind it - shines through when you see the art in its original form.
I highly recommend it to anyone who's seen Vess's work before, anyone who's intrigued by the concept of watercolor and pen and ink fairy tale art, and anyone who wants to spend some time disappearing into another world.
Keep an eye out for old friends out of context - the characters from Bone pop up in some unusual places, and most of the big woodland panoramas have a little Totoro hidden somewhere. And the landscape of the Lonely Mountain from Middle-Earth, which he was contractually obligated to keep anonymous, is lovely and haunting.
January 10, 2017
Considering that I jumped at the opportunity to buy my own copy of this book when I spotted it in a comic store in Saskatoon when I first moved to the Prairies (showing my true nerd colours to my coworkers, who were less than surprised) it makes me incredibly annoyed that I then allowed it to languish unread on my bookshelf for approximately 3 years… Not that there aren’t books that have been waiting longer, but none could possibly be as much of a delight as the definitive collection (incomplete as it is, due to the impossibility of collecting the full range of Vess’ work) of one of my favourite artists. I first became familiar with Charles Vess through his collaborations with Neil Gaiman and Charles de Lint (my pair of favourite authors), and I was well aware that he had worked as a cover illustrator and a fine fantasy artist, but his work in traditional superhero comics came as a complete surprise. If anything, this collection of art widened my perspective and makes me want to seek out more of his less mainstream work so that I can see the full range!
January 20, 2013
This book is a work of art of some of Charle Vess' best works of art.
The fantasy art of Charles Vess is acclaimed worldwide, his rich palette, striking compositions, and lavish detail second to none. Vess created memorable works for such best selling fantasy authors as Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke, Charles De Lint, and George R. R. Martin, as well as a who's-who list of Publishers and clients.
His art is breathtakingly singular while recalling the golden age of illustration, when paint and brush were the vessels that carried readers to distant lands, bygone ages, and realms of the imagination. Featuring a forword by Susanna Clarke, author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
The fantasy art of Charles Vess is acclaimed worldwide, his rich palette, striking compositions, and lavish detail second to none. Vess created memorable works for such best selling fantasy authors as Neil Gaiman, Susanna Clarke, Charles De Lint, and George R. R. Martin, as well as a who's-who list of Publishers and clients.
His art is breathtakingly singular while recalling the golden age of illustration, when paint and brush were the vessels that carried readers to distant lands, bygone ages, and realms of the imagination. Featuring a forword by Susanna Clarke, author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
August 31, 2012
How does one rate an art book?! But no, really, I don't know. Should it based on how much you loved the artist's work? Or how good a job the book does at compiling/displaying their work? Anyway, I absolutely love Charles Vess' style - so beautiful and magical. Since I'm mostly only familiar with his collaborations with Neil Gaiman, it was nice to be able to see a variety of his work in one volume. I liked some of the background stories to some of the pieces and hearing about the major points in his career too.
May 6, 2013
While this isn't a book you read so much as peruse, it does showcase beautifully detailed pictures from artist, Charles Vess, and gives the history of his various works. This is a book for artists or writers as a source of inspiration or for comic and graphic novel aficionados to learn the history behind the creator featured in works such as The Sandman, Stardust, and Swamp Thing.
For young readers and those with young readers unfamiliar with Vess' artwork, I recommend Instructions by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess as a starting point.
For young readers and those with young readers unfamiliar with Vess' artwork, I recommend Instructions by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Charles Vess as a starting point.
February 4, 2014
The artistic history of Charles Vess. Many lovely pictures.
Starts with his early work, and you can see the influences, and the need to pick up more skills. But it works onward to his more mature work, with many examples of things from books and posters and other things.
It's amazing how he can use the modern conception of fairies as tiny and winged and still make it clear that these are the -- ehem -- Good Folk.
Also has his showing the stages of developing a work.
Starts with his early work, and you can see the influences, and the need to pick up more skills. But it works onward to his more mature work, with many examples of things from books and posters and other things.
It's amazing how he can use the modern conception of fairies as tiny and winged and still make it clear that these are the -- ehem -- Good Folk.
Also has his showing the stages of developing a work.
August 6, 2010
This artist draws fantasy the way you should imagine it. We were hiking thru the Old Man's Cave area in Ohio and read the same day that this is where the drawings for some of the Bone series occurred. Strange and real since I was having the grandkids draw pictures of the fairies and trolls they were seeing in the woods.
Read
August 5, 2011Amazing and inspiring presentation of Charles Vess´s beautiful and haunting images. A little bit of Rackham, a touch of Bauer, a few strokes of Kay Nielsen and a lot of Vess equals the most amazing faerie visions - and he does superheroes too:) No wonder he is a favorite when de Lint, Clarke or Gaiman needs someone to spice up their texts with illustrations. And he draws the most beautiful cats!
April 8, 2014
I first "met" Charles Vess through his work on a Spider-Man comic. His older school type of drawings appeal to me. I bought this book in trying to get more of his work and understand him a bit more. It succeeded. Made me want to draw a bit more than I do. I was inspired to order the illustrated version of "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman and illustrated by Mr Vess
November 21, 2016
If you like Charles Vess' art, you will enjoy Drawing Down the Moon! Vess has compiled a nice spread of his art across the years he has been active. He has book covers, interior illustrations and even an image of a fountain that he had a hand in designing. This is just a fantastic book to look through and then read the sparse commentary Vess provides.
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