Customer Reviews

Air Powered

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm surprised there isn't a review of this great airbrush art book. Looking at the offers from Marketplace Sellers I see that copies can be picked up at a bargain price.

Before Photoshop captured the digital art market retouching was done with a paint gun and during the sixties artists started to create images with the airbrush. Before this the equipment was really only used by art studio staff to create graduated shapes for all sorts of print media and retouch images. There were exceptions of course, Joseph Binder for Fortune Magazine covers, George Petty and his famous pin-ups, Otis Shepherd used the airbrush for his memorable poster art. Strangely one of the greatest artists, Arthur Radebaugh isn't mentioned in the extensive historical overview that kicks of the first ninety-four pages.

The book's main section is a series of Portfolios showing airbrush art from the ten leading artists, they are all from the Seventies (Alberto Vargas is the exception). You could hardly look at printed popular culture in the Seventies and Eighties without seeing something done by the artists included in these pages. The rest of the book looks at other artists with a sample or two of their work then pages devoted to science fiction art, retouching, technical illustrations (with rather weak examples, I've seen some stunning cut-away art of machinery that should have been included) and finally four pages explaining airbrush techniques.

Overall a very comprehensive look at American airbrush art up to about the late seventies, large size with 150 screen on art paper. If this slick graphic artform interest you check-out Overspray: Riding High with the Kings of California Airbrush Art which covers in detail the work of four California heavy-weights: Dave Willardson, Peter Lloyd, Charlie White III and Peter Palombi. I thought the book was rather over designed so it will not be the easiest to read but the art is great.

***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking 'customer images' under the cover.

... with the first reviewer. It's an entertaining and even inspiring book. Don't think it's worth $70, but for what the used sellers are asking, it's a must-buy for anyone interested in this artform.