Customer Reviews

The Art of Ken Kelly

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

 

 

Ken Kelly was a student of Frank Frazetta and it shows in Kelly's style of art. This 94 page book is an outstanding collection of violent pulp art depicting struggles to the death with serpents, fierce cats, grotesque monsters, and heavily muscled warriors. Of course the fair maiden in distress is also a frequent theme. If you love this kind of art then this book is highly recommended. The master, Frank Frazetta, also gives a nice two page introduction to Kelly's work.

First of all Ken Kelly was not only a student of Frank Frazetta but Frank married Ken's cousin. For those familliar with Frank Frazetta's work you will notice a lot of similarities in the two artists work like you can in comparing any student and teacher work. But Ken uses a lot of dark backgrounds mixed with bold colors making your attention focus on where he wants you to look. Also using the dark backgrounds makes the colors stand out and look vibrant. Ken Kelly's figures always seem alive in his paintings, as if he captured the event with a camera. He's without a doubt one of the best fantasy/sci fi artists out there.

Remarks:
- Too many blank pages. In order to highlight each individual painting all the left-hand pages are clear of content.
- The only information we get for each painting is the title. No year, real size, etc...


SPECIFICS:
Page Count: 96
Number of images: 50
Small images: 0
Half page images: 5
Full page images: 44
2-page spreads: 1
BW images: 7

TEXT:
Foreword: 2 pages
Introduction: 2 pages

ART:
13 images: 5 stars
26 images: 4 stars
11 images: 3 stars
0 images: 2 stars
0 images: 1 star


Overall: 4 Stars

This is a beautifully printed collection of Kelly's artwork in fantasy and science fiction - not that the line between the two is completely crisp. These are attractive pieces, with powerful male and female figures, even if the women are more often behind the mighty male than beside or in front. One compositional oddity recurs throughout this collection: his tendency to leave lots of blank space at the top of each picture. Although I don't recognize them, I believe that most of these paintings were intended as cover are for paperback books and needed space for book titles. In context, that quirk makes good sense.

BTW, Frazetta contributed only an introduction to this book of one of his students, so listing him as an author isn't the most honest of advertising. And, despites the many merits of Kelly's work, it often lacks some emotional intangible that Frazetta had mastered. No matter, these are enjoyable paintings and will hold their own in any collection of fantasy art.

//wiredweird

Kelly advertizes himself as a "student" of Frank Frazetta, but he hasn't learned anything except how to imitate the master. Stiff, uninvolving, poorly designed, lifeless figures go through boring rehashes of Frazetta motifs. If a student showed me this work, I'd encourage him to keep going in the hope that he might eventually find his own style. He once did a Famous Monsters of Filmland cover that wasn't too bad, because he was copying from photographs. Boris is another one that has built a career scavenging from Frazetta, but at least he has slick craftmanship. Kelly is an incompetent draughtsman and his compositions are awkward. Did his family connections get him this book? Sorry to sound harsh, but this stuff is junior league.

Personally I don't care who taught who,or who came out first.I just care about who I think's the best.And I admit that Frank Frazetta's stuffs good,,but it's nothing Boris Vallejo,Julie Bell or this guy Ken Kelly couldn't do,and sometimes even better.As a matter of fact,I think some of Frank Frazetta's stuff suck's.I mean for instance,let's take the fact that I like the Egyptian Queen poster alot,and the aparition one,but I hate the neanderthal one,and the Ocean Witch one,those one's are just stupid,and I don't think that they look that good at all.And if you want a more artistic analogy.Well,I think they looked badly drawn,unrealistic,and blurry,not to mention their themes sucked.To me it looked like something a novice might of drawn.

Now as far as Boris Vallejo's stuff go's,In which he happens to be my personal favorite Fantasy artist of them all,I may at times disagree with some of the style's that he uses.although ofcourse that's not very often,but I never,ever thought his artwork was anything less than amazing.The fantasy people depicted in his art,are alway's realistic looking,and very well drawn.As is Julie Bells,and Ken Kelly's,now Luis Royo could use a little bit of work,but other than that,I think their all great!Including the over rated Frank Frazetta.I think instead of only liking one artist,and despising the rest,we should just thank God that there are people out there who can draw this amazingly.So,ofcourse I highly recommend this book,for all the Fantasy art lover's out there,along with the other artist's that I mentioned....