Beautiful Creatures: The Art of James Ryman (v. 1) [Paperback]

NA (Author), James Ryman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2002

A games designer and art director by day, James Ryman has a night-time mission - to draw the perfect woman - which he does with great delight. He's also got this thing for horrific beasts, and works like a police sketch artist from the lowest circle of Hell. Ryman came to this country from England with an eye for pretty girls and an ability to breathe life into the undead - handy talents which he shows off in this first collection of his work.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James Ryman is a computer games designer by day, but in the black of night, he throws off his mild-mannered demeanor and engages in his true love - drawing creatures of infinite delight and fright. Originally from England, he now enjoys life in the U.S., living the American dream of California sunshine and doing what makes him happiest (AND getting paid for it as well!).

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: SQP (April 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 086562044X
• ISBN-13: 978-0865620445
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,659,426 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars BEAUTIES AND BEASTS, October 6, 2005

By 

Tim Janson (Michigan) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Beautiful Creatures: The Art of James Ryman (v. 1) (Paperback)

Sal Quartuccio Productions has released two volumes in the Beautiful Creatures series collecting the fantastic art of James Ryman. While the front and back covers to theses volumes have been produced digitally, the interiors show off Ryman's outstanding pencil work in both preliminary sketch and finished examples. Beautiful Creatures doesn't really tell the whole story however. Ryman's women are sometimes bold and ballsy, sometimes dark and seductive, and sometime playful and demure. His gorgeous women are often in contrast to the Hellish creatures that surround them.

Ryman's beasts are some of the most imaginative I've ever seen. Grotesque demons, gargantuan insectoids, and ravenous undead populate his art, sometimes serving; other times being served, by lovely women. There are several eye-popping, two-page spreads in the book. One of my favorites shows a nude captive female being led by two slug-like creatures to their immense leader...perhaps as a meal or something worse!

Another great two-page spread depicts a spider queen accompanied by a brutish half-ape, half spider beast, surrounded by a horde of smaller spiders. I also love the piece of the nude woman riding atop the back of a giant crocodile. Ryman can also do some fantastic pin-up-style art but with his own gruesome twist. One in particular shows his female subject holding a devilishly leering pumpkin. I also love the drawing showing a chaotic warrior in the foreground with the burning "wickerman" in the background. By the way, the Wicker Man is a great film!

There's a lot of work in this 64 page book. While Ryman has worked in video game development as well as for the RPG industry, many of his sketches look like the kind of production drawings used for designs in film. I would not be surprised if that is the next media format he decides to conquer. If you never seen his work before I highly recommend picking up both this and the second volume in the series.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars kind of hit and miss, March 7, 2007

By 

Michael Casey "Spidermonkey" (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Beautiful Creatures: The Art of James Ryman (v. 1) (Paperback)

I love Ryman's style, but way too much of this book is dedicated to NOT beautiful creatures; various monsters and undead critters and the like. The women that ARE in here, though, are beautifully drawn, and very good for art reference and (ahem) other reference.