Customer Reviews

Spectrum 15: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art

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Every year, I pre-order the Spectrum annual, and every year I enjoy it from cover to cover. Some of the most mind blowing artists work is presented in this book every single year. You will not be disappointed.

What can you say at this point? These annuals are an inspiration, a resource, and an accurate read on where the bar is in fantasy, sci-fi, and concept art. A total feast, once again.

This is the sort of compilation you really do keep on your coffee table so that you can sit on the couch and, over the course of weeks, dip into it and enjoy the offerings.

What's in there? Well, the introduction, naturally, and the Grandmaster Award for the outstanding John Jude Palencar--one of my faves! There's a review of the year in SF art (this is for 2007), which highlights, among others, a nicely urban-infrastructure-architectural work by Michael Whelan and the covers from some of the art books published last year. Artists who have died are given space in an obit list.

Ah, the art comes. First, the Best in Show award went to James Jean (and if you have been reading the terrific and engrossing FABLES series of comics by Bill Willingham, his cover art will be familiar to you). His winning entry is the cover for THE GOOD PRINCE, a wonderful piece full of understated grays (steel, water, stone) with one blazing arc of orange that is the plume of Prince Ambrose's helm. Cool.

The winner of the Gold award makes me giggle every time I look at it--a technicolor bit of zombie-alien silliness with a retro (as in 50's-60's) album cover feel. More silliness by Julie Bell and Boris Vallejo graces page 31--a full page reproduction of the artwork for AQUA TEEN HUNGER FORCE. As a fan of the cartoon, I got a particular little thrill seeing Frylock, Master Shake, and Meatwad rendered in Vallejo's trademark style--curvy women included.

One of the other reviewers called this the "all digital" issue. Well, on this spread alone--the two pages of 30-31--there is Vallejo's oil painting, one digital, one mixed media, and one acrylics/goache. Jean's best-in-show winner was a mixed media piece.

Another of my fave two-page spreads--because of the gorgeous, gorgeous works by Shaun Tan and a refreshing "blue" work by the fantasy master illustrator Charles Vess--is 56-57, which showcases two works of acrylics/oils (Tan), one in colored inks (Vess), and one goache/digital.

The previous page--55--which I was going to mention anyway, has a full-page repro of an oil on paper piece by Donato Giancola. It reminds me of Victorian works and is a masterful "bird's eye" perspective on a shoreline with dead mermen and a maiden holding one of the victims. The mermen are rendered in glowing pale greys and dark greys, their gills gaping redly. I was so moved by this work, I came online to see the book for which it served as a cover art piece (THE GOLDEN ROSE).

Just for reference, the page right after the one with the Tan/Vess pieces, has four wonderful works--two acrylics by Scott Bakal, an ink/digital by Yuko Shimizu and a really interesting oil work by Brad Holland.

So, I'd hardly say that more traditional media are not employed. However, we are in the digital age, and digital artwork will continue to gain space and popularity. As this compilation books hows, many digital works are skilled, beautiful, and effective, and should not be scoffed at.

There is so much here to enjoy, that I will let you buy it and see for yourself, rather than yammer on about the contents.The contents rock!

Mir

This series gets better every year. My favorite artists always appear in each issue, and new artists make the cut, too. As an artist myself interested in fantasy art I find this annual absolutely essential. The color quality of the entries is top notch. SPECTRUM is always inspiring! It makes me work harder!

Length:: 0:21 Mins

Spectrum is a an art annual that sends out invitations to artists for their work to be featured in the book. Only a selected few, the best, have their work chosen.

In Volume 15, the judges are Justin Sweet, Daren Bader, Frank Cho, Tim Bodendistel and Kelly Seda.

The list of winners are on[..]and the full list of artists here.

As for the art, they are gorgeous. The variety is incredible and are created with different mediums. They are grouped into different categories, namely Advertising, Book, Comics, Concept Art, Dimensional (sculptures and models), Editorial, Institional and Unpublished.

Since these are published yearly, the illustrations featured are all recent. I'm an art book collector and I find myself going,"Oh, oh, I hope he/she's going to release an art book!" while going through the pages.

There are actually 264 pages instead of the 248 pages listed on Amazon. Nice.

This is perhaps the best valued art annual around.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

And the best is very good indeed. The Fenners continue this annual tradition of seeking out and displaying the year's best fantasy art. You might think that, with so many hundreds of works shown here, there would have to be a few clunkers. I admit, I like some less than others, but even those generally rise to very high levels of skill and wit.

Except for the high quality and underlying theme of fantasy, I don't think any one statement would be true of all the works presented. Media cover a wide range, including oils, pen/ink, acrylic, watercolor, and digital - but digital without the computer-y look of past decade, digital with real delicacy and feeling. Styles cover the whole imaginable range, and maybe a bit more. Giancola's "Red Sonja" has a naturalistic style, an almost romantic image of a lethal warrior. Others, like Juan's "Chronomancer," blend elements of Dali's floating surrealism with hints of Sorayama's robo-babes in a unique blend. Others draw on every visual style from the Hudson River landscape artists to comic books and way beyond. Moods of the images include comical, horrific, delicate, monumental, mysterious, brooding, and seemingly every other sense that a picture can convey.

Dimensional (sculptural) work appears too, and includes some my favorites in this collection. Virginie Ropars's charmingly creepy statuettes each stand as a labor of love, but I like the steam-punk visions or humor of Rivamonte, Lambert, and Northey, too.

Whether you like the heroic, humorous, dark, or delightful, this collection has plenty for just about any taste in visual art. I expect to come back to this, like others in this annual series, again and again.

-- wiredweird

If you've ever looked through an edition of spectrum, this one is the next logical step in the progression. It's a constantly evolving multifaceted art collection, with something for everyone.

If you've never seen Spectrum, this is a great place to start, as its probably the best yet. (and biggest)

A very important tool to get to know what the artists produce and what are the demands of the actual art directors. I guess some artists can get a general impact through that annual publication. For me is a very nice way to have a complete overview of this sort of art that really enriches this special corner of my life. I have them all (all fifteen) and they are worth the price. I reread (re-view) them all from time to time. You always find something new!

SPECTRUM 15 is not good. SPECTRUM 15 is mind blowing.

I look back at the first Spectrum, and the art seems only "good" while the art in Spectrum 15 is "awesome". I think this "contest" has become a lightning rod for talent - and now each year every artist seeks to "one up" all his competetion. The degree of craftsmenship and ability shown here is out standing. It's nearly insane. I tremble to think how good the art will be in another 15 years. I mean... can it keep getting better? Is that possible?

The book came in a timely manner and was in excellent condition. Thank You!!