Customer Reviews

William Stout: Prehistoric Life Murals

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It's been long-in-coming for a book of this caliber from William Stout but this is worth all the wait. What I think I like best are the extreme close-ups of Bill's paintings showing us his brush work which, is extremely painterly and luscious! If you are into studying how paint is applied and,it's physical texture and properties, you will not be disappointed. Also shown are sketches, drawings and work ups for the murals. His "studies" for them are 48 inches across in some cases!! This is a must-have for anyone who does art, likes art, likes dinosaurs and enjoys seeing the process of something of this scope come together. I liked this book so much I got two-one to page through and study, another to save in perfect condition(and hopefully next time I see Bill have him sign it). The production on this book is also excellent with amazing color repro and lots of nice shots of drawings. Even the endpapers have close ups of some of the painterly areas. The close ups are so good, they become compositions in themselves while being part of the bigger painting. Also reproduced are several of Bill's other paintings, not just the San Diego mural work. Get this book, you won't regret it!

I cannot say enough for this book by paleoartist Willaim Stout. I saw the presentation in San Diego where he talked about the book and the work done in preparation for it. He has lived in Antartica and painted the world, and there dove beneath the ice to capture it too. Where hasn't he gone to do his hoemwork? It was easy to be drawn unknowingly into the murals, and as Bob Eggleton states, luscious. The closeups are unimaginable. There are several gatefolds in this book, but one has to view the full-sized murals to appreciate the life breathed into the forgotten vistas. I am still more a fan of his ink and watercolors, but, this is a must have book for painters and fans of dinosaurs alike. Buy it right now.

I spent all day yesterday at the Natural History Museum at Balboa Park in San Diego. When I got to the fossils and prehistoric animals on the 2nd floor, I was stunned by the murals on the walls. Unbelievable art. Stout must have spent thousands of hours doing these huge paintings, many of which depict animals explained nearby.
His book is magnificent too. Beware -- there is a smaller book with more cartoony paintings that are not nearly as rich and textured as this one. Get the big one.