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General discussionWho are your favorite fantasy artists?(29 posts)(29 posts)
(29 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 29, 2021
I was just looking at the GOG store page for Heroes of Might & Magic V and I am always struck by that banner / splash page artwork. What a great piece! Anyway...

... ever since the Hildebrandt Bros Tolkien calendars of the late 70's, I have been a huge fan of fantasy art and artists. Fantasy artwork has always been an important part of my life and continues to be to this day.

If you feel the same about fantasy art, who are your favorites and what do you like?
Posted May 29, 2021
high rated
John Howe, Alan Lee and Ted Nasmith are the first to come to mind. Frank Frazetta is also something of a no-brainer.

Rodney Matthews has done some absolutely stellar work:
https://img-ovh-cloud.zszywka.pl/1/0059/6815-rodney-matthews--pierwszy-raz-zobac.jpg
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1781/0129/articles/Trinity_2048x.jpg?v=1568562087
https://i.imgur.com/vMHJzbt.jpg

I love how he keeps fantasy surreal when so much of it has become commonplace these days.

I love Paul Kidby's Discworld art.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxhnenGCwj1qltj6zo1_640.jpg
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/A1uX5ItTmSL.jpg
https://www.paulkidby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Snuff-1000x1433_c.jpg

Although Josh Kirby also was great in his own way
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/64/a3/d4/64a3d4682c6f5233843f139eee40d41f.jpg

And I love 80s D&D stuff, like by Larry Elmore
https://cdn.hipwallpaper.com/i/47/94/dxNgK3.jpg
https://i.redd.it/fotur0sss1i31.jpg

Or Keith Parkinson
https://dyn1.heritagestatic.com/lf?set=path%5B1%2F6%2F3%2F3%2F1633910%5D&call=url%5Bfile%3Aproduct.chain%5D

or Jeff Easley
https://cafans.b-cdn.net/images/Category_8668/subcat_173277/Dry6BAjy_1902161426221.jpg
Post edited May 29, 2021 by Breja
Posted May 29, 2021
Frank Frazetta, art always reminds me of Witchaven big boxes which makes me think of Ken Kelly!
Attachments:
frazetta.jpg (113 Kb)
Post edited May 29, 2021 by watvin
Posted May 29, 2021
avatar
watvin: Frank Frazetta, art always reminds me of Witchaven big boxes which makes me think of Ken Kelly!
looks cool and old style like a metal band cover
Post edited May 29, 2021 by Orkhepaj
Posted May 29, 2021
Very comprehensive list there already.

I'd add:

Boris Vallejo & Julie Bell
https://www.borisjulie.com/

Gerald Brom
https://www.bromart.com/

Wayne Barlowe
https://waynebarlowe.com/

For the even more surreal side of things, the obvious ones:

Zdzislaw Beksinski
https://www.wikiart.org/en/zdzislaw-beksinski

HR Giger
https://www.hrgiger.com/
Post edited May 29, 2021 by Swedrami
Posted May 29, 2021
To be fair, any warhammer artist is worth mentioning here, some of their works are leaving me absolutely speechless, you can see some here
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watvin: Frank Frazetta, art always reminds me of Witchaven big boxes which makes me think of Ken Kelly!
avatar
Orkhepaj: looks cool and old style like a metal band cover
exactly, I've also thought of some metal band covers!
Post edited May 29, 2021 by watvin
Posted May 29, 2021
Technically not Fantasy, but Hajime Sorayama's work (consisting more or less exclusively of pin-ups depicting shiny and chrome robot ladies) is worth a mention too:
http://sorayama.jp/
Posted May 29, 2021
J. Allen St. John
Frazetta
Roy Krenkel
Jeff Jones
Virgil Finlay
Michael Whelan
Posted May 30, 2021
Still Luis Royo and Anne Stokes.

Used to appreciate quite a few of the old school ones, but now Royo's likely the only one I'd still name, and I fear that even that may be in good part nostalgia and if I'll take another good look I'll change my mind about him as well. Gradually lost some of the appreciation for that style over the past decade or so, seems rather cartoony and not polished or even... finished enough when compared to the good examples of modern (digital) fantasy art I guess.
Posted May 30, 2021
Mark Ferrari and John Avon.

Technical shoutout to Phil Foglio for providing artwork to Exile/Avernum.
Posted May 30, 2021
Luis Royo
Clyde Caldwell
Dorian Cleavenger
Wu Shuang (azazel1944)
Larry Elmore
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Cavalary: Still Luis Royo and Anne Stokes.

Used to appreciate quite a few of the old school ones, but now Royo's likely the only one I'd still name, and I fear that even that may be in good part nostalgia and if I'll take another good look I'll change my mind about him as well. Gradually lost some of the appreciation for that style over the past decade or so, seems rather cartoony and not polished or even... finished enough when compared to the good examples of modern (digital) fantasy art I guess.
Do you have 1-2 names of modern ones? When my areas of interest became more mainstream its art became more and more dull. Would be neat to learn about a few modern ones that still have some bite & like to keep it sexy on occasion.
Post edited May 30, 2021 by Anothername
Posted May 30, 2021
H. R. Giger

https://youtube.com/watch?v=0rs_NRyNs4o
Posted May 30, 2021
Luis Royo

Clyde Caldwell

Frank Frazetta

Boris Vallejo

Julie Bell

Larry Elmore

Hildebrandt Brothers

Dorian Cleavenger

Rodney Matthews

Stephen Youll

Michael Whelan
Posted May 30, 2021
Not really my field of expertise. I like Toni DiTerlizzi. His art is a bit offbeat for fantasy standards, but original. Although maybe a bit closer to children's book illustrations? After playing Creepy Tale, I also discovered John Kenn Mortensen as an interesting illustrator, but again, not your typical fantasy art.
Posted May 30, 2021
Russ Nicholson

Vicente Segrelles
Post edited May 30, 2021 by karnak1
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionWho are your favorite fantasy artists?(29 posts)(29 posts)
(29 posts)