A review by easolinas
Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess, by Charles Vess, Susanna Clarke
5.0
Charles Vess is one of those illustrators that every fantasy fan has seen -- he's done comics and illustrations for Neil Gaiman, mainstream graphic novels, and covers for authors like Charles de Lint, Diana Wynne-Jones, Terri Windling and George R.R. Martin. "Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess" brings together countless pieces of Vess's gorgeous art.
The artwork is divided into Vess's early artwork, "Playing in Someone Else's Sandbox" (comic book artwork, such as Spiderman, Bone and Sandman), "Drawing Between the Lines" (adaptations of classic tales and various gorgeous illustration works for "Stardust," "Deep Secret," "Peter Pan" and various Charles de Lint stories), "Ballads and Sagas," and "Odds and Ends."
There are also a lot of other, random tidbits of artwork throughout the book, such as flyers and advertisements, such as an illustration depicting Tori Amos as a floating fairy. And there are odds and ends that have been just sort of in the ether, like previously unpublished illustrations.
Each picture has a title, and quite a few have an explanatory paragraph showing why Vess drew what he drew, the thought processes behind it, and something of the progression of his art. For instance, his love of hit comics like Prince Valiant and Fables, or his desire to take more "personal" projects.
But Vess' artwork is the real star here -- luminous colors, delicate lines, and beautiful fey creatures that are just a little freaky and unearthly. Some are black-and-white pencil sketches, and they are full of fragile beauty.
But the pictures with color simply seem to float out of the pages, glowing with soft mossy greens, rich leathery browns, pale yellows, shadowy blacks and a layer of pale starlight. Some are simple depictions of a solid image (the cover of Diana Wynne-Jones' "Deep Secret" has a centaur jumping over a bunch of convention-goers), but others are entwined with tree boughs, crumbling stone walls, low-hanging moons and old-world buildings.
Those who love fantasy art will probably adore "Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess," which brings together the works of this talented artist. Gorgeous and luminous.
The artwork is divided into Vess's early artwork, "Playing in Someone Else's Sandbox" (comic book artwork, such as Spiderman, Bone and Sandman), "Drawing Between the Lines" (adaptations of classic tales and various gorgeous illustration works for "Stardust," "Deep Secret," "Peter Pan" and various Charles de Lint stories), "Ballads and Sagas," and "Odds and Ends."
There are also a lot of other, random tidbits of artwork throughout the book, such as flyers and advertisements, such as an illustration depicting Tori Amos as a floating fairy. And there are odds and ends that have been just sort of in the ether, like previously unpublished illustrations.
Each picture has a title, and quite a few have an explanatory paragraph showing why Vess drew what he drew, the thought processes behind it, and something of the progression of his art. For instance, his love of hit comics like Prince Valiant and Fables, or his desire to take more "personal" projects.
But Vess' artwork is the real star here -- luminous colors, delicate lines, and beautiful fey creatures that are just a little freaky and unearthly. Some are black-and-white pencil sketches, and they are full of fragile beauty.
But the pictures with color simply seem to float out of the pages, glowing with soft mossy greens, rich leathery browns, pale yellows, shadowy blacks and a layer of pale starlight. Some are simple depictions of a solid image (the cover of Diana Wynne-Jones' "Deep Secret" has a centaur jumping over a bunch of convention-goers), but others are entwined with tree boughs, crumbling stone walls, low-hanging moons and old-world buildings.
Those who love fantasy art will probably adore "Drawing Down the Moon: The Art of Charles Vess," which brings together the works of this talented artist. Gorgeous and luminous.