CALMCATION.COM - ARTBOOKS OF FANTASY, ADVENTURE & NOSTALGIA !!

Richard Hescox: The Deceiving Eye - The Art Of Richard Hescox
(2004 - Paper Tiger)

Because of the amount of book covers Richard Hescox has painted, it's hard to imagine that one could page though this excellent book without coming across some of one's favorites, but there's enough selections from other realms to guarantee works one hasn't encountered before too. In fact, there are specific chapters on his art for Computer-Games and Film as well as his non-illustrative Fine Art. About three-quarters of the book's 128 pages are devoted to his art, almost all of that his paintings, though there are a few special drawings thrown in. More than a third of the art pages are full-bleed presentations. Almost all of the 9 double-page spreads are well-done and satisfying. The text is a biography of the artist and an in-depth examination of the different areas he's worked in, as well as his art philosophies. The subjects include dragons & dinosaurs, castles & wizards, aliens & spaceships, as well as the covers for all of Edgar Rice Burrough's Venus series. As you will find barbarians, savages & mermaids too, there is also some nudity. And the book contains no shortage of humor.