Spectrum 17: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art

Spectrum #17

by Cathy Fenner, Arnie Fenner (Editor)

If you like fantastic art, there is no better way to enhance your visual vocabulary than to peruse Cathy and Annie Fenner's award-winning Spectrum annuals. Each year, this literally fantastic anthology displays more than 400 superlative pieces of fantasy artwork. As in previous years, the range of Spectrum 17 spans the world: The best artists from the United States, Europe, China, South America, and South America are all represented on its pages. A truly awesome assemblage.

Genres: Art, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Comics

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2010

Reviews

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 1st Spectrum Book ❤️❤️ and also i love The artworks inside in this book

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

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(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

The brush-stroke style title is certainly a departure from the past. Almost couldn't recognise it as the series. The nice cover art is from Gregory Manchess. It still comes as either a paperback or hardcover edition featuring 284 pages of wonderful art work.

Volume 17 is yet another great collection. You've work from the (gold) winners: Sam Weber, Omar Rayyan, Steven Tabbutt, Daniel Dociu, Mark Newman, Chris Buzelli, Ed Binkley, Eric Fortune and many other top artists. The Grand Master Award goes to Al Williamson. You can check out the full list of artists featured on the Spectrum website.

Some of the artists who I thought had retired are actually not. It's really hard to follow these artists when sometimes they don't even have a website, or update them regularly. In Spectrum 17, you can catch up on their latest work for the year.

The usual categories are Advertising, Book, Comics, Concept Art, Dimensional, Editorial, Institutional and Unpublished. There are environment paintings, character designs, concept art, sculptures etc. Lots of different subjects and ideas created with different medium and style.

I can't say anything more that I haven't said before. Spectrum one of the best valued and inspiration art annuals around. Highly recommended to artists, art directors and anyone into fantasy art, or into fantastic art.

[Leelan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Two words --- BO and RING. How can there be so many artists and so many works of art and they all look the same???

I missed buying number 16 until it became a "Collector's Item" and unaffordable. I was not going to miss out this time so I pre-ordered the book from Amazon. I looked through it twice and sent it back the next day. I am so very disappointed. Aside from a few pieces by Frank Cho and two by William Stout there was nothing in the entire HUGE book that should be considered best of anything. An Asian girl sucking a frog??? C'mon, really? Oy.

I will never buy another Spectrum collection ever again.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great collection, although this one seemed more macabre and not as imaginative to me as past volumes. I did discover some new artists that I may look into though (such as Dan dos Santos, Rebecca Guay, Heather Theurer, etc.) Makes an artist really want to step up in their work.

[Little Timmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love fantasy and SiFi art of any type; paintings, drawings, sculpture, cartoons then this is the book for you. Fantastic selection of the years art. You can't help but find something you like inside. Highly recommended

[wildct2003 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good collection of fantasy art.

[Nicholas Gourlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course its awesome . . . its art.

[Gian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Spectrum books are always a feast for my art-craving eyes.

[Nathalie Dottax · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good inspiration