Strokes of Genius 10: Inspiring Subjects

The objective of coffee table books is to attract readers with their stunning images. This book does exactly that by delivering breathtaking artwork and short notes on the artists’ inspirations and techniques. It features hand drawn works in a variety of media, some with such fine detail that the reproductions look like photographs rather than drawings.

Entries are divided into one of five categories. “The Figure” focuses on the human body. “The Still Life” depicts objects arranged as one would expect an artist would arrange them for a painting or drawing. “The Animal Kingdom” captures animals both domesticated and wild. “The World Around Us” portrays both the natural and built environment. “The Portrait” returns to human subjects. The entries range from highly realistic to surreal and encompass grayscale as well as full-color artworks. Those who are interested in contacting the artist can find the artists’ website and e-mail addresses in the contributors section.

I appreciated the powdered graphite and pencil artwork of a Spanish fighting bull, which rendered a shy bull that was at once mysterious, powerful, and distant. The impression of mist and some of its features added to the sense of serenity and power. This is definitely more than a coffee table book!