Shmi Shem: Boris Vallejo

I'm not good with names nor with remembering titles of songs or novels. I tend to remember the bits and pieces, filing them in my head until like an itch that won't be ignored, they force themselves into my consciousness. When I'm watching those game shows like Jeopardy (my all time favourite), they're very useful but when I'm doing work (the really important ones), they do tend to get irritating. It's the feeling you get when you know what something is but you just can't seem to say what it is. But if there's someone who's in the same wavelength as you and tells you what you want to know, it's fun.

That was the case a few minutes ago. I've been attracted to certain works of art. Yes, I enjoy looking at works by Monet and Manet, never liked Picasso, but there are modern artworks that I do find arresting.

I've been a fan of those romantic novel covers, you know, those broad-shouldered muscled men who always seem to be sporting flowing hair and open shirts (Fabio was a favourite of Johanna Lindsay, I think). I liked the fantasyish way they did the covers. Then photography and other digital media came became more popular and those covers dwindled.

But I digress. Again. So, I was watching some of these youtube videos and reading some law-based blog when I suddenly remembered those artworks. I remembered V showing me a similar artwork so I turned to him, distracting him from his day's programming. It was a good thing he understood my vague description and told me the artist's name: Boris Vallejo.

Here's what Wikipedia says about him:

Boris Vallejo (born January 8, 1941 in Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian painter. He emigrated to the United States in 1964, and he currently resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He frequently works with Julie Bell, his wife, painter and model.

Vallejo works almost exclusively in the fantasy and erotica genres. His hyper-representational paintings have graced the covers of dozens of science fiction paperbacks and are featured in a series of best-selling glossy calendars. Subjects of his paintings are typically gods, monsters, and well-muscled male and female barbarians engaged in battle. Some of his male figures were modeled by Vallejo himself, and many of his later female characters were modeled by his wife. His latest works still retain heavy fantasy elements, but lean more towards the erotic rather than pure fantasy themes.

Vallejo commenced painting at the age of thirteen and had his first illustration job at the age of sixteen. After emigrating to the United States in 1964, he quickly garnered a fan following from his illustrations of Tarzan, Conan The Barbarian, Doc Savage and various other fantasy characters. This led to commissions for movie poster illustration, advertisement illustration, and artwork for various collectibles - including Franklin Mint paraphernalia, trading cards and sculpture. Along with Bell, Vallejo presents his artwork in an annual calendar and various books.

Vallejo's preferred artistic medium is oil paint on board, and has previously used digital media to combine discrete images to form composite images. Preparatory works are pencil or ink sketches, which has been displayed in the book Sketchbook. He and Julie Bell have worked on collaborative artworks together, in which they sign the artwork "Boris and Julie" or "Julie and Boris".

Vallejo has created film posters for numerous fantasy and action productions, including Barbarella (1968), Knightriders (1981), Q (1982), and Barbarian Queen (1985). He has also illustrated posters for comedies, notably National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), European Vacation (1985), and Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007), co-created with Bell.[1]

Here are samples of his work from his website: http:vallejo.ural.net

I personally prefer his earlier works to the those in the later years.