Phew! Can’t believe it’s Monday again. In New Zealand it is, anyway. And time for another #Art of Fantasy post.
Today I’m featuring the art of Kazumasa Uchio. I tried to find more information about the artist, but everything is in Japanese. I did discover a few more places for you to view his work, like here and here.
As I’ve mentioned, finding information on the artist and his work turned out to be more difficult than I expected, and my inability to read Japanese contributed to that failure. However, I do know that the last piece above is called, Idril’s Secret Way.
I love the rich colors and clarity, and the settings are pure fantasy. These are the type of images I loved as a child, the type of illustration that is so rich and vibrant you wish you could use it as a portal and step through to that world and explore its landscapes and magic.
I suppose I did, in a way, when I started writing. Have you ever found a piece so awesomely beautiful you can feel a story develop in the back of your mind? It sometimes happens to me. Who am I kidding–it always happens to me!
Enjoy!
Woelf
Woelf Dietrich 
I LOVE these! Especially the second one.
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They are awesome! 🙂
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Hello from the past, now every time I see your posts it’s going to feel a little bit like time travel. You’re slowly unravelling my fragile reality. By the way, any good stock tips?
I actually mention two famous paintings in what I’m writing now, they helped inspire the mood and dialouge of the scene. Leda and the Swan, a lost Da Vinci piece, and Dante and Virgil in Hell. Admittedly they are not as cool as the artwork you have here, but they fit the story.
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It still gets to me how far ahead in time we are from the rest of the world. Kinda reinforces the whole edge-of-the-world feeling I get from time to time.
Those are powerful imagery you’re using, especially given their meanings.
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Truely fantastic. I especially like the first one, it’s like an entire world opens up before me.
I think no writer today is insesible to images. We are sight-focused animals by nature, and in the world of today, where we are constantly bombarded with images, everything we think turns into some kind or another of image, being it original or remembered.
Though I don’t think this is necessarily bad, especially for a writer 😉
There is an image by Frank Frazetta (love the man – I mean his work ;-)) that actually inspired me a story years ago.
http://prioriluca.blogspot.it/2012/09/frankfrazetta-thesea-witch-oilpainting.html
Still one of my favourite illustrations.
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That is what I loved about comics. The covers alone excited me. As I grew older and transitioned to books those Frazetta covers for Tarzan and Conan lured me. That is what I like about fantasy book covers generally, if it’s painted and not some stock photo image, it wakes me to what lies ahead in the story.
And, yes, I am a Frazetta fanboy. I have three art books and his documentary, Painting With Fire and a folder on my computer dedicated to the man. I wrote about him and Brom here: https://woelfdietrich.com/2013/04/21/that-which-takes-my-imagination-for-a-stroll/
Thanks for commenting.
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