Alex Horley is an artist, illustrator, painter, comic book artist and concept artist. I found the following from his bio on his website:

His real name is Alessandro Orlandelli and he was born in the small town of Opera in the outskirts of Milan Italy.  His love for the fantastic came early while reading his favorite Marvel comics in the seventies.  He started to try and draw them when he was in kindergarten and even taught himself the English language by reading comic books.  Within those pages he studied stylings of such masters as Jack Kirby, Gil Kane, Gene Colan as well as John and Sal Buscema.  Years later it would be the writings of Robert E. Howard which fueled his imagination and love of the fantasy genre.  He then discovered the art of Frank Frazetta on the cover of the Conan the Destroyer comic series.  He searched bookstores for more of his work and came across The Fantastic Art of Frank Frazetta Volumes 1-4.  The very next day he purchased his very fist set and brushes and began to push paint around on the canvas.

I wouldn’t call this an emotional post, but Horley’s early bio reminds me of myself during my years in high school and a little while after,  when I dreamed of being a comic book artist. I sometimes wonder how my art would’ve turned out had I kept on drawing, kept on copying the masters, like with writing, until I found my own style. My own voice. I used to copy specifically John Buscema (He used to draw the Conan comic books) and Alex Ross, but there were many others.

There was a time when you couldn’t find a blank piece of paper in our house. I would draw on everything, my mom’s notebooks, on magazines, even receipts. I once got into trouble for drawing in my parents’ bible.

And now I write. I think I shall not make the same mistake with my writing. It is a different kind of art, but it’s still art. I suppose it’s not a complete loss, then.

Below, per usual, are a few choice selections of Horley’s awesome art, linked to the pages where I found them.

If you guys have any ideas on artists you want me to feature, who you deem worthy, let me know. I would like to include lesser known and up-and-coming artists in my #Art of Fantasy posts, along with masters, new and old.

Cheers!

Woelf