Fantasy Art

Fantasy Art Now: The Very Best in Contemporary Fantasy Art & Illustration, edited by Martin McKenna, is a collection of pieces organized by "Brawny Barbarians and Hulky Heroes," "Warrior Women and Fearless Females," "Myths and Monsters," "Sirens and Seductresses," "Witches and Warlocks," "Fairies and Fey Folk," "Scenes and Settings," and "Brawls and Battles."  I don't claim to be an expert in fantasy art, but I didn't recognize the names of any of the artists.  And a very large percentage of these pieces seemed to come from online role-playing games and collectible card sets.  I was neither inspired nor impressed.

A much better place to find good fantasy art and science fiction art is the annual Spectrum collection edited by Cathy Fenner and Arnie Fenner.  (See, for example, Spectrum 16: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art.)  The coverage in these volumes includes well-known artists and up-and-coming stars as well as art in many different media.  While not every volume is stellar, most are very good, and provide both inspiration and the satisfaction of experiencing quality art.