1.) Elite 204 - Sea peoples of the Bronze Age Mediterranean

ELI204_plate5

 

These gents are certainly in fine fettle, wearing some pretty striking clothing and armour. These particular Sea-persons have a certain Poseidon-esque chic about them, which is only appropriate. I think the bold and colourful style of Giuseppe Rava works really well for the highly elaborate and decorative clothing and equipment featured in this book.

2.) Duel 64 - Byzantine Warship vs Arab Warship

DUE064_plate9

This is a lovely overhead image of an Arab fleet, created by the inimitable Peter Dennis. It was tough picking just one plate to showcase from this book. The subject matter -  grand and intricate naval battles of beautifully constructed ships in sparkling blue-green seas - lends itself to spectacular illustration. But of course the most visually stunning recreation is the depiction of the use of 'Greek fire'. You'll have to wait for the book to see that one though!  

3.) Warrior 174 - British Paratrooper 1940-45 

WAR174_plate6

 Graham Turner is another veteran Osprey illustrator with a large back catalogue of quality work for us. In fact, he is currently celebrating his half-century of Osprey books, which you can check out on his Facebook page. Again, there are some excellent and usual paintings in this book, including a pretty cool depiction of the paras training in a building that resembles my own school gym somewhat. I really like the composition here though, Graham's choice of muted tones is perfect for scenes of urban combat and the graffiti on the wall is a nice little touch!

Sadly, that's your lot for this month, but keep your eyes open for the next art reveal ( we might just be able to sneak an extra one or two in before next month's new artwork day) and more exclusive author and illustrator info on the blog!