Complete collection of paintings by Boris Valeggio. Posters, reproductions of paintings by famous artists in high resolution, good quality, clipart and large-sized photographs for downloading

1941-
Boris Vallejo (Spanish) Boris Vallejo) - American artist. Born January 8, 1941 in Lima, Peru. In 1964 he emigrated to the USA, where he currently lives. *** Married to artist and collaborator Julia Bell. From his previous marriage to Doris, he has two children: son Dorian and daughter Maya, who are also involved in the visual arts. Vallejo is best known as a cover designer for books in the fantasy genre. His paintings are notable for their abundance of nudes, both male and female. At the same time, Boris’s wife, artist Julia Bell, often acts as a model, and he himself serves as a sitter for her paintings. The fact is that I myself have been involved in bodybuilding since I was sixteen years old. In my opinion, it is not surprising that I am interested in portraying people with beautiful and strong bodies. A naked body is natural. And if there was no sex, then none of us would simply exist. The frankness of Boris's works won him both numerous fans and many critics. For example, Andrzej Sapkowski wrote in his essay “No Gold in the Gray Mountains”: The publisher is aiming at the so-called IROY. And the so-called YARY wants Boris Vallejo on the cover, he wants half-naked asses and busts that are ready to roll out of an armored bra. YARY does not look for meaning in fantasy, because the meaning is absolutely obliged to cry out that no one goes into battle in openwork armor, because in such armor it is not only dangerous to fight, in such armor it is even impossible to wade through thickets of nettles. In addition to books and comics, Boris designs music CDs. The Romantic Collection, a series of collections of 20th-century pop music, features works entirely by Vallejo and Luis Royo. Personal life Vallejo is married to artist Julie Bell, whose art style very similar to the Vallejo style. He has two children from his previous marriage to artist and writer Doris Vallejo, as well as two stepchildren. His son, Dorian Vallejo, also paints fantasy, but now works as a portrait painter. His daughter, Maya Vallejo, is a professional photographer. His stepsons, Anthony Palumbo and David Palumbo, are both artists and work for fine art galleries and as genre illustrators science fiction

Boris Vallejo is an American illustrator who specialized in creating pretentious artistic subjects, in which the main place has always been given to naked female and male nature. Boris Vallejo created whole line illustrations for books in the fantasy genre and the famous series of collections of romantic music “Romantic Collection”.

Was born future artist January 8, 1941 in the capital of Peru, Lima. From the early childhood there was a real creative streak in him. Therefore, when at the age of 13 he became seriously interested in drawing, this became a completely expected continuation of his life path. After completing his studies at the National School of Fine Arts, Boris Vallejo was awarded a grant to continue his studies in Florence. However, the young artist very quickly realized that in his homeland he was unlikely to be able to achieve the desired success. Therefore, in 1964, without knowledge in English and with 80 dollars in his pocket, he left Peru and went to conquer America, where he worked for six months in Hartford, and then moved to New York.

America dictated its own rules of the game, and to a young artist for several years I had to try myself in the most various fields activities before he became a full-fledged and independent artist. He took on any work in one way or another related to the creation of illustrations, and collaborated with almost all major publishing houses working with such literary genres like fantasy and science fiction. Over the years of work, Boris Vallejo has developed his own, original and, of course, recognizable artistic style. He created the cover illustrations music albums and video films, as well as graphic advertising for films, and is now rightfully considered a true classic of fine art in the fantasy genre. His most famous works are illustrations for the books “Conan the Barbarian” and “Tarzan”, for the comics “X-Men” and “Spider-Man”, as well as the cover design for the magazine “Heavy Metal”. The main features of Vallejo’s works are realism (in his understanding), aesthetic appeal and “purity” of the picture. When examining the artist’s paintings in detail, the viewer will not be able to find a single extra stroke, not a single unnecessary detail. All the characters in Vallejo’s illustrations are ideal and have some kind of amazing attractiveness, because of which it is impossible to take your eyes off the drawing. Boris Vallejo's paintings are devoid of dirt, cruelty, and blood. And no matter how ominous the characters look and no matter how hostile the situation may seem, his works are, first of all, erotica...

The artist’s personal life was also most directly connected with his vocation. His first wife was the artist and writer Doris Vallejo, who gave birth to Boris two children - Maya and Dorian. Unfortunately, the marriage ended and Boris Vallejo remarried to artist Julie Bell, whose artistic style was very similar to his. The artist had a much warmer and closer relationship with his second wife, because they were not just spouses, but a real creative tandem: Julie Bell was often his model, and he acted as a sitter for her paintings. Children from his first marriage also followed in their father’s footsteps: Maya Vallejo is a professional photographer, and Dorian Vallejo worked for some time in the fantasy genre, but this moment famous as a portrait painter. Boris Vallejo's stepsons, Anthony Palumbo and David Palumbo, are also artists. They work for fine art galleries and often serve as science fiction and fantasy illustrators.

The works of Boris Vallejo are unique in their own way and are literally imbued with fantastic and romantic motifs. The erotic aspect, which is also an integral part of all his illustrations, is demonstrated in all its splendor in the album “Mirage”. The poem accompanying this album was written ex-wife Boris Vallejo Doris. The artist himself ends the preface to “Mirage” with the following words: “When I meet on the street beautiful woman, I like to look at her. Do I try to imagine how I would feel if I touched her? Or if I make love to her? No, but these feelings are partially reflected in my painting. And at this moment I just enjoy what I see."

Boris Vallejo(Spanish: Boris Vallejo) - American artist.

Vallejo - transcription according to the rules of the Spanish language. In English there are also transcriptions of Valeggio and Valeggio.

Born in Lima, Peru. He was educated at the National School of Arts in the Peruvian capital of Lima. In 1964 he emigrated to the USA. In 1994 he married artist Julia Bell, and they currently live and work in their studio in Pennsylvania. From his previous marriage to Doris, he has two children: son Dorian and daughter Maya, who are also involved in the visual arts.

Vallejo managed to work for almost all major US publishing houses. He designed books from such famous series as “Conan” and “BattleTech”. His works are among the standards of fantastic illustration, and, first of all, his illustrations of heroic fantasy - all these half-naked warriors and warriors...

What strikes Boris in his paintings is, first of all, highest level realism, no matter how fantastic the plot. Vallejo's best illustrations are collected in several art albums, the most famous being “Mirage” and “Dreams”.

Vallejo is best known as a cover designer for books in the fantasy genre. His paintings are notable for their abundance of nudes, both male and female. At the same time, Boris’s wife, artist Julia Bell, often acts as a model, and he himself serves as a sitter for her paintings.

“The fact is that I myself have been involved in bodybuilding since I was sixteen years old. In my opinion, it is not surprising that I am interested in portraying people with beautiful and strong bodies. A naked body is natural. And if there was no sex, then none of us would simply exist.”

The frankness of Boris's works won him both numerous fans and many critics. For example, Andrzej Sapkowski wrote in his essay "No Gold in the Gray Mountains":

The publisher is aiming at the so-called YARIOUS. And the so-called YARY wants Boris Vallejo on the cover, he wants half-naked asses and busts that are ready to roll out of an armored bra. YARY does not look for meaning in fantasy, because the meaning is absolutely obliged to cry out that no one goes into battle in openwork armor, because in such armor it is not only dangerous to fight, in such armor it is even impossible to wade through thickets of nettles.

In addition to books and comics, Boris designs music CDs. The "Romantic Collection" series of 20th-century pop music compilations features works entirely by Vallejo and Luis Royo.

Boris is married to artist Julie Bell, whose artistic style is very similar to Vallejo's. He has two children from his previous marriage to artist and writer Doris Vallejo, as well as two stepchildren. His son, Dorian Vallejo, also paints fantasy, but now works as a portrait painter. His daughter, Maya Vallejo, is a professional photographer. His stepsons, Anthony Palumbo and David Palumbo, are both artists and work for fine art galleries and as science fiction/fantasy illustrators.

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Boris Vallejo and Julia Bell visiting "World of Fantasy"
Boris Vallejo - Summary Bibliography (list of publications with covers designed by the artist).

Awards and prizes:

Award nominations:

		// Professional artist

BORIS VALLEJO- "applied" artist. He does not expect frantic demand for his works from museums and art galleries, because nowadays applied art tends to fall under the category of commercial art. Every year in the USA alone a huge number of books are published - from 50 to 60 thousand. Any book, be it a thriller or love story, should have a smart and attractive cover. A “seductive” image or picture will always provide the publisher with significant larger number buyers and profit volume, and we will take the liberty to say that from this point of view, Boris Vallejo is the unrecognized king of dust jacket art.

Following the publication of a new edition of John Herman's adventure series and Gar's stories in the late 1970s, the publisher was pleasantly surprised by the sales results, and he became convinced that choosing Vallejo as the cover artist was undoubtedly a wise decision. Many readers who already owned Gar's novels bought the new edition simply because they liked the cover! Vallejo could regard himself as a truly popular artist; who, like any other artist who creates popular art forms, also often underestimated by aesthetes, may not feel discomfort when someone looks at his work with contempt.

Undoubtedly, there is something special about Vallejo's work that makes a deep impression, even though it may not influence a person's artistic taste. This is, of course, the result of a conscious effort and a well-thought-out method. There is no secret about this: Vallejo openly talked about it in a book about himself, published by Ballantine Books, the main customer for his work. First, the artist’s creative, or, let’s say, “classical” imagination begins to work. The artist captures the essence of the mood of the scene, which he then sketches as a "living image." The sketch that begins this journey is brighter, thinner, and drawn looser and less clearly than the final result. Perhaps this approach might be the best route to Parnassus, but that is not Vallejo's goal. It is important to attract the attention of as many people as possible: books must be a commercial success. The purchasing power of a book depends on whether the cover suits the taste of the middle class buyer and on how much it touches life ordinary person. Advertising sales tricks and the tactics of using famous movie stars to sell products also cannot be discounted as a means of marketing a product.

How does the initial sketch transform into the inimitable and instantly recognizable Vallejo style final result?

The first step: choosing a model that best matches the figure and image in the sketch, and photographing her in exact poses. Vallejo doesn't spend too much time looking and in most cases he is the model for himself. male figures(you see, it can be useful for an artist to have a muscular body). At first, Boris used his wife, Doris Mayer, as a female model. The current model is his wife Julia Bell, also an artist. Of course, when painting the Nubian warrior, Vallejo is not posing for the camera. He also hires models for various female types. He successfully copies photographs onto a painting and then applies shadows with brown acrylic. This gives the forms plasticity, and the paint dries quickly, making it possible to apply new colors without having to mix them with the base. For this reason, most painters whose works are reprinted are satisfied with this technique. But not Vallejo: to a certain extent, it also uses traditional methods. He sketches with oil paints softened in turpentine when working on more detailed parts.

Boris is as familiar with the heroic poses of barbarian warriors as he is with poetic description mysteriously romantic landscape or creepy looking bizarre creatures from an alien world. The composition and colors of these stunning works of art confront the observer with the fact that they are influenced by the art of painting over several centuries. "Vermeer, Rembrandt, Leonardo - in their teenage years I studied the works of such masters again and again. However, my favorite painters were two Spaniards - Murillo and Velazquez."

But even today Boris expresses great interest in the work of his colleagues. There is no complacency in his attitude and he refuses to rest on his laurels. He continues to seek new inspiration, continuously strives to be higher than what he has achieved, and tries to become even more perfect and magnificent.

Vallejo can do several different things at the same time: in his humorous sketches, created for his own pleasure, he parodies himself and the entire genre. But he doesn't want to sell any of this. Why not? Vallejo and his genre are already “promoted”. He has won his fans, whose number continues to grow, and who accept him for who he is. That's why he no longer has to grasp at any offer like straws.

Grace, grace, strength, charm, magic, struggle, passion - this is not a series of adjectives, but just a characteristic of the paintings of Boris Valeggio. As soon as you glance at the image for a moment, it’s as if a ball of boiling lava rises inside, rushing out. Boris Valeggio is the genius of modern Fantasy Art.

Path to the top

Artist Boris Valeggio was born in 1941 in Peru. His father was a famous lawyer, and Boris himself wanted to become a musician and gave 7 for long years playing the violin. However, something went wrong, he studied for two years medical department. In between, I was interested in drawing.

One day, his comrades saw his drawings and advised him to enter the National School of Arts. He becomes the best graduate and receives a job offer in Florence. But going to Europe meant changing my dream of living in the States. Therefore, with $80, he migrated to the United States in 1964.

Without knowledge of the language, housing and money, a native of Peru is forced to be a laborer in one of the American companies, spraying his talent on comics and Greeting Cards. Over time, Boris finds his style in fine arts, develops personal system images For six months he wanders from city to city - Hartfort, Connecticut, New York. After 2 years he becomes a freelance artist, and for 8 years he takes on any order that comes his way, feeling on his own skin all the cruel realities of the publishing world.

Only in 1975 did the first long-awaited success come to him. The Marvel Comics publishing house pays attention to his works. First he is offered work with postcards, then with comics and, finally, with book covers.

1976 - the publishing house "Balantine Books" orders covers for books about Tarzan from Boris Valeggio. He knew how to please the public, abandoning the gracefulness of the European “man”, Valeggio presented the world with unprecedented power, a mountain of muscles, a bold and sexy man. It is at this moment that Boris Valeggio's talent comes out of the shadows.

Men and women

The artist Boris Valeggio, whose paintings are known throughout the world, changed the idea of the ideal man and woman in the world of fantasy. Male character personifies the noble barbarian. Savages, athletic, sexy and masculine, are present in almost every picture.

While creating fantasy paintings, Boris Valeggio did not lose sight of the fair sex. If in the 60-70s heroines with wide hips were popular, now they have been replaced by athletic, majestic and graceful warrior witches. The athletic build, magical lightness and fantasy-based plot seem to say - this is Boris Valeggio. The artist's paintings are considered the best in the Fantasy Art genre.

Captivated by forbidden desires

Erotica. Exactly most of people who have seen his paintings characterize what Boris Valeggio creates. The paintings of this artist are like someone else, other world. It's business as usual here sexual violence, the desire to receive pleasure and human flesh, which resists monsters and demons. Merging together, each element of the picture seems to oppose the world of tender and beautiful. It's as if Boris Valeggio is challenging him. The paintings that come out of his brush show the truth, reveal hidden human desires that can only exist on the border between the fictional and the real.