EXTRACTS: Illustrators issue 17 © 2016 The Book Palace (96 PAGES in Full edition)

94 The Bookshelf: High art—low print runs—buy now! Lois Van Baarle is one of a new generation of illustrators who is creating her own marketplace. These days, long- term survivability as an illustrator requires having a distinctive look and buckets of self-promotional chutzpah. The talent and drive factor are already a given; it's how the illustrator creates and nurtures an audience through self-generated projects that is the new challenge for neophytes undertaking this perilous quest. 'Loish', as she brands herself, is an exemplar of this new credo. From her online activities, such as her amazing step-by-step YouTube tutorials to her online portfolios, she has built up a large and loyal fan base. With such an enviable profile, she has successfully crowd-funded a book dedicated to her art, and the results are a real delight for fan and newcomer alike. The book, which cleared its Kickstarter funding target within two hours, presents finished art as well as developmental art and, rather unusually, reworkings of earlier artworks. These revisits to her earlier works are very much a part of Loish's artistic odyssey and, in keeping with this sentiment, the book also includes a timeline of her art. Drawing from History With an introduction by Luci Gosling Foreword by James Gurney Hardbound 340 pages Sterling £60.00 l Buy from www.bookpalace.com Tom Lovell - Illustrator Written by Dan Zimmer Hardbound 224 pages (A slipcased edition was also published) The Illustrated Press $44.95 Dan Zimmer is dedicated to spreading the word about great illustration, and over the years he has delivered fulsomely on this self-made mission. His quarterly publication Illustration is now in its fifteenth year of publication and many of the features that have appeared within its pages have gone on to become books in their own right. Tom Lovell's art is just such an example. This superb US illustrator was a master at creating images to adorn features in mass circulation magazines, dust jackets and advertising, before concentrating his energies on creating paintings of the Old West. It is Lovell's earlier work as an illustrator that is the focus of this superb production. Fromhis very earliest 'pulp- styled' paintings for publications such as Wild West Weekly and Dime Mystery Magazine, to his vignettes of mid-20th century American life in McCalls, The Ladies Home Journal and Cosmoplitan , the book is a veritable gallery of engaging and compelling illustration, as typified by the intriguing and 'noirish' painting that adorns the cover. As with the other books reviewed here, the print run on this book is very low. If you find a copy—grab it! The Art of Loish By Lois van Baarle Hardbound 152 pages Published by 3D Total Publishing Sterling £18.60 Book Palace Books' long awaited Fortunino Matania extravagansa has finally arrived! This book has been "Coming Soon" for so many years that, as publisherGeoffWestnotes,theprojecthad become a bit of a joke amongst colleagues and the wider art book fraternity. Well, now the book is finally here and, in regard to the years and years it has been in development, I am pleased to report that it has been more than worth the wait. The book itself is a behemoth, totalling some 340 pages. There is a foreword by the celebrated illustrator James Gurney and a fascinating essay by the archivist and art historian Luci Gosling. The book is divided into themed sections covering Matania's prodigious output over his long career with the bulk of the book given over to pages and pages of Matania's art. Much of this art is reproduced directly from the originals, and the pacing and layout of the book adds greatly to the sheer pleasure of viewing so much fabulous artwork, much of which has been hidden from view for many decades. This book is truly a joy to behold— buy it now while stocks last!