 EXPOSÉ 8 In
Review
If you've ever held a copy of any of Ballistic Publishing's
books in your own hands, you know just how wonderful they are.
Whether it is of the tutorial-based d'Artiste series, the
CG character collections of the EXOTIQUE series, or the
annual categorized EXPOSÉ series that encompasses
"the finest digital art in the known universe,"
you know these are all top-notch collections. And with EXPOSÉ
8, Ballistic has done it yet again!
For EXPOSÉ 8, there was another record number
of entries submitted - this time close to 6300! The artwork
that did make it in this collection comes from 283 artists in 52
countries. Of course, with an increaesd number of entries, and
likewise getting consistently harder to decide on what to feature,
Ballistic had to expand this volume to an additional 16 pages over
last year's EXPOSÉ 7. This job was once again very well handled by
a panel of experts in their own right.
Filling out the advisory board for EXPOSÉ 8 were:
- Lorne Lanning (Co-Founder, President, and
Creative Director, Oddworld Inhabitants)
- Brom (renowned fantasy artist)
- Chris Stoski (renowned Matte Artist)
- Stephan Martiniere (renowned science fiction
and fantasy artist)
- Max Dennison (Founder, Matte Painting UK)
- Phil Straub (Art Director and Concept
Artist)
- Christopher Sloan (Art Director, National
Geographic Magazine)
Hades: Valiant
Vue Esprit, Photoshop
by Christian Hecker
Germany
In addition to the page expansion, there are a couple of new
categories this year, which are Game Art and
Comic/Manga. In the opening pages of EXPOSÉ 8 is a really
nice listing of the 21 different categories featured, with a
description of each, as well as the judging criterion.
The 21 categories featured in EXPOSÉ 8 are :Â
- Portrait (Painted & Rendered)
- Game Art
- Fantasy
- Fantasy Femmes
- Architecture (Exterior & Interior)
- Concept Art
- Environment
- Futurescapes
- Matte Painting
- Science Fiction
- Abstract & Design
- Product Design & Still Life
- Warriors & Conflict
- Surreal
- Comic/Manga
- Robotic/Cyborg
- Whimsical
- Storytelling
- Transport
Hi-tech nature: BirdBot
CINEMA 4D, Photoshop
by Dave Davidson
Great Britain
In each of the 21 categories, there is one Master award
given, followed by Excellence awards to the next 2-3
artists in the voting order. Also, each year in the EXPOSÉ series,
there is the Grand Master award which is given to an
artist whose work has been highly influential. Many will be quite
pleased to know that this time the award went to H. R. Giger. In
addition to showcasing some of Giger's works in EXPOSÉ 8, there is
also a nice background on the artist and his work throughout the
years.
Li II, 1973-74: Acrylic and indian ink on paper on
wood, 200 x 140cm
Image courtesy H.R. Giger
Necronom IV, 1976: Acrylic on paper on wood, 100 x
150cm
Image courtesy H.R. Giger
I was also happy to see Giger's Necronom IV, which
later developed into the creature in the film Aliens, is
included EXPOSÉ 8. And, on a personal note, I must say I still
think Giger's work on Emerson, Lake, & Palmer's Brain
Salad Surgery LP is one of the best cover art pieces
ever.
Inkblot
Photoshop
by Patipat Asavasena
Thailand
I have to give a ton of credit to the judges whose job it was to
choose amongst almost 6300 images and decide which would grace this
collection. And further still, finding those to represent each of
the 21 categories. Each category is indeed represented very well in
EXPOSÉ 8.
The Joker
Photoshop
by Nakai Wen, Funny Lab
Taiwan
Normally, my tastes lean more toward Architecture, Matte
Painting, and the Surreal. However, in EXPOSÉ 8, I found the
categories of Comic/Manga, Storytelling, and Whimsical to be among
my favorites this time around. I can also honestly say that each
and every time I open this book there are more new discoveries to
behold, as I look further into the wonderful detail and brilliance
of each of the artworks chosen to fill this collection.
Eclipse
3ds Max, Photoshop, V-Ray
by Jie Ma
China
The layout of EXPOSÉ 8, as others before it, is once again done
very well, and the printing is high quality as you can always
expect from Ballistic. I just can't say enough about this book, or
others from Ballistic for that matter. From the exceptional artists
that were chosen, to the presentation of the works, and the overall
beauty of the book itself, believe me when I say this is not
something that will collect dust on your bookshelf. If you're
looking for inspiration, no matter your personal genre of interest,
EXPOSÉ 8 is certain to fill that need and move you further in your
own artistic pursuits.
As an added bonus, anyone purchasing a copy of EXPOSÉ 8,
whether it be the Limited Edition, hard cover or soft cover, is
entitled to an exclusive download offer of three video tutorial
walkthroughs and Photoshop brushes!
Pricing:
Limited Edition - $170.00 (USD)
Hard Cover - $79.00 (USD)
Soft Cover -
$69.00 (USD)
For more information about EXPOSÉ 8, please visit Ballistic
Publishing, and be sure to look at their Book Previewer
to get a good look at the content before purchase.
EXPOSÉ 9: Call For Entries
Ballistic Publishing is now calling on artists to submit digital
images for consideration in EXPOSÉ 9. Images can be created in any
3D or digital illustration application. Photoshop and digitally
manipulated photography is also welcome. We are interested in
digitally-created fine art, whether it be 2D or 3D, for commercial
use, or personal satisfaction.
Deadline is February 28th. Read more here...
About Ballistic Publishing
Ballistic Publishing is the leading, award-winning,
independent publisher of books for the digital arts industry.
Dedicated to producing the highest quality publications celebrating
the talents of digital artists worldwide, it is setting high
standards in all areas of publishing from the quality of content,
design and delivery to its responsiveness to the market. Ballistic
Publishing shares a strong affiliation with the digital arts
community through its sister organization The CGSociety (The
Computer Graphics Society). Ballistic Publishing is based in the
Adelaide Hills of South Australia, with offices in Melbourne
(Victoria, Australia) and Tampa (Florida, USA).
All supporting images are copyright to their respective
artists, and used with permission from Ballistic
Publishing.
All content and images cannot be copied, printed, or
reproduced in any manner without written permission.
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