Mythopia

I could gaze at a Kinuko Craft painting til the ravens come home, especially the ones detailed like this mythopia — looking akin to, but so much more elevated than, medieval illuminations.

Kinuko Craft — Isabo & the Mystery of Aislin House — 2008

Dusklands

This cover painting by Kinuko Craft for Elfland by Freda Warrington is chock full of intriguing elements and has done its job to make me want to read the book. Craft is a modern master.

Kinuko Craft — Mists of the Dusklands — 2010

Revealing Other Realms

You can always count on Kinuko Craft to reveal other realms by opening an enchanted connection to the golden age . . .

Kinuko Craft — Song for the Basilisk — 1997

The Place is a Pandemonium

If you are offended by the sight of satanic foolery, leave this place at once. Otherwise, marvel at how Kinuko Craft can illustrate such an unsanctimonious pandemonium.

Kinuko Craft — Trial of the Warlock — Playboy magazine

New Magic into the Old

Kinuko Craft is so adept at infusing new magic into the old magic of illustrators' styles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries:

Kinuko Craft — Sleeping Beauty — 2001

Walter Crane — The Sleeping Beauty — 1882

Magic

A great modern master of magical illustration—Kinuko Craft:

The Scent of Magic

I'm tied up for a while, working on a few spells myself.

See you again in 48 hours or so.

Bolton's Goblin Market

Paul Ballard, a terrific illustrator in his own right, took the time to send over these scans of John Bolton's graphic story version of Goblin Market — in response to the earlier posts of Arthur Rackham and Kinuko Craft's versions.

Paul sez in his email: Too beautiful not to share . . .

I agree. Thanks Paul!

Goblins

Gimme a chance, you guys jumped in too fast. I was doin' some Labor Day party stuff and went out to play badminton before posting the next item, which was . . .

The piece from Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market that Arthur Rackham painted that Craft's painting was a take on.

Geez, I didn't know anyone was payin' attention here.

The Old Fairy Tale Style

Some renderings visualize nature spirits as being more malevolent and crass.

This somewhat disturbing image, dripping with sexual innuendo, was a commissioned illustration by Kinuko Craft, for an adult version of Goblin Market, so don't blame her for its content. But it's a lovely execution in the old fairy tale style.

This image is a small print in my pictorial morgue, but it was originally an illustration for Playboy in 1973.

The Robots are Coming

I really am coming back to Fantasia soon. I'm just making some formatting decisions. In the meantime, I want to keep posting stuff, so I'll take this opportunity to again have a potpourri of odds 'n' ends, just to satisfy your hunger for images (as if you don't get enough from tumblr sites).

Here we have a true homage of the classic Forbidden Planet poster, by Kinuko Craft for a Playboy magazine article from some years ago, when it was actually a halfway decent periodical. That was actually a catty comment since I haven't even seen an issue for many years.

It's interesting to compare details, as Craft made changes here and there, but seemingly not on the girl. I know that's supposed to be Ann Francis in the poster, but eh, well, you know—artistic license prevails (NOT a dis to Ms. Francis!).

Always

Kinuko Craft. ALWAYS superb!

Channeling

Kinuko Craft, great modern illustrator, channels great illustrators of the past, here a cross between Edmund Dulac and Charles Robinson, with a little Rene Bull in the mix. Illustration for a story in Playboy—but of course—didja think Boy's Life?

A Favorite Craft

One of the great illustrative painters of our time—Kinuko Craft:

Modern Master

A modern master of illustration who uses old masters' ways is Kinuko Craft. Her illustrations are always drop-dead gorgeous. This is one of a series for the Dallas Opera. I'll be posting more of Craft's work, one by one, here and there.