The latest illustration book from publisher Bruno Gmünder (available from Amazon and other booksellers) is a collection from US artist Robert W. Richards, whose realistic but varied style gives us pictures ranging from porn star portraits to elegant decadence among the handsome and muscled.
Among those almost 100 drawings are a number of scenes which look like they’re stills from gay porn films. Maybe they are. I don’t know the porn stars well enough to recognize them. They’re very realistically drawn (but don’t look like photographs, either), with warm skin colors which enhance the atmosphere of the pieces. That being said, I must admit they’re not my favorites.
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I have a soft spot for the portraits or scenes done in a rougher style, and the ones where there’s a slight but interesting blurring of masculine and feminine codes in the drawings, with a use of colors judiciously placed.
I think it’s a pity that this book doesn’t show us more of those more atmospheric pieces, but I might be in the minority here. What’s sure is that Allure is another good book showcasing a talented gay artist, and we certainly need more of that.
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Added, December 2012: Publisher Bruno Gmünder now has a website, with information about the books and excerpts.
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