More Vintage Years of Airfix Box Art

A second volume of work from this renowned artist, Roy Cross's work for Airfix was always great. In this second volume he continues with a selection of his work for Airfix products over the years, not just aircraft subjects but others such as spaceships, ships, motorcycles, historic cars and some of the more interesting subjects such as James Bond and the weirdo Ton Up Tony, etc. The presentation of the works first rate and this book, along with its predecessor make a very good reference set for any Airfix buff, or anyone interested in model kits in general. The box artistry is possibly one aspect of model company's selling ploy to entice prospective buyers to their products, so the work of the artist has to be good. In summary an excellent book, rich in illustrations displaying the work of one of Airfix's premier artists. Well done, Roy Cross!

Amazing Art and Roy is the reason why I still love building plastic models at the age of 54. His box art grabs your imagination and inspires kids and adults to want to build them just as he draws them. One of my favorite books in my extensive collection and a must have for all scale aircraft modelers for sure.

The only way to describe this book is wow. Roy Cross is the one artist who I would have paintings of in my home. Perhaps airfix could reissue the art in prints. Surely this book is another example of modeling kit genius and great value for the history of modeling.

A very fine collection of very well reproduced images of the Airfix box art art of Roy Cross. A must-have if you like his work.

Airplanes! Lions, Tigers and Jets oh my! Seriousy this artist is the greatest. He makes you feel like you are flying. Add to this some airplane books (stuff written by pilots) and you can spend your evenings in air combat without being in any danger. My 3 favorite art books (available on Amazon) are: - Icon by Frank Frazetta (magnificent style the hard way -- with a brush) - The Art of Omni by Jeremy Frommer (from Omni Magazine) - Great Fighter Jets of the Galaxy 1 by Tim Gibson (100 full color pictures)

A must buy for anyone with a fond memory of looking at the cool boxart on the Airfix models

Das Buch hat viele tolle fast fotorealistische Farbbilder des englischen Malers Roy Cross, die er in den 1960er- und 1970er-Jahren für die Schachteln der Airfix-Plastikbausätze gemalt hat. Im englischen nennt man das "box art". Das Buch beginnt mit einem kurzen Einleitungstext wo Roy Cross seine Biografie vor der Airfix-Zeit kurz darstellt und auch erklärt, mit welcher Art von Farben er malt. Dann folgt der Bildteil, oft ganzseitige Reproduktionen der Vorlagen für die Schachteldeckel und daher ohne den Text und das Logo von Airfix. Nur bei einigen wenigen Bildern war das Original nicht mehr vorhanden, so dass es von dem Schachteldeckel reproduziert wurde. Die Reproduktionen und der Farbdruck sind meiner Meinung nach gut gelungen. Es sind Bilder zu vielen verschiedenen Gattungen (zivile und militärische Flugzeuge, Schiffe, Autos, Militärfahrzeuge, Figuren, Lokomotiven, Raumfahrzeuge) von Modellen aus dem Airfix-Angebot. Was mir am Malstil von Roy Cross sehr gut gefällt ist die Dynamik (z. B. bei den Flugzeugen), die seine Bilder gekonnt darstellen. Auch das "drumherum" um die Modelle ist sehr gut dargestellt. Zusätzlich sind ab und zu noch einige schwarz-weiß-Skizzen von nicht realisierten Bildern eingefügt. Zusätzlich gibt es noch ein paar Bilder von Arbeiten von Roy Cross für andere Auftraggeber als Airfix. Zu den Bildern gibt es - meist knappe - Erklärungen zu den Vorbildern der darauf abgebildeten der Modellen und manchmal auch zum Airfix-Modell. Alle Texte sind in englisch. Was mir fehlt sind Angaben zum Jahr der Anfertigung der Bilder. Das hat mich aber nicht davon abhehalten die zwei anderen Bücher von Roy Cross "Vintage Years Of Airfix Box Art" und "Celebration of Flight - The Aviation Art of Roy Cross" nach dem lesen dieses Buches zu bestellen.

懐かしいボックスアートが沢山あって中学～高校時代を思い出しました。

There is no doubt that Roy Cross is an outstanding illustrator, especially when it comes aviation subjects. That said he is also a very capable illustrator of military and other vehicles, of which the examples in this book clearly demonstrate. If he has any weakness, at least as far as this book is concerned, it is in the illustration of ships. His application of perspective, his draughtsmanship and compositions are all good, but in the rendition of seas and sails, for example, he lacks the conviction of his other works. He is also a little weak when it comes to drawing humans, and the artwork for ‘James Bond and Oddjob’, completed in 1966, should have been omitted in this reviewer’s opinion. However, it is part of the wider Airfix story, so Cross is forgiven! Nevertheless, weaknesses aside, as a collection of illustrations produced under the famous Airfix banner, this book will undoubtedly appeal. And this appeal goes well beyond any fond memories readers might have of building the Airfix kits that were sold principally on the strength and quality of Roy Cross’s illustrations. It is also necessary to acknowledge that sometimes Airfix ‘interfered’ with compositions proposed by Cross, but as Airfix was the client they did have that right, even if, at times, their judgement might have been flawed. But, as always, Cross rose to the challenge! Cross’s early training as a technical illustrator provided him with the important knowledge and understanding of how to apply the theory of perspective to aircraft, vehicles and ships. This often ignored but vital component of any realistic illustration or painting is evident throughout this book, reinforced by the reproduction of some of his preparatory drawings. (The preparatory drawings are a delight; so often these are ignored in books on painting and illustration, but they are so useful in understanding the creative process of an artist or illustrator.) Personally I would have liked to have seen more of Cross’s pre-Airfix works, but maybe that’s for another book... There are many full members of the Guild of Aviation Artists who should study these illustrations. For some inexplicable reason many members of the Guild have been elected to full membership with a very poor understanding of their primary subjects - aircraft and aviation. And this applies even when these members are copying directly from photographs! This is an excellent record of the work of an outstanding illustrator. In today’s digital world it is so refreshing to see works produced entirely by hand, using skills and knowledge acquired by constant practice and a very obvious understanding of the subjects being drawn. It should also be pointed out that the book is extremely well produced; the quality of the reproductions does justice to the drawings and illustrations. For this, the publisher is to be commended. This book is highly recommended.

An excellent follow-on to the first volume. The box art is reproduced in stunning quality, and a nice backstory is presented for the artist's work with Airfix. I would love to see a volume 3!