These pics have been painted by the artist Luis Royo. Luis Royo's style is one
of contrast. His paintings combine innocence, beauty, death, brutality and
cynicism as to the future. His art is often dark and brooding and his portrayal
of beautiful feminine women as either warrior or victim is very effective.
Luis Royo was born in Cutanda (Spain) in 1954. When he became of age, he
studied drawing, art and design. During the seventies, he worked in several
design studios, while focusing on his painting. He took part in various joint
exhibitions and his work was shown in individual exhibitions in different
cities in Spain.
His interests expanded into comics and by the early eighties he was published
internationally in such magazines as "1984", Comic International, Rambla,
and, occasionally, El Vibora and Heavy Metal.
In 1983 he began a long standing relationship with Norma Editorial and
devoted himself to illustration: quickly becoming a predominant force in the
fantasy and sf fields.
Nowadays, Royo's work can be seen all over the world, having been
published by such notable companies as Tor, Berkley, Avon, Warner, Bantam,
Zebra, NAL, Pocker Books, and magazines such as Heavy Metal, Cimoc and
Penthouse to name but a few.
Luis Royo came into this strange world with his eyes wide open, but seeing
nothing. He embarked on his premier journey with no senses, no arms nor legs.
Luis Royo was but a piece of flesh, a mop of hair and a drawing board. He
barely arrived, but here he is.
In the beginning, Royo was a lone wolf caught in the downward spiral of a
monotonous crowd. They had no cause nor inclination to understand him or
his work. And although he was blind to the patter of everyday life: the
annoyances that rule his planet, he could no longer bear the tedium and had
to flee. He threw his drawing board against a cabinet in which fantasy was
stored and it opened wide. He stood in front of the books, magazines and films.
And as he gleaned the substance from this archive, his hair stood on end, his
flesh began to sting and paintbrushes and airbrushes grew from his stumps.
Rainbows began to soar threw his empty eyes and as if lightning, he filled his
canvas with images. He illustrated the fiction he had in front of him, and
painted the doors from which his creation would enter and exit.
Now some of his old crowd don't dream in black and white any longer. They
dream in vivid technicolor hues, thanks to Royo, and their reveries are
anything but mundane.
Below are just a few of my favorites that I have put here for your enjoyment.
Just click on them if you would like to get a closer look at them and feel free
to download anything that catches your eye.
Copyright on all photos belong to: Luis Royo
