chomiji: An artists' palette with paints of many human skin colors. Caption: Create a world without racism (IBARW - palette)
[personal profile] chomiji

Today I'd like to introduce my favorite science fiction and fantasy artists/illustrators: Leo and Diane Dillon (who are an interracial couple) and Kinuko Y. Craft (who is Asian American).

Leo and Diane Dillon
Classic DIllon SF paperback covers

Leo and Diane Dillon

Throughout the 1970s, most of the notable science fiction authors ended up with at least one paperback cover by the Dillons. By the 1980s, they were also doing beautiful children's picture books, for which they were awarded the prestigious Caldecott Medal twice. They are still in demand for SF&F artwork today, such as the gorgeous covers they did for the U.S. paperback editions of Garth Nix's "Abhorsen" trilogy (see the cover for vol. 1, Sabriel, here). In addition to being honored numerous times for picture book art, they have also been awarded a Hugo, a Chesley, and a Spectrum Grand Masters Award for their contributions to SF&F art.

The two met at the Parsons School of Design in New York and married in 1957, a year after they graduated. In an interview, Diane noted that "We are interracial and we decided early in our career that we wanted to represent all races ... ."

More About the Dillons

Kinuko Craft
Left, an illustration for Celestial Seasonings; right, a McKillip book cover

Kinuko Y. Craft

Ms. Craft was born in Japan, and educated there and in the United States. She has said that she considers herself a story teller. She began working as a professional illustrator for magazines, newspapers, and ads during the late 1960s, and her work was featured on publications such as Time and The Atlantic Monthly. It can also still be seen on the boxes for come of Celestial Seasonings teas! Since the mid 1990s, she has concentrated on fantastic art, for children's and adult books and for posters. Some of my favorite Craft pieces are the covers that she has done for the works of Patricia McKillip. She has won numerous professional illustration awards, and a Chesley award for her fantasy art.

More About Kinuko Y. Craft

Date: 2007-08-09 12:14 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] jinian.livejournal.com
Oh, I love Kinuko Craft's work, and I'd never bothered to look her up. Thank you!

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