JAMES BAMA Soldier's Revolt book cover

I absolutely love James Bama's artwork, and the technical expertise of this painting is simply incredible! Beautifully painted in oils on a huge 19" x 26" board, this painting is probably the creepiest James Bama illustration that I have ever seen. In my opinion, it is much scarier than his incredible classic Aurora monster models or his Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll book covers. I initially saw this painting years ago in the fantastic book about James Bama's illustration career, "James Bama: American Realist" (page 44). I was unfamiliar with the book it originally appeared on, "Soldier's Revolt" published by Bantam in 1967 (apparently a fictional story about German soldiers plotting to kill Hitler). I was blown away by Bama's masterful use of values and how the large figure's identity is revealed despite very little information (only through the hairstyle and eyes). Check out how the large background head is painted at a lighter value and with a softer focus, drawing the viewer's attention to the eyes which are painted in darker values and with sharper focus. Like Bama's amazing Bobby Kennedy portrait (also in my gallery), this painting is all about the eyes. However, where the Bobby Kennedy illustration presents the viewer with a portrait of great empathy, the eyes in this painting are downright horrifying! James Bama was such an incredible artist and illustrator, and I'm thrilled to have another outstanding original painting showcasing his extraordinary talent!