Robert McGinnis: Painting the Last Rose of Summer
–a film by Paul Jilbert
–2008
–5/5 stars 
*
I have long been a fan of the illustration work of artist Robert McGinnis. I did a very gushing, image-laden Friday Favorite post on him back in May of 2006 that can be found here. This is one of the posts that bears frequent revisiting–not because of anything that has to do with me but because of the handful of examples of Robert McGinnis’ phenomenal talent.
Needless to say I was excited when rumors of a Robert McGinnis DVD surfaced well over a year ago. And it has finally been released!
Robert McGinnis may be best known for his lanky, smoldering temptresses that graced book covers in the 50’s and 60’s (and thanks to Hard Case Crimes are once again gracing book covers)–the “McGinnis Woman”, but his talent for illustration goes far beyond his unique rendering of the female form.
Paul Jilbert and the folks at The Illustators have put together a marvelous film on the work, and the man, that is a true must-own for fans of classic illustration.
The music, scored by Hans Karl with an operatic classic or two included, was wonderful and the narration was fantastic. I was impressed with the level of professionalism in the DVD both with the visual presentation and the structure of the documentary. It was a very fitting overview of the work of this much lauded illustrator. The DVD includes interviews with artists who have admired and been influenced by the work of Robert McGinnis including Dave Stephens and Jim Silke.
What made this DVD exceed even my highest expectations was the level of participation by Robert McGinnis himself. Though McGinnis is in his early 80’s you would not guess it by his appearance, energy, passion for his work, etc. It was such a joy to see and hear him discuss his own work…a rare treat when it comes to the classic illustrators. It was also amazing to see him work without even a hint of the kind of physical issues one normally associates with age (must find out his physical health secrets!!!)
This DVD includes a section in which the viewer can watch Robert McGinnis create a painting from start to finish, including photographing the model for reference shots, tracing images with an image projector, inking and creating initial washes over the image, making egg-tempura paint, and layering the image together. This is time-lapsed of course and is only a brief overview of the process but it is still amazing to witness. My only quibble, and it is just that–a minor quibble, on the whole DVD is that I would have love to have seen more of this process as well as information on his reference model usage, etc. in the extras on the DVD.
Due to misuse of the images of Robert McGinnis on various websites the two main sites, the official site and Graeme Flanagan’s fan site have both been taken off line. Because of this the above image is the only quality image of Robert McGinnis’ non-noir fiction illustration or movie poster illustration that I can share. There are many images, including the above image, of Robert McGinnis’ western paintings, landscapes, gothic and romance book covers, etc. showcased on this DVD.
I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about this artist–an illustrator I hold in very high esteem. If you would like more detailed information about the DVD I recommend following this link.
I also include this trailer of the DVD found at director Paul Jilbert’s site. It is a couple of minutes long and gives a really nice teaser of some of Robert McGinnis’ artwork. Enjoy:
Update: The trailer link seems to be down, but you can click here to see the trailer at the main site.
For those interested in art books showcasing the work of Robert McGinnis, I suggest The Paperback Covers of Robert McGinnis by Art Scott and Tapestry: The Paintings of Robert McGinnis by Arnie and Cathy Fenner.
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*for the sake of reminder, the symbol is one used to indicate something special, a book or film that not only deserves a 5/5 star rating but also provided an extra spark, took me to a special place, or just had some profound impact on me when I was reading/viewing it. The triple moon image was chosen out of nostalgia…it was part of my very first self-created blog header when I began Stainless Steel Droppings in 2005.
Hey, Carl. It is working for me. Things around the net have been strange lately. Good luck with these issues!
Thanks JenClair, I appreciate it. I’ve gotten so many emails about people being redirected that it is getting pitiful!
I count myself as huge McGinnis fan as well. Like Frazetta I grew up loving many McGinnis covers as well as Frazetta’s with no recognition of who either artist were at the time. I knew I just loved there covers as a teenager.
I’ve had a chance to see this DVD and it’s top notch. It was wonderful getting to see and hear from Mr. McGinnis himself. The close up’s of the original paintings along with Mr. McGinnis’s commentary provided just the kind of behind the scenes look at his work that I was looking for. My only complainiant is that the DVD left me wanting more in the end. 78 minutes just wasn’t enough for such a body of work that continues on to this day. Both of the books Carl mentions are great as well and I can’t recommend them both enough along with this DVD for all McGinnis fans. Thanks Carl!
This is one of my favorite Friday Favorites – like Jeff, I grew up loving McGinnis without knowing who he was. I can’t wait to see the documentary, it sounds like loads of fun…
I’m glad the internet has decided to cooperate with you again!
Hi! I just found your site and I love it. I’m in an on-line bookclub and someone mentioned your site, so I had to check it out.
Now I’m off to explore your wonderful site!
Welcome Bobbi!!! If you look towards the bottom of the side bar there is a drop down menu where you can pick book reviews, movie reviews, etc. The Friday Favorites are art posts. Glad to have you!
Sorry for the spam, just testing!
It appears you have the server snags taken care of. Whew.
Now this Friday post can get the attention it deserves – I appreciate how you introduce artists I probably would not otherwise pay attention to, since they do not fall into my range of interest. Of course I have seen the Bond stuff, but I never thought about the artist. Thanks, Carl.
Qugrainne: I hope you followed the link to my former post on Robert McGinnis as there is much more great artwork there.
And what you mention really is what I try to do with the Friday Favorites and other art posts, as that is exactly what happens to me. I find, via all sorts of means, artists that I may have never heard about before and when they strike a cord with me I want to share that with others. The internet is so vast and there is so much out there artistically that I like to try to focus it some for myself and anyone else who takes the time to read this blog.
well, if this is your latest post I finally got back to your blog!!
I looked around the web for this artist and I think his “cowboys” are fabulous! (I have a thing for cowboys and indians)
Deslily: Yay you’re in!!! His cowboys are amazing, as are his western landscapes and his landscapes in general.
Carl….Great review of the film! I especially love the segment called “THE PROCESS” as well. McGinnis’ paintings are so wonderful and inspiring for music. Best to you….Hans Karl http://www.hanskarlmusic.com
Thanks Hans, I did really enjoy the music, it was perfect accompaniment to the images on the screen.
Carl,
Thank you so much for the kind words in your review and thanks
to all the others for the kind comments. I do plan to release another DVD on McGinnis. This DVD will show the entire uncut footage of Bob’s painting process with photos and drawings of the model. It will also feature more of Bob’s illustration work much of it unpublished. look for it next year, And I promise next year! best wishes to everyone.
Paul Jilbert
Producer / Diretor
ROBERT McGINNIS PAINTING THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER
http://www.theillustratorstv.com
That is fantastic, Paul! I’ll be one of the first to order it, make no mistake! Looking forward to it!!
Hey guys,
I just loaded on http://www.youtube.com a CBS SUNDAY MORNING news feature that aired a couple of years back. Its about Hard Case Crime paperbacks. Its mostly on the Stephen King but there is a part on Robert McGinnis and his art work for Hard Case books. check it out its very cool. Just type in the YouTube search box the following: “ROBERT McGINNIS ON CBS SUNDAY MORNING” and will pop up. Enjoy everyone!
Thanks Paul, will definitely check it out.
BTW, off topic, but your old car in the desert image at top of your blog is killer! Do you own that image?
No, Hans, I wish I could take credit for it, but it came with the blog template.