Lynd Ward and Luis V. Rey

Lynd Ward, born in June of 1905, is best known for his wood block engravings, but he worked in a wide range of mediums, including watercolor, and oil and ink.

When he was a child, Ward noticed that the spelling of his last name, when written backwards, spelled "draw", and from then on out decided he wanted to be an artist.

At 21, Ward studied printmaking in Germany, and discovered his fascination for stories told in woodcut engravings. At 24, he published the first ever novel-length graphic story in America, entitled Gods' Man, and would go on to publish five in addition to this.

Over the span of his life, Ward illustrated over 200 books, including Frankenstein and The Silver Pony, as well as art featured in a 1953 edition of The Children's Hour.

Luis V. Rey
Born in 1955, Luis V. Rey is most well-known for his paleoart and digital dinosaur illustrations. He works in a vast range of mediums, including oils and 3-Dimensional modeling.

Rey is most commonly recognized by his pieces' vibrant palettes and movement, which he picked up from his own Mexican culture. He's an active member in both the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and the United Kingdom's Dinosaur Society, as well as working through his own artwork to promote the feathered dinosaur theory.

To date, Rey's illustrations can be found in about 40 dinosaur books, as well on the covers of about 60 science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels.

Luis V. Rey is a great inspiration to me because I am an avid fan of dinosaurs and science, and I am aspiring to be an illustrator someday, so his work has had a great impact on me. I hope someday that his use of vivid colors will rub off on me so I may too color my own artwork beautifully and realistically.