Dragon Art by Boris Vallejo

Boris Vallejo is a Peruvian-American painter, born in 1941 in Lima, Peru. He moved to the United States in 1964 and built a long career as one of the best-known fantasy and science fiction illustrators in the country.

Vallejo made his name with paintings of heroes such as Conan the Barbarian, Tarzan, and Doc Savage, and his art appeared on a great many paperback covers and magazines. He also painted movie posters, including those for Knightriders (1981), National Lampoon's Vacation (1983), and National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985). His books include The Fantastic Art of Boris Vallejo (1980), Mirage (1982), and Fantasy Art Techniques (1985).

He is married to fellow fantasy artist Julie Bell, and the two often create paintings together, signed with both names. Their joint work appears in books such as Fantasy Workshop (2003), and a yearly calendar of their paintings has long been popular with fantasy fans.

Vallejo usually paints in oil on board and works in a highly detailed, realistic style, often building his compositions from photographs of live models. His pictures are known for powerful, idealized figures, dramatic poses, and glossy surfaces, and his dragons are muscular, gleaming creatures locked in struggle with the heroes who face them.