David Kimble (1)

It would be difficult to express my excitement when this book was offered up by LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program - the Cutaways by David Kimble was one of the highlights of my days back when I subscribed to most Auto and Driving magazines back in the 80's and 90's - yes I'm that kind of geek - I always coveted the Italian exotics yet the best I could afford were Hondas and an occasional MG.

David's cutaways were always special - highly detailed air-brush illustrations of my favorite cars, with sections "cut away" so you could see the guts - going all the way into the mechanicals. This was back in the days when we didn't have access to high speed computing and 3D models - at least not at the consumer level. To achieve this level of technical detail you not only had to be a competent artist, but an Engineer (if not in degree, at least in mindset) so you could look at photos and blueprints to achieve the cutaway effect. Kimble's acumen is unparalleled in this regard.

The book is extremely well printed - this isn't your typical computer direct-to-print you see these days - these are highly refined printed reproductions - each could be a print in itself. I loved the discussion of techniques, the detailed sketches and the entire process detailed in this book. This is a basic must-have if you're into cars, airbrush illustration and super-realistic detail.… (meer)

I grew up reading Popular Science, Hot Rod, Motor Trend and lots of other magazines. It was the golden age of those publications. Magazine stands were popular and profitable. In the course of this, I had, I suppose, seen a number of examples of cutaway art. If I had given it a thought, I guess I would have assumed that someone with a lot of talent had produced them. Perhaps using a drawing board and the other things found in my one high school Industrial Arts class.

David Kimble’s Cutaways: Techniques & Stories Behind the Art disabused me of that foolish notion. It was a little bit of a slow process. The photo and film work described in this book were new to me and took careful reading. I also spend a hell of a lot of time looking at the pictures. Everything from cars and motorcycles to cruise ships and factories is shaved open for an inside look. I hauled out my magnifying glass for some of these. If you can get away from the Starship Enterprise cutaway in less than ten minutes there is something bad wrong with you.

I started out well with the descriptions of drawings in chapter one. Chapter two brought out the airbrushes and moved away from anything that I was familiar with. I became completely lost with the introduction of film positives. But I persisted and, in the end, learned quite a bit and along the way was hugely entertained. Each chapter adds a bit toward the story of forty years learning and practicing a highly skilled trade. It is a wonderful journey and one that I recommend highly.

I came away from this fine book having learned a bit and enjoyed a lot. You cannot ask more than that of a volume.

A free copy of this book was provided for the purpose of review.… (meer)

David Kimble is a freaking legend. I grew up marveling over his art in Road & Track magazine. What we have here is a detailed description, in his own words, of how he makes his art.

This is a great book. It's published by CarTech who are well known for their very well produced and built books. The illustrations are vivid and the writing is very detailed and well thought out.

My only complaints are that the captions can be a bit long and redundant, often covering the same territory that was covered in the text. Also, I was expecting more art and less text. Not that the text is unwelcomed, it's just that I could look at Kimble's cutaway art all day.… (meer)