Product Description

Airfix has been commercially producing plastic kits since 1952 and its models have been made by successive generations of young boys and men alike. In the 1960s, a talented graphic artist called Roy Cross was commissioned to paint some of the box art for Airfix, and for a ten-year-period he provided many of the glorious paintings seen on the boxes, setting new standards for realism and accuracy. Many are still being used today, a full four decades later.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9960 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

About the Author
Roy Cross RSMA GAvA was born in Southwark and began work as an illustrator in Fairey Aviation during World War Two. Over the next thirty years, Roy progressed to top-class advertising art for the aircraft industry and other companies including Airfix. For ten years he supplied artwork for Airfix, with his last painting for the company being the Germany heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in 1974. In that year Roy set out on his own and he still paints and his glorious paintings can still be found today in art galleries and in private collections. Sadly, much of his Airfix artwork was destroyed and all that remains are the lids of many millions of boxes. Resident - Kent.

Customer Reviews

Incomplete Airfix Box Art
Unfortunately not the comprehensive tome I was expecting. Certain paintings are conspicuous by their absence. Others are actually referred to in the text, such as the Vickers Wellington, Boeing Superfortress and Avro Lancaster. In order to obtain these works you have to buy another book... To be fair the book didn't promise to include all his work but, I still feel a little cheated with such important kits excluded.
However, not a complete let down as the wealth of artwork that is included is beautiful and the book includes a glimpse of what might have been the box-art of our childhood memories.

Worth every penny
I've always been a fan of airfix kits so this was a trip down memory lane for me, but aside from that, i would recommend this book to anyone who is even remotely interested in representational or fine art, or in technical illustrations. The book is large format, beautifully printed and jammed full of absolutely stunning full colour plates showing the best of Cross's work. The man is a genius and has absolute mastery of his craft. He also includes a number of pencil sketches and some fascinating notes about how the paintings came to be made. All in all, an amazing package and worth every penny.

Fantastic
Stunning collection of box art from Airfix. Took me rigth back to the early to mid 1970s. Now I can go back at leasure whenever I feel like. Contains all the classic models and more. Simply a great production that more of the other model manufacturers should follow.

Jan Abrahamsson
Stockholm