Men Of Color Fantasy Art

Representation of Masculinity in Fantasy Artwork

Male fantasy warrior wallpaper, Alpha Coders

We previously defined 'art' as a representation of reality, despite the absurdity of interposing the terms 'real' with 'fantasy'. We also looked at women in fantasy art.

In the name of equal representation, let's take our art critic's gaze towards the males. Granted, most of the artists creating artwork are male and this fact has influenced how males are represented in fantasy art.

Of course, gender stereotypes have also played a role in male representation in genre artwork.

The male fantasy hero tends to be tall, muscular, and hyper-masculine. In other words, strong and powerful. Although there are several other archetypes.

there are dad bods in fantasy art too, although rare. image: Wallpaperflare

Moreover, fantasy artwork has traditionally been looked down on by art critics and considered low-brow. As a fan, I don't want fantasy artwork to become intellectual and bourgeois.

Art should be appreciated by everyone; it should be for the masses, the fans. Not just a privileged few.

There is nothing wrong with commercial art and reaching the masses. Although some of the artwork you see at fan conventions, as well as those artists I listed on my top ten illustrators, can truly belong inside art galleries.

Back to the topic at hand, let's review some of those male archetypes.

Male Archetypes in Fantasy Artwork

Geralt of Rivia from The Witcher series

Visual art, like writing, uses archetypes as shorthand for representation and characterization.

There seem to be more male archetypes in fantasy than female ones. Perhaps because most fantasy writers used to be men, something that is changing with more women becoming illustrators.

Of course, the default archetype is the hero. Nonetheless, there are different types of heroes, as we will see below.

Among the many archetypes, these are the ones I found more recurring:

Warrior – Usually wearing armor, sometimes more, sometimes less than the female counterparts.
Wise Old Man – Always ready to provide wisdom and guidance. Usually wears robes from head to toes.
Wizard or magician – An adept of magic, whether the white or dark arts.
Jester – The trickster, there as comic relief, pointing out the absurdity of situations.
Child/Chosen One – A overdone trope, he is young, eager, and naïve; not as imposing as the warrior type.

Not everyone is an Adonis. There is also the Brute archetype. WallpaperUp
Monster – How come the monster is almost always male?
Shadow/Rogue – Amoral, charming, usually an anti-hero type.
Barbarian – Conan, anyone? Barbarians are uncivilized and combat-ready.
Ruler – Whether an old, kind ruler or a Prince Charming type, he is good, wise, and handsome.
The Brute – Strong like a monster but not as ugly. Will fight alongside the good guys.

Of course, there can be more. Most of these representations are based on gender stereotypes of heroism and masculinity. In addition, they go as far back as the Homeric epics and Greco-Roman myths.

More than Just Beefcake

Fantasy male archer image from Pinterest

Back when we discussed women in fantasy art, we talked about sexism and objectification of the female body.

Similarly, males have not escaped this objectification. For instance, one would only have to take a glance at most fantasy covers.

Granted, this is more prevalent in high fantasy, heroic fantasy and sword, and sorcery. The hero is usually shirtless and built like a bodybuilder on steroids.

The difference is that, unlike its female counterpart, the idea is to project power and masculinity, not sex appeal.

Then again, those beefcake images!

Final Fantasy art brought a more feminine aesthetic. Pinterest

We could argue all day about objectification and the sexualization of fantasy characters. However, if we submit to the school of thought that art is supposed to idealize the human form (and fantasy is not real by definition and well, fantastical) it is okay.

On the other hand, female poses in book covers tend to be much more sexual than their male counterparts. But that is a different topic.

Do not misunderstand me, it is not okay for neither gender. And don't get me started on those shirtless sexy males on pretty much every single paranormal romance cover. Then again, sexiness sells. Let's get over it. Let's enjoy art for art's sake, and to escape reality.

Let's Celebrate Males in Fantasy Artwork

Male elemental wizard image from Pinterest

Males in fantasy artwork deserve to be celebrated. Not because they are tall, ripped, and good-looking. Although it helps.

Regardless, we should celebrate them because they represent those ideals we hold about what a larger-than-life being should look like.

Honestly, a short and skinny guy like me cannot realistically slay a dragon with only a sword, magical or not. But Conan the Barbarian can. Easily.

What I would love to see is more representation of men of color in fantasy art. We are getting there but we still got ways to go. There are other races besides white.

Where are my brown, black, and yellow brothers fighting dragons and orcs? We could use more representation. Asian, Indian, African and Hispanic males can also do the beefcake thing. Just saying.

fantasy male by Creation Warrior, Pinterest

Ultimately, men in fantasy art are idealized images of masculine perfection.

Moreover, the real fantasy is not the dragons, the magical weapons, or the fantastic worlds. Perhaps the biggest fantasy in fantasy art is the impossibly muscular men themselves.

How do you feel about male representation in fantasy art? Are you a fan? Do you feel men are just as objectified as women? Join the conversation.