Reclining Kirk

Fan Art
Title:	Reclining Kirk
Artist:	Shelley Butler
Date(s):	1998
First Published:
Medium:
Genre/Style:
Fandom:	Star Trek: TOS
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Reclining Kirk is an illo by Shelley Butler.

"Reclining Kirk" was printed as the back cover of First Time #47.

It has a companion piece, the front cover of "First Time" #47, Reclining Spock.

Fan Comments

1998

This pencil drawing boggles my mind, as it looks so photographic that I gasped when I first saw it. How do artists do this? I find it amazing. Closest to the real thing we’ll ever get .... But I don’t think the picture is entirely successful. Kirk’s head is a bit out of proportion to his body, and the angle is not quite right. And though the shading on the front cover added mystery and delight to Spock’s portrait, here the shading detracts from my enjoyment of those luscious curves. (The temptation is to reach out and touch ....) The shading is just obvious enough for me to notice it and squint to see it better, and just subtle enough to look more like body hair than anything else, and I’m sure Shelley didn’t mean to show that Kirk is covered with hair from mid-back all the way down to thigh. But the expression on his face is wistful, and so endearing that I sure wouldn’t blame Spock for reaching down to kiss. That’s just right, including those liquid amber eyes, and each stroke of his upswept hair. It looks just like Jim Kirk, I think. And the way he is clutching at the pillow adds flavor and question to the composition. Somebody, take care of this gorgeous man!