Bonestell was trained as an architect. In the 1930s he worked on San
Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, doing engineering drawings. He then
moved to Hollywood where he became a matte artist, doing background and
special effects paintings. Within a few years he was earning $1500 per
month at this. In 1944 he did a series of astronomical paintings for
Life magazine, showing with photographic realism views that might be
seen on and around other planets. This sort of work, along with
science-fictional subjects, became his main specialty thereafter, for
books and magazines as well as the movies.
Illustrator of 10 books including Willy Ley's 1949 classic "The Conquest
of Space".
Produced at least 50 cover illustrations for the major science-fiction
magazines.
Painted a 10 x 40 foot mural for the Boston Museum of Science, later
moved to the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, DC.
"Bonestell" has three syllables.
His first astronomical painting was done in 1905: after seeing Saturn
through the 12-inch telescope at San Jose's Lick Observatory, he rushed
home to paint what he'd seen. The painting was destroyed in the fire
that followed the 1906 earthquake.