The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques
John Grant and Ron Tiner
Running Press
Nonfiction, Art
*****
DESCRIPTION: We've all marveled at slithering dragons, soaring pegasi, massive spaceships, and other works of wonder seen on book covers, movie posters, and the big and small screens, among other places. How in the world do artists come up with such brilliantly inventive works - and can you ever learn to do the same? This is an overview of the genre of sci-fi and fantasy art, touching on artistic media but focusing on the effective use of techniques such as Reflections, Anthropomorphism, Exaggeration, Implausible Structures, Hardware, and more.
REVIEW: Not so much a step-by-step instruction book as a source of inspiration and ideas, I find myself looking through it fairly frequently. It's interesting to read, with plenty of great finished examples illustrating the points and techniques mentioned. Each section also ends with a challenge for the reader/artist, exercises to help practice the concepts just discussed. The gallery at the end shows the techniques in action; while I didn't like all the art in the gallery, I could at least appreciate why each piece was included. There is a brief section on Erotica/Exotica art, not for glorification but because, as the authors state, sci-fi/fantasy artists are most likely going to be asked to produce that kind of art at some point in their careers. This is one of those books I find myself paging through again and again, not necessarily to do the exercises (I'm not only too far behind in my art skills to try, but I'm a notorious coward) but just to marvel at what wonders can be wrought by raw imagination and well-honed skill.
You might also enjoy:
Drawing & Painting Fantasy Landscapes & Cityscapes (Rob Alexander, Art - How to draw impossible settings)
The Art of Amy Brown (Amy Brown, Art - A collection of art)
Learn to Draw Like the Masters: Dragons (Eugene Caine, YA Art - Painting dragons using the styles of the old masters)
Finlay Cowan's art books (Finlay Cowan, Art - Developing and drawing fantastic beasts, beings, and worlds)
Painting Dragons in Watercolor (Paul Bryn Davies, Art - Use watercolor to create beautiful dragons)
Anatomy for Fantasy Artists (Glenn Fabry, Art - How to stretch anatomy to fit standard fantasy characters)
The Art of Anastasia (Henry Deneroff, Art - The concept art and development of the animated movie)
Imaginative Realism (James Gurney, Art - Making the unreal appear real)
John Howe's Fantasy Art Workshop and Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe (John Howe, Art - A collection of John Howe's imaginative works)
Christopher Hart's drawing books (Christopher Hart, YA/YA? Art - How to draw cartoon and manga images)
Fantasy Art Masters and More Fantasy Art Masters (Dick Jude, Art - A collection of fantasty and surreal artists)
Dreamscapes: Creating Magical Angel, Faery & Mermaid Worlds in Watercolor (Stephanie Pui-Mon Law, Art - Painting magical humanoids)
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (Stan Lee and John Buscema, YA? Art - Drawing lessons from the comic art masters)
The Fantasy Illustrator's Technique Book (Gary A. Lippincott, Art - Lessons and tips from a working fantasy illustrator)
The North Light Artist's Guide to Materials and Techniques (Phil Metzger, Nonfiction - An overview of art media)
Freaks! How to Draw Fantastic Fantasy Creatures (Steve Miller, YA? Art - How to draw anthropomorphic animals and hybrids)
The Art of How to Train your Dragon (Tracy Miller-Zarneke, Art - The concept art of the 2010 Dreamworks animated movie)
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe - Official Illustrated Movie Companion (Perry Moore, Nonfiction - Fantasy art concepts in action)
Creating Creatures of Fantasy and Imagination (Claudia Nice, Art - Creating fantasy beasts and beings with pen and ink with watercolor)
Dracopedia: A Guide to Drawing the Dragons of the World (William O'Connor, Art - Developing and drawing a variety of dragon species)
The DragonArt books (J. "NeonDragon" Peffer, YA? Art - How to draw dragons, fantasy characters, and other imaginary things)
How to Draw and Paint Fairies (Linda Ravenscroft, Art - Drawing fairies)
Watercolor Fairies (David Riché and Anna Franklin, Art - Painting fairies with watercolor)
The Lord of the Rings: The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring (Gary Russell, Nonfiction - The concept art and development of Peter Jackson's epic movie)
Fantastic Realms (V. Shane, YA? Art - Drawing fantasy worlds, characters, and creatures)
Figure Drawing Without a Model (Ron Tiner, Art - Drawing figures from the imagination)
Drawing & Painting Fantasy Beasts (Kevin Walker, Art - Sketching and creating original fantasy beasts)
Michael Whelan's art books (Michael Whelan, Art - The famed genre artist's works, both professional and personal)
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