Fantasy Art Workshop
John Howe
Impact Books
Nonfiction, Art
****
DESCRIPTION: One of fantasy's most widely-recognized illustrators, from his iconic Gandalf images to the conceptual art for Peter Jackson's blockbuster adaptations of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, John Howe reveals the process behind his works, from selecting and arranging material to case studies of individual projects. With a foreword by Terry Gilliam and an afterword by Alan Lee.
REVIEW: Since I felt that Howe's compilation book, Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe (reviewed below), relied too much on "guest stars" praising his work and
too little on his own words, I was happy to see that, this time out, the bulk of writing is indeed his own. This isn't a how-to book in any sense of the word, but rather a how-I-
do-it book about the whole artistic process. If you're looking for spelled-out lessons in anatomy or perspective or atmosphere or such, you'd best seek out another book, but if
you're looking for insights into fantasy art creation by one of the field's masters, then by all means buy this one. The foreword and afterword add little to the value except for
slapping a couple of prominent names on the cover; anyone interested in fantasy art shouldn't really need the extra incentive after the name John Howe.
(I remain mystified, after reading about all the research and attention to detail Howe emphasizes, why all of his dragons tend to have such a similar feel to them, particularly
the teeth-coming-straight-out-of-the-lips look that gives a rather weak-jawed impression to the mighty beasts, but that's a personal nitpick. I still like most of his work.)
You might also enjoy:
Drawing & Painting Fantasy Landscapes & Cityscapes (Rob Alexander, Art - How to draw impossible settings)
Learn to Draw Like the Masters: Dragons (Eugene Caine, YA Art - Painting dragons using the styles of the old masters)
Anatomy for Fantasy Artists (Glenn Fabry, Art - How to stretch anatomy to fit standard fantasy characters)
The Explorer's Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures (Emily Fiegenschuh, YA? Art - Learn to draw a variety of imaginative animals)
Making and Using Working Drawings for Realistic Model Animals (Basil F. Fordham, Art - How to plan and build realistic animal models)
Imaginative Realism (James Gurney, Art - The art of creating convincing images of impossible things)
Forging Dragons and Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe (John Howe, Art - Two more books by the same artist)
The Fantasy Illustrator's Technique Book (Gary A. Lippincott, Art - Lessons and tips from a working fantasy illustrator)
A Diversity of Dragons (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - A tale of dragons modern and mythic, illustrated by John Howe)
The North Light Artist's Guide to Materials and Techniques (Phil Metzger, Nonfiction - An overview of art media)
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)
Figure Drawing Without a Model (Ron Tiner, Art - Drawing figures from the imagination)
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Forging Dragons
John Howe
Impact Books
Nonfiction, Art
****
DESCRIPTION: Dragons have been an integral part of the human psyche and global myth cycles since the dawn of civilization. Even today, writers and artists seek to explore and understand the great beasts, the very embodiment of archetypical forces beyond reckoning. John Howe, a popular fantasy artist and illustrator, describes several dragon projects.
REVIEW: Much like his Fantasy Art Workshop (reviewed above), Howe doesn't use a step-by-step approach to recreate his paintings. Rather, he shows some of his initial sketches and the finished product, with notes on how certain designs evolved and certain effects were achieved. (He even points out flaws in his own work and things he felt could have been handled better.) He also talks about dragon legends from around the world, revealing a genuine interest in and appreciation of them beyond a mere paycheck. I still think he could use a little more variety in his dragon styles - they almost invariably have the same slick-scale sheen and dentition - but I can still appreciate how he does what he does with them.
You might also enjoy:
Learn to Draw Like the Masters: Dragons (Eugene Caine, YA Art - Painting dragons using the styles of the old masters)
Painting Dragons in Watercolor (Paul Bryn Davies, Art - How to paint vibrant, whimsical dragons with watercolors)
How to Draw Dragons and Other Mythical Creatures (Emmett Elvin, YA Art - Drawing fantasy animals with easy step-by-step lessons)
Fantasy Art Workshop and Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe (John Howe, Art - Two more books by the same artist)
The Great Book of Dragon Patterns (Lora S. Irish, Art - Basic dragon lore and many dragon designs to use and modify)
How to Draw and Paint Dragons (Tom Kidd, Art - A course in creating dragons, from starting gesture to finishing touches)
A Diversity of Dragons (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - A tale of dragons modern and mythic, illustrated by John Howe)
Creating Creatures of Fantasy and Imagination (Claudia Nice, Art - Using pen and ink with other media to create fantasy animals)
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)
Drawing & Painting Fantasy Beasts (Kevin Walker, Art - Designing and rendering imaginary creatures)
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Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe
John Howe
Barnes & Noble
Nonfiction, Art
*****
DESCRIPTION: A prolific artist in the fantasy and science fiction field, best known for his many Tolkien-related works, John Howe's collected art spans many years and many worlds. In addition to his own commentary, this book contains monograms by several authors and others praising his images.
REVIEW: I don't always like Howe's work, but I certainly respect what he does and how he does it. This is a decent collection of his material, though I did wish for more artist commentary and less back-scratching by celebrity guests. I also would've liked more page-sized image reproductions; most of his work deserves that much. Since this was a ten-buck wonder from the discount shelves, though, I'm not inclined to be too picky.
You might also enjoy:
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (John Grant and Ron Tiner, Art - Methods used by genre artists, with an extensive art gallery)
Fantasy Art Workshop and Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe (John Howe, Art - Two more books by the same artist)
Fantasy Art Masters and More Fantasy Art Masters (Dick Jude, Art - Art by contemporary fantasy and surrealist artists)
A Diversity of Dragons (Anne McCaffrey, Fiction - A tale of dragons modern and mythic, illustrated by John Howe)
The Lord of the Rings: The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring (Gary Russel, Nonfiction - The concept art for Peter Jackson's epic movie, with a strong Howe influence)
J. R. R. Tolkien's books (J. R. R. Tolkien, Fiction - The epic tale of Middle Earth, a major inspiration for Howe's art)
Michael Whelan's art books (Michael Whelan, Art - A collection of the famed artist's works, both commercial and personal)
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