The Fantasy Illustrator's Technique Book
Gary A. Lippincott
Barron's
Nonfiction, Art
****
DESCRIPTION: Fantasy illustration is a specialized field. Not only does the artist need a basic understanding of color, form, anatomy, perspective, and composition, but they need to know how to make the unreal, the implausable, and the downright bizarre look like it belongs in reality, if not ours then in a world visible in our mind's eye. Lippincott, a well-known fantasy illustrator, outlines the techniques he uses to create illustrations, from sketchwork to selecting media for finished results, plus a gallery of other artists' renderings to stimulate the imagination.
REVIEW: This is a nice, inspiring book on the subject of fantasy art, with plenty of good advice and practical examples. I think he glossed over the importance of some things, most notably anatomy work when dealing with fantastic beings or beasts, but he wasn't trying to write an all-inclusive guide; any gaps here could and should be filled in by other books in one's artistic library. It's fun to page through, and certainly makes me want to create more. Those are the two primary reasons I read books on art, so it gets good marks from me.
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)
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (John Grant and Ron Tiner, Art - Methods used in sci-fi and fantasy art)
Imaginative Realism (James Gurney, Art - A popular artist explains how to make the impossible appear possible)
Fantasy Art Workshop (John Howe, Art - A look at the famed artist's process)
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)
J. "NeonDragon" Peffer's art 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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