Dreamscapes - Myth and Magic by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law

The introduction by the author sets up a journey through fantasy history where we remember that fantasy creatures are the stuff born from legends, and inspiration is all around us in the present day. Stephanie is an accomplished artist and painter producing vivid and gorgeous watercolours, and in her book she depicts some of the better known legendary creatures and beasts.

She takes us through the tools of the trade giving good advice to the reader and guiding them through the process of finding out what is right for them. She then talks about different techniques and the book has good photos as guides which combined with informative text is easy to follow. The use of salt and rubbing alcohol is covered as well as a section on different paper types which also instructs you how to stretch your paper if needed. I found this latter piece very useful as I have had disasters in the past with paper buckling when I had thought it was pre-stetched, having forgotten how to stretch it it was a welcome section to read.

Blending, glazing, dry brushing and various other vital techniques are covered in the sections prior to getting to the numerous work-through examples. There are ten pieces for you to try in this book and I must say they are quite daunting at first, I was never expecting to get close to the original. Instead I looked at them as exercises to gain experience of the skills I needed to learn to further my knowledge base and progress as a painter. Watercolours are not for everybody and they are widely accepted as being one of the most difficult and unforgiving mediums to use. This is true but if you're prepared to make mistakes, learn from them and try again then this book will certainly help. Thoughtfully put together and giving great advice for would be fantasy artists I can't recommend this book enough, the section on dragons was a particular favourite as I have a keen interest in them.

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The Explorer's Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures by Emily Fiegenschuh

This is a fun and good looking book with the narrator being an exploring creature called Paki who leads you through the various creatures on display. One thing i like about this book is the endless possibilities for creating truly wondrous beasts, with the right reference material only your imagination will hold you back.

From the start the author takes you through the necessary basics like materials, reference of animals, and animal anatomy. Then goes on to the more meaty subjects of perspective, foreshortening, human proportions, and also looks at pencil rendering variations and colour theory.

A nice touch is the Do's and Don'ts which are dotted through the book so not only are you getting tips on what to do there is also what not to do. The section on giving creatures personality is particularly nice as it's something not often seen.

We then get into the examples and Paki takes you through various mythical creatures in a step by step look at building the shapes and details needed. One thing it does not go into is the colouring of the subjects which is left entirely up to the reader, probably as if included the painting section would make the book twice as big. In fact the only one where painting is detailed is the last example of the Lantern Bat. My favourite was the Minotaur as there was a lot of detailing going on with the armour etc.

The author draws on her (clearly) vast portfolio and knowledge of the subjects she has lovingly created to give this book a good deal of depth, and hopefully the reader will take away as much information and help as is given.


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Otherworlds by Tom Kidd

When looking at landscape books this one without a doubt stands out from the rest, be warned though as the medium of choice is oil paints unless you have a grounding in this then you may find the examples a little intimidating. However with that in mind the author has done an excellent job of going through the theories and examples in such a way that is easily followed. The layout of the book is gorgeous and the flashes of Tolkien Tengwar dotted around are a nice little touch.

I would urge the reader to take heed of what is being said in the pages of this tome (and tome it is with almost 200 pages) as the artist gives fantastic advice from how to hold your pencil to sketching multiple examples of the scene you want to paint. Tweaking it here and there with each pass.

The examples that the author encourages you to try out, sketch, and paint are unique as he doesn't necessarily want you to copy him. Instead it is a general work through for the artist to take advice from and learn a good practice to take forward with their ideas. A lists of materials used in each example is also provided which is good so you know what you need to have at hand.

The author goes through what to look for in reference, when using digital colouring, goes through colour theory, creating moods, and composition. There is also sections on creating fantastical animals and plant life, to the point where the author actively encourages you to get out there and paint nature.

Tom Kidd's imagination is fanastic and his skills with oils are breathtaking, this book is all the inspiration you should need to go out and try this lovely medium. Having used oils in the past I can honestly say they are one of the easiest paints to use, very forgiving and great for building layer of detail and textures.

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Exploring watercolours

This is an excellent book for the beginner watercolourartist as well as someone with experience wanting to reaffirm techniques. In myopinion this is an art class in a book, Elizabeth takes the reader/artistthrough many examples using a variety of different techniques, from usingtissue paper or leafs she does not hold back from getting the reader toexperiment as much as possible. Showing what you can really do with watercolourand why it is a fantastic medium to use.

In six chapters she goes through the painting process,composition, techniques, textures, colour and value, and paintingdemonstrations. There is nothing in this book that is too difficult for abudding artist and I would encourage anyone wishing to learn watercolours touse this book. This material is well laid out and easily understood with theauthor going into great depth to ensure her point is getting across but not insuch a way as to bore the reader. The colour section alone is essential forunderstanding colour relationships when painting and explains tones andmonochromatic effects in a thoughtful way.

Each example gives the reader a list of materials used andgoes into depth with using salt, masking tape, masking fluid, and other usefultools to help layering. As well as talking about acrylic printing (with leafs),she also uses oriental papers to give different effects and gives good tipswhen using them. There are many exercises held within the pages of this fantasticbook which will help give the reader more and more confidence as they progresswith the techniques learned. All in all a solid tutorial book with lots todiscover and take away with you as well as good reference material to go backto time and again.

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Digital Painting tricks and techniques

Digital Painting tricks and techniques

by Gary Tonge

Gary Tonge has produced an excellent book which is for beginners, intermediate, and professionals alike. Each example given is explained with reference to photoshop and 3D imagery (when used), as well as neatly explained processes and emphasis on the importance of reference material. What most of the examples do not show is every stage from beginning to end so the reader does have to fill in the blanks. We can forgive him for this as the book would be three to four times as big.

The main topics are covered from chapter to chapter and cover colour, perspective, lighting, and many more which are broken down into beginner, intermediate, and professional. Anyone with a good grounding in photoshop will take these in their stride and be confident in understanding what they are reading.

If you are wishing to gain hints and tips from a leading British concept artist then this is certainly an essential buy, the inspiration alone from the artwork on show is enough to add this to your collection. Added to the explanation and views of the artist it becomes an essential tool for digital art and I can see myself using this book for reference again and again. Although one thing I will say that it doesn't do is talk about characters or the human body in any great detail instead focusing on the overall picture and making the reader think more about what they want from the piece they are about to create. I've certainly learned a lot from this book and the way I look at my art has changed for the better (or so I hope).

Another book by this artist is Bold Visions which gives more information and inspiration to the reader.

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Creating comics from start to finish by Buddy Scalera

Let me be clear from the start, this is not a "how to" art book, nor is it "how to draw" comics. What it is, is a collaboration of interviews, hints, tips, and views from people in the comic book industry with a wealth of experience.

There are ten chapters which outline the creative process which is standard in todays comic publishing world. It covers such things as editing, writing, inking, and lettering, to name but a few, with resources in the appendix's for resources and a self publishing budget guide.

What is apparent from the go is this is a very easy book to read, and although at a glance it would seem to be a lot to take in however I assure you the keen comic book writer/artist will lap up the information. Buddy Scalera takes you through a fairly in depth journey from the creation of comic books at the start to present day with interviews from artists who were there and are still going strong in the industry. One thing which is repeated is the fact that it is not an easy industry to break into, and you can have all the talent in the world however without persistence and determination you will not succeed.

This is not just for the budding entrepreneur as this book is also a good grounding and reality check for artists, inkers, and colourists. With excellent examples about what is expected of them in the industry from editors and publishers. I'd say take the advice and information in these pages as gospel because it comes from some of the biggest names out there. Finally there is a few interviews with the top men, so yes you get to hear from Stan "the man" Lee and when he speaks we all listen...

You can buy this book at Amazon