With the significantly increased popularity of fantasy films, TV, and books in recent years, the work of fantasy artists is in demand as never before. This art instruction manual, written by a noted fantasy artist, coaches students in methods of portraying convincing fantasy figures in all media—pencil, watercolor, acrylics, oils, and computer-generated pixel points. Following a discussion of needed tools and equipment, the author instructs on techniques for drawing convincing fantasy characters and their worlds, with attention to their faces, bodies, action, and costume styles. He advises on the creation of heroes and heroines, villains and wizards, dragons and man-like beasts. Separate chapters deal with different art media, and a final section on computer art covers everything from the basic desktop setup to methods of creating special effects. This beautifully produced book features more than 250 instructive, vividly-colored illustrations.

Introduction

BASICS

Tools

Opportunities

Inspiration

Developing ideas

Storyboarding

CHAPTER ONE:

DRAWING THE CHARACTERS

AND THEIR WORLDS

HEROES

Faces

Expressions

Bodies

Archetypes

Action

Foreshortening

Case study:Aerial battle

HERBINES

Faces

Bodies

Costume and hair

Adornment

Archetypes

Dynamic posture

Action

Case study:Goddess in the library

WIZARDS

Faces

Beards

Costume

Powers

BEASTS

Dragons

Mega monsters

Horses

Horses and hybrids

Other creatures

MAN BEASTS

Orcs and trolls

Hybrids

ORNAMENTATION

Armor

Weapons

Totems and masks

Patterns

FANTASY WORLDS

Basic perspective

Advanced perspective

Castles

Scale

Architecture

Case study: Set design

CHAPTER TWO:PAINTING，INKING，AND DIGITAL ART

PAINTING AND INKING

Equipment

Applying ink

Marker figure

Marker set design

Watercolors

Oils and acrylics

Painting a figure

Painting a landscape

DIGITAL ART

Hardware and software

Photoshop

Painter

3D hero

3D ogre

3D landscape

Case study:Album sleeves

Format and presentation

Index

Credits