The Explorer's Guide to Drawing Fantasy Creatures
Emily Fiegenschuh
Impact Books
Nonfiction, YA? Art
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DESCRIPTION: Creating fantasy art is about more than just the dry fundamentals. It's a process of exploration, discovering all manner of peculiarities within the limitless realms of the imagination, then capturing their wonder and beauty for all to see. Follow the brave adventurer Paki as he introduces you to the basics of art and media selection, then guides you through drawing a number of fantastic beasts and beings from his homeworld.
REVIEW: A fun, somewhat original idea adds a little zest to an otherwise generic how-to-draw-fantasy book. Not that Fiegenschuh's works count as "generic." Bright, interesting, and fun, she draws a variety of creatures, each designed to live in a different environment, fulfilling different ecological roles. Still, her original works aside, there's not much covered here that one wouldn't find elsewhere. I might've enjoyed a little more play on the "explorer" gimmick - perhaps some instructions on designing and sketching plants or environments to go with the animal "discoveries" made by the book's mascot. That minor quibble aside, I enjoyed it, even as an armchair artist and not an active explorer myself (at the moment, at least.)
You might also enjoy:
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How to Draw Dragons and Other Mythical Creatures (Emmett Elvin, YA Art - Drawing dragons and other animals, easy step-by-step)
How to Draw Animals (Jack Hamm, Art - Drawing a variety of mammals)
Fantasy Art Workshop (John Howe, Art - A look at the famed artist's process)
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How to Draw and Paint Dragons (Tom Kidd, Art - A course in creating dragons, from starting gesture to finishing touches)
Animal Drawing - Anatomy and Action for Artists (Charles R. Knight, Art - How to draw a variety of creatures)
The Fantasy Illustrator's Technique Book (Gary A. Lippincott, Art - Lessons and tips from a working fantasy illustrator)
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)
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Anatomy of Animals (Ernest E. Thompson, Art - Detailed studies of various animals)
The Weatherly Guide to Drawing Animals (Joe Weatherly, Art - Using form and gesture to draw lifelike animals)
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