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, 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.)
John Howe Impact Books Nonfiction, Art Themes: Dragons ****
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, 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.
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.
