Fantasy Art Masters
Dick Jude
Watson Guptill
Nonfiction, Art
****
DESCRIPTION: Ten modern masters of fantasy and science fiction art discuss the creative processes behind their works. Some use traditional media, some use only computers, and some find a happy medium between the two, but all produce distinctive, original works with whatever tools they choose.
REVIEW: I found this discounted at a local art store, and I figured I'd kick myself if I didn't buy it. It's a nice gallery of the featured artists' works, with interesting insights into art and the creative process, in general and related to specific works. Some of the stuff leans a bit too far toward abstract for my tastes, but I can appreciate that that, too, is art, if not necessarily art that I like.
You might also enjoy:
The Art of Amy Brown (Amy Brown, Art - A gallery of the popular fairy artist's works)
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (John Grant and Ron Tiner, Art - Methods used by genre artists, with an extensive art gallery)
John Howe Fantasy Art Workshop and Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe (John Howe, Art - A book on famed fantasy artist John Howe's techniques, and a collection of his artwork)
The Lord of the Rings: The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring (Gary Russel, Nonfiction - The concept art for Peter Jackson's epic movie, with a strong Howe influence)
Michael Whelan's art books (Michael Whelan, Art - A collection of the famed artist's works, both commercial and personal)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
More Fantasy Art Masters
Dick Jude
Watson Guptill
Nonfiction, Art
***
DESCRIPTION: More modern masters of fantasy and science fiction art discuss their influences, inspirations, and techniques, with several examples of their work.
REVIEW: Yes, I found this the same day I found the previous volume, and it was also discounted. For the price, I had to buy them both. The idea is the same as the previous book, so there seems little need to repeat the same information here. I clipped it a point because most of the art is of the grotesque and/or abstract genre and not, to my mind, fantasy or science fiction art as promised by the cover. Again, this is probably my own beef, but I like to have some idea of what I'm looking at in a painting, especially a sci-fi or fantasy painting, and the vast majority of abstract art just doesn't "speak" to me on the same level as a spellbinding spacescape or imposingly realized fantasy creature. Just plain bizarre images don't do the same thing to me, either. That said, I did like some of the artists featured here, but the others I didn't connect with at all.
You might also enjoy:
The Art of Amy Brown (Amy Brown, Art - A gallery of the popular fairy artist's works)
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (John Grant and Ron Tiner, Art - Methods used by genre artists, with an extensive art gallery)
John Howe Fantasy Art Workshop and Myth & Magic: The Art of John Howe (John Howe, Art - A book on famed fantasy artist John Howe's techniques, and a collection of his artwork)
The Lord of the Rings: The Art of the Fellowship of the Ring (Gary Russel, Nonfiction - The concept art for Peter Jackson's epic movie, with a strong Howe influence)
Michael Whelan's art books (Michael Whelan, Art - A collection of the famed artist's works, both commercial and personal)
Return to Top of Page - Return to Book Review List
Return to Brightdreamer Books Home
Brightdreamer Books is created and maintained by TBW, a.k.a. "Brightdreamer."
E-mail: tbweber AT comcast DOT net. (Remove spaces, replace AT with "@" and DOT with "." - please put "Brightdreamer Books" in the subject line, or your e-mail may be deleted as
spam! Thank you!