Claudia Nice
Susan Scheewe Publications, Inc.
Nonfiction, Art
****
Familiar faces
Creating Creatures of Fantasy and Imagination
Claudia Nice
North Light Books
Nonfiction, Art
****
DESCRIPTION: Fairies, elves, trolls, dragons... where does an artist find inspiration to draw them? Nice offers tips, suggestions, and numerous finished paintings explaining how to create imaginative creatures from everyday ones.
REVIEW: As a fan of Nice's work, I was happy to see a fantasy art book from her. More than half of it is devoted to humanoid creatures, mostly fairies, which aren't my favorite fantasy being but are nevertheless well done. Some of her proportions looked a bit odd; centaurs are tough to draw in the best of circumstances, but hers still bugged my admittedly overpicky eye, as did most of her attempts at dragons. Nice focuses mostly on the details, with few whole-picture exercises to show how they might work in a scene. I enjoyed it on the whole, even if I wish she'd spent a little more time on nonhuman creatures.
You might also enjoy:
Drawing & Painting Fantasy Landscapes & Cityscapes (Rob Alexander, Art - How to draw impossible settings)
Learn to Draw Like the Masters: Dragons (Eugene Caine, YA Art - Painting dragons using the styles of the old masters)
Painting Dragons in Watercolour (Paul Bryn Davies, Art - Paint charming, colorful dragons with watercolors)
Anatomy for Fantasy Artists (Glenn Fabry, Art - How to stretch anatomy to fit standard fantasy characters)
The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (John Grant and Ron Tiner, Art - Methods used in sci-fi and fantasy art)
Imaginative Realism (James Gurney, Art - A popular artist explains how to make the impossible appear possible)
Fantasy Art Workshop (John Howe, Art - A look at the famed artist's process)
Dreamscapes: Creating Magical Angel, Faery & Mermaid Worlds in Watercolor (Stephanie Pui-Mon Law, Art - Painting beautiful fantastic humanoids with watercolor techniques)
The Fantasy Illustrator's Technique Book(Gary A. Lippincott, Art - A successful fantasy illustrator shares his methods)
Dracopedia: A Guide to Drawing the Dragons of the World (William O'Connor, Art - Developing and drawing a variety of dragon species)
J. "NeonDragon" Peffer's art books (J. "NeonDragon" Peffer, YA? Art - How to draw dragons, fantasy characters, and other imaginary things)
How to Draw and Paint Fairies (Linda Ravenscroft, Art - Using watercolor, oils, and acrylics to create beautiful fae folk)
Watercolor Fairies (David Riché and Anna Franklin, Art - Render fairies with watercolors)
Figure Drawing Without a Model (Ron Tiner, Art - Drawing figures from the imagination)
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Creating Textures in Pen & Ink with Watercolor
Claudia Nice
North Light Books
Nonfiction, Art
*****
DESCRIPTION: Using these two media, the artist describes how to create realistic textures and effects. Both natural (fur, trees, weather) and manmade (fabric, metal, glass) surfaces are covered. Each page is covered in full-color illustrations, annotated with text.
REVIEW: Watercolors and I don't get along very well. I can never quite get them to do what they're supposed to. Still, I find myself turning again and again to this book. Why? Because it's wonderful! Clear illustrations and easy-to-follow text make this an immensely helpful reference for any artist. Myself, I prefer pen, but I have dabbled in colored pencil and acrylics. Much of her information is useful no matter the medium. I have even successfully transferred a few of her techniques to pen with colored pencil! (Yes, colored pencil works differently than watercolor, but it's still a transparent medium. Someday, I hope to try the same experiment with watercolor pencil... but I digress.) One warning, though, to any attempting to follow her instructions to the letter: any technical pen nib finer than OO is a real pain to use! She likes to use 3x0 and 4x0 technical pen points, which I have never gotten to finish a line, let alone a drawing. It's possible I'm doing something wrong, but if I'm having trouble, any beginner might. Otherwise, her advice is sound.
You might also enjoy:
Illustrating Nature: How to Paint and Draw Plants and Animals (Dorothea and Sy Barlowe, Art - Creating realistic natural artwork)
Painting Wildlife Textures Step By Step (Rod Lawrence, Art - How to create realistic textures in paintings)
The North Light Artist's Guide to Materials and Techniques (Phil Metzger, Art - A variety of art media, described and demonstrated)
Paint Radiant Realism with Watercolor, Ink and Colored Pencil (Suellen Ross, Art - How to use watercolors to achieve brilliant results)
The Technical Pen (Gary Simmons, Art - Everything there is to know about using technical pens)
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Familiar Faces
Claudia Nice
Susan Scheewe Publications, Inc.
Nonfiction, Art
****
Familiar faces
DESCRIPTION: Claudia Nice shows how to sketch pets and people, from he own cats to the familiar faces of Santa Claus and his elfin helpers, with many sample projects and sketches, using pen and ink with watercolor. Many full-page projects are described, and templates are provided.
REVIEW: A thin paperback, this book offers many nice projects, but on the whole her larger books (Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink and Creating Textures with Pen & Ink with Watercolor), will tell you anything this book does, plus more. This is most valuable as a book for project ideas, as here she focuses on completing a specific picture.
You might also enjoy:
Drawing & Painting Fantasy Figures (Finlay Cowan, Art - Design and draw imaginary people)
Drawing the Head and Figure (Jack Hamm, Art - Methods for drawing humans)
The North Light Artist's Guide to Materials and Techniques (Phil Metzger, Art - A variety of art media, described and demonstrated)
Paint Radiant Realism with Watercolor, Ink and Colored Pencil (Suellen Ross, Art - How to use watercolors to achieve brilliant results)
The Technical Pen (Gary Simmons, Art - Everything there is to know about using technical pens)
Figure Drawing Without a Model (Ron Tiner, Art - Drawing convincing humans from visual memory, plus notes on how to effectively compose an image to tell a story)
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Sketching Your Favorite Subjects in Pen & Ink
Claudia Nice
North Light Books
Nonfiction, Art
*****
DESCRIPTION: A noted pen and ink artist, Claudia Nice explains how to use this versatile medium to render various subjects, including animals, people, nature, buildings, and more.
REVIEW: I always find Nice's work inspiring. This book shows the reader/aspiring artist in great detail how she uses pen and ink (as a wash or in a technical pen) to create many textures and moods. The text and illustrations are both very helpful. A great book for anyone who wants to learn more about pen and ink art!
You might also enjoy:
Illustrating Nature: How to Paint and Draw Plants and Animals (Dorothea and Sy Barlowe, Art - Creating realistic natural artwork)
The Fundamentals of Drawing Landscapes (Barrington Barber, Art - A complete course in drawing landscapes)
Jack Hamm's Art Books (Jack Hamm, Art - Drawing humans, animals, and landscapes)
Painting Wildlife Textures Step By Step (Rod Lawrence, Art - How to create realistic textures in paintings)
The North Light Artist's Guide to Materials and Techniques (Phil Metzger, Art - A variety of art media, described and demonstrated)
Paint Radiant Realism with Watercolor, Ink and Colored Pencil (Suellen Ross, Art - How to use watercolors to achieve brilliant results)
The Technical Pen (Gary Simmons, Art - Everything there is to know about using technical pens)
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