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The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques [Hardcover]

John Grant (Author), Ron Tiner (Author)

4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews) |

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Book Description

Publication Date: March 1996

Easy-to-use, full-color, A-to-Z reference guides to basic and advanced techniques.

#outer_postBodyPS { display: none; } #psGradient { display: none; } #psPlaceHolder { display: none; } #psExpand { display: none; } Easy-to-use, full-color, A-to-Z reference guides to basic and advanced techniques.

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Product Details

Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Running Press Book Publishers (March 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1561385344
ISBN-13: 978-1561385348
Product Dimensions: 9 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (17 customer reviews)

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #833,792 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #59 in Books > Education & Reference > Encyclopedias > Science Fiction & Fantasy

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John Grant

Customer Reviews

17 Reviews

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.1 out of 5 stars (17 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Realistic advice, legitimately useful tips, marvelous art, August 19, 2000

Peter Vinton Jr. (Not near Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (Hardcover)

Grant and Tiner have managed to put together a pretty darned useful piece of work here (while, admittedly, not passing up an opportunity to showcase as much of their own work as they could fit). Newsflash: There are NO shortcuts to being an effective fantasy illustrator; you must make a serious study of classical art, human (and animal) anatomy, color theory, and all that other stuff you groaned about in your mandatory 9th grade art class. Especially helpful section at the end dealing with portfolio preparation and effective marketing tactics. Mention is made of Vallejo, Royo, Whelan, Frazetta, Miller, all the pros. If you're serious about your illustration career, pick this one up!

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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very inspirational, December 29, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (Hardcover)

The layout of this book is excellent, it was very inspirational to me and i refer back to it time and time again for new ideas. The inforamtion is informative and the pictures are great too. I love it. Definitely worth getting..... you wont regret it.

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13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is real art, August 26, 2000

Greg Hughes - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques (Hardcover)

This is the book all aspiring fantasy artists should have on their shelves.

As well as having pictures of beautiful work, the book is full of useful and informative writing about techniques, materials, colours, and also has some good "brainstorming" projects. Incidentally, this is the book where I first heard of Mervyn Peake's "Gormenghast Trilogy". I did a painting of Gormenghast Castle, as it suggested in the book, and sold it for $100!

Sadly, work for fantasy artists is quite rare in Australia, especially in Brisbane. A lot of ordinary people won't take fantasy and science fiction seriously as an art form. I don't know if it's because of conservatism, or just plain lack of interest. Either way it's annoying. Many people associate it with "Star Trek" and brand it "kitsch" or "unoriginal".

Much of the fantasy art I do is of futuristic cities and post-apocalyptic scenes. Radioactive fallout gives me a good excuse for having bad figure work! The "Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques" also dispels a lot of myths. For example: there's nothing wrong with using photographs! (As long as you own the copyright to it.) The book also proves that the computer is a valid art tool.

If you have a good imagination, this book is certainly worth having.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great artwork throughout
I've had this title for a number of years and in my opinion it's underrated. At 176 pages I would hardly call it an encyclopedia, but as a general reference book I've enjoyed it... Read more

Published 9 months ago by Stop Motion Maniac

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect reference, at any time...
When you first look at the book, you think that it would be a disappointment... However, this book is a great reference about many aspects of fantasy art with very nice tricks... Read more

Published on April 4, 2008 by Emoshus

5.0 out of 5 stars a pioneer and still a strong resource
Way back when I was first interested in seriously improving my skills, this book was about the only thing I could find anywhere. Read more

Published on November 29, 2006 by B. B. Bridenbaugh

3.0 out of 5 stars Encyclopedia is a bit misleading a title.
I would more call this book an overview of fantasy and science fiction art techniques, for it does not have the scope or detail included to merit the title "Encyclopedia". Read more

Published on January 9, 2005 by Nicole N. Pellegrini

3.0 out of 5 stars Books won't do it all
Every book has some points or knowledge that will help us do better, but to expect a book by Vallejo or Michael Whelan to turn us into an artist of their caliber is asking a bit... Read more

Published on March 12, 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars Too comics-heavy
The authors (artists) give you interesting lesson plans for drawing Fantasy Art in diferent techniques. Unfortunately, a lot of their examples come from comic book art. Read more

Published on June 19, 2003 by Eric Turowski

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Choice !
This is one of my all time favorites. It doesn't take the pencil out of your hand and draw for you, but it gives wonderful examples and descriptions of a variety of sci-fi and... Read more

Published on April 21, 2003 by JD

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the wait
Saw this book. Wanted it. Lost track of it. Forgot about it. Found it seven years later in my local bookstore just a few months ago. Was well worth the wait.
Hallelujah.

Published on October 20, 2002 by Carmen K. Welsh Jr.

1.0 out of 5 stars Terrible
I bought this book, hoping that it could help me with my drawing techniques. But when i got it, i was sorely disapointed about the content of this book. Read more

Published on January 1, 2002 by D. Pachal

3.0 out of 5 stars False Title.
I got this book because it said "Techniques" on it and I was hoping for techniques and how to draw Fantasy and Science Fiction. When I got the book in I opened it. Read more

Published on December 5, 2001

› See all 17 customer reviews...

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
Most artists gravitate toward a comparatively small selection of tools and materials: some will be happiest using gouache on canvas, with perhaps a touch of airbrush; others will prefer line and wash on cartridge paper, or oils on textured board, or . . . It is through such specializations, either deliberate or intuitive, that artists develop their own particular styles. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
fantasy art, impossible structures, high fantasy, conventional perspective

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Ron Tiner, Henry Flint, Paul Campion, John Holmes, Paul Bartlett, Steve Firchow, Terry Oakes, Dan Seagrave, Alan Baker, Danny Flynn, Alan Jefferson, Brian Partridge, David Farren, John Ottinger, Steve Crisp, Tom Abba

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Citations (learn more)

This book cites 43 books:

Through The Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll on 4 pages
Through the Looking Glass (Classics Illustrated) by Lewis Carroll on 4 pages
Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll in Front Matter, page 110, and page 111
War of the Worlds by H G Wells on page 141, and page 147
The Invisible Man and The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells on page 141, and page 147

See all 43 books this book cites

3 books cite this book:

Shakespearean Detectives by Mike Ashley in Back Matter
The Mammoth Book of Arthurian Legends by Mike Ashley on page 263
Gothic Motifs in the Fiction of William Gibson (Postmodern Studies 36) by Tatiani G. Rapatzikou in Front Matter

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