Customer Reviews

The Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques

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

 

 

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!

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.

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.

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". Art tools and materials are covered so superficially as to not really merit inclusion at all. Certain basic drawing techniques such as characterization and perspective are covered briefly in 2-4 pages, but are only really useful to those with some basic drawing skills already.

What this book is perhaps best used for is as a source for inspiration, giving some nice examples of work by many masters of the field such as Jael, Jim Burns, David A. Hardy, and Boris Vallejo. Different subgenres of fantasy art are covered from space art to horror, and it is nice that the images are all reproduced in color (unlike some art books which try to save money and reproduce most images in black and white.)

This volume alone will not turn someone into a master fantasy artist overnight, nor is it one of the better overviews of the field that I have seen. Still, for someone just looking to explore the field of science-fiction/fantasy art in more detail and curious about some of the techniques and styles used, this is not a bad volume to add to your collection.

It is true that this book is for the beginner. It is very informative without making you feel like you are studying. It gives you an idea of how an Illustrator thinks...it includes tips and exercizes that challenge and some that seem to help you rebel and do your own thing. It has great pictures that inspire and also a section on "Getting Published". I would recommend this to any aspiring Illustrator.

an informative book to introduce what fantasy art is and the elements of fantasy art, for beginner only !

Way back when I was first interested in seriously improving my skills, this book was about the only thing I could find anywhere. Maddening to look through a dozen similar books on watercolor flowers when you wanted to do knights and dragons. Now, at last, there are a lot of books on the subject, but this book is still one of the best. Not just how to, but a collection of inspirational sources for experimenting with.

This is a beautiful,inspiring book with a lot of good examples of Science Fiction art. It is the perfect book for someone who would like to start drawing this kind of stuff,and gives you the feeling you could draw this if you sat down and tried.

The great thing about this book is that it will appeal to both novice and professional alike. The book is extremly inspirational, i defy anyone to look through it and not be inspired to pick up a pencil and start drawing. I first saw the book in my local library and after renewing it 10 times i was told that perhaps i should buy my own copy ! Although the book does contain many instructional items it is the reproductions of other artists works that will really inspire you.

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. While I feel that comic books are an art form (probably one of the most difficult ones to master) I wanted more traditional fare, like Frazetta, Boris, pen-and-ink pulp, and like that.
It's still fun to follow the lesson plan. Give it a try.