The Fantasy Figure Artist's Reference File with CD-ROM [Spiral-bound]

Peter Evans (Author), Glenn Fabry (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

Both professional and student illustrators of action and fantasy art can take the guesswork out of rendering extreme anatomy and dynamic action poses with help from this valuable reference source. It presents more than 600 detailed color photos of live models, and represents a wide range of physiques, postures, and poses that can be incorporated in fantasy scenarios. The book's accompanying CD-ROM contains all of the book's posed images, allowing illustrators to swipe them directly and paste them into their own computer art projects. The book also instructs on rendering realistic effects to the illustrated textures of flesh, hair, clothing, and metal objects, as well as advice on adding highlights, backlights, and shadows. Here is a valuable reference source that belongs in every illustrator's personal library. All images are copyright free.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

(back cover)
From beautiful and graceful elven queens to disfigured and bloodthirsty goblins, here is all the live reference material you'll need to give your fantasy art the edge in a competitive market.

Over 600 detailed color photographs serve as references for drawing every kind of fantasy figure, all in appropriate costumes, plus many in detailed action sequences

Packed with poses from unusual angles and perspectives, close-ups of facial expressions, and difficult details such as hands and accessories

Features tips on creating dramatic lighting effects, interesting compositions, and realistic expressions with a step-by-step demonstration of a finished painting based on models from the book

The bonus CD-ROM allows illustrators to work directly from all photographs without need to scan them

Peter Evans has been a costume designer and prop maker in the fantasy industry for over 20 years. He has written for fantasy magazines and comics and his work can be seen in many films (Willow, The Princess Bride) television shows, and theater productions. Peter lives and works in London.



Glenn Fabry is legendary in the fantasy art world for his amazing paintings. He is the author of the best-selling Anatomy for Fantasy Artists, published in North America by Barron's.

About the Author

Peter Evans has been a costume designer and prop maker in the fantasy industry for more than 20 years. His work appears in many fantasy magazines, comic books, movies, and TV and theater productions.

Glen Fabry has more than 20 years' experience as a freelance fantasy illustrator. He is also the author of Anatomy for Fantasy Artists, published in North America by Barron's.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 160 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764179616
• ISBN-13: 978-0764179617
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,777 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not extreme or dynamic, but still has some good parts, January 2, 2007

By 

Heidi Morris - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fantasy Figure Artist's Reference File with CD-ROM (Spiral-bound)

Unfortunately, this book did not live up to my expectations. Overall, it was uninspiring to me, especially in creating my own characters. As a reference photo book, it fails because the poses are not extreme and dynamic as promised. It also seems to try to reach beyond its scope with a section on painting and many comments on characters beyond anatomy and costume.

Pros:

- "Anatomical studies" show each character type in only shorts (or shorts and sports bra for women) so you know what the body looks like in some poses.

- Summary of character wardrobe

- Poses of characters in wardrobe may help in drawing clothing -- depicting folds, how certain material hangs, etc.

- As another review mentioned, an overweight man ("cleric" and "norseman" types) and a small person ("warrior dwarf" type) are shown here, and both are helpful.

- Captions in the book often direct you to details (how material is bunching up a certain way, how a shoulder strap hangs off the body in a certain pose) or notes about anatomy ("legs need to be placed apart because they will have to bend to compensate for the weight of the ax")

- Section of close-up facial expressions (male and female)

- Although brief, there are also some photos of hand detail, including props like rings & bracelets, and accessory details -- boots, belts, jewelry

- Spiral binding allows the book to lay flat (although when you're drawing, you'll probably print images from the CD instead)

Cons:

- Uninteresting poses. This is the sale-killer for me. Although the book says the photos depict "extreme anatomy and dynamic action poses" I found the poses to be too plain. There was no "extreme" posing where the body is in extreme angles -- lunging, jumping, twisting. Instead, someone is standing still with their arms raised and feet spread, but there is no action happening. You can tell because there is a lack of tense muscles.

- The back of the book has a section on painting characters that seems out of place. This is a photo reference book, not a painting book. Unless you already know about painting with acrylics, this section is useless.

- Some captions have irrelevant comments. In a caption of a photo showing a happy "warrior prince" face, it notes, "All characters should be able to feel elation and happiness."

Summary: although a few poses are good, don't expect most of them to be "extreme" or "dynamic." Note that this is not an instruction book on learning anatomy, and you should have at least a basic understanding of human anatomy to use this book well.

Books that I would recommend for beginning artists:

- Human Anatomy Made Amazingly Easy by Christopher Hart

- Drawing the Living Figure by Joseph Sheppard

- Dynamic Figure Drawing by Burne Hogarth (great for flow of action)

- Perspective! For Comic Book Artists by David Chelsea

- Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery: Solutions for Drawing the Clothed Figure by Burne Hogarth

- Action Anatomy: For Gamers, Animators, and Digital Artists by Takashi Iijima

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome addition to my reference library., October 2, 2006

By 

Rickey Johnson "Rick" (Tuscaloosa, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Fantasy Figure Artist's Reference File with CD-ROM (Spiral-bound)

As a cartoonist working on a fantasy book, The Fantasy Figure Artist's Reference File is a must have. The photographs are clear and the poses are very useful to the action artist. AND the range of model types is amazing. It's rare to find images of a fat man in an art reference book..and I think this is the very first time I've seen pictures and poses of a little person! This book will be placed on the top level of my reference book shelf.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not very good..., March 14, 2008

By 

Cosmo Kramer "The Real Peterman" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Fantasy Figure Artist's Reference File with CD-ROM (Spiral-bound)

This book is just not what I thought it would be. Extreme anatomy? No, not really.

First, all the women are the same body type, which is they all are a bit thick. I would like to see more variations here. At least some of the models should be athletic, some overweight, some curvaceous. Extremes. Like they promise. The men really aren't any better. The variety is poor.

So, maybe they are saying that the anatomy of average looking people is taken to extremes? Well...

I can't tell with most of the models, as the clothes get in the way of many of the poses. If it's just a book about costumed references, that's fine (though then I'd like more professional costumes). But it says, right on the cover, extreme anatomy and dynamic poses.

What is the point of offering that if you can't see the body? If you can't see how the muscles contort and react to the poses, you might as well draw cylinders for arms and legs and drape heavy robes over them and call it a day.

Honestly, this book looks like they went to a Renaissance fair and asked some of the patrons to pose for them, rather than a professional book with professional models and research.