J. "NeonDragon" Peffer Impact Books Nonfiction, YA? Art Themes: Dragons *****
Description
Perhaps no creature in the annals of fantasy is so universal and diverse as the dragon. They can be powerful and majestic, dark and brutish, big,
little, serious, silly, or anything else one can imagine. This makes drawing them quite the challenge. Using simple step-by-step instructions, plus
explanatory text and hints for creating original designs, NeonDragon teaches you how to draw a wide variety of dragons, plus a few other fantastic
creatures.
Review
I may be a bit generous with the top-notch rating, but this book did something that few have lately: it made me excited about drawing. I saw the
artist's website and knew I had to have the book. These aren't strictly realistic images, leaning more toward cartoons, but not caricatures. Peffer's
creatures show great variety in appearance and mood. She also covers a few critters seldom seen, such as the chimera and the kirin (the Asian unicorn.)
I find the instructions and images very helpful and inspirational.
(There is a reprint, billed as a "collector's edition", that might combine this title with the now-unavailable follow-up, DragonArt Evolution; I
have yet to do a direct comparison. If so, it's worth the extra investment to find.)
Dragons and griffins and such are well and good, but most fantasy worlds have humans - or something distinctly humanlike - in them as well. From
goblins to mermaids and elves to centaurs, J. "NeonDragon" Peffer (author of DragonArt) explains how to draw all manner of fantastic
characters.
Review
Like Peffer's previous book, this one makes me want to sit down and draw. Her humans, like her dragons and other creatures, have a manga-inspired
cartoonish look about them, but Peffer stresses underdrawings and (very) basic "matchstick" anatomy. It is not an all-inclusive book, but it does
demonstrate the great variety of fantastic humanoids that one can create, and gives enough hints for the ambitious, imaginative artist to continue on
their own way. Being an unabashed dracophile, I was partial to the first book, but this one's fun, too.
Dragons and fairies and monsters - oh, my! Noted fantasy artist J. "NeonDragon" Peffer gathers more than 70 works in this volume.
Review
With a few reprints from her previous DragonArt instruction books, most of this is new material, from personal works to commissions. She talks
briefly about some of the the subjects, and adds a few quick notes on the work process, but mostly it is just what it says at the outset: a gallery
showcasing her manga-influenced fantasy art. This honesty in advertising earned it back a half-star that it nearly lost for its sparse commentary.
If you like her stuff, or just like fantasy art, it's worth a look... especially if you find it, as I did, at half price.
