Drawing & Painting Fantasy Beasts
Kevin Walker
Barron's
Nonfiction, Art
****
Description
Contributions from several artists describe the process of creating original fantasy beasts, from sphinxes and minotaurs to bizarre predators and elementals.
Review
Not a book for beginners by any means, it doesn't bother with anatomy lessons or shading or other issues. It assumes the reader/artist knows a thing or two about creating basic art, despite starting with the near-obligatory sections on setting up a studio and choosing a medium. The bulk of the book is just what the title says, a series of fantasy beasts from a variety of environments. Only a few bear any resemblance to well-known creatures, and even they take the basic ideas in wild directions. Some of the final images bugged me; the anatomy seemed iffy on one or two, even given the stylization, and once again they messed up on converting bat wings to dragons (this time, they got the wrist properly identified, but they forgot that there are joints in the fingers, as well as an elbow joint.) Overall, an inspiring read, and even the drawings I wasn't too fond of are well beyond my current skill level anyway.