Drawing and Painting Fantasy Landscapes and Cityscapes

A lucid and comprehensive guide to the fundamentals of modern fantasy art-making. There are several featured pieces throughout the book which take the reader step-by-step through the artist's creative process, something I found to be enormously instructive. This book won't make anyone a great artist (no book will) but it will certainly help focus and hone one's techniques, as well as introduce some possibilities one may not have considered before. I'd recommend for anyone from beginner to advanced skill level: beyond that you probably no longer need a book...

I dabble in fantasy art, being much better at looking at it than actually creating the stuff myself. I did enjoy this work. While I will never be as good as the work displayed in this book, I use books such as this for inspiration and motivation. This work is well done. It gives some good, basic tips in developing this particular genre of art. It would be difficult to say if this work is good for beginners or if it is only for the advanced student. We all have our own level. I personally found it helpful, interesting and quite motivating. If nothing else, it is fun to thumb through and just look at the wonderful pictures.

I have an ever expanding library of art books focusing on techniques for drawing and painting. This by far is one of the best I have found. It covers ever medium from oils to computer aided illustration, offering insight into seeking sources for inspiration, planning and design, and final implementation. The author provides examples from well known and well respected artists, helping both the professional and amateur develop their skills. I would recommend this book to anyone who is seeking guidance for their art.

Fantasy enthusiasts and artists who would create their own cities and worlds will learn much from Rob Alexander, a working illustrator who has moved between games and collectible card game markets to magazine art. He's known for his fantasy and science fiction works as well as for landscapes and fine art, and Drawing & Painting Fantasy Landscapes & Cityscapes combines all his talents, packing in color examples throughout to help with fine drawings of fine art works. An outstanding 'how to' guide any aspiring fantasy artist can learn from. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

Let's face it: anyone creating a fantastic landscape has a lot to overcome. In order to make a totally imaginary scene believable, it has to make the unrealistic appear real. The first half of this book deals with techniques and media for creating realistic landscapes. The second half of the book adds the fantasy flavor, and that's where the book really begins to sing. The gallery of landscapes includes a number of in-progress illustrations, allowing the reader to see how professionals work up their final paintings. There is plenty of information to be gleaned from this source for both traditional painters and those using newer, digital media. I would recommend this book for anyone interested in landscape illustration, even if you aren't interested in fantasy.