Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction Art Techniques: A Comprehensive A-Z Directory of Techniques, with an Inspirational Gallery of Finished Wor

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.

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.

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.

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 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.