Legendary pro fantasy artists including Adam Hughes, James Gurney, Mélanie Delon and Raymond Swanland present step-by-step advice for painting great character and creature art.
Welcome to Fantasy Art essentials
Fantasy Art Essentials
Boris Vallejo and Julie Bell • Be inspired by the legendary artists behind some of fantasy’s most iconic images
Jean ‘Moebius’ Giraud
HR Giger
Brothers Hildebrandt
Ken Kelly
Nicolas ‘Sparth’ Bouvier
Luis Royo
Aaron Sims
ART LEGENDS • Advice and techniques from iconic artists
Interview Frank Frazetta • An icon, a legend and an inspiration – we pay tribute to Frank Frazetta, the godfather of fantasy art
Photoshop LOOK TO FRAZETTA FOR INSPIRATION • Tap into Frank Frazetta’s iconic style of painting without ending up with a poor copy. Jean-Sébastien Rossbach tips his hat to the master artist
Interview Brian Froud • With every painting, the artist Brian Froud brings to life characters and creatures from British folklore, reaching back thousands of years
THE DARK CHRYSALIS? • A funny thing happened on the way to the cinema
LABYRINTH • How Brian Froud gave Jim Henson the original concept for this fantasy flick
Artist insight THE NATURE OF FAERIE ART • Folklorist and faerie artist Marc Potts reveals his 21 tips to get inspired, and admits that in his area of specialism it helps to be just the tiniest bit loopy
Interview Rodney Matthews • “I encourage people to get on my wavelength a bit and, without being pretentious, travel to far-flung planets.” Welcome to the world of Rodney Matthews
Traditional skills TELL A STORY • Legendary fantasy artist Rodney Matthews demonstrates how to create a painting that conveys a convincing story
THE ART OF DUNGEONS & DRAGONS • Without a doubt, the D&D phenomenon defined fantasy artwork. We take a trip back to D&D’s early era of inspiration and find out how its look has been reinvented
ART MASTERS • Inspiration and tutorials from today’s pro artists
Interview Mélanie Delon • In the guise of Eskarina, Mélanie Delon creates enigmatic fantasy portraits, each with their own rich mythologies
Painter & Photoshop FEATHERS AND ANGEL WINGS • Wings and feathers can be tricky to paint. Mélanie Delon explains her technique for creating a realistic look
Artist Portfolio JASON RAINVILLE • The Canadian fantasy and sci-fi illustrator tells Gary Evans why it’s crucial to build up a pattern when tackling a project
BRUTAL, BOMBASTIC, AND HORRIFYING • Jason tells us how this brief from an adult RPG became a baroque bloodbath
Photoshop BUILDING UP NARRATIVE & CHARACTER • Discover the design tricks you can use to create a clear story and memorable character designs with Jason Rainville
Interview Dan Scott • Fantasy fan Dan Scott has managed to turn his passion for the genre into his career. It helps to have talent, too
PAINTING OUT YOUR DEMONS • Dan Scott explains the pros and cons of fighting the fantasy style sheets
IN A LEAGUE OF HIS OWN • Dan Scott signed on to paint one of his favourite superheroes. Here’s what he thinks of the piece
Photoshop CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF A D&D CHARACTER • A strong D&D image is always a crowd-pleaser. Dan Scott takes aim at a classic character class
Interview John Kearney • A glimpse into the world of the former games industry artist John Kearney, who isn’t averse to a bit of creative masochism to develop his considerable talents
Photoshop BEAUTY IS ONLY SKIN DEEP • Discover how to give your fantasy characters realistic skin using Photoshop. John Kearney fleshes some ideas...