James manages to be is very informative about past practices of leading illustrators as well as providing very clear explanations about traditional concepts and his own particular techniques developed over many years in his very successful career as a creative artist. They also go way beyond what gets highlighted when composition gets discussed in most forums and books. The approaches to developing a composition and the various devices discussed in the book are also ones which are important to the education of any artist wanting to paint in a realistic way. This book is so good I'd recommend that any aspiring fine artist buys it just for Chapter 11 which deals with composition. I looked at the Degas maquettes in the Musée d'Orsay in a whole new light after reading this book This book reminded me of all the ways that artists who pre-date photography often worked - assembling finished paintings from studies, mock-ups and maquettes. Many of the technical approaches he uses are also rooted in classical realism. The bias is towards Gurney's normal fantasy art subject matter but the principles are applicable to all painters who create works which involve some element of imagined realism. The reason being that this book sets a very high standard for all art instruction books as it is jam packed full of useful content which is both very accessible and highly informative. A month after publication it holds on to the #1 slot in art books about Realism. On publication this book became the #1 art instruction book on Amazon. The book also includes a useful section on careers and a detailed glossary. This vast number of topics are typically covered in double page spreads with dense but succinct text and relevant images at various stages of development. He also demonstrates the use of thumbnail sketches, storyboards, charcoal comprehensive drawings, tone paper studies and a variety of approaches and techniques relevant to composition. Instead the focus is on the use of plein-air studies, models photographed in costume, maquettes, models and tableaus. This is NOT a book about the use of digital tools. (Right click the Table of Contents on the right and open in a new tabe to see the contents page) Imaginative Realismlinks traditional techniques with contemporary visualisation.Īward-winning fantasy artist and the creator of Dinotopia, James Gurney systematically examines and details practical methods for creating believable pictures of imaginary subjects.

Synopsis: This book has been described as the ultimate reference for fans of science fiction and fantasy illustration. Title: Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist Cover of Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist by James Gurney

Imaginative Realism by James Gurney