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Imaginative Realism

How to Paint What Doesn't Exist
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( 8,488 ratings, 106 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Imaginative Realism by James Gurney is an insightful guide that delves into the art of creating realistic yet fantastical artwork. It offers a comprehensive exploration of techniques used in painting imaginary subjects, ranging from drawing and composition to integrating lighting and colour. The book provides practical advice on visual storytelling, offering both inspiration and instruction for artists looking to bring their imaginative concepts to vivid life.
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Format: Paperback / softback
$7300

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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you're passionate about bringing fantasy worlds to life with vibrant illustrations. It offers incredible insights into the creative process, providing techniques and tips for combining imagination with realistic details, making it perfect for artists looking to enhance their painting skills and visual storytelling.

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Aguide to realistically representing the world of imagination, for beginners and professionals and everyone in between.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

See and shape the world in a way you never before imagined with this realistic fantasy illustration guide from award-winning artist and author James Gurney.

“Gurney's Imaginative Realism is a gold mine for artists who want to create images that sing with authority and delight the viewer with rich otherworldly visuals.” – Erik Tiemens, concept artist, Star Wars: Episodes II and III

Imaginative Realism is an indispensable, flawless reference for vision-makers in any discipline to create their own imaginative realms.” – Frank M. Costantino, ASAI, SI, FSAI, JARA, cofounder, American Society of Architectural Illustrators

In Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist, Dinotopia creator James Gurney instructs and inspires beginning artists and fans of fantasy art, sharing his uncanny ability to incorporate amazing detail and imagination into stunningly realistic fantasy settings and teaching, step-by-step, the techniques that won him worldwide critical acclaim. This groundbreaking work examines the practical methods for creating believable pictures of imaginary subjects, such as dinosaurs, ancient Romans, alien creatures, and distant worlds.

Alongside a survey of imaginative paintings from the Renaissance to the golden Age of American illustration, the book explains not just techniques like sketching and composition, but the fundamentals of believable world-building, including archaeology, architecture, anatomy for creatures and aliens, and fantastic engineering. It concludes with details and valuable advice on careers in fantasy illustration, including video game and film concept art and toy design.

More than an instruction book, this is the ultimate reference for artists as well as fans of science fiction and fantasy illustration.

Series: James Gurney Art

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  • Color and Light
    A researched study on two of art's most fundamental themes, Color and Light bridges the gap between abstract theory and practical knowledge. Beginning with a survey of underappreciated masters who perfected the use of colour and light, the book examines how light reveals form, the properties of colour and pigments, and the wide variety of atmospheric effects. Gurney cuts through...
    Paperback
    $7300
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Imaginative Realism
    See and shape the world in a way you never before imagined with this realistic fantasy illustration guide from award-winning artist and author James Gurney. “Gurney's Imaginative Realism is a gold mine for artists who want to create images that sing with authority and delight the viewer with rich otherworldly visuals.” – Erik Tiemens, concept artist, Star Wars: Episodes II...
    Paperback
    $7300
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780740785504

Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 29 October 2009

Country: United States

Imprint: Andrews McMeel Publishing

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 15.0mm

Width: 229.0mm

Height: 267.0mm

Weight: 912g

Pages: 224

About the Author

 James Gurney's unique blending of fact and fantasy has won Hugo, Chesley, Spectrum, and World Fantasy Awards. His work has been featured in one-man exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution, the Norman Rockwell Museum, the Delaware Art Museum, and the U.S. embassies in Switzerland and Yemen. He lives with his wife, Jeanette, in the Hudson Valley of New York State.

Also by James Gurney

View all
  • Color and Light
    A researched study on two of art's most fundamental themes, Color and Light bridges the gap between abstract theory and practical knowledge. Beginning with a survey of underappreciated masters who perfected the use of colour and light, the book examines how light reveals form, the properties of colour and pigments, and the wide variety of atmospheric effects. Gurney cuts through...
    Paperback
    $7300
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Artist’s Guide to Sketching
    A bold new edition of the groundbreaking book by two of America's most prominent visual artists, James Gurney (Dinotopia, Color and Light), and Thomas Kinkade, freshly updated with a new introduction, archival photographs, and illuminating text to guide a new generation of illustrators. "If I could only have one drawing book on my shelf, it would be this one." –...
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  • Life Lessons from Dinosaurs
    A lighthearted collection of homespun wisdom from dinosaurs, featuring beautifully painted scenes from the New York Times bestselling Dinotopia books by author James Gurney. As the original dominant species on planet Earth, what advice might dinosaurs have for another species on the possible verge of extinction? And who better than to bring language to tyrant lizards than James Gurney, whose Dinotopia books...
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