Drawing and Painting Fantasy Landscapes and Cityscapes: Create your own mythical cities, planets, and lost worlds

130 Pages·2006·58.178 MB·English

by  Rob Alexander Art

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A
L
E
Create your own X
A
N
mythical cities, planets, D
E
R
and lost worlds
Choose a medium
Learn about the characteristics
of different media,and find the
perfect fit for your fantasy style
Get acquainted with fantasy
Understand the elements
art fundamentals
that make up a landscape
Discover how to create dynamic
Learn how to draw what you see,
compositions,choose color schemes,and
and then make it fantastic
achieve depth and mood in your artwork
Learn from
professional artists
Follow the step-by-step
techniques used to make
great art,and see how
today’s artists bend,push,
and break the rules
Illustration by Tom Kidd All other cover illustrations by Rob Alexander
Front and back cover main images © Wizards of the coast, Inc
Rob Alexander is an illustrator and conceptual
ISBN-13: 978-0-7641-3260-5
artist working in the publishing,magazine, ISBN-10: 0-7641-3260-1
52499>
computer gaming,and collectable card game
markets.He paints fine art,fantasy,science fiction, AN
E
children's illustrations,and contemporary
landscapes and has received numerous awards 9 780764 132605
including a prestigious Chesley Award from the $24.99 Canada $29.99
Association of Science Fiction and Fantasy Artists. www.barronseduc.com
With a contribution from Martin McKenna
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DRAWING & PAINTING
FANTASY LANDSCAPES
& CITYSCAPES
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DRAWING & PAINTING
FANTASY LANDSCAPES
& CITYSCAPES
Create your own mythical cities,
planets, and lost worlds
ROB ALEXANDER
With a contribution from Martin McKenna
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A QUARTO BOOK
First edition for North America published in 2006
by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
Copyright © 2006 Quarto Inc.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form,
by photostat, microfilm, xerography, or any other
means, or incorporated into any information retrieval
system, electronic or mechanical, without the
written permission of the copyright owner.
All inquiries should be addressed to:
Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
http://www.barronseduc.com
ISBN-13: 978-0-7641-3260-5
ISBN-10: 0-7641-3260-1
Library of Congress Control Number: 2005920614
QUAR.LCS
Conceived, designed, and produced by
Quarto Publishing Plc
The Old Brewery
6 Blundell Street
London N7 9BH
project editor: Lindsay Kaubi
art editor and designer: Elizabeth Healey
copy editor: Claire Waite Brown
assistant art director: Penny Cobb
picture researcher: Claudia Tate
proofreader: Sue Viccars
indexer: Diana LeCore
art director: Moira Clinch
publisher: Paul Carslake
Manufactured by Provision PTE Ltd, Singapore
Printed in China
987
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C O N T E N T S
INTRODUCTION 6 CHAPTER 3:
CREATING FANTASY
CHAPTER 1: REALMS 68
BASICS OF ART 7 Ancient City 70
Pencils and Ink 8 City of the Future 74
Watercolor 10 Aqua City 76
Acrylic Paint 12 Forest City 80
Oil Paint 14 Subterranean City 84
Working Digitally 16 Ancient Places 86
Inspiration 18 Forest Setting 90
Using Reference 20 Savannah 92
Sketching 22 Mountain Range 96
Using Roughs 24 Seascape 98
Composition 26 Water World 100
Value, Light, and Shadow 30 Dream Landscape 104
Color Theory 34 At the End of it All 106
Basic Perspective 38
Architectural Details 44 CHAPTER 4:
Distance, Depth, and Scale 46 GALLERY 108
Mood and Drama 48 A Land of Giants 110
Seasonal Variations 50 Cities of Mystery 112
Weather and Time of Day 52 Nightlands 113
City Depths 114
CHAPTER 2: Deserts of Ice and Sand 116
ELEMENTS OF Planes of Unreality 118
LANDSCAPE 56 Vistas of Ruins 119
Skies and Clouds 58 Strangely Familiar 120
Mountains and Caves 60 Watery Domains 121
Forests, Trees, Foliage 62 Towering Fantasy 122
Sand and Snow 64 Fantastic Viewpoints 124
Water and Reflections 66
Index 126
Credits 128
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I N T R O D U C T I O N
This book is intended for the serious artist or art Remember, also, that once you have learned
student. It will teach you what you need to know the rules, you will have a much better
in order to draw and paint your own images well understanding of when and how to break them.
and with confidence, as well as give you a good Rules are meant to be broken, but first you must
understanding of the hows and whys of picture- understand them.
making. The focus is on fantasy landscapes, but This book is organized into four chapters:
the information applies equally well to any form Basics of Art, Elements of Landscape, Creating
or subject of representational painting. Fantasy Realms, and the Gallery, each building
Once you've read through the book and upon the information that precedes it. A great
become both familiar and comfortable with the painting doesn't just happen; it is crafted. It comes
information presented, you will have a firm grasp about based on the choices and experiences of the
of the fundamentals of drawing and painting, and artist. The artist decides that he or she will create
a good introduction to materials. You will also something wonderful, then brings all his or her
have had the chance to get behind the eyes of skill and knowledge to bear in order to craft the
several of today's best artists, to study not only painting and make it a masterpiece.
what choices they’ve made but also why those This book will show you how to do that and
choices were made and why they work. allow you to create beautiful images of your own.
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CHAPTER 1
B A S I C S O F A R T
Basics of Art first discusses that most personal of choices: which medium to paint with.
This section will familiarize you with many of the most common mediums in use, show
you what the strengths of each are, and allow you to find the best fit for your particular
style. Basics of Art then covers all the fundamentals of art, from getting inspiration to
composition and color theory, perspective, values, and achieving depth and mood,
including a study of the use of different seasons, time of day, and weather to allow you to
create the image you want effectively and with confidence.
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B A S I C S O F A R T
PENCILS AND INK
Graded pencils
can be used to
Pencils and ink are the most common and familiar of all the artist's tools. Portable, easy
make a variety
to use, and versatile, they are a staple in almost every artist's repertoire. However, their of different
marks and a
familiarity and the ease with which they may be picked up and used often leads range of values.
us to forget an underlying truth to drawing with lines and marks. Namely, that of all
the aspects of a scene that an artist tries to capture on the page or canvas—
value, texture, form, color, and so on—line is the only one that does not
exist in nature.
Dip pens are
great tools
for making A line may be soft and As you pay more attention to
expressive suggestive or hard and harsh. It the edges and linear qualities of
lines.
can be crisp and clean or broken, what you are seeing, you will find
dark or light, thick or thin, large that you are also learning how to
What we think of as a line, what or small. The artist needs to be paint those edges and objects
we draw as a line, is the apparent able to use all of these variations convincingly. The way you
edge of an object, the internal and more in every portion of perceive and draw the edges or
structure of the object, or the every drawing he or she does in shapes of an object is crucial to Water-
meeting point of two shapes or order to convey the illusion of creating the illusion of reality in soluble pencils
are useful wet
planes. You may draw a line reality to the viewer. your paintings, whether it's with a
or dry.
where a tree branch and the sky Line drawings are concerned pencil line or painted with color
seem to meet, but if you change primarily with edges and how and value.
your position and walk behind these are created or affected by
the tree, you will find that that light. When you look at the edges TONAL DRAWING drawing or ink-wash
line does not exist and that there of something you begin to get an Drawing with tone—shading with painting before starting
is no edge to the tree branch. understanding of its nature and a pencil, or making an ink-wash any color work to make
how it is being affected by the drawing—rather than line is sure your values and
LINE DRAWING light. You will notice that much more like painting. Indeed, composition work strongly. Good
It is possible to create an accurate illuminated planes have a crisp pencil is no more than a dry paintings do not happen of their
representation of a scene simply edge, while those in the shadows pigment, similar to pastel in many own accord, but are crafted.
by mimicking what you see before have a much softer, less defined respects, and an ink wash is very
you, by mixing dabs of color in edge. Hard planes, such as those similar to a watercolor or thin
the correct value and hue and of a building, have a strong acrylic wash. For these nonlinear
applying them accurately to the delineation from their drawing options, think of your
canvas. Lines, however, are a environment, while the rounded tools more as paints than as
creation of the artist: an attempt tree trunk will be less distinct. drawing tools, and shift your
to create something that has Accurate drawing requires focus toward thinking about how
meaning only because the choices both a very intimate knowledge of to capture light and its effects
of the artist give it meaning. your subject, and the ability to upon your scene: how and where
Use a
communicate that knowledge to it reveals value, texture, shape,
kneaded
the viewer. As an artist you need form, and color. The more you eraser to
to think about whether the object practice this with your pencils create
highlights.
curves toward you or away from and inks, the stronger and better
Mechanical
you, and how you would draw your painting skills will pencils and
that. Is the material you are become. technical pens
are easy to use.
drawing soft or hard, thin or An especially useful
but lack
thick, flexible or rigid? Or a method of working is to variation in the
combination of all these aspects? do a finished tonal lines they
produce.
Colored inks can be
used in the same way
as black ink.
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P E N C I L S A N D I N K
USING PENCILS AND INK
GRADED PENCILS EXPRESSIVE LINES THREE-DIMENSIONAL FORM
Soft pencils produce dark marks (right), while Use the edge as well as the point of your pencil When drawing three-dimensional forms it
hard pencils produce light gray marks (left). to get expression in your lines, and experiment should feel as if the pencil is moving over
Smooth papers create even tones, while textured with blending, smudging, and smearing to the object itself, rather than across a flat
papers allow a wider range of values. better describe the forms you are drawing. piece of paper.
GRADATIONS PENCIL AS DRY PIGMENT ERASER AS A DRAWING TOOL
Gradations are best created using a soft pencil Very large gradations can be achieved by Learn to think of the eraser not as a tool to
and starting with the darkest values. For large shaving the edge of a graphite stick with a knife correct mistakes but as another drawing tool,
areas, the side of the pencil often works well, to produce graphite powder. Work the powder which allows you to draw with light, rather
using gentle side-to-side strokes. with a smooth cloth or your fingers. than dark, values.
INK AND WASH INK AND PAINTBRUSH DIP PENS
A full range of values can be created using Vary the pressure of your brush stroke to control The irregular quality of lines made with a dip
waterproof ink on paper. Once it has dried, go the width of your lines, and experiment with pen convey a strong sense of movement.
over an ink drawing with ink washes to different brushes, from soft rounds to stiff bristle Experiment with different textures of paper to
establish all the midtones. flats and filberts, to create different textures. create interesting variations in your drawings.
INK WASH WITH HIGHLIGHTS TECHNICAL PENS UNUSUAL MARKS
First establish a full value range with ink The uniform line width, continuous ink supply, Scribbles, dashes, or blotches may convey what
washes, and then add the highlights with white and ease of use make technical pens an you need far better than lines. Experiment with
chalk or white gouache paint. This simulates appealing choice. Vary the direction and creating marks with your brush or pen, and also
the look and feel of an underpainting. spacing of your lines to create different effects. with objects, such as sticks, cloth, or feathers.
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