How to Draw and Paint Fairyland: A step-by-step guide to creating the world of fairies

Oct 08

Fantasy art tends to get quite specific and you'll often find yourself having to make sure you get just the right variety of dragon or dwarf if you don't want the world to laugh at you.

OK, I'm being unfair, but not as much (if you're a general reader) as you might think. So, this quite substantial volume offers a good variety of subject matter and pulls together figures, landscapes and buildings so that you can create a complete world without having to refer to a dozen or more different titles.

The result is a consistency of style that's very welcome and it does have to be said that the results are really rather charming. I've remarked elsewhere that I have a specific allergy to fantasy art, but this has won me over. The fairies aren't too cute, the flowers and plants in the background have a firm basis in reality and the buildings (castles, for the most part) are pretty much architecturally sound. A building inspector would condemn any house built in a toadstool, but that's building inspectors for you; lighten up guys, fairies have no weight so floor loadings just don't apply!

Anything like this has a particular market but work with Linda and you should be able to produce results that appeal to a more general audience. The instructions and demonstrations are first class, too.

Oct 08

Painting fairyland might at first sound rather daunting, as it must surely involve painting solely from the imagination. But most fairyfolk are based on the human form, and the world they inhabit contains mostly the same things are ours - think of Flower Fairies! What's more, as nobody has seen a real fairy they cannot tell you that you have painted them wrong...

Like any other type of painting, fantasy art starts with the same basics such as what to buy, and how to use it. This book contains this information, as well as how to achieve the right sort of look to your work. Painting an underwater environment for example, creating castles in the air or getting the scale right for a miniature world. The chapters talk you through the process, from getting started where you go shopping with the right list and then get to put your purchases through their paces. I particularly liked the attention to detail, such as the palette you need for each season, the right colors for painting weather, transferring with a grid and mixing leaf greens. Picture making involves just what it says, from getting inspired to keeping a sketchbook, composition and even some simple rules of perspective. There are some useful ready-to-draw files showing different items or beings you might find in Fairyland, from insects to furniture. Again, it is the small details that impressed me the most such as how to change a simple drawing of a lizard into a dragon, or getting the right veining on your leaves. Later on there are galleries and staged projects to work through, and by the end of the book I felt I knew more than I thought I would need to know which is surely the sign of a good practical book. If you want to have a go at this type of artwork then I honestly haven't seen a better book than this.

Dec 08

Offers a step-by-step guide to creating the world of fairies. It's a practical beginner's guide that includes all you need to know to draw and paint fairy habitats and the fairies that live there. Learn how to compose magical scenes, conjure up enchanting fairy figures, design your very own fairyland or assemble all the essential details. Step-by-step techniques explain how to draw and paint frosty leaves, clouds and rainbows, feathers, fruits, berries and mushrooms. As your skills develop, you'll be able to create your own individual style.

Oct 08

Fantasy art tends to get quite specific and you'll often find yourself having to make sure you get just the right variety of dragon or dwarf if you don't want the world to laugh at you.

OK, I'm being unfair, but not as much (if you're a general reader) as you might think. So, this quite substantial volume offers a good variety of subject matter and pulls together figures, landscapes and buildings so that you can create a complete world without having to refer to a dozen or more different titles.

The result is a consistency of style that's very welcome and it does have to be said that the results are really rather charming. I've remarked elsewhere that I have a specific allergy to fantasy art, but this has won me over. The fairies aren't too cute, the flowers and plants in the background have a firm basis in reality and the buildings (castles, for the most part) are pretty much architecturally sound. A building inspector would condemn any house built in a toadstool, but that's building inspectors for you; lighten up guys, fairies have no weight so floor loadings just don't apply!

Anything like this has a particular market but work with Linda and you should be able to produce results that appeal to a more general audience. The instructions and demonstrations are first class, too.