Books Reviews

How to Draw and Paint Fantasy Architecture – Book Review

By Angela Youngman May 27, 2011, 1:16 GMT

This book is a how-to guide to the essential techniques for capturing fantastic buildings, alien architecture, alternate realities, and ancient citadels - and make it all look convincing. Exploring different media - traditional and digital - the book takes you step-by-step through the techniques you need for turning your own imaginative ideas into finished art. You will learn how to find useful reference pictures of real-life buildings and architectural details ...more

Stunning is the only word to describe this book.  The illustrations are positively out of this world and are guaranteed to inspire generations of artists.  Rob Alexander has set out to show how to draw buildings from a variety of architectural styles - and then transform them in a fantasy landscape. 

It provides a basic introduction into the main architectural forms eg gothic, Asian, Romanesque, MesoAmerican and futuristic.  Details, history, methods, features and construction are discussed from the point of view of an artist who wants to understand the architecture from a visual perspective and then use it to create fantasy worlds. 

An extremely useful part of the book is the way in which Alexander shows artists how to recreate specific features such as thatching, marble, wood, joinery, and even weathered and aged materials.  Detailed instructions are given at each stage explaining how to create a specific effect.

The book ends with a look at the techniques and methods by which some practicing artists such as Tom Kidd and Stephen Hickman have been used to produce incredible works of art.  Definitely a must have book for fantasy artists.