Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist (Volume 1) (James Gurney Art)

If you are a regular reader of James Gurney's blog, Gurney Journey, you would expect nothing less. This book is as good as I expected. He dispenses his knowledge as freely as he does on his blog. Here's what he says about his own book from the introduction: "This is not a book about figure drawing, anatomy, or perspective. It's not a step-by-step guide on how to draw dinosaurs. It's also not a recipe book for a particular paint technique, although all these topics are addressed in passing. What this book contains is a distillation of the time-tested methods that I've found to be most helpful for achieving realism in imaginative pictures." If you haven't got the hint from the title, this book is about making your art real and believable. In every chapter, James Gurney shares with us what he learned when creating his paintings. There are topics on people, dinosaurs, architecture, vehicles, composition and his step-by-steps (not techniques but process). The tips he gives can be applied on other subjects as well. The importance of research is emphasized and the amount of research he does really shows. While creating an illustration on ship wreckage for National Geographic, he talked to survivors to get an accurate account. He found out there's a drummer boy who used his drum as a float and drew that in. He also acted out the various poses of sailors in distress, rather than drawing them from imagination. The result is a painting that tells its story convincingly. The same goes for many of his other paintings. Another interesting read is the story of him trying to design a Dinotopian fire engine. When he presented his concept art to a professional fire engine designer, it was critiqued to have form but not function. There's lack of heat protection for the dinosaur, lack of understanding on how water hose works and a complicated water pump design. The revised concept is a huge improvement in believability that I thought it actually might work. He has provided lots of photos and his own work in the book. You'll get to see how he stages the props for reference, sketches and drafts, plenty of commissioned work (especially from National Geographic), the bird on his shoulder while he's drawing, the lousy-art incinerator he created from mirrors and other entertaining stuff. Imaginative Realism is an enlightening and fun read. Highly recommended to professionals, beginning art students and those who wish to push their art to the next level in terms of depth. (More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

Great book

After an initial read followed by a 2nd, I promise it’s not hyperbole when I say that this might be one of the best art books ever written. Between the insights into his setup and process, the general advice and practical wisdom on offer, and the brilliant and inspirational artwork he provides on every page, James Gurney has given us a modern classic. It’s a must-have and must-read for any artist of any level. Clear. Concise. Powerful. It may not be a step-by-step book in the traditional sense, but it truly is a manual for a practical approach to ingesting, digesting and creating great art.

Loves James’s work Supporting em Book is full of his insight and wonderful works

Before I get into the meat of my review, let me preface this for a seond. I'm a fantasy artist that's hoping to expand back into painting, something I left long ago. Most times when I look for great books to read in the field of arts, it's a lot of the really foundational stuff I know I would need, but sometimes, I want a book about the foundational stuff applied to what I specifically want to be doing. Congrats to me, I stumbled across this beauty. What a rich and diverse book this is, it's strength lies in the various examples and clear instructions it provides the reader in how to work through and create solid looking fantasy art. By applying the everyday principles of art with the imaginative examples (such as dinosaurs) in the book, you get one book with a whole lot of use out of it. Honestly, itf this bugger had like 100 more pages on how to paint building I probably wouldn't buy another fantasy art book for a good decade or so. If your an aspiring artst hoping to either get better at paints; see what they can do as a medium; or a pro just hoping to brush up (no pun intended) on what you already know but applied to some new things, this is the book for you.

REASON TO BUY Gurney makes lucid every primary aspect of illustration and fantasy in this book. His descriptions are clear, beautifully illustrated by his personal works. I've been studying art on my own, trying to utilize online resources, but those resources pale in comparison to this. This book does an amazing job of breaking down the complex and ineffable problems painters face. I learn something new everytime I open it! Not only that, but Gurney approaches art in such a passionate, humble, patient way that you just get so invigorated to make art alongside him. A steal for the price. CONTENT This book focuses on Methods and Design Elements: How to research/ do studies correctly, how a thumbnail progresses to a final piece, and tips for compositions. Loads of stuff from useful studio tools, to career options. It is a bible for the illustrator, an all in one that you can refer to whenever you are unsure.

i was very glad to receive a good copy of both books, looking new. no tears, bends, scratches, etc. however... there was some oil damage to the top back corner of the book, causing some of the pages to clump together a bit. it's only the index pages, and the oil just makes them a bit transparent, and tending to clump together, so i'm not going to risk trying for another copy. this definitely did NOT happen during shipping. no oily or liquid anything was in the same box. also, the other book (james gurney's book on lighting) had no damage, even though they were stacked together, with this one on top. it's hard to stay pristine in the physical world. if you want to get it as a gift, make sure to order early, just in case. i did only start reading it. each double-page spread is a short essay on a specific topic, with examples from the artist as well as other artworks. the finish is glossy, the pages are sturdy and thick. it is a well-made book, in full colour. i am enjoying it so far!

James Gurney is the best instructor for engaging an artist's curiosity. Wonderful artist, teacher and writer who makes his ideas and concepts clear, informative and easily understood.

I am afraid I judged this book by its cover and really didn't think that this was the kind of book that would be suitable for me or that I would enjoy. But having encountered James Gurney online and discovered that, rather than just painting dinosaurs, he was a far more traditional painter than I had imagined and decided to give it a try. I am delighted that I did. This is an excellent book written by a painter for other painters and full of interesting insights. It is definitely not for beginners since it assumes that you can already paint and draw well and are willing to work devotedly to conjure up a realistic depiction of an imaginary scene. He is consciously drawing on the heritage of the golden age of American illustration (which I like too) and takes you through all the steps he takes from thumbnail sketches to finished pieces, which is fascinating. There are a couple of drawbacks : his studio setup, kit and workshop facilities are way beyond what most of us can aspire to so I wish he could be a little more aware about these limitations most of us face. ( Plasticine and cardboard maquettes lit by an Anglepoise work fine for us lesser mortals.) This could be daunting or reduce one to paroxysms of envy. There is very little about any other medium except oil paint and you also have to have a high tolerance for dinosaurs . However these are minor quibbles. There is not only the enjoyment of being taken through his process of work but a lot of useful information to be gleaned en route. In fact I was so impressed that I immediately ordered his other book - "Colour and Light". So I can unhesitatingly recommend this to any other realist painter who wants some insight into Gurney's way of working and how to depict an imaginary world.

Esse livro é uma verdadeira bíblia para todos os artistas, mas principalmente para os que trabalham com ilustração especulativa (fantasia, ficção-científica etc). Caso você não saiba do que se trata, é um livro de referências para técnicas de desenho e pintura (utilização de referências, práticas para sketchbook etc). Provavelmente você vai morrer sem ter testado todas as técnicas que ele descreve, de tão completo que é o livro. A única ressalva que faço é que, se você for um artista iniciante, NÃO COMPRE esse livro, porque ele não vai ser útil pra você. Foque em aprender os fundamentos, porque apenas depois disso os ensinos desse livro vão te contemplar.

Ein beeindruckendes Buch voller Wissen, Erfahrung und vor allem: fantastischer Illustrationen. James Gurney zeigt nicht nur Techniken, sondern auch Denkprozesse und Herangehensweisen, um Dinge zu malen, die es in der Realität nicht gibt – aber trotzdem glaubwürdig wirken. Das Buch richtet sich eher an fortgeschrittene Zeichner und Maler, die bereits ein solides Fundament mitbringen. Für Einsteiger kann es etwas überwältigend sein – aber alleine die Bilder und Skizzen sind schon eine große Inspiration. Eine deutschsprachige Version wär dann auch schön gewesen.

やっぱり、日本語版にしておけば良かったかなと思ってます。もう一冊買おうかな〜！ とても魅力的な絵の数々。恐竜と鳥好きな私の好みにぴったりだわと見ていたらSFな世界のリアリスティックな？空想世界 が広がっていて、英語がほとんどわからなくてもとても感動します！ 恐竜の模型を作製してから、スケッチするという手の込んだ作者のこだわりにびっくりしました。 是非手にとって鑑賞して頂きたいジェームス・ガーニーさんの傑作本です！

What's not to like? Grade A art book with plenty of lessons.