Editor’s Note

In Sketching from the Imagination: Fantasy, 50 talented traditional and digital artists have been chosen to share their sketchbook works. Ranging from Hollywood film concept designers to talented students, each artist is handpicked from a vibrant international online art community. From doodles and sketches of creative creatures to fully rendered drawings of invented worlds, this book explores how 50 artists develop their ideas to create incredible images.

The Book Review

A follow up to Sketching from the Imagination, Sketching from the Imagination: Fantasy is a chunky square size paperback that showcases a plethora of illustrators. Many of whom I was being introduced to for the first time. Like many artist, I love flicking through other people’s sketchbooks. There is an element of freedom and expression in an artist sketchbook that rarely translate into their commercial work which make them so captivating.

Sketching from the Imagination: Fantasy has around 6 pages per illustrator and cherry picks drawings from each of their sketchbooks. In this regard it does not quite feel like thumbing through their personal sketchbook pages, warts and all. It is more flaunting how beautiful and creative a sketch can be. Each illustrator has a short description about themselves and their work. They also talk about their inspirations, techniques and materials. I particularly enjoyed reading the variety of materials the illustrators use, which it should satisfy any of us with a stationery fetish. Interestingly, and perhaps slightly fruitless, a large amount of the features claim to use only a HB pencil.

As mentioned in the editor’s note, there are 50 feature illustrators, all unique in style. There were a few illustrators whom I feel are of particular note, such as Wylie Beckert, George Guo, Paul Sullivan, and Sean Andrew Murray.As well as Adonna Khare and Jim Pavelec who show off some marvellous fully rendered work that can quite easily be the finished article.

Overall Sketching from the Imagination: Fantasy is enjoyable to flick through introducing a host of artist whose styles should satisfies all tastes. I found it especially useful reading the insight from the individual illustrators. The vital upshot that comes from reading the book is it raising the bar of your own sketchbook, with many of the illustrators setting a rather high benchmark to follow.