Perhaps more than any other genre, fantasy fiction targets the imagination of its readers through the use of cover art. Fantasy cover artists use their talent and technique to help the browser choose the book they have illustrated over another by realistically depicting characters and scenes that may not exist in real life.
Writers from Ursula K. LeGuin to Terry Goodkind depend on the art on the cover to ignite the reader’s mind and invite them to the writer’s fantasy world. The figures are usually from another dimension but interact with human beings—dragons, faeries, elves, wizards.
Fantasy art is strongly linked to fantasy fiction. Indeed fantasy art pieces are often intended to represent specific characters or scenes from works of fantasy literature.
Fantasy art kick starts the reader’s imagination as they jump into the writer’s world of ancient myths, legends or an era long gone. Most of the art is a realistic portrayal of the book’s characters. Magical creatures abound and provide many opportunities for an artist’s creativity. Fantasy cover art can also depict modern-day magic and supernatural occurrences that have good consequences.
As with the huge popularity of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, epic fantasy comes alive in a parallel world or dimension and features sword and sorcery elements. The stories usually center on a grand struggle of good versus evil and a hero’s quest.
Companions may accompany the hero as in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, the brothers and sisters of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, or Harry’s friends in the Harry Potter books.
It is the artist’s job to visualize what the writer intended so that someone will pick it up and want to read the contents. Once the reader buys the book—or takes it out from the library—the rest is up to the writer to capture and keep the reader’s interest. And they usually do.
Since the turn of the 20th century, art has taken two paths--high art and popular or commercially successful art. Artists of the fantasy genre usually exhibit great technical skill yet are often ignored by the modern art establishment.
The so-called sword and sorcery subgenre of fantasy got a big boost from artist Frank Frazetta who illustrated the Conan novels written by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp. In fact, some fans bought the book for the cover alone.
Terry Goodkind’s popular series, The Sword of Truth, was drawn by fantasy artist Keith Parkinson.
Fantasy fiction magazines depend on great cover art to draw in readers. From Weird Tales, the first fantasy magazine established in 1923 to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (F&SF) which continues today. Illustrators Ed Emshwiller, Ron Walotsky and David A. Hardy were frequent contributors.
The genre of fantastic illustrative art is not always connected to a literary work but the most popular artwork does tell a story. Worlds of Wonder Online is “dedicated to the best in fantastic illustrative art.” Some are finished cover art for novels or stories while others are images of fantastic creatures that stand on their own. The Elfwood website shows fantasy art not connected to novels or stories as cover art.
Beyond was an early fantasy magazine (1923) that used Ed Emshwiller, René Vidmer and Arthur Krusz and carried artwork within the magazine as well as the cover. Beyond Fantasy Fiction continued the tradition between 1953 and 1955.
The Dinotopia novels were written and illustrated by James Gurney. Illustrated for a fictional 19th century explorer’s journal during his time on an island utopia cohabited by humans and dinosaurs, the art won Hugo awards [sci fi’s highest honor] for Best Original Artwork.
On the Time for Kids website, Anna Maltby described Gurney’s work for National Geographic magazine painting pictures of ancient cities. This project inspired him to paint “Waterfall City” and “Dinosaur parade,” originally done as “art prints for collectors.” He later decided to create an imaginary island based on these paintings.
Gurney uses traditional artist’s tools and techniques such as plein-air studies, thumbnail sketches, models photographed in costume and original cardboard or clay figures to create 150 oil paintings for his 2007 Dinotopia book, according to Kathleen Wereszynski Murray’s article for the Poughkeepsie Journal.
Fantasy art enriches the imagination and prepares the reader for an experience in another dimension, another world, or another time. Readers of fantasies are indeed lucky to enjoy such a visual treat.
Writers from Ursula K. LeGuin to Terry Goodkind depend on the art on the cover to ignite the reader’s mind and invite them to the writer’s fantasy world. The figures are usually from another dimension but interact with human beings—dragons, faeries, elves, wizards.
Fantasy art is strongly linked to fantasy fiction. Indeed fantasy art pieces are often intended to represent specific characters or scenes from works of fantasy literature.
Fantasy art kick starts the reader’s imagination as they jump into the writer’s world of ancient myths, legends or an era long gone. Most of the art is a realistic portrayal of the book’s characters. Magical creatures abound and provide many opportunities for an artist’s creativity. Fantasy cover art can also depict modern-day magic and supernatural occurrences that have good consequences.
As with the huge popularity of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, epic fantasy comes alive in a parallel world or dimension and features sword and sorcery elements. The stories usually center on a grand struggle of good versus evil and a hero’s quest.
Companions may accompany the hero as in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, the brothers and sisters of C.S. Lewis’ Narnia series, or Harry’s friends in the Harry Potter books.
It is the artist’s job to visualize what the writer intended so that someone will pick it up and want to read the contents. Once the reader buys the book—or takes it out from the library—the rest is up to the writer to capture and keep the reader’s interest. And they usually do.
Since the turn of the 20th century, art has taken two paths--high art and popular or commercially successful art. Artists of the fantasy genre usually exhibit great technical skill yet are often ignored by the modern art establishment.
The so-called sword and sorcery subgenre of fantasy got a big boost from artist Frank Frazetta who illustrated the Conan novels written by Robert E. Howard and L. Sprague de Camp. In fact, some fans bought the book for the cover alone.
Terry Goodkind’s popular series, The Sword of Truth, was drawn by fantasy artist Keith Parkinson.
Fantasy fiction magazines depend on great cover art to draw in readers. From Weird Tales, the first fantasy magazine established in 1923 to The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (F&SF) which continues today. Illustrators Ed Emshwiller, Ron Walotsky and David A. Hardy were frequent contributors.
The genre of fantastic illustrative art is not always connected to a literary work but the most popular artwork does tell a story. Worlds of Wonder Online is “dedicated to the best in fantastic illustrative art.” Some are finished cover art for novels or stories while others are images of fantastic creatures that stand on their own. The Elfwood website shows fantasy art not connected to novels or stories as cover art.
Beyond was an early fantasy magazine (1923) that used Ed Emshwiller, René Vidmer and Arthur Krusz and carried artwork within the magazine as well as the cover. Beyond Fantasy Fiction continued the tradition between 1953 and 1955.
The Dinotopia novels were written and illustrated by James Gurney. Illustrated for a fictional 19th century explorer’s journal during his time on an island utopia cohabited by humans and dinosaurs, the art won Hugo awards [sci fi’s highest honor] for Best Original Artwork.
On the Time for Kids website, Anna Maltby described Gurney’s work for National Geographic magazine painting pictures of ancient cities. This project inspired him to paint “Waterfall City” and “Dinosaur parade,” originally done as “art prints for collectors.” He later decided to create an imaginary island based on these paintings.
Gurney uses traditional artist’s tools and techniques such as plein-air studies, thumbnail sketches, models photographed in costume and original cardboard or clay figures to create 150 oil paintings for his 2007 Dinotopia book, according to Kathleen Wereszynski Murray’s article for the Poughkeepsie Journal.
Fantasy art enriches the imagination and prepares the reader for an experience in another dimension, another world, or another time. Readers of fantasies are indeed lucky to enjoy such a visual treat.
