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The Art of Fantasy - Meng Zi

The Art of Fantasy

A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing Characters and Concept Design

(Autor)

Buch | Hardcover
292 Seiten
2025
Search Press Ltd (Verlag)
978-1-80092-267-9 (ISBN)
CHF 52,35 inkl. MwSt
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The ultimate guide to fantasy character design from renowned illustrator, Meng Zi.



This comprehensive manual, packed with breathtaking illustrations, is your key to crafting the most extraordinary beings in the realm of fantasy: it is an essential tool for game and animation designers, hobbyists, art students and teachers alike.



Astonishing in detail and meticulously conceived, Meng Zi’s fantasy characters are a masterclass in conceptual design. Whether you're looking for an inspirational reference or an idea generator, this book will spark your creativity. Filled with artistic insights and practical exercises, this comprehensive guide will teach you basic anatomical structure, help you to finesse your own design ideas, and then improve your aesthetic prowess through observation and practice.



Inside you’ll find:





Design and drawing: A technical overview of conceptual design and drawing, including point, line and plane, geometry and various forms of perspective, all explored visually, and critical for breathing life into your characters.
Human anatomy and kinetics: Understand the structure and movement that serve as the foundation for all character design. The skeletal and muscular systems are explored in a number of ways, from traditional musculo-skeletal illustrations to line and cube forms. Also included is a guide to creating hands, feet, limbs and facial features full of character and expression.
Animal anatomy: Discover the real-world building blocks that will shape your mythical creatures, including skeletal form and musculature as well as features such as wings, spines, horns and tails.
Fantasy fusion: Merge reality with imagination as you design fantastical beings, from fire-breathing dragons and elegant centaurs to robots, aliens and demons.
Conceptual design for game and animation: Develop unique characters with guidance on body shapes, lines, and personality-infused accessories.
Practical exercises throughout: Hone your skills with practical exercises that reinforce each lesson and inspire growth throughout the book.
A huge range of illustrated characters: Learn from detailed archetypes, including ghosts, demons, goblins and mechwarriors, to inform and enhance your own designs.

Meng Zi is a freelance illustrator and art teacher, who specializes in character design and development. Renowned in the world of design for gaming and animation, he has contributed to numerous 3D animation projects; his particular eye for combining real-world figures and creatures into convincing fantasy designs mean he is in high demand. The Art of Fantasy is his first book, providing an insight into the creative experiences and techniques of an expert practitioner within this highly competitive creative industry. A bestseller in Meng Zi's native China, the book has also enjoyed huge international success.

Chapter 1 Introduction to concept design and drawing

The world of fantasy 10

Mastering the human body 11

Concept design 11

Tools 12

Basic knowledge 15

Technical terms 15

Line weight 16

Basic elements of a picture 17

Geometric forms 18

Perspective 19

One-point perspective 19

Two-point perspective 19

Three-point perspective 20

Cavalier perspective 20

Sketching 21





Chapter 2 Structure and dynamics of the human body

The human skeleton 24

Main joints of the body 24

Proportion of the skeleton 28

Characteristics of the skeleton 29

Form of the skeleton 36

The human muscular system 38

Three views of muscles 38

Head 40

Facial features 42

Exercise: Drawing a complete head 51

Muscles of the neck 56

Muscles of the trunk 58

Muscles of the limbs 64

Exercise: Drawing the whole body 76

Character dynamics 79

Stick man 79

Box man 81

Example poses 83

Sketching the human body 91





Chapter 3 Animal structure

Animal anatomy 96

Gorilla 96

Horse 98

Antelope 100

Dog 102

Lion 104

Bat 106

Eagle 108

Fish 110

Dragon 112

Dragon hawk 114

Endosaurus 116

Anatomical details 118

Heads 118

Horns and antlers 118

Limbs 121

Wings 122

Drawing animals 123

Basic forms 123

Drawing complete animals 126

Combining different animals 128

Drawing fantasy creatures 131

Hou – king of the beasts 131

Hydra – multi-headed water beast 133

Bestiary 135





Chapter 4 Exploring concept designs

Genre and design 142

Starting points for character design 147

Exaggeration 147

Symmetry 149

Geometry – combining simple shapes 150

Silhouette 151

Rhythm – line length 153

Accessories – enriching the character 154

Groups – contrasting body shapes 156

Example character designs 157

Exercise: Designing a character 157



Chapter 5 Decoration, detail and accessories

Pattern design 168

Common patterns 168

Designing patterns 170

Armour design 175

Types of armour 175

Chinese‑inspired armour 176

Japanese‑inspired armour 178

European‑inspired armour 179

Other accessories 180

Weapons 180

Mounts and steeds 186

Jewellery and totems 190





Chapter 6 Drawing complete Characters

Human male - Swordsman 192

Human female - Spirit Mage 196

Elf - Night Princess 199

Mecha Warrior - E-34 Destroyer 202

Monster - Hellcaller 205

Merman - Aquatic General 210

Human male - Shaman 214

Undead - Revenant 218

Demon - Black Dragon Legionary 222

Human male – Mercenary 226

More character designs 230





Chapter 7 Reference material and inspiration

Portraits 242

Full body line art 249

Full body tonal designs 268

Erscheint lt. Verlag 15.4.2025
Zusatzinfo 750 Illustrations, color
Verlagsort Tunbridge Wells
Sprache englisch
Maße 210 x 285 mm
Themenwelt Literatur Fantasy / Science Fiction Fantasy
Literatur Fantasy / Science Fiction Science Fiction
Kunst / Musik / Theater
Sachbuch/Ratgeber Freizeit / Hobby Malen / Zeichnen
ISBN-10 1-80092-267-1 / 1800922671
ISBN-13 978-1-80092-267-9 / 9781800922679
Zustand Neuware
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