Today in Top 3s, let’s take a look at illustrators! Imagining fantasy worlds is so much fun, but seeing the way artists conceptualize those worlds helps me to gain a clearer picture as I read.
Here are three of my favorites:
3. Pauline Baynes: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis was one of the first fantasy books I read when I was growing up. The colorful sketches by Pauline Baynes made it even more magical. Tell us what you thought about the Narnia movies here. 
2. James A. Owen: Author of Here, There Be Dragons and the rest of the
Imaginarium Geographica series, Owen started as a comic book
illustrator. Each chapter in Here, There Be Dragons begins with an
elaborate drawing, executed by the author himself. His attention to
detail is remarkable. I can’t imagine how long it would take to draw
each piece! I am excited to read more of his work. 
3. Alan Lee and John Howe: I know, they are actually two illustrators,
but they are tied for their amazing work on both the print copies and
the movie concept artwork for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Their
paintings made Tolkein’s books come alive for me. Read more about the
world of Lord of the Rings here. Attributions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Baynes
https://40.media.tumblr.com/51c7043051372c39d909691fbf73e544/tumblr_n65lpq0i3R1t2e8o4o1_500.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Sketchbook-Alan-Lee/dp/0618640142?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&redirect=true&ref_=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r
http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Magic-Art-John-Howe/dp/0007107951?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&redirect=true&ref_=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r
Fun post, Erin! I don't think I ever had any books with fantasy illustrations growing up, but these look amazing! That drawing of the dragon is incredible, I'm so impressed the author took the time to do one for every chapter!
ReplyDeleteThank you for introducing me to these illustrators. I LOVE book illustration, and any artists I can add to my collection makes me happy! Love your post.
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