How do you paint a dinosaur you’ve never seen, design a believable alien civilization, or create a fantasy world that feels real? Award-winning artist and author James Gurney provides artists with a practical guide for creating images that are both imaginative and convincing.

“Gurney’s Imaginative Realism is a gold mine for artists who want to create images that sing with authority and delight the viewer with rich otherworldly visuals.” – Erik Tiemens, concept artist, Star Wars: Episodes II and III

In Imaginative Realism, acclaimed artist James Gurney shares the creative process behind bringing imaginary subjects to life with convincing realism. Whether you're painting dinosaurs, dragons, mythical creatures, futuristic cities, historical civilizations, or entirely original worlds, Gurney demonstrates how observation, research, storytelling, and traditional artistic principles combine to create believable images. Rather than focusing on a single medium or style, he teaches universal methods that apply equally to oil, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, and digital painting, including archaeology, architecture, anatomy for creatures and aliens, and fantastic engineering.

Alongside a survey of imaginative paintings from the Renaissance to the golden Age of American illustration, this book provides comprehensive chapters on studio techniques, sketching, reference gathering, maquettes, composition, lighting, color, historical research, and plein-air studies. It concludes with details and valuable advice on careers in fantasy illustration, including video game and film concept art and toy design.

Whether you're an aspiring illustrator, concept artist, fantasy painter, game designer, or fine artist looking to expand your creative process, this is the ultimate reference for transforming imagination into believable works of art.

• Learn professional techniques for painting fantasy, science fiction, historical, and prehistoric subjects with convincing realism
• Develop believable characters, creatures, dinosaurs, architecture, vehicles, and imaginary worlds using observation and research
• Explore composition, lighting, color, perspective, maquettes, visual storytelling, and world-building through richly illustrated lessons
• Suitable for traditional and digital artists working in oil, watercolor, gouache, acrylic, pencil, or digital painting software
• An essential resource for illustrators, concept artists, fantasy painters, game artists, and fans of imaginative art

Discover the methods behind unforgettable fantasy worlds—and transform your imagination into paintings that feel completely real.