His has worked on more than a dozen assignments for National Geographic magazine, painting reconstructions of Moche, Kushite, and Etruscan civilizations. His freelance illustration career began with paperback book covers, where he developed his characteristic realistic renderings of fantastic scenes, often using posed models and handmade maquettes for reference.

During the same period, he worked as a background painter for the animated film Fire and Ice, co-produced by Ralph Bakshi and Frank Frazetta. Prompted by a cross-country adventure on freight trains, he coauthored The Artist’s Guide to Sketching in 1982.

He studied archaeology at the University of California at Berkeley, receiving a degree in anthropology with Phi Beta Kappa honors. More than an instruction book, this is the ultimate reference for fans of science fiction and fantasy illustration.Born in California in 1958, the son of a mechanical engineer, he taught himself to draw by reading books about the illustrators Norman Rockwell and Howard Pyle. It concludes with details and valuable advice on careers in fantasy illustration, including video game and film concept art and toy design. Beginning with a survey of imaginative paintings from the Renaissance to the golden Age of American illustration, the book then goes on to explain not just techniques like sketching and composition, but also the fundamentals of believable world building including archaeology, architecture, anatomy for creatures and aliens, and fantastic engineering. This groundbreaking work examines the practical methods for creating believable pictures of imaginary subjects, such as dinosaurs, ancient Romans, alien creatures, and distant worlds. Renowned for his uncanny ability to incorporate amazing detail and imagination into stunningly realistic fantasy settings, James Gurney teaches budding artists and fans of fantasy art step-by-step the techniques that won him worldwide critical acclaim. An award-winning fantasy artist and the creator of Dinotopia, James Gurney instructs and inspires in Imaginative Realism- How to Paint What Doesn't Exist. From the award-winning artist, learn to see and shape the world in a way you never before imagined.

Shop Barnes & Noble Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist by James Gurney online at.

James gurney original art for sale