I once met Alan Lee at a LOTR Exhibition in London. He was sitting alone at a desk and I rushed over as soon as I saw him. I told him that he was a huge inspiration as an artist and he seemed genuinely surprised to hear me say that. What a lovely, talented, yet humble man he was, and a moment that I will always treasure.
Froud made a very specific point that no fairies were harmed in the pressed fairy book-as you can’t hurt faries-they just enjoyed being ‘caught’ in funny expressions and positions lol. I love he took the time to express that sweetness.
One of my fondest memories from my childhood is sitting in the woods or by the lake and copying every illustration I could from my Faeries book. I still have it to this day and as battered as it is, it's one of my most treasured possessions.
My two favourite artists! To find Alan Lee's work was a revelation.. here was someone who did things the way I did. Here was the pencil artist who 'scribbled' his work onto the paper like I did. It made me realise that we all have our own style and it gave me the confidence I needed to express myself artistically. I do art for fun but even so I was given the stamp of approval to do it my way and not feel I was doing it wrong! Great inspiring videos.. Continue the excellent material on your channel!
Ive hunt this book for years back then, when buying trough internet wasnt as easy, i saw it at first when o was a child and never found it again till like 10 years ago when i found it during a travel to argentine when i didnt even blink to buy it, i really love this book
not gonna lie, this really inspired me!! ive had art block for at least a month and i had no idea what to do. this opened me eyes and made me realise that i need to slow down and think about my characters for once. once i did that, i literally did what i wanted to do, which was finish a piece i wanted done for so long!! thank you, this video really helped!
Brian Froud's definitely in the lineage of my inspirations. And the thing I *love* about whimsical dark art is how it has that threatening element like old folk-tales do- "don't go into the forest at night, for it is full of dangers", "beware of strangers, fore some of them are monsters", it's all old-world folk wisdom and I try to bring that mixture of magic, menace and whimsy to my work.
Wooow. Honestly, you have no idea how much you inspire me. Whenever I watch your videos-even if I had a very busy day at work and I'm exhausted when i get home- I just want to dive into painting and drawing. Thank you Adam!
Well Greg, there's nothing I love hearing more. Thank you, Ill definitely be keeping them coming (I can't keep up with how many books I want to review so supply isn't going to dwindle anytime soon)
I bought the paperback in a small bookshop on Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds in England in 1979 when I was 17 yrs old. I’m 56 now and Alan Lee’s drawing and painting style was a profound influence on my decision to go to art college and the work I produced as a Jeweller for many years. I started an MA in Illustration recently and Lee still influences my watercolour work.
Very interesting to have dissected illustrations without the psychological aspects of what created them. You do not have the same belief as them but are enthusiastically enthralled with their work. Quite perplexing.
I had those books when I was a teen. I have a lot of more recent fairy books but no longer have that one. I'm talking over 35 years ago, I believe. I recently saw that book in Barnes&Noble. but for some reason, I didn't connect Alan Lee's name with Froud with LOTR. Now this is amazing because like you am a LOTR Trilogy fanatic. I watched Alan Lee and John Howls religiously in all the DVD BTS of all the movies. They have a fun, complimentary chemistry and as you say, one have a very clean desk and some time they was have playful mischievous banter when Alan would move items on John's desk. It's amazing they got along so well for so long. Both amazing Masters. I also like how you likened them to Animation methodologies of "Pose to Pose vs. Straight Ahead". Great Analogy. I do animation and Zbrush so this was very enlightening approach. I better understand how to be more original and can relate to the vague and ambiguous or widely use reference to "Story". They way you explained it really connected the dots for me. I don't think I will be unclear about it again. Thanks.
I actually needed this right now. I'm working on a theme exhibition and have been struggling with getting a painting composition look and feel the way I've wanted to. I ended up taking a day and collecting more inspirations, things I felt reflected what I was trying to convey. It normally takes me a few stabs at it to get the elements to click. When I was starting, i refused to take inspirations from other things because I wanted to be "original". And since university, I realised I was going about it with such a high ego I was hindering my own process. It's been years since and I always urge other newer artists to do the same if I see they are in the pattern I was in.
I have the Land of Froud purchased back in 1980. It's cover wrap now in shred, not from age, instead from how often I paged through it. Definitely an inspiration to me.
I looked for this book after watching the new Dark Crystal show! It was tough to get at a library near me, but I did manage to find a different edition from what you walked through here. It's a great book! So fascinating and thank you for all your thoughts on it! It made me realize that Froud and Lee have inspired me for years before I even knew their names.
After seeing many innovative concepts around, I reached the conclusion that an innovative art/design/whatever is accepted only when it's linked to a major production. So, it doesn't matter how good or innovative a piece of concept is, if it isn't at the service of a big product, most people will ignore it. Great video, Adam! :)
Great content...very sophisticated style... The FAERIES book... the page design ...the publication itself is a lesson of total emersion in the subject...
The biggest inspiration for Mr. Froud is Arthur Rackham's work, who basically gave all the "modern" fairytales that distinctive art look, that of him. So all of us, specially 30+ people grew up with that specific imagery for fantasy, he was the inspiration for many XX century artists.
OMG I had that book as a young man and knew I was seeing masters at work.And yet until I started creating my own “Mythology” did I see how groundbreaking it truly is. Just the fact that such a thing existed is like pondering life itself, the Mystery. This was a Crown Jewel of an ArtVideo. Bravo! You even have greater depth and reason for your own work...masterful.
I love this book. I have it somewhere in my collection. I don’t remember how I got it but when I picked it up and started reading, I was mesmerized. I drooled over that book for hours
I absolutely adore Froud's art. I've loved that book since I was little and the Labyrinth was one of my favorite movies. I've always loved mythology and fairytales- back when they were dark and creepy and came with an edge of warning. Stuff like that is still a huge influence on my art today. I do love the creepypastas, lol, but I also just really like to find the beauty in dark stuff and wonder what might be lurking in the shadows. Most people look away or are too busy going about their lives to see it.. but if you stare long and hard enough into the dark, creepy corners of the world, there is magic and beauty and creatures just waiting to be painted! That's such a huge part of why I think I love your work so much as well. Not just because it's so technically well executed, but all the little details and creepy bits... melty candles and skulls and twisty trees and torn fabric... man I just love it. I could stare at that stuff all day!
Great video ! I seriously recommend (if you've not got it already) Alan Lee's LOTR sketchbook, its a beautiful book and really shows off his pencil sketches, and there's great insight into his mindset with the text he writes about his work
Awesome talk Adam! I remember way back when I did my mentorship we spoke about Froud’s fairies for most of a session, which shows just how inspiring his work is
I created a version of the Moroi from Romanian folklore for a story I'm thinking up, the Moroi are ghosts of those who've risen from the grave to draw life from the living. I took that for my story and made the Moroi ghosts who yearned for life again so much they became angry and jealous of the living and thus started stealing it from those living.
@@gutomonn Oh thank you! Oh yes, Brian Froud is a very loved and celebrated fantasy artist, who is very much worth getting to know. He's left a very meaningful mark on the world of fantasy art.
I too also have the book,mine is in soft cover,and it has inspired some of my Artwork,and itis unique and very Beautiful,especially the colored pictures! Thx for sharing!
Years ago I discovered the whimsical work of Charles Van Sandwyk and wondered how he came up with his ideas. Your video wonderfully explains how getting to know the characters before they are drawn can make all the difference. I'm a new subscriber and I think your work is amazing!
This has always been and still is my favourite art book. I've got it when I was 9. I'm 36 now and nothing has changed. Lovely to see it on your channel.
That's just the thing isn't it - it's a book that grows with you - it has the fascination for the youth while being mature and masterful enough to captivate adults. A true masterpiece.
I didn't know about this book ,but I was always fascinated about these creatures and this particular aesthetic I came across in other children's books like A Midsummer Night's Dream, so I can definitely see the influences . Great video and review! (cannot wait for the hobbit one :D )
Great video mate thanks ! Bad ass skills on the way you are filming, it really shows the effort you are putting on to the audio and video quality ! I love this art book series you are making looking forward to see more !
I love your artbook videos! Speaking of Brian Froud and Alan Lee, have you seen Iris Compiet's fairy book Faeries of the Faultlines that came out last year? Brian Froud wrote the foreword. She's stepping into the lineage of great fairy artists, you might enjoy her book as well.
I don't draw but this is very helpful to me on the journey into a make believe world with composite photography. Turning my children into forest faeries 😍😁. Thank you, great video.
I love this videooooo, because Alan Lee and Brian Froud are my favorite artists, theres a book that I really recomend, "Labyrinth Bestiary", thats a book ilustrat4d by Iris Compiet, an artist of fairyes and fantasy very very good, what I like about that book is that its not only about ilustration but the backstory of every goblin of the Labyrinth
I must say, while drawing, really made me look at my characters quite different and what they mean to me as a whole, even making a story and seeing how they make do with being created it leaves me in joy of whether there angry or villians or heroes and I have feelings and for people making characters like this was so insightful and hearing you mention dark crystal is such a beautiful film and I get so inspired by the old 80s sci-fi and fantasy short story books because it had a mixture of salt and sugar that actually had some meaning behind it and even for animation I'm learning to accept 2d as much as I lovvvvvve 3d no matter what aside from anime, I realized following an order and number rule but this brought some intrusive happiness to the way I draw as an artist, I really thank you for bringing this book into people's eyes, even the Tolkien movie made me cry when he was writing down things and learning to love and appreciate literature it's so genuine and rich, it brings fruitfulness to the pictures itself and idk when I was younger I watched Lord of the rings as a child and may revisit how everything was from a mature mindset but overall I think Tolkien the movie was set for writers that have a dream to not let the flame go out but to keep the fire lit no matter what because that's where true inspiration surfaces. Most of all to the final wine drop of cheer, thank you again I really admire your detail on the artbooks you bring to us indeed.
Hi, I have one of the originals of this book published in 1978, it’s been one of my favourites since childhood! Yours is a bit different to mine, you have a few more illustrations in the beginning, now I’ll have to hunt that one down and get it too! :-)
ahhh! we had this book when i was a kid. the creepy one in the water, grabbing a kids foot, had haunted me a lot because my mom told me that one was in the lakes, so i wouldn't go near the water because i couldn't swim. it freaked me out XD but yeah i loved the book. i should look at it again sometime. thanks for reminding me of the existence of this book
What he says about this these books is the same way I felt about the Golden Age illustrators like Dulac, Charles Robinson, Sidney Sime, and other greats. They sealed my fate.
I think I remember reading in the pressed faery book that Brian mentions that no faeries were hurt during the making of it.....hehe. Yes, they are meant to be 'pressed', but only 'energetically' pressed........a bit like taking a photograph. I love his work too. I was enchanted when I saw Good Faeries/Bad Faeries in a bookshop as a teenager.
Alan Lee and John Howe inspired me to start drawing which I’ve been doing extensively for 4 years now. It’s probably that I saw the Hobbit extended editions and when when I saw their art I said to myself: I wanna be able do that too
Just hearing you say that the way you're saying it means that that's exactly where you're heading. I can feel your love for the genre and that speaks volumes when it comes to artistic growth.
The thing with the "darker" ideas is something I appreciate very much. I'm learning carricature lately and the first thing that came to my mind were an old lady who is fighting with a hen. The old lady tries to kill the henn a couple of times, but the hen is fighting back so much that they end up arm wrestling it out. :) It is a little dark, but it is a lot of fun to draw. Its like the bunnies that try to kill themselfes in the weirdest ways possible.
This is very informative and very gorgeously explained, really inspiring and brings a lot of ideas and side commentary from you that I can learn plenty from. I hope we get to see the art of the witcher sometime! (:
This series is awesome, i used to live next to a bookstore and loved checking out the artbooks. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts when the new spectrum books come out, i'd get so excited when i saw new ones on the shelf
Check out "Faeries of the Faultlines" by Iris Compiet. Her work is very similar and inspired, and Brian Froud even wrote the foreword. Beautiful illustrations.
@@AdamDuffArt It looks like it sold out and more are coming out in September this year. www.iriscompiet.art/product/faeries-of-the-faultlines/ But hopefully it turns up somewhere.
Everybody needs to accept Chaos in order to find peace, try to organize in life's chaos and you delve into fear of losing it to Chaos. That's why chaos might apear apealling perhaps, because through accepting it you are bound to voyage to peace. You speak very eloquently btw i like it a lot.
Dude. I'm loving your art book reviews! I've always wanted this book. So this and the Art of Dark Souls are on my list of books to save up for! Lol. But your insight, experience, and wisdom are incredibly beneficial to gaining the right perspective while flipping through the books. Thank you for making these videos!
Well you can thank the artists and their books for making me so passionate in the first place :) and thank you Amber, I love hearing that your'e enjoying these :)
Thank you so much for this video. It really opened some of the drawing gates for me. I'm really interested in making new and interesting creature and creature design in general, and i have recommendation. Try and read more about slavic mythology , you may have some sort of inspiration
I’m gunna go try to hunt those books down. I’m taking a creative writing class right now and I could use some mythology right about now. I feel like a thirsty sponge sometimes, just point me in the direction of water.
Well then look no further - and I strongly recommend the works (and TH-cam videos) that include John Howe as well. He has a great documentary called "there and back again". If it's not available on TH-cam you might find it on Vimeo - it's a short documentary of his life and artworks.
I got this book a long, long time ago. There is no other artist I know of that sketches the way Alan Lee does. His pencil technique is very hard to describe. It’s almost “watery” in the way it flows around the page or ethereal. FYI, the Brian Froud book is Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book, not Brian Froud’s book of pressed fairies. :)
Great video! I own Lotr and The Hobbit sketchbooks and Castles by Alan Lee and also A Middle-earth traveler by John Howe. Do you know what kind of paper does Alan Lee use for his sketches?
40 years ago, I was in a city outdoor exhibit with a painting that had the nude backside of two African children playing in a fantasy environment. It was a reference I got from one of the national geographics book. Totally natural. Some jealous old guy , older than I am now, who was also an exhibitor accused the work as being inappropriate. He was jealous because the local new station interviewed me out of all the exhibitor (over 500 artist street fair). It was very hurt because I was young and never thought of anything like that. He also ridiculed my "Jesus Painting" because I made him as I am, A Black Man. So I related to your story about depicting youthful anatomy. I have loved Froud's work ever since I was young teen artist. Never thought nothing of it. In today's world I wouldn't attempt it. Too much stigma. However, I have done "Chibi" or Cupid Baby characters. I am appreciate youthful anatomy more now that I am an old fat guy. Fortunately I have done my own modeling for my own painting when I had a much more youthful physique. Too bad we didn't have Camera Phones back then. I use to have to section off my public studio space with sheets. It's amazing they would let me do that back then. It wouldn't happen now.
Comparing Alan Lee's and John Howe's processes is very interesting! I'm not super experienced yet (so I'm more about mechanics), but I definitely start with structure like John Howe--I even keep my work area very tidy. Would you say that as I gain more experience my process might shift to be more like Alan's? Interestingly, I love both their works for LOTR but John is my favorite of the two.
Hi! I have a question that I thought you could answer. What sort of books would you recommend, that teach and expand fundamentals of art (like lighting, color, compostion, form etc.), but can be read by all kinds of artists(2d, 3d)?
Hey I have a book rec, idk if it's what your looking for but I think 'colour and light, a guide for the realist painter by James gurney' it says it's for realistic painters on the cover but the basic principles it it apply for any type of art. I recently got it for Christmas from my aunt and I'm kind of enamoured with it, it covers a lot of principles and techniques for understanding and using colour and light in art. I really like the book and I hope this helps :)
Honestly, although there are many great books out there for learning art, I tend to prefer videos for learning. To me, seeing the process and getting a live explanation is far more accessible and personalized then reading through pages looking for something through a generic list of things. When it comes to books, I tend to prefer the "art of/biography/making of" type of things, that dig into a production that you're personally interested in.
@@AdamDuffArt Any specific 'making of' that You recommend? I know that in previous videos You recommended Behind the Scenes of LOTR, so that is something I for sure will be watching ;)
A lot of the art I saw in this video reminds me to some degree of John Bauer's art, a Swedish artist (1882-1918) who's most famous art was based around Swedish folklore, fairy tales and myths (so the specific stuff which I thought of when I saw the art in this video).
El libro más bonito de la historia. Me lo regaló mi abuelo allá por el 198x.... Lo guardo como mi mayor posesión. Y hasta he copiado algún dibujo....bueno, yo y Soziedad Alkoholika.,..
I once met Alan Lee at a LOTR Exhibition in London. He was sitting alone at a desk and I rushed over as soon as I saw him. I told him that he was a huge inspiration as an artist and he seemed genuinely surprised to hear me say that. What a lovely, talented, yet humble man he was, and a moment that I will always treasure.
HOLY SHIT YOU MET ALAN LEE
Froud made a very specific point that no fairies were harmed in the pressed fairy book-as you can’t hurt faries-they just enjoyed being ‘caught’ in funny expressions and positions lol.
I love he took the time to express that sweetness.
One of my fondest memories from my childhood is sitting in the woods or by the lake and copying every illustration I could from my Faeries book. I still have it to this day and as battered as it is, it's one of my most treasured possessions.
It’s very sentimental to me as well. My mom introduced me to this book. She had an original copy. I wish it was still around.
Flattered to have been mentioned - thanks, Adam! Super inspiring talk, by the way. Gonna rush to the nearest sheet of paper :)
My two favourite artists! To find Alan Lee's work was a revelation.. here was someone who did things the way I did. Here was the pencil artist who 'scribbled' his work onto the paper like I did. It made me realise that we all have our own style and it gave me the confidence I needed to express myself artistically. I do art for fun but even so I was given the stamp of approval to do it my way and not feel I was doing it wrong!
Great inspiring videos.. Continue the excellent material on your channel!
My favourite book ever!!!! It's been with me wherever I go for over 30 years
Ive hunt this book for years back then, when buying trough internet wasnt as easy, i saw it at first when o was a child and never found it again till like 10 years ago when i found it during a travel to argentine when i didnt even blink to buy it, i really love this book
Me too - and it has stuck with me my whole life, which says a lot.
@@AdamDuffArt
I have this book, awesome.
This book is one of my prized possessions.
you're my bonfire of inspiration and motivation
Well thank you, that means the world to me to hear
One of my absolute favorite books of all time. I also have the faerie deck. Froud and Lee are masters!!
I'm glad you went to the background and methods of both of these masterful artists, thanks Adam.
not gonna lie, this really inspired me!! ive had art block for at least a month and i had no idea what to do. this opened me eyes and made me realise that i need to slow down and think about my characters for once. once i did that, i literally did what i wanted to do, which was finish a piece i wanted done for so long!! thank you, this video really helped!
Brian Froud's definitely in the lineage of my inspirations. And the thing I *love* about whimsical dark art is how it has that threatening element like old folk-tales do- "don't go into the forest at night, for it is full of dangers", "beware of strangers, fore some of them are monsters", it's all old-world folk wisdom and I try to bring that mixture of magic, menace and whimsy to my work.
Wooow. Honestly, you have no idea how much you inspire me. Whenever I watch your videos-even if I had a very busy day at work and I'm exhausted when i get home- I just want to dive into painting and drawing. Thank you Adam!
Well Greg, there's nothing I love hearing more. Thank you, Ill definitely be keeping them coming (I can't keep up with how many books I want to review so supply isn't going to dwindle anytime soon)
I bought the paperback in a small bookshop on Stow-on-the-Wold in the Cotswolds in England in 1979 when I was 17 yrs old. I’m 56 now and Alan Lee’s drawing and painting style was a profound influence on my decision to go to art college and the work I produced as a Jeweller for many years. I started an MA in Illustration recently and Lee still influences my watercolour work.
Very interesting to have dissected illustrations without the psychological aspects of what created them. You do not have the same belief as them but are enthusiastically enthralled with their work. Quite perplexing.
I come back to this video every so often. These books are what started me off on my art journey too, eventually leading into animation!
I had those books when I was a teen. I have a lot of more recent fairy books but no longer have that one. I'm talking over 35 years ago, I believe. I recently saw that book in Barnes&Noble. but for some reason, I didn't connect Alan Lee's name with Froud with LOTR. Now this is amazing because like you am a LOTR Trilogy fanatic. I watched Alan Lee and John Howls religiously in all the DVD BTS of all the movies. They have a fun, complimentary chemistry and as you say, one have a very clean desk and some time they was have playful mischievous banter when Alan would move items on John's desk. It's amazing they got along so well for so long. Both amazing Masters. I also like how you likened them to Animation methodologies of "Pose to Pose vs. Straight Ahead". Great Analogy. I do animation and Zbrush so this was very enlightening approach. I better understand how to be more original and can relate to the vague and ambiguous or widely use reference to "Story". They way you explained it really connected the dots for me. I don't think I will be unclear about it again. Thanks.
I actually needed this right now. I'm working on a theme exhibition and have been struggling with getting a painting composition look and feel the way I've wanted to. I ended up taking a day and collecting more inspirations, things I felt reflected what I was trying to convey. It normally takes me a few stabs at it to get the elements to click. When I was starting, i refused to take inspirations from other things because I wanted to be "original". And since university, I realised I was going about it with such a high ego I was hindering my own process. It's been years since and I always urge other newer artists to do the same if I see they are in the pattern I was in.
I remember flipping through a book that had those faeries in that book too when I was little, never thought I'd see them again in a youtube video.
I have the Land of Froud purchased back in 1980. It's cover wrap now in shred, not from age, instead from how often I paged through it. Definitely an inspiration to me.
If you love Land of Froud you should check his book Trolls, where they reused many of Froud's artworks from The Land of Froud .
I looked for this book after watching the new Dark Crystal show! It was tough to get at a library near me, but I did manage to find a different edition from what you walked through here. It's a great book! So fascinating and thank you for all your thoughts on it! It made me realize that Froud and Lee have inspired me for years before I even knew their names.
After seeing many innovative concepts around, I reached the conclusion that an innovative art/design/whatever is accepted only when it's linked to a major production. So, it doesn't matter how good or innovative a piece of concept is, if it isn't at the service of a big product, most people will ignore it.
Great video, Adam! :)
Great content...very sophisticated style...
The FAERIES book... the page design ...the publication itself is a lesson of total emersion in the subject...
I used to have this book as a young kid- I have been looking for the title forever- thank you for this video! 💜👏
There’s something oddly familiar yet curious about these creatures and the artwork. That’s what hooked me!
The biggest inspiration for Mr. Froud is Arthur Rackham's work, who basically gave all the "modern" fairytales that distinctive art look, that of him. So all of us, specially 30+ people grew up with that specific imagery for fantasy, he was the inspiration for many XX century artists.
OMG I had that book as a young man and knew I was seeing masters at work.And yet until I started creating my own “Mythology” did I see how groundbreaking it truly is. Just the fact that such a thing existed is like pondering life itself, the Mystery. This was a Crown Jewel of an ArtVideo. Bravo! You even have greater depth and reason for your own work...masterful.
Gave greater depth....
I love this book. I have it somewhere in my collection. I don’t remember how I got it but when I picked it up and started reading, I was mesmerized. I drooled over that book for hours
I absolutely adore Froud's art. I've loved that book since I was little and the Labyrinth was one of my favorite movies. I've always loved mythology and fairytales- back when they were dark and creepy and came with an edge of warning. Stuff like that is still a huge influence on my art today. I do love the creepypastas, lol, but I also just really like to find the beauty in dark stuff and wonder what might be lurking in the shadows. Most people look away or are too busy going about their lives to see it.. but if you stare long and hard enough into the dark, creepy corners of the world, there is magic and beauty and creatures just waiting to be painted! That's such a huge part of why I think I love your work so much as well. Not just because it's so technically well executed, but all the little details and creepy bits... melty candles and skulls and twisty trees and torn fabric... man I just love it. I could stare at that stuff all day!
Great video ! I seriously recommend (if you've not got it already) Alan Lee's LOTR sketchbook, its a beautiful book and really shows off his pencil sketches, and there's great insight into his mindset with the text he writes about his work
OOOH really! Never heard of that one! I will definitely look into that Andy, big thank you!
I know right. It all seems so real!
I'm so grateful for this flip-through. I'm struggling to find this book. At least I was able to get a glimpse on it. Much appreciated!
Awesome talk Adam! I remember way back when I did my mentorship we spoke about Froud’s fairies for most of a session, which shows just how inspiring his work is
Well of course we did Toby, you're the grandmaster Faerie artist! Who better to nerd-out about Faeries than the great Mr Fox :)
I created a version of the Moroi from Romanian folklore for a story I'm thinking up, the Moroi are ghosts of those who've risen from the grave to draw life from the living. I took that for my story and made the Moroi ghosts who yearned for life again so much they became angry and jealous of the living and thus started stealing it from those living.
ahhhh mannnn thank you so much for sending me back to my childhood where i imagine the world inside me
I dont know about Brian Froud but Alan and John howe are one of my biggest influencies, absolutely love them, loving this series Adam :)
The GOW video was amazing btw
@@gutomonn Oh thank you! Oh yes, Brian Froud is a very loved and celebrated fantasy artist, who is very much worth getting to know. He's left a very meaningful mark on the world of fantasy art.
My favorite book as a kid, fully believed
I also had the pressed fairies book!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I gave it to my nephew as a very special present
Beautiful book! I saw inspiration from Arthur Rackham, Gustave Doré, and Leonardo da Vinci.
I too also have the book,mine is in soft cover,and it has inspired some of my Artwork,and itis unique and very Beautiful,especially the colored pictures! Thx for sharing!
Great video Adam. You inspired me today!
This was a really good video. Good lessons. Thank you!
Years ago I discovered the whimsical work of Charles Van Sandwyk and wondered how he came up with his ideas. Your video wonderfully explains how getting to know the characters before they are drawn can make all the difference. I'm a new subscriber and I think your work is amazing!
I have owned a copy of this book since I was a teenager and have drawn these characters many times over the years. The most amazing linework
This is literally the book that got me truly interested in drawing art
This has always been and still is my favourite art book. I've got it when I was 9. I'm 36 now and nothing has changed. Lovely to see it on your channel.
That's just the thing isn't it - it's a book that grows with you - it has the fascination for the youth while being mature and masterful enough to captivate adults. A true masterpiece.
I didn't know about this book ,but I was always fascinated about these creatures and this particular aesthetic I came across in other children's books like A Midsummer Night's Dream, so I can definitely see the influences . Great video and review! (cannot wait for the hobbit one :D )
Great video mate thanks ! Bad ass skills on the way you are filming, it really shows the effort you are putting on to the audio and video quality !
I love this art book series you are making looking forward to see more !
This is the most Artish video I've seen in 2020,thank you.
I love your videos man. Really relaxing and insipiring. Thank u
Such a great video. Very thought provoking. Thank you :)
Wow, this was powerful. Thank you man! 🙏💓🙏
I love your artbook videos! Speaking of Brian Froud and Alan Lee, have you seen Iris Compiet's fairy book Faeries of the Faultlines that came out last year? Brian Froud wrote the foreword. She's stepping into the lineage of great fairy artists, you might enjoy her book as well.
I appreciate your empowering message to us! Thank you!!!!
I don't draw but this is very helpful to me on the journey into a make believe world with composite photography. Turning my children into forest faeries 😍😁. Thank you, great video.
I love this videooooo, because Alan Lee and Brian Froud are my favorite artists, theres a book that I really recomend, "Labyrinth Bestiary", thats a book ilustrat4d by Iris Compiet, an artist of fairyes and fantasy very very good, what I like about that book is that its not only about ilustration but the backstory of every goblin of the Labyrinth
Froud is amazing!!! i really have to get these books.
I bought the soft cover edition of this book, over 30 years ago. It is still a prize in my book collection. Mr Froud ranks among my favourite artists.
Would love to your take on Yoji shinkawa’s work from MGS 1-4 books.
Arthur Rackham would be proud of these guys
I must say, while drawing, really made me look at my characters quite different and what they mean to me as a whole, even making a story and seeing how they make do with being created it leaves me in joy of whether there angry or villians or heroes and I have feelings and for people making characters like this was so insightful and hearing you mention dark crystal is such a beautiful film and I get so inspired by the old 80s sci-fi and fantasy short story books because it had a mixture of salt and sugar that actually had some meaning behind it and even for animation I'm learning to accept 2d as much as I lovvvvvve 3d no matter what aside from anime, I realized following an order and number rule but this brought some intrusive happiness to the way I draw as an artist, I really thank you for bringing this book into people's eyes, even the Tolkien movie made me cry when he was writing down things and learning to love and appreciate literature it's so genuine and rich, it brings fruitfulness to the pictures itself and idk when I was younger I watched Lord of the rings as a child and may revisit how everything was from a mature mindset but overall I think Tolkien the movie was set for writers that have a dream to not let the flame go out but to keep the fire lit no matter what because that's where true inspiration surfaces. Most of all to the final wine drop of cheer, thank you again I really admire your detail on the artbooks you bring to us indeed.
Hi, I have one of the originals of this book published in 1978, it’s been one of my favourites since childhood! Yours is a bit different to mine, you have a few more illustrations in the beginning, now I’ll have to hunt that one down and get it too! :-)
It is a great book. As an aspiring writer, I've leaned on their work for ideas.
ahhh! we had this book when i was a kid. the creepy one in the water, grabbing a kids foot, had haunted me a lot because my mom told me that one was in the lakes, so i wouldn't go near the water because i couldn't swim. it freaked me out XD but yeah i loved the book. i should look at it again sometime. thanks for reminding me of the existence of this book
Amazing videos I need to grab a pencil ... too much new ideas and inspiration 0_0
What he says about this these books is the same way I felt about the Golden Age illustrators like Dulac, Charles Robinson, Sidney Sime, and other greats. They sealed my fate.
Wow your my new teacher!
I think I remember reading in the pressed faery book that Brian mentions that no faeries were hurt during the making of it.....hehe. Yes, they are meant to be 'pressed', but only 'energetically' pressed........a bit like taking a photograph. I love his work too. I was enchanted when I saw Good Faeries/Bad Faeries in a bookshop as a teenager.
Alan Lee and John Howe inspired me to start drawing which I’ve been doing extensively for 4 years now. It’s probably that I saw the Hobbit extended editions and when when I saw their art I said to myself: I wanna be able do that too
Just hearing you say that the way you're saying it means that that's exactly where you're heading. I can feel your love for the genre and that speaks volumes when it comes to artistic growth.
Very inspiring
needed this video, thanks
THANK YOU SO MUCH GOOD MAN
The thing with the "darker" ideas is something I appreciate very much. I'm learning carricature lately and the first thing that came to my mind were an old lady who is fighting with a hen. The old lady tries to kill the henn a couple of times, but the hen is fighting back so much that they end up arm wrestling it out. :)
It is a little dark, but it is a lot of fun to draw. Its like the bunnies that try to kill themselfes in the weirdest ways possible.
i literally picked this up and had a flick through to help me today, just a couple hours before you put this out :o
This is very informative and very gorgeously explained, really inspiring and brings a lot of ideas and side commentary from you that I can learn plenty from. I hope we get to see the art of the witcher sometime! (:
This series is awesome, i used to live next to a bookstore and loved checking out the artbooks. Would be interesting to hear your thoughts when the new spectrum books come out, i'd get so excited when i saw new ones on the shelf
Wendy Froud is also amazing, she’s the one that created yoda in Star Wars!
Check out "Faeries of the Faultlines" by Iris Compiet. Her work is very similar and inspired, and Brian Froud even wrote the foreword. Beautiful illustrations.
I'd very much like to, thank you! with that said, I can't seem to find it online - any idea where i can track it down?
@@AdamDuffArt It looks like it sold out and more are coming out in September this year. www.iriscompiet.art/product/faeries-of-the-faultlines/
But hopefully it turns up somewhere.
I remember seeing a goblin book like this when I was a kid. I think it was done by someone involved in the labyrinth as it had a similar vibe.
Everybody needs to accept Chaos in order to find peace, try to organize in life's chaos and you delve into fear of losing it to Chaos. That's why chaos might apear apealling perhaps, because through accepting it you are bound to voyage to peace. You speak very eloquently btw i like it a lot.
I love this video! You speak with love for art and that gave me energy to draw, thank you!!! (I’ve been stuck lately)
Dude. I'm loving your art book reviews! I've always wanted this book. So this and the Art of Dark Souls are on my list of books to save up for! Lol. But your insight, experience, and wisdom are incredibly beneficial to gaining the right perspective while flipping through the books. Thank you for making these videos!
Well you can thank the artists and their books for making me so passionate in the first place :) and thank you Amber, I love hearing that your'e enjoying these :)
You just geeked me out! What do you call a Nerd who is in creative field?
Thank you so much for this video. It really opened some of the drawing gates for me. I'm really interested in making new and interesting creature and creature design in general, and i have recommendation. Try and read more about slavic mythology , you may have some sort of inspiration
My daughter would love Alan Lee as her Mentor.
John Howes book "Fantasy Workshop" is the reason I'm becoming an illustrator. as a teen I knew it by heart
I’m gunna go try to hunt those books down. I’m taking a creative writing class right now and I could use some mythology right about now. I feel like a thirsty sponge sometimes, just point me in the direction of water.
Well then look no further - and I strongly recommend the works (and TH-cam videos) that include John Howe as well. He has a great documentary called "there and back again". If it's not available on TH-cam you might find it on Vimeo - it's a short documentary of his life and artworks.
I came across Froud in 1976 ( Yes I'm showing my age!) and have meed inspired ever since.
I still own this book from a early 80s edition. Brian Froud is one of my main influences as artist.
I got this book a long, long time ago. There is no other artist I know of that sketches the way Alan Lee does. His pencil technique is very hard to describe. It’s almost “watery” in the way it flows around the page or ethereal. FYI, the Brian Froud book is Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book, not Brian Froud’s book of pressed fairies. :)
Great video! I own Lotr and The Hobbit sketchbooks and Castles by Alan Lee and also A Middle-earth traveler by John Howe. Do you know what kind of paper does Alan Lee use for his sketches?
40 years ago, I was in a city outdoor exhibit with a painting that had the nude backside of two African children playing in a fantasy environment. It was a reference I got from one of the national geographics book. Totally natural. Some jealous old guy , older than I am now, who was also an exhibitor accused the work as being inappropriate. He was jealous because the local new station interviewed me out of all the exhibitor (over 500 artist street fair). It was very hurt because I was young and never thought of anything like that. He also ridiculed my "Jesus Painting" because I made him as I am, A Black Man. So I related to your story about depicting youthful anatomy. I have loved Froud's work ever since I was young teen artist. Never thought nothing of it. In today's world I wouldn't attempt it. Too much stigma. However, I have done "Chibi" or Cupid Baby characters. I am appreciate youthful anatomy more now that I am an old fat guy. Fortunately I have done my own modeling for my own painting when I had a much more youthful physique. Too bad we didn't have Camera Phones back then. I use to have to section off my public studio space with sheets. It's amazing they would let me do that back then. It wouldn't happen now.
Bravo!
Thank you
Comparing Alan Lee's and John Howe's processes is very interesting! I'm not super experienced yet (so I'm more about mechanics), but I definitely start with structure like John Howe--I even keep my work area very tidy. Would you say that as I gain more experience my process might shift to be more like Alan's? Interestingly, I love both their works for LOTR but John is my favorite of the two.
Hi! I have a question that I thought you could answer.
What sort of books would you recommend, that teach and expand fundamentals of art (like lighting, color, compostion, form etc.), but can be read by all kinds of artists(2d, 3d)?
Hey I have a book rec, idk if it's what your looking for but I think 'colour and light, a guide for the realist painter by James gurney' it says it's for realistic painters on the cover but the basic principles it it apply for any type of art. I recently got it for Christmas from my aunt and I'm kind of enamoured with it, it covers a lot of principles and techniques for understanding and using colour and light in art. I really like the book and I hope this helps :)
Honestly, although there are many great books out there for learning art, I tend to prefer videos for learning. To me, seeing the process and getting a live explanation is far more accessible and personalized then reading through pages looking for something through a generic list of things. When it comes to books, I tend to prefer the "art of/biography/making of" type of things, that dig into a production that you're personally interested in.
@@AdamDuffArt Any specific 'making of' that You recommend? I know that in previous videos You recommended Behind the Scenes of LOTR, so that is something I for sure will be watching ;)
A lot of the art I saw in this video reminds me to some degree of John Bauer's art, a Swedish artist (1882-1918) who's most famous art was based around Swedish folklore, fairy tales and myths (so the specific stuff which I thought of when I saw the art in this video).
The GOAT
El libro más bonito de la historia. Me lo regaló mi abuelo allá por el 198x.... Lo guardo como mi mayor posesión. Y hasta he copiado algún dibujo....bueno, yo y Soziedad Alkoholika.,..