fantasy art

fantasy art

Exploring the Evolution and Impact of Fantasy Art: A Comprehensive Study

1. Introduction to Fantasy Art

The notion of the “Best Artist” introduced serious literature and fantasy, which has had a profound effect on the relationship between literature and art. Along with the growth in man’s understanding of his psychic, emotional, and intellectual needs, came the proliferation of art produced specifically to address needs such as projection, shock, fascination, escape, and fulfillment of inner aspirations. This phenomenon in art contributed to the growth of the world market, where science fiction and fantasy are currently very influential art movements of public preference, in addition to being readily understood, distinguished, and appreciated by varying degrees of artistic sophistication. Drawing on the tremendous resources of contemporary technologies and thanks to the skillful pioneering of experienced and talented artists, contemporary fantasy and science fiction art have accomplished a remarkable degree of excellence expressed through the various techniques found in print and electronic art, as well as in a variety of forms of sculpture, video games, and ephemeral installations.

Although the links between visual art and imaginative literature have existed for centuries, in the latter third of the 20th century, the public acceptance of fantasy and science fiction has allowed artists working in the genres of fantasy and science fiction to be accepted in some quarters as professionals working with such subject matter. This thesis project is designed to be a comprehensive study of the visual styles and impact of the genre that is collectively termed “fantasy” art. The term “fantasy” art is used because the bulk of this thesis work will be dealing with portrayals of fantasy and not science fiction. The power of adult fantasy came to the attention of a growing readership, not only of specialized journals and illustrated magazines, but also of the far larger market served by the publishing houses of books and compact disk design, which still operate on a mass market policy.

2. Historical Roots and Influences

The influence of art can reflect and deflect cultural norms; enable or restrict social and technological change; and draw first crude, then well-articulated maps of mankind’s dreams, fears, dangers, marvels, and opportunities. Prehistoric fantasy art drove the revolution from cave to home life and anticipated environments for rituals and assignations with spirits and explorations of distant stars. In truth, imagination and artwork for worshiping and for resisting the dark or the devouring predates history. Art scholars seek artifacts and evidence to support conjecture about man’s instinctual thirst for psychic protection and inspirational challenges. Four types of evidence supply the base for these proofs and for additional speculations since fact (as portrayed by a pigment palette) can only stretch the viewer’s imagination so far.

Throughout history, almost every culture has included some form of fantasy art. These cultural art influences of prehistoric, ancient, medieval, and Renaissance Europe, Asia, and the Middle East have had varying degrees of impact and interaction during their many years of coexistence. Though the immediacy and continuity of that interaction have shifted with the sands of time, those influences have flowed in both directions. Asian and Near Eastern cultures often influenced Europe, but ancient Europe sometimes put forth hybrid myths to those other civilizations. Fantasy motifs are certainly not limited to these few primary sources but have roots that predate recorded history and persist in unique cultural expressions throughout the globe.

3. Key Themes and Motifs in Fantasy Art

The ancient western world: The Odyssey of Homer; Aeneid of Virgil. The Bible, Apocrypha, The Talmud. Shah-Nameh of Ferdosi. The Arabian Nights. The Golden Ass of Apuleius. Norse myths and legends. The Matter of Britain: Peredur, the son of Evrawg; The Mabinogion. Chansons de geste: The Song of Roland. La Quadoriloguio and Orlando Furioso of Ariosto. Dante: The Divine Comedy (the Inferno, Purgatory, and Paradise). The Faerie Queen of Spencer. The play of Everyman. The Amadis cycle of books. The Sioux cycle of novels. Machiavelli: The Mandrake. Morley: The Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge. The Book of the Courtier of Castiglione. Since then, countless works have given shape to and evolved the fictional worlds of the imagination.

The works collected and curated for the study of fantasy art in my research represent a microcosm of part of the evolution and impact of science fiction and fantasy literature. Key themes and motifs in fantasy art drawn from fairy tales, ballads, myths, fables, legends, and epic poetry, and the acknowledged roots and nascent stages of the genre emerging before the identification of “science fiction” as a distinct practice or field of imagination, are:

4. Techniques and Mediums in Fantasy Art

Fantasy artists use a wide range of traditional methods and equipment to produce their art. Many of these, although still in use, are centuries old, while others are relatively new discoveries. The nine main traditional methods are pens, pencils (including colored pencils), ink, watercolor, acrylics, oil paints, pastels, charcoal, and mixed media. With the pterodactyl, it describes the artist’s working process. Then, readers can find the section on mixed media, collage, and decoupage. Each section provides insights about tools, essential advice, and technique demonstrations to help readers make the right choice and use their equipment properly. Finally, it introduces readers to ‘reactions’ and creating a reaction using inks and wax resist techniques.

Fantasy art today is a broad category that covers much ground and utilizes an increasingly wide range of mediums. This chapter provides a basic grounding in these mediums. The goal is to show the possibilities within fantasy art for artists working in traditional or digital mediums, so that less experienced illustrators can understand them and make more informed choices. In this exploration of mediums, it details some of the equipment artists may use to produce their fantasy art, beginning with traditional methods and then digital options.

5. Fantasy Art in Contemporary Culture

The past few years have shown that several additional forms of fantasy art or fantasy entertainment have taken flight, giving a distinctly modern twist to this extraordinarily rich tradition: music has become a central feature of the contemporary celebration of fantasy, and concerts or music festivals that are often set in pastoral environments are frequently organized entirely around fantasy themes. Such events might include fireworks and baroque dancing, both popular forms of entertainment in the Beaux-Arts era, or multimedia installations that blend images with light shows and dance. These live performances have become increasingly lavish in terms of costume, props, and performance as these events have infiltrated our cultures, sometimes challenging existing notions of art and artistic expression.

The two chapters in this section assess the impact of fantasy art on contemporary culture in terms of both the high quality of fantasy art being created in the early twenty-first century and the increasing commercialization of fantasy art in our everyday lives. Chapter 22 provides a survey of the works of both the traditional and mainstream visionary masters. Since visionary art often steers off in directions that are much different than the traditional works, it is important to provide a snapshot of the current state of this new aspect of our cultural tradition and to contrast it with the works that collectively make up the field of fantasy art. Chapter 23 closes the section with a succinct editorial that examines the nature of the ongoing commercial revolution of fantasy art and the vitality of this commercialization process. Since many people nowadays experience fantasy art in their daily lives—perhaps in the images emblazoned on the T-shirts they are wearing or on the walls of the office building or shopping mall where they spend their days away from home—there is a yearning for a greater understanding of our culture.