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Tuesday 26 February 2013

Imagine FX issue 94 review

Being a fan and subscriber of Imagine FX, and being as the non subscribers issue 94 will be out very soon, I figured I would do a review for all those of you contemplating picking up a copy.






First off lets start with the cover for this issue. David Gaillet has done a stunning job on this months cover. Colours are eye catching and the smooth skin is a fantastic contrast with the textures on the pillar and jewelry. The futuristic pyramids in the background look amazing.

What's in this issue? 

Along with the usual stuffs such as Artist Q&A and featured artists you get quite a few tutorials unique to this issue.

The major tutorial, and arguably this issues selling point, is the anatomy master class. This is a fantastic resource for all artists no matter what your medium or skill level. That said I do think novices or those just starting out will find this a bit intimidating. I would recommend anyone new to art to take some time to study Loomis before checking this tutorial out but those who want to take their figure drawing to the next level this is a must.

Also in this issue you have several image walk throughs. All of the pictures look great but again these tutorials seem more geared toward the intermediate level artist. Still, these are great reference images for future projects.

Artist Q&A

Some people may be interested in what the Q&A section has in. Bellow is a list of all the problems solved.
  • How can I draw the viewer's eye around an image to focus on a final point? Answered by Nick Harris
  • How can I paint a close-up of a creature's face but keep it intense and lively? Answered by Sam Carr
  • How do I make a boring subject interesting? Answered by Paco Rico Torres
  • How can I tell a story with my concept character's costume design? Answered by Mark Molnar
  • How can I generate three different people from one piece of reference? Answered by McLean Kendree
  • I want to paint a seedy, smoky bar, but how can I create that distinctive atmosphere without obscuring the scene? Answered by Bill Corbett
  • How can I make my front view action scene look more dynamic? Answered by McLean Kendree
  • What do people mean by 'values' and why are they so important? Answered by Kinman Chan. Essential for beginners!
  •  How many textures should you include in a digital image? Answered by Sam Carr
  •  I always have trouble drawing necks. Do you have any tips? Answered by Bill Corbett
  • Can you tell me how to paint an object that's bursting with bright light? Answered by Kinman Chan
  • How do I paint someone half-submerged in water? Answered by Nick Harris
  • How should I draw an animal wearing futuristic-looking armour? Answered by Paco Rico Torres

Overall impressions

Imagine FX has a great reputation in the digital and fantasy art community with good reason. It is consistent with great articles and tons of images to inspire you. I feel that this issue will be more of use to those who are fairly adept at figurative art but that should not put off new people.

IFX is also great for those who want to build a fantasy art library so it comes highly recommended.

Remember if you like IFX why not buy some of their tutorial books. Each one of them is full of inspiration and advice for artists of all levels.


The IFX books can be found in our online shop which is powered by amazon. Not only that but by buying from our online store you will help me produce more articles and feature more artists. http://astore.amazon.co.uk/artfreck-21?node=2&page=1

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the review :D I just subscribed to ImagineFX so I'm super excited...

    ReplyDelete