Principles of Creature Design: creating imaginary animals

by Terryl Whitlatch

Designing a captivating creature simply for it to exist against a white background and going no further is a purely academic exercise. Designing a creature that can survive in a world, interact with its own and other species, and go on to make an impact, is designing with intent―the end goal of creature design and what you'll witness in this latest book from industry veteran Terryl Whitlach. With decades of experience in the entertainment industry, developing creatures for Star Wars: Episode 1―The Phantom Menace and Beowulf , among other projects, she offers valuable advice on how to develop otherworldly beings that are not just stunning in appearance, but also possess qualities that will endear viewers to them, or repulse, if that's the intent. For Whitlatch, there's no limit to what can be imagined with an open mind, though the journey may not always be an easy one. It's what she calls "chasing the unicorn." We will surely enjoy joining her on her journey, filled with creatures that are so vivid, whimsical, and elaborate that we will wish―or wonder if―they are real.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Reference, Drawing

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 15, 2015

Reviews

[Lukas Damgaard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my, this book is a gift to any artist who is fascinated by the natural world.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely book with beautiful artwork about how to make a living drawing imaginary creatures. Very different from the kind of book I normally read.

[Autumn Uhrig · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art is stunning, the blurbs inspiring. A great book for artists and art lovers.

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I get books like these strictly for the art. I tried reading the words as much as possible but I'm afraid my mind wandered. The art is beautiful and very colorful, and Whitlatch's style when drawing real animals is astounding. Lots of the fantasy ones had very similar features to each other, though. I felt like it wasn't as varied or unique as it could have been. Lots of the creatures are from Amalthea though, which I'm not familiar with, so there may have been guidelines, etc, that restricted the construction of things. The Star Wars art was really cool, though most of the creatures I didn't recognize, which makes me want to watch the movies again to see if I can pick them out.