What do you think?
Rate this book
Fantasy Creatures in Clay: Techniques for Sculpting Dragons, Griffins and More
Sculpt fascinating creatures!
Explore the world of clay and learn to create the dramatically beautiful forms of some of the most fearsome and awe-inspiring creatures your imagination can conjure. Ranging from ferocious dragons to regal griffins to magnificent underwater beasts--they're all here!
Inside you will learn simple techniques for creating realistic individual parts of fantasy creatures. Wings, horns and bodies--everything is covered here. Then you will discover innovative ways for assembling those parts to form characters straight from your imagination! From start to finish, you'll learn everything from brainstorming creature ideas to making the armature and building the body with clay to baking and mounting the creature onto a base. Everything you need to know to build your very own mythological menagerie!
So immerse yourself in these easy-to-learn demonstrations and practice the skills necessary to create realistic wings, paws, scales, fur, facial expressions, poses and so much more!
• 65 step-by-step demonstrations
• Create a sculpture from start to finish
• Stunning galleries of finished sculptures, including dragons, a steampunk bird, a fiery dog and more
Explore the world of clay and learn to create the dramatically beautiful forms of some of the most fearsome and awe-inspiring creatures your imagination can conjure. Ranging from ferocious dragons to regal griffins to magnificent underwater beasts--they're all here!
Inside you will learn simple techniques for creating realistic individual parts of fantasy creatures. Wings, horns and bodies--everything is covered here. Then you will discover innovative ways for assembling those parts to form characters straight from your imagination! From start to finish, you'll learn everything from brainstorming creature ideas to making the armature and building the body with clay to baking and mounting the creature onto a base. Everything you need to know to build your very own mythological menagerie!
So immerse yourself in these easy-to-learn demonstrations and practice the skills necessary to create realistic wings, paws, scales, fur, facial expressions, poses and so much more!
• 65 step-by-step demonstrations
• Create a sculpture from start to finish
• Stunning galleries of finished sculptures, including dragons, a steampunk bird, a fiery dog and more
- GenresNonfictionArt
580 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
57 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
May 11, 2017
This is a very inspiring introduction to some key techniques in clay sculpting that definitely enables and motivates the reader to give it a shot. The presented examples are gorgeous to look at and mostly well photographed, except for a two-page centrefold picture that didn't come out so well.
Emily did a great job talking the reader through the various steps on the road to a finished creature, and I'm very happy to have come across this resource.
Emily did a great job talking the reader through the various steps on the road to a finished creature, and I'm very happy to have come across this resource.
December 15, 2023
This is a fabulous book, well-worth the time of any fantasy sculptor.
May 12, 2013
I do feel it prudent to mention that I was a proof reader for this book, however I had no input in its content or creation otherwise. You may opt to take this review with a grain of salt as a result, but rest assured that this is an honest assessment.
A pretty useful book if you're starting out in the world of sculpting but don't want to be led by the hand. Gives a good balance of detailed instructions and tips without being a sculpt-by-numbers tutorial. I especially enjoyed the sections on doing more complex accessories such as wings or more heavily textured skin, as I was always curious how people made them look so convincing. The book is well illustrated and goes through all of the supplies you will need to get started. Highly recommended for beginners and also intermediates looking for a few extra tips to get those detailed areas looking right.
A pretty useful book if you're starting out in the world of sculpting but don't want to be led by the hand. Gives a good balance of detailed instructions and tips without being a sculpt-by-numbers tutorial. I especially enjoyed the sections on doing more complex accessories such as wings or more heavily textured skin, as I was always curious how people made them look so convincing. The book is well illustrated and goes through all of the supplies you will need to get started. Highly recommended for beginners and also intermediates looking for a few extra tips to get those detailed areas looking right.
September 22, 2016
WONDERFUL BOOK FOR A BEGINNER LIKE ME!
WOW, I learned a lot about what it takes to make a sculpture. Now it makes sense that a beautiful sculpture costs so much.
It makes me want to give it a try. Yes, it is a ton of work, I would do a dragon, but the effort, if I am patient, will be something that I can look at and feel not just a sense of accomplishment but also a sense of joy.
If you want something easy to understand, this book will deliver enough information to put you on the road to your first animal, fantasy or real, sculpture. I say, dive in with this instruction book. Author, Emily Coleman has an easy to read writing style and pictures to help you understand sculpting. My only thought was that the pictures could have been set on a lighter background to show more detail.
Happy sculpting!
WOW, I learned a lot about what it takes to make a sculpture. Now it makes sense that a beautiful sculpture costs so much.
It makes me want to give it a try. Yes, it is a ton of work, I would do a dragon, but the effort, if I am patient, will be something that I can look at and feel not just a sense of accomplishment but also a sense of joy.
If you want something easy to understand, this book will deliver enough information to put you on the road to your first animal, fantasy or real, sculpture. I say, dive in with this instruction book. Author, Emily Coleman has an easy to read writing style and pictures to help you understand sculpting. My only thought was that the pictures could have been set on a lighter background to show more detail.
Happy sculpting!
May 11, 2013
Well written and well illustrated, this book will be of great use to any sculptors of beginner or intermediary skill level. From drawing board to finished product, from basic form to detailing to painting, Creature Sculpt explains everything you need to know about sculpting with clay.
I would rank myself as having intermediary skill, and I am finding this book to be a wonderful addition to my library. It has shown me tips and tricks I hadn't considered, and has definitely improved my skill.
Not only does it describe how to create specific examples, but it teases you with ideas of what you CAN accomplish by using this book. Art is, after all, about creative use of your skills, and Creature Sculpt will give you (or boost) those skills.
I would rank myself as having intermediary skill, and I am finding this book to be a wonderful addition to my library. It has shown me tips and tricks I hadn't considered, and has definitely improved my skill.
Not only does it describe how to create specific examples, but it teases you with ideas of what you CAN accomplish by using this book. Art is, after all, about creative use of your skills, and Creature Sculpt will give you (or boost) those skills.
May 12, 2013
An excellent comprehensive for beginning sculptors (since I am one I should know ;). Emily's directions and tips are very easy to understand and follow, and what I like best is that she shows techniques and how they would be useful for a given subject, not necessarily specific to one sculpture from start to finish. I've already used a lot of her tips and they have been so helpful! An excellent read for anyone interested in sculpting techniques.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews