ImagineFX – Issue 264 May 2026 – ImagineFX

LET US KNOW! Email your WIPs and final images to: [email protected] a Are you working on a fresh project or doodling your own development sketches that you’d like to share with us? LET US KNOW! Email your WIPs and final images to [email protected] Reworking When I reached the final stage of the painting, I realised that the monster wasn’t fully understood, so I reworked different versions.

After the first version, I eliminated two more versions before arriving at the final one. Final tweaks In the final stage, I added the details I wanted. I further optimised some colour and shadow and finalised the image. Development sheet Ilker Serdar Yıldız Joseph Gronow This artist likes to take a reference photo and run with it – changing elements here and there, and having fun in the process Joseph Gronow LOCATION: England Joe is a freelance concept artist who lectures at the University of Staffordshire.

He loves to fuse traditional painting and drawing methods with digital tools, creating characters and worlds that remind him of the Ghibli films he watched as a kid. His drawings aim for charm and whimsy, rather than technical awe. www.artstation.com/joegronow The more confident I am with a subject, the more wacky it becomes Artist “Sometimes, it’s helpful to abstract the information away from the subject itself.

Here, I’ve taken the same kinds of shapes/ forms, but reappropriated them for a different purpose. It forces me to extract useful information instead of just copying shapes.” “Have your drawings belong to a time and a place! Here, I’m blending a World War One British Army uniform with their pigeon counterparts. They have more appeal when in context!” “I loved drawing these Volkswagen Beetles! They’re cute and rounded – both things I pushed when drawing these. If you can’t tell which one is from reference then I’ve done a good job.”

“I’m taking information from lizards and repurposing them to create fantastical dragons! Again, the focus is on exploring personality and how it links to shape design.” “Once I’m comfortable moving around ‘default’ forms from any angle or pose, I try to see how far I can push proportion. The more confident I am with a subject, the more wacky it seems to become.”

“Other than 3D form, I’m looking for texture and pattern that I can re-use in my design work. Nature really is the best art teacher out there, so you’d best pay attention!” “Black holes, krakens or superhero-related insurance claims – pick your poison. Taking something mundane and putting it in absurd situations lets you play with your subject in interesting ways.”

Each of us has our favourite characters, creatures and worlds that we lose ourselves in, and what better way to celebrate them than putting brush to paper and developing a unique and creative version of them. This issue, we take a look at the ever-popular fan art scene to see how it can not only be fulfilling, but can be put to good use to further your career, expand your audience, or simply boost your skill set.

Our news feature examines how you can use fan art to expand your audience, while James Clarke looks at the wider industry to see what pitfalls and opportunities creating fan art can expose. If you’re looking for insight into how you can improve your own fan art, then head over to our training section, where five artists share their tips to help you up your game, putting your own spin on your chosen character reimaginings. Plus, we show you how to use Blender to guide your painting, create serene environments, prep a model for 3D printing and much more.

I hope you enjoy the issue. Guided narrative Learn why concept artist Greg Danton starts with a story and lets it inform his fantasy creations. Historically fantastic Discover how to bring medieval fantasy to life in this issue’s development sheet, covering a stylised character. Subscribe today! Save up to 40% on a new subscription, and receive the magazine direct to your door each month. See page 8 for details @imaginefxmagazine @imaginefx facebook.com/imaginefx @imaginefxmagazine imaginefx.creativebloq.com Welcome to… 44 First Impressions We sat down with artist Jan Buczny to get all the details on his journey from movie fanatic to leading 3D artist.

98 58 Contents 4 38 28 44 See page 10 for the best new art Development Sheet Artist in Residence: Shinn Uchida Sketchbook: Joseph Gronow 22 Find your niche with fan art Fanning the creative flame 46 SUBSCRIBE & SAVE! Save up to 40% by starting a new subscription to ImagineFX See page 8 for details Your art 10 FXPosé A round-up of digital art, submitted by you! 20 The Rookies Up-and-coming artists share their work. 74 The Gallery Get eyes on the finest traditional artwork.

News and events 22 Find your niche with fan art Want to get started in fan art? We talk to the people who are in the know about where’s best to start. 28 Artist in Residence: Shinn Uchida Discover how this artist uses her art-first daily routine to immerse herself in the worlds that she creates. Features 38 Fanning the creative flame From getting started to negotiating the field of copyright, we show you how to find your feet.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 9adf10b35b3e5aee
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 32,859,555 bytes (31.337 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 101
• Language: English (en)

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• Total Words: 23,561
• Total Characters: 143,418
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