The humble sketch is the foundation of great art, where thoughts and concepts first come to life as an image—but rarely are sketches celebrated like they deserve to be for their power to explore, inspire, and entertain. In Sketching from the Imagination: Sci-fi, a selection of fifty talented traditional and digital artists, ranging from industry legends to talented up-and-comers, have been chosen to share their sketches and reveal the ideas, inspirations, and techniques behind their creative processes.
Continuing the high-quality format of 3dtotal Publishing's previous successes, Sketching from the Imagination: An Insight into Creative Drawing and Sketching from the Imagination: Fantasy, this new title is dedicated to fantasy's sibling genre, sci-fi, in all its forms. From doodles of robots and aliens to concept designs for spaceships and speculative life-forms, including rendered drawings of invented worlds, Sketching from the Imagination: Sci-fi presents a handpicked collection of the best sketches and drawings by sci-fi artists from across the globe—each with their own unique style and approach to the genre.
Each artist presents an impressive showcase of images from their sketchbooks, accompanied by their own enlightening commentary, and page upon page of useful tips, techniques, creative insights, and invaluable advice for getting your ideas out of your brain and onto the page. Sketching from the Imagination: Sci-fi is not only a must-have resource for any concept designer's shelf, but a stunning compilation of drawings that will delight sci-fi fans and any admirer of beautiful artwork.

Autodesk's Maya is the industry standard software used in the movie and video game business for creating assets. In the Beginner's Guide to Character Creation in Maya, the artist will learn transferable skills for modeling anatomy with Maya and Mudbox, covering topics such as texturing and shading skin, hair, and eyes; kinesiology; deformation; locomotion; and lighting. Step-by-step guidance by expert tutor Jahirul Amin (3D trainer at Double Negative, London) will also detail how to create links, constraints, and controls for animation. Downloadable project files will also be available to allow users to follow along every step of the way.

In Mythical Beasts: An Artist's Field Guide to Designing Fantasy Creatures, thirty talented artists show you how to sketch, draw, and render thirty mythical creatures. Learn how to create some of the best-known fantasy creatures including the werewolf, unicorn, and of course the fantasy staple--the dragon. Also included are lesser-known mythical beasts such as the Slavic Leshy, Japanese Jorogumo, and the Congolese Dingonek. Each creature has its own chapter which covers its history, how to render main elements, and variations, and one large final illustration. If you are a fan of mythology and fantasy, then Mythical Beasts is the book for you!

Learn how to confidently draw the human form from head to toe with this comprehensive, richly illustrated guide.


Expert drawing instructor and storyboard artist Tom Fox knows exactly how to capture the figure in poses that are both dynamic and true to human anatomy. The book details the central figure-drawing elements and techniques that are essential to every artist of every skill level. From understanding the XYZ axis and basic skeleton, to thinking in 3D space and creating mannequins of all levels of detail, the book deals with everything the reader needs to know before moving on to the figure itself. Tom presents in step-by-step details exactly how to add the muscles and depict truly believable poses.


Every part of the body is presented in detail, with easy-to-follow breakdowns of the torso, arms, and legs, and the often-tricky head, hands, and feet. The author also shares insightful, game-changing anatomy tips, many learned from years of working for major clients in the entertainment industry and teaching others to draw the human figure, both in person and online. This combination of experiences and skills make Tom an outstanding author of this must-have book for artists in all areas of figure drawing.

Sketching and drawing are fundamental to creating great art; the simple doodle is often where the artist first brings their ideas and concepts to life. In Sketching from the Imagination: Dark Arts, we have gathered together fifty talented traditional and digital artists to showcase work from their sketchbooks, share inspiration, and give insight into how they create imaginative and dark illustrations. Featuring a range of artwork and artists from many fields, from concept design and animation to illustration and comic art, Sketching from the Imagination: Dark Arts is a collection of beautifully macabre sketches with plenty of useful tips and creative insights--an invaluable resource that will inspire artists of all abilities.

In this inspiring addition to the popular Sketching from the Imagination series, we invite readers to explore the works of fifty artists from across the field of creature design. From magical and mythical beasts to aliens and mutant monsters, each page comes alive with wild and wonderful creations in a range of styles and mediums. Each artist offers their personal commentary, advice, and tips on drawing techniques and concept design processes, making Sketching from the Imagination: Monsters & Creatures a rich and exciting volume for any reader, whether they're looking for an intriguing menagerie of artwork to browse, or for artistic and professional insights by a wide range of talented and imaginative creators.

Sketches and drawings are the foundations of great art, where thoughts and concepts first come to life as an image. In Sketching from the Imagination: Characters, fifty talented artists share their sketches, inspirations, and approaches to creating characters. This book is a visually stunning collection packed with useful tips and creative insights--an invaluable resource that will inspire artists of all abilities.