• White cover of 'Fundamentals of Creature Design', showing a variety of creatures and monsters, both colourful and monochrome.
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Fundamentals of Creature Design

Fundamentals of Creature Design

£29.99 GBP
£29.99 GBP
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Fundamentals of Creature Design: How to create successful concepts using functionality, anatomy, color, shape & scale

Every monster, alien, and fantasy beast seen on screen and in games emerges from the imaginations of talented concept artists. This book unlocks that world to reveal the must-have skills behind creating compelling creatures. From applying knowledge of anatomy and evolution, to establishing clever workflows, everything you need is in this comprehensive creature-design toolkit.

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More about this book

Creating engaging and believable creature designs is an exciting yet challenging feat. The monsters, aliens, and fantasy beasts that grace our TV and cinema screens represent the hard work and dedication of a team of incredibly talented concept artists and designers.

This book unlocks their world and introduces the fundamental skills behind creating movie- and videogame-quality designs. Covering key topics such as animal anatomy, functionality, color, and shape language, as well as ideation and research techniques for developing unique, compelling, and authentic designs, this expansive book is a comprehensive, timeless volume packed full of advice from some of the most impressive and renowned artists working in this field today.
Contributors include concept artists who have worked on the Marvel films and for the highly revered Weta Workshop (The Lord of the Rings film trilogy) and Aaron Sims Company (Stranger Things).

• Begin your workflow with targeted research and ideation, guided by industry professionals
• Understand the functionality of real-world anatomy and its role in creating truly believable new species
• Discover how the fascinating processes of evolution and biological adaptation are the key to authentic results
• Breathe life into your creatures by establishing their unique mix of habitat, social behavior, diet, and even life cycle
• Apply key design principles such as contrast, scale, and shape language to infuse your creations with dynamic impact
• Eight detailed case studies featuring step-by-step artwork and industry advice by professional concept artists

Product details
Softback 288 pages
Dimensions: 297mm x 225mm
Paper quality: Full-color premium paper pages
ISBN:978-1-912843-12-1

Contents and contributors

FOREWORD

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

RESEARCH & IMAGINATION

Gathering research

Imaginative design


FUNCTIONALITY & ADAPTATION

Biodiversity: the variety of life

Evolutionary biology


ANATOMY

Why is anatomy important?

Blending anatomies

Exaggerating anatomies

Human anatomy

Primate anatomy

Feline anatomy

Canine anatomy

Equine anatomy

Cetacean anatomy

Lizard anatomy

Avian anatomy

Fish anatomy

Arthropod anatomy


GENERAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES

An artist’s blueprint

Balance

Repetition

Contrast

Scale & perspective

Shape language

Dynamism


CREATURE DESIGN IN THE INDUSTRY

Designing for execution & budget

Creatures that are characters

Designing for genre

Designing for clients

Tackling briefs


DESIGN PROCESSES

Arboreal reptile

Ungulate herbivore

Cetacean hunter

Carrion scavenger

Alien megafauna

Post-apocalyptic swamp fish

Alien crustacean

Tundra werebear


GALLERY

EXERCISES

GLOSSARY

CONTRIBUTORS

INDEX

Reviews

Customer Reviews

Based on 4 reviews
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l
louna candelon
Perfection

Perfect 👌! All I wanted to know, all techniques and pro tips are answered in the book ! Huge thanks to the 3d total team !

M
Matt
Encyclopedia Type Reference

I use this book as a reference for how to think about creature design. It's not super instructional, more like a encyclopedia. I think it works well with another book that is more exercise driven. Then use this book for a strong reference. It's long-lasting, but not for beginners, I suggest it for professionals and those serious about making creatures for the game industry and motion picture industry.

T
Tristan
Great book on Creatures!

This book is a wonderful resources to have in my library. From looking at a scientific way that animals behave and thinking of creature design in a way where you're prompted to think about the entire life cycle of the creature in question, it definitely makes things much easier when you're looking at the way these imaginary creatures want to exist. It's one of those exercise books that I know I'll keep coming back to, especially when I need some kick to my thought process or work flow. As an aspiring professional it's one of the best books I could have found on creature design.

B
Bruno
Stunning images, useful tips and scientific approach

I liked this book, I learned a lot from it.. After lead you through the whole design process, you receive multiple excercises to try out what you learned. This book brought back my long-forgotten mood for drawing.