The Art of Fantasy: A complete step-by-step guide to drawing characters and concept design

by Meng Zi

Overview

The ultimate guide to fantasy character design from renowned illustrator, Meng Zi.

This comprehensive manual, packed with breathtaking illustrations, is your key to crafting the most extraordinary beings in the realm of fantasy: it is an essential tool for game and animation designers, hobbyists, art students and teachers alike.

Astonishing in detail and staggeringly conceived, Meng Zi’s fantasy characters are a masterclass in conceptual design. Whether you're looking for a practical reference or an idea generator, this guide is sure to spark your creativity. Filled with artistic insights and practical exercises, this comprehensive guide will teach you basic anatomical structure, help you to finesse your own design ideas, and then improve your aesthetic prowess through observation and practice.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781800922679
Publisher:	Search Press
Publication date:	04/15/2025
Pages:	292
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Meng Zi is a freelance illustrator with a growing following of 21,000 fans on social media platforms. He has over a decade of experience in character design and 7 years in educational work. Renowned in the field of gaming and animation design, Meng Zi has contributed to numerous 3D animation projects, involving character conceptualization, poster design, and promotional illustrations. 'The Art of Fantasy' is his first book, summarizing his creative experiences and techniques from the perspective of an industry practitioner. With annual sales reaching 40,000 copies and accolades as one of the best-selling books of 2020 on several Chinese charts, this comprehensive guide is available now in English. Meng Zi possesses exceptional hand-drawing skills, specializing in creature design and demonstrating proficiency in human and animal anatomy, as well as dynamic human kinetics.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction to concept design and drawing; The world of fantasy 10; Mastering the human body 11; Concept design 11; Tools 12; Basic knowledge 15; Technical terms 15; Line weight 16; Basic elements of a picture 17; Geometric forms 18; Perspective 19; One-point perspective 19; Two-point perspective 19; Three-point perspective 20; Cavalier perspective 20; Sketching 21
Chapter 2 Structure and dynamics of the human body; The human skeleton 24; Main joints of the body 24; Proportion of the skeleton 28; Characteristics of the skeleton 29; Form of the skeleton 36; The human muscular system 38; Three views of muscles 38; Head 40; Facial features 42; Exercise: Drawing a complete head 51; Muscles of the neck 56; Muscles of the trunk 58; Muscles of the limbs 64; Exercise: Drawing the whole body 76; Character dynamics 79; Stick man 79; Box man 81; Example poses 83; Sketching the human body 91
Chapter 3 Animal structure; Animal anatomy 96; Gorilla 96; Horse 98; Antelope 100; Dog 102; Lion 104; Bat 106; Eagle 108; Fish 110; Dragon 112; Dragon hawk 114; Endosaurus 116; Anatomical details 118; Heads 118; Horns and antlers 118; Limbs 121; Wings 122; Drawing animals 123; Basic forms 123; Drawing complete animals 126; Combining different animals 128; Drawing fantasy creatures 131; Hou – king of the beasts 131; Hydra – multi-headed water beast 133; Bestiary 135
Chapter 4 Exploring concept designs; Genre and design 142; Starting points for character design 147; Exaggeration 147; Symmetry 149; Geometry – combining simple shapes 150; Silhouette 151; Rhythm – line length 153; Accessories – enriching the character 154; Groups – contrasting body shapes 156; Example character designs 157; Exercise: Designing a character 157
Chapter 5 Decoration, detail and accessories; Pattern design 168; Common patterns 168; Designing patterns 170; Armour design 175; Types of armour 175; Chinese‑inspired armour 176; Japanese‑inspired armour 178; European‑inspired armour 179; Other accessories 180; Weapons 180; Mounts and steeds 186; Jewellery and totems 190
Chapter 6 Drawing complete Characters; Human male - Swordsman 192; Human female - Spirit Mage 196; Elf - Night Princess 199; Mecha Warrior - E-34 Destroyer 202; Monster - Hellcaller 205; Merman - Aquatic General 210; Human male - Shaman 214; Undead - Revenant 218; Demon - Black Dragon Legionary 222; Human male – Mercenary 226; More character designs 230
Chapter 7 Reference material and inspiration; Portraits 242; Full body line art 249; Full body tonal designs 268

Editorial Reviews

Midwest Book Review - August 2025

Synopsis: Astonishing in detail and staggeringly conceived, Meng Zi's fantasy characters are a masterclass in conceptual design. Whether you're looking for a practical reference or an idea generator, as an instructive 'how-to' guide, "The Art of Fantasy: A complete step-by-step guide to drawing characters and concept design" is sure to spark your creativity.

Filled from cover to cover with artistic insights and practical exercises, "The Art of Fantasy" is comprehensive guide that will teach you basic anatomical structure, help you to finesse your own design ideas, and then improve your aesthetic prowess through observation and practice.

With the publication of "The Art of Fantasy", Meng Zi covers:

Design and drawing: A technical overview of conceptual design and drawing, including point, line and plane, geometry and various forms of perspective, all explored visually, and critical for breathing life into your characters.

Human anatomy and kinetics: Understand the structure and movement that serve as the foundation for all character design. The skeletal and muscular systems are explored in a number of ways, from traditional musculo-skeletal illustrations to line and cube forms. Also included is a guide to creating hands, feet, limbs and facial features full of character and expression

Animal anatomy: Discover the real-world building blocks that will shape your mythical creatures, including skeletal form and musculature as well as features such as wings, spines, horns and tails

Fantasy fusion: Merge reality with imagination as you design fantastical beings, from fire-breathing dragons and elegant centaurs to robots, aliens and demons

Conceptual design for game and animation: Develop unique characters with guidance on body shapes, lines, and personality-infused accessories.

Whether you are seeking a practical reference or an idea generator, "The Art of Fantasy: A complete step-by-step guide to drawing characters and concept design" is certain to spark your creativity and take your fantasy character design to new heights.

Critique: This large format hardcover edition of "The Art of Fantasy: A complete and 'novice artist friendly' step-by-step guide to drawing characters and concept design" by Meng Zi is exceptionally well organized and presented, making it the ideal DIY instructional guide for aspiring artists of fantasy and science fiction figures and background art.

From the Publisher