With that comment, Johan states his admiration for those artists who do create fantastical creatures from their imagination; he cites Terryl Whitlatch as an influence. “That vein of creature design has also crept in, of course,” says Johan, “but I try not to make them as biologically sensible.”
Johan’s new book Drakar, or simply Dragons in its English translation, is out now in his native Swedish and an English language edition is due this year. Drakar is the artist’s eighth illustrated book, and follows others devoted to fantasy and mythology from a Nordic perspective. The book may move outside of Scandinavia to present dragons from folklore of Europe, the Middle East and Asia, but Johan’s style and tone lends each creature a uniquely Scandi sensibility.
Inspired by the fantasy art tradition of his homeland, Johan’s work is reminiscent of the classic troll illustrations of John Bauer and the work of 1970s fantasy artist Kay Nielsen. That, and the artist’s background in role-playing game illustration, helps lend his dragon depictions a bold and whimsical style.
MIGNOLA-ISMS
Denne historien er fra March 2021-utgaven av ImagineFX.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2021-utgaven av ImagineFX.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Raquel M. Varela
Raquel is inspired by magic, fantasy and fairy tales. She loves designing female characters from distant worlds. \"My greatest reference is Loish's art, thanks to her I learned to draw the movement and fluidity I like to convey.\"
Estrela Lourenço
Estrela is a children's book author and illustrator. Her work is influenced by her background in character animation and storyboards for clients such as Cartoon Network, and she channels comic strips like Calvin and Hobbes.
Daria Widermanska
Daria, also known as Anako, has been drawing for as long as she can remember. Inspired by Disney and classic anime, she loves creating new characters and often finds that a single sketch can spark a unique story.
Allen Douglas
Allen has been painting professionally since 1994 for the publishing and gaming industries. Inspired by folklore, he distorts the size, relationships and environments of animals, and calls his paintings 'unusual wildlife'.
Thaddeus Robeck
Thaddeus has been drawing from the moment he could hold a pencil, but it was the 2020 lockdowns that gave him the time to focus on honing his skills.
DRAW FASCINATING SYMBOLIC ARTWORK
Learn how JULIÁN DE LA MOTA creates a composition from his imagination with a focus on crafting figures, volumetric modelling, and light and shadow
First Impressions
The artist talks about his journey into the mythological world
CREATIVE STRENGTH IN COMMUNITY
Co-founder and creative force André Luís talks about the ethos and evolution of Trojan Horse Was A Unicorn
Gigi Murakami
Shock and terror! Step into the world of the American horror manga artist, where her tastes are on full display
The path to the top at a video games company
No cheat codes required Tanya Combrinck finds out exactly what it takes to make the leap from burgeoning student to game-shaping art director