ANGELIC
visions
CREATE FANTASY ART ANGELS WITH
WATERCOLOR, INK AND COLORED PENCIL
ANGELA R. SASSER
ANGELIC VISIONS: Create Fantasy Art Angels With Watercolor, Ink and Colored Pencil. Copyright 2011 by Angela R. Sasser. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by IMPACT Books, an imprint of F+W Media, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First Edition.
Other fine IMPACT Books are available from your local bookstore, art supply store or online. Visit the publisher at www.fwmedia.com.
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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Sasser, Angela.
Angelic visions: create fantasy art angels with watercolor, ink and colored pencil / Angela Sasser. 1st ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-60061-953-3 (alk. paper)
eISBN 13: 978-1-4403-1395-0
1. Angels in art. 2. Fantasy in art. 3. Watercolor painting Technique. 4. Ink painting Technique. 5. Colored pencil drawing Technique. I. Title.
ND2365.S27 2011
743'.8864 dc22 2010024112
Edited by Mary Burzlaff Bostic and Layne Vanover
Production edited by Christina Richards
Designed by Clare Finney and Karla Baker
Production coordinated by Mark Griffin
METRIC CONVERSION CHART |
To convert | to | multiply by |
Inches | Centimeters | 2.54 |
Centimeters | Inches | 0.4 |
Feet | Centimeters | 30.5 |
Centimeters | Feet | 0.03 |
Yards | Meters | 0.9 |
Meters | Yards | 1.1 |
A BOUT THE A UTHOR
Angela R. Sasser is a mythology junkie and fantasy illustrator based out of the Atlanta, Georgia area. She is a jack of all trades with interests ranging from creative writing to comics and video games. Her main love, however, is illustration.
She is greatly inspired by the romantic ideals of the Pre-Raphaelite masters and the decorative flair of the Art Nouveau movement. From Victorian decadence, the elegance of the oriental, or the ethereal nature of dreams and myths, she draws her art from a multitude of places.
Angela has earned bachelor's degrees in both English and studio art from the University of West Georgia, as well as a master's in arts administration from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her work is generally found at convention art shows across the country, such as Dragon*Con, Anime Weekend Atlanta and other events throughout the United States. Her awards include 3rd Place in Color for her Seasonal Angels series at MileHiCon 40 in 2008 and Best Original at MOBI-CON 12 in 2009.
In her spare time, Angela enjoys reading fantasy epics, studying world mythology, and pursuing research for her list of endless projects and her own random amusement.
dedication
Download free desktop wallpaper of this and other images at http://AngelicVisions.artistsnetwork.com.
I would like to dedicate this book to my family: Mom, Dad and Roland. Without their support, love and encouragement, I would not be the person I am today.
To Sam, for always being there to light up the sleepless nights with encouragement, inspiration and helpful critique. To Kevin, Brenda, Hayley and both Stephanies for their quiet, unwavering faith in me.
To all the wonderful muses at deviantART.com who inspired me with their stock art and moral support: Lockstock, Fantasystock, Grinmir-stock, Germanstock, Almudena-stock, Linzstock, Sitara-LeotaStock, and Pyrosaint-stox.
To all of you who ever picked up a pencil or a paintbrush and made a wish to be what others said you could not be.
Finally, to the fine folks at F+W Media who gave my dream a jump-start!
INTRODUCTION
what is an angel?
Is it a beautiful winged figure in a white robe strumming a harp? Is it a chubby baby with dove's wings flitting about a classical painting? Perhaps angels are beings of pure light carrying messages from the divine.
Angels have been many things to many people throughout the centuries, from emissaries of the divine to harbingers of holy wrath. These winged creatures have been a party to the stories of many cultures, Judeo-Christian, Greek, Roman, Persian and more. In modern times, the striking imagery of the winged figure has worked its way into our imaginations as a symbol of enduring beauty and power that is adaptable to stories of all types.
For the purposes of this book, angels are addressed as a universal visual symbol of inspiration. This book is not an academic source on angelic traditions or religious symbols, but instead is a guide for harnessing the tools of art to create your own interpretations.
Whatever angels mean to you, I hope this book will be a way to express that beauty in your own unique way.
chapter one
M ATERIALS AND T ECHNIQUES
AS AN ASPIRING ARTIST, your first step is to familiarize yourself with the tools and techniques of the trade. This section serves to introduce you to a wide world of artist's instruments and methods that you'll use to create the compositions in this book.
Putting pencil to paper can certainly feel overwhelming at first, but with practice and experimentation, your confidence will grow. Likewise, it's important to remember to keep yourself open to possibilities. Within every pen, pencil or brush lies the potential to create something unique and exciting, so never limit yourself to one medium; experiment with them all to determine your preferences and develop your skills.
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