INTRODUCTION
Take a trip through Daarken’s mind as you travel from epic fantasy to contemporary beauty in Elysium – The Art of Daarken, the culmination of the past four years of this freelance artist’s work in the gaming industry. This exciting journey covers a selection of personal illustrations and private commissions, as well as previously unseen pieces for world-famous franchises such as Magic: The Gathering (Wizards of the Coast) and World of Warcraft (Blizzard). If you are a fan of fantasy and sci-fi art, then this book will suit your every need and leave you longing for more.
Product details
Hardback 200 pages
Dimensions: 216mm x 279mm
Paper quality: Full colour premium paper pages
ISBN: 978-0-9568171-3-6
CONTENT
IllustrationPersonal
Magic: The Gathering
Duel Masters
Dungeons & Dragons
World of Warcraft
Concept Art
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning
Trojan War
Magic: The Gathering Concepts
Fine Art
Figure Drawing
Figure Painting
Landscapes
Painting Workshop
Creating a Cover
REVIEWS
- This is just inspiring! Review by SIRMAX
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The quality of the book itself is just amazing not saying about the artwork itself. Stunning illustrations from the great artist - you won`t be disappointed! (Posted on 06/03/2013)Value - Must have for aspiring artists! Review by Allan
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My copy has not arrived yet, unfortunately, but today I got the chance to see and feel this amazing book. As far as the piece itself goes, I must say the quality is outstanding. Together with that, the compilation of Daarken's best work makes this book an excellent source of inspiration and information. As an aspiring artist, I found Daarken's tips very helpful.Value
Been a fan since of this guy since I was a kid, drooling over those incredible MTG card's illustrations! Wouldn't miss it for anything! (Posted on 07/12/2012) - An Excellent Work Review by Richard
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This is the first "Art of" book I check out for an Artist rather than, say, a game or movie; and not just any artist, but Daarken. I'm trying my best to stay focused on reviewing the book rather than the artist so forgive me if I veer off.Value
What made me give this book a 5/5 is not because it's Daarken's book but because there is text and not just filled with a bunch of paintings slapped together. Obviously, "Art of" books are not tutorial books so I don't expect the artist to describe what he's doing. Besides, trying to guess and making your own judgement is part of the fun of "Art of" books. What I like is the fact that Daarken separates the different types of paintings and writes from his experience a bit on each type.
The book has a hardcover whose artwork was done by, of course, Daarken himself.
The chapters, as I mentioned above, are split into types of artworks: Illustration, Concept Art, Fine Art and Painting Workshop. Daarken shares artworks from his personal portfolio, work he's done for games or his own studies from past workshops. I like this side of him that makes him so down to earth; rather than just show his best works and leave it at that, he shares process, thoughts and growth. I think that's brilliant.
The book is a great resource for ideas as well as understanding more of how it is to work as a professional artist [self-employed]. Get it, you'll enjoy it. (Posted on 03/12/2012) - Great piece of work! Review by Pedro Jag
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Let me say that all the reviews you may read, will not describe how great this book is!Value
A great compilation of Daarken's work, and is indeed a great piece of work.
From the hard cover to the last page, the book is a synonymous of high-quality print. Is no doubt, a great source of inspiration for everyone who likes this kind of work.
A must have... highly recommended!!! (Posted on 10/11/2012) - A must for fantasy enthusiasts! Review by George Lovesy
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As a digital artist myself I was really looking forward to the release of this book as soon as I found out Daarken was making it. His artwork is truly inspirational, he is highly regarded in the art industry and it is easy to see why. From demonic warlocks to kickass mechs his jaw dropping painterly style never ceases to amaze. I highly recommend picking up this book as it is a must for any digital art enthusiasts collection. (Posted on 01/11/2012)Value - Fantastic Review by Rick
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I am a huge fan of Daarken, he is one of the main Illustrators that sparked an interest for me in this field. He has a unique style that many strive for but you can still tell his work apart from others. As you can imagine I was pretty excited to find out he was releasing this.Value
The presentation is excellent, very glad they went the hardback route. The illustrations really pop out, the colours seem to have been replicated very well. At 200 pages I doubt it will leave much to be desired, especially at this price.
I managed to get the pre-order offer of 3x A4 signed prints, they will be taking a large amount of my wall space in the office; very pleased with them!
The only thing I would say is that some people may be expecting a little bit more in the way of tutorials. I have quite a few tutorials and videos by Daarken so I did not mind, I would rather have more of his art but I thought its probably worth noting. (Posted on 01/11/2012) - You WILL NOT be disappointed!! Review by Nelsh
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I've been following Daarken's art for a while now through tutorials and workshops etc. A while back he mentioned he was thinking about doing an 'Art of' book and the excitement switch was flicked.Value
Now that the book has been published, it was WELL WORTH the wait.
Fans of WOW, KoA and MtG will be very familiar with Mike's work, some of which is included in this book alongside an excellent mix of work including illustration, fine art and concept art. From life drawing sketches to finished card art to environment paintings, the quality of Daarken's work is astonishing.
This is not just a picture book though, as it includes a commentary that includes thought processes, tips, tricks and rationales.
DO NOT WORRY.... the pictures FAR outweigh the text which is concise, appropriate and extremely interesting.
In conclusion, this book is a must-buy for anyone interested in fantasy and sci-fi art. Go hit the buy button NOW.... You WILL NOT be disappointed!!
(Posted on 25/10/2012)
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