Home› General Discussion

Environment/landscape 2D books/resources help

carlo_c
Offline / Send Message
carlo_c
Ok, so if you want to be a character artist and you need to work on your 2d skills everybody says Bridgman/Loomis books as well as life drawing. These are pretty much the "standard issue" recommendations, although everybody also has their personal additions too.

What I tried and failed miserably at was trying to find something like this for environment/landscape artwork. I'm really trying hard to improve my 2d artwork, and while I've been seeing steady improvement I feel like I'm having a hard time to find the equivalent of bridgman/loomis for environments.

I don't have much knowledge of old artists and paintings, I feel like I could learn a lot from studying them but I have no idea where to start and there are so many. I guess this is a call out to any environment artists or concept artists who can give me some direction. Any books/resources/tips that would really help. I'm less interested in reading online tutorials and would much rather invest the money and time in a few good books that I can really learn from.

If you got to the end thanks for reading such a long post!
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Replies

  • Ben Apuna
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    Ben Apuna
    I know what you mean with most people really focused on character art finding good books on landscape art is quite a challenge. I wish I knew of some good ones to pass on to you.

    Loomis does go though quite a bit of perspective, composition, and color theory all of which apply to environment art. Have you gone through all of his books? Successful Drawing, Creative illustration, and The Eye of the Painter.

    Another good one on perspective drawing is Perspective Made Easy by Ernest R. Norling. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Perspective-Made-Easy-Ernest-Norling/dp/9563100166/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247716561&sr=1-1[/ame]


    Color by Betty Edwards, covers color theory. [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Color-Betty-Edwards-Course-Mastering/dp/1585422193/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247716693&sr=1-5[/ame]


    Maybe some of the tutorials over at Massive Black might be more like what you are looking for.

    http://dvd.massiveblack.com/downloads.html
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • EmAr
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    EmAr polycounter lvl 18
    I have only the Drawing Manual by this artist(Glenn Vilppu) but this may be useful too:

    http://www.vilppustore.com/VSLM.htm
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mark Dygert
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    Mark Dygert mod
    When I was doing environment art I loved picking up architecture books for reference. I think a great environmental artist will pull from a lot of different sources, everything from architecture to natural landscapes. I think being exposed to a bunch of different stuff is key. I think painting techniques and methods can be learned from a lot of sources but it's the inspiration that counts.

    For architecture:
    Famous architects. (Kevin posted most of these previously, I found them really inspirational)
    - Frank Lloyd Wright: You can't walk through a book store without tripping over a book on his buildings/houses. Some really inspiring stuff, especially the interiors.
    - Albert Kahn: Great stuff from the 1920's.
    - Antonio Gaudi: Was insane...
    - Frank O. Gehry: Crazy ass buildings.
    - Lots more amazing was done by unknown and obscure architects, just gotta go diggin.

    For natural landscapes:
    - No one beats Bob Ross (ok a lot of artists do, but he was very inspirational).
    - I really dig Arizona Highways its a small time photography magazine that focuses on the Arizona back country. So many awesome landscape shots.
    - www.outdoor-photos.com A lot of outdoor landscape shots.
    - A bunch of the massive black stuff has really helped a bunch of people I work with.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Zack Fowler
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    Zack Fowler polycounter lvl 11
    For references, large photo travel guides are fantastic. Most people use them for coffee table books. This big hardcover [ame="http://www.amazon.com/China-People-Place-Culture-History/dp/0756631599/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247757265&sr=1-1"]book on China[/ame] is one of my personal favorites, along with a couple others on Khmer temples and villages of Tuscany. Vig's right on with the architectural books too.

    Unfortunately I can't really think of any instructional books for landscapes and cityscapes. There are a number of training DVDs for environment concept art, though, and I've learned quite a bit from watching a couple of them.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SHEPEIRO
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    SHEPEIRO polycounter lvl 17
    go travelling see the world, and read up on geography and architecture.

    nothing like first hand experience and a knoledge ogf how things work for producing believable stuff
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • carlo_c
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    carlo_c
    @ ben: I have to say I haven't gone through all of Loomis' books so I will definitely take a look at those, I do have them on my PC. I find it hard to read on the screen for an extended period of time though, I do wish they were still in print lol.

    @ EmAr, thanks for the link I will see if I can find a copy locally or maybe purchase it as it seems quite informative.

    @ vig: Thanks for posting all those links, there's a lot of inspiration there. Makes me wish I could take some time out to go travel, would be very inspiring.

    @ zackF: I have a couple of friends who went to China, one is a 3d artist too and he said it was incredible. I have seen some training DVD's that looked good but the problem I have with them is that you can't take them around with you when you go out to places.

    @ shep: I would love to travel, it's definitely one of my things I'm planning on doing but just something I'm not able to do probably for the next year so while I wait, I would like to improve my ability with drawing so I can really make the most out of it when I go

    Thanks for the replies guys, you've all given me a lot to read and think about with regards to inspiration :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mark Dygert
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    Mark Dygert mod
    Speaking of travel and gathering ref, you can stick to day trips and keep it pretty local. Go on ref-ari in your own backyard. Well more like downtown some place. If your backyard is like mine its pretty boring, a weed some grass, not much really. But go play tourist, (just don't get mistaken for a terrorist...). You can build up quite a library of texture ref that way too.

    Honestly I'd trade Seattle for London any day of the week when it comes to gathering ref. And I've gotten a lot out of Seattle.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SHEPEIRO
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    SHEPEIRO polycounter lvl 17
    ^ londons got rich pickings, but i enjoyed Seattle when i passed through, pretty ;-) in a wet industrialised way, but thats the key go to different places.

    yeah you dont need alot of time to travel, you live in london its hard but not that hard to escape, 3 hrs and you can be in the peaks, 4 and your in scottland by train, book in advance and you can get a cheap weekend away. other destinations around europe are relativly cheap and quick to go for a weekend, and even Morroco isnt that bad for a short holiday.

    And seriously, i took geography to A level and half wish Id taken it further, the knowledge of how a landscape is constructed is invauable.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lefix
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    lefix polycounter lvl 11
    not really book related, but i also recommend the dylan cole landscape and cityscape matte painting dvds. i learned alot from those.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • MagicSugar
    Options
    Offline / Send Message
    MagicSugar polycounter lvl 10
    Any Francis D. Ching book: [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Visual-Dictionary-Architecture-Francis-Ching/dp/0471288217/ref=pd_sim_b_5/191-6313225-4471965[/ame] (check the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought")

    Syd Mead books. A lot of out of print books but you can check his enviro stuff online for technique and design ideas (especially composition of foreground to background elements and rendering light and material effects).

    Storyboarding or cinematography books (check online book store reviews, there's a ton of them). Recommended to understand the theory since there is at least one camera in games and a concept artist responsiiblity is to consider what and how the player sees in the game. [e.g., you swap first person to third when the level becomes a platform jumping puzzle, or would the lighting and shadow info aid the player if he/she decides to leave character view into a free form orbit cam view, etc.)

    Perspective for comics: [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Perspective-Comic-Book-Artists-Professional/dp/0823005674/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1247941563&sr=1-2[/ame] Loomis like in depth. Common approach nowadays is to just paintover a 3d base, but it's good to know the basics in case they test you on your trad skills as part of a job application.

    If books ain't your thing then just soak up on works by elite artists like: http://www.paperblue.net/?mid=Project&page=2&document_srl=3473
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.