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Design · MS elective · 3 credit hours · 16 sessions

Sci-Fi & Fantasy Illustration

This advanced illustration course is dedicated to the art of world-building for speculative fiction. Students will learn to visualize the impossible—from alien ecosystems to medieval citadels—while maintaining scientific plausibility and historical grounding. The course emphasizes imaginative realism, creature anatomy, and the use of reference to ground the fantastical in reality.

§ 01 By the end you can
  1. Apply "Imaginative Realism" to paint believable fantasy subjects
  2. Design functional machinery (Sci-Fi) and armor/weaponry (Fantasy)
  3. Master atmospheric perspective to create scale in epic landscapes
  4. Combine animal anatomy to create plausible creatures and monsters
  5. Develop a narrative illustration style suitable for book covers and game art
§ 02 Sixteen sessions

The whole semester.

  1. 01The History of Imaginative Realism
  2. 02World-Building 101: Ecosystems & Cultures
  3. 03Comparative Anatomy for Creature Design
  4. 04Character Archetypes: Warriors & Mages
  5. 05Character Archetypes: Pilots & Cyborgs
  6. 06Armor & Weaponry Functionality
  7. 07Dynamic Lighting & Color Scripts
  8. 08 · MidtermMidterm Examination
  9. 09Hard Surface Design: Mechs & Ships
  10. 10Architecture: Ancient Ruins vs. Cyberpunk Cities
  11. 11Material Rendering: Metal, Rust, & Magic
  12. 12Composition for Epic Scale
  13. 13Book Cover Illustration Workflow
  14. 14Card Game Art (Magic: The Gathering style)
  15. 15Professional Practice: Art Directors & Briefs
  16. 16Final Project: The Anthology Cover Art

Midterm around session 8. Final project briefed at session 8 or 9 and developed in stages until the juries.

§ 03 Final project

Final Project: The Anthology Cover Art

How it’s judged

Recommended reading
  1. Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist by James Gurney
  2. Color and Light by James Gurney
  3. The Skillful Huntsman by Khang Le
  4. Mechanika: Creating the Mechanics of Sci-Fi by Doug Chiang
  5. Anatomy for Sculptors by Uldis Zarins
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