Artist Research: James Gurney

I really, truly admire James Gurney's work. The level of realism and detail is phenomenal. I think it is incredible that he creates these worlds with dinosaurs and humans coexisting in his Dinotopia books. They look so real and believable.



I've flipped through his book on color and light, and it is incredibly informative. You can tell he knows what he is doing by how deliberately and intelligently he paints color. I think that it is awesome that he still paints with oil paint, considering how illustration has been shifting to the digital realm.




I absolutely love his portraits as well. They are beautiful and really capture the individuality of the model. I like how he uses minimal brushstrokes to define certain areas, like the hair, and renders focal areas, like the eyes, nose and lips, with more detail.



I hope to one day be able to paint/draw at his skill level. He is definitely an artist I would love to emulate.