Animals Real and Imagined: Fantasy of What Is and What Might Be

by Terryl Whitlatch (Artist), Gilbert Banducci (Editor)

A fantastic visual voyage into the world of animals, both real and imagined. There is no end to the diverse and unique creatures that Terryl Whitlatch creates for us with her solid knowledge of anatomy and boundless imagination. Especially intriguing are the 100s of anatomical notes that are dispersed among her sketches, educating and enlightening us to the foundation of living bodies and their mechanics.

Genres: Art, Fantasy, Animals, Nature, Drawing, Mythology, Reference

160 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2010

Reviews

[Shahryar Khan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this. In another life, I would've been exactly what Terryl Whitlatch is: a wildlife illustrator and imaginative creature artist. Bcs it combines my 2 childhood passions: animals and art. God knows why I became a physicist...xD

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

This book made my face light up with ecstasy. Packed in this 160-page book is a collection of new artwork from Terryl Whitlatch. You won't see any of her Star Wars creatures that appeared in The Wildlife of Star Wars - you should probably get that book as well.

The gallery of art consist of paintings and sketches of real and imagined animals. The designs for the imaginative creatures are beautiful and believable. They are sea, land and flying creatures. Great variety.

A lot of sketches are included, picked from her art classes. For selected creatures, they are so detailed separate drawings on the muscular anatomy and bone structure are included. Scribbled on the sketches are lots of labels and notes, though a bit small but only because there's so much packed onto the page.

Besides creature concept art, there are also stylized character designs. Rocket rhinos, psychotic pandas, comical cerberus, cupid frogs are just some of the many animated ideas. They are really fun to look at.

This isn't an instructional book so there aren't pointers on how to draw, but you can get lots of ideas or understand what's possible just by looking at the drawings.

This inspiring book is highly recommended to anyone who loves animal art.

[Kiel Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cornerstone.

[alexander shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was almost entirely pictures with very little text, in comparison to some of the other books of Whitlatch's I have gone through. This book was definitely more what I was looking for when picking up her other books but I was most interested in the middle third that looked at fantastical/made up creatures. The first third was real animals and the final third was a mix of various things sketchbook style. It was weird to see the anime/cartoon style drawings in the last pages after so much realism through multiple books of hers but it's amazing to see her range as an illustrator.

[RumBelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read isn't exactly the right word since the majority of this book was illustrations. Whitlach's artistry and technique is amazing, and the skill is incredible. I just didn't care for the book for several personal reasons. One, the majority of the animals depicted were, to me, gruesome and grotesque. Also, a large section of the middle of the book was only in black and white. When I get a book like this I love to look at color art.

[Shane Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun and educational book by Zoological Illustrator Terry Withlatch

[Vincent Gagnepain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very fascinating art book on creature design and creation!

[Reading Through the Lists · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love animals as much as the next person, but I love fantasy and worldbuilding even more. Terryl Whitlatch delivers on both fronts here.

I look forward to seeing more of her work.

5 stars.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A real joy going through the pages, love how Terryl's creativity mixes with realistic anatomy of the animals.

[Meghan Bohn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible!

[Callan Denham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous

[Sammy Kutsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really wonderful to see some of the thought and work behind so many iconic creatures. Making me both very intimidated but excited to put more effort into making art

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

This book made my face light up with ecstasy. Packed in this 160-page book is a collection of new artwork from Terryl Whitlatch. You won't see any of her Star Wars creatures that appeared in The Wildlife of Star Wars - you should probably get that book as well.

The gallery of art consist of paintings and sketches of real and imagined animals. The designs for the imaginative creatures are beautiful and believable. They are sea, land and flying creatures. Great variety.

A lot of sketches are included, picked from her art classes. For selected creatures, they are so detailed separate drawings on the muscular anatomy and bone structure are included. Scribbled on the sketches are lots of labels and notes, though a bit small but only because there's so much packed onto the page.

Besides creature concept art, there are also stylized character designs. Rocket rhinos, psychotic pandas, comical cerberus, cupid frogs are just some of the many animated ideas. They are really fun to look at.

This isn't an instructional book so there aren't pointers on how to draw, but you can get lots of ideas or understand what's possible just by looking at the drawings.

This inspiring book is highly recommended to anyone who loves animal art.

[Michael Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terryl Whitlach is the artist responsible for one my favorite Star Wars books, "The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide". The art that is on display in this book is pretty amazing. Many pieces that I would love to have framed and hanging on a wall.
I enjoyed the "Real" part more than the "Imagined" part, but both are great. The amount of detail in the art is pretty staggering. She doesn't just draw an animal. She draws the skeletal structure, then the musculature, then the skin and all the details. Great for any artist or animal fan.