BOOKS: Dover’s Incredible, Inspiring Library

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BOOKS: Dover’s Incredible, Inspiring Library

November 13, 2008

I haven’t done a “Books Which Have Inspired Me” entry in some time, and I was reminded just the other day about how big an impact Dover Publications‘ books have had on my work.

1992: As I neared the end of my art school life, I began to think seriously about submitting my illustrations to TSR, the company which published the Dungeons & Dragons game. I started looking for a reference book which could inspire and (hopefully) help set my work apart from the myriad of other submissions blanketing the art director’s desk.

At a trip to a local art supply shop, I chanced upon a large, black and white book simply titled Animals. It contained over 1,000 highly detailed, if a bit antiquated, images of every type of bird, mammal, fish, insect and reptile you could think of…and it was (drum roll please) $9.95.

$9.95!

Nine dollars and ninety-five cents!?!?

All of this super cool reference (which was copyright free I might add) was mine to take and use for years of drawing, and it would literally cost less than the price of a pizza!? It was this art college grad’s dream!

So off I went. I was copying from old turn-of-the-century woodcuts and morphing them into dice-rolling-saving-throw-causing monsters. Here is an example of a leopard-turned-displacer beast:

…Leopard (from page 21)…

…and my Displacer Beast (from 1994’s AD&D Monstrous Manual)

I soon purchased the next book in my secret Dover arsenal of reference, Historic Costume in Pictures – which gave me clothing and armor reference the world over (and through the ages). I was on my way to doodling out fantastic characters and monsters all drawn from very realistic inspiration and reference.

…so back to where I started on this post…

2008: There I was in my studio, just the other day, designing a new creature for the next installment of the Spiderwick books. I needed some reference to help take my initial thumbnail sketches to the next stage of development. I looked a bookshelf (now FULL of reference books), and instinctively went for my old, tattered, dog-eared copy of Animals.

Keep making these awesome reference books Dover. You are sparking many minds.

PS – Inflation has caused these books to go up in price just a tad, but they are still available AND still cheaper than a pizza! Check out your local bookstore, or try Amazon or Barnes & Noble for more info.

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Tony DiTerlizzi: Never abandon imagination.

Imagination is a world of possibility that exists within each of us. It is what makes us uniquely human. It is our creative fingerprint that touches and influences the world around us. Imagination is essential to art and science; to innovation and prosperity. It gives us hope, calls us to action and leads to change.

Whether it’s fairies, dragons, robots or aliens, all of my children’s book characters are siblings born of my imagination – an imagination strengthened through years of encouragement from family, teachers and friends. While so many others abandoned it during their transition from childhood to adulthood, I fiercely held onto mine, hoping for a day when I could share it to inspire the next generation of dreamers. Innovators. World changers.

Imagination empowers us to envision and create a reality of what could be. We must hold it dear, foster it and never abandon it.

BOOKS: Dover’s Incredible, Inspiring Library

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Tony DiTerlizzi: Never abandon imagination.