Flame Tree Fiction

In an artistic genre populated by muscular heroes, blood-soaked warriors and impossible vistas, Michael C. Hayes is just one of the talented host of artists that we feature in our upcoming book, Fantasy Art: Warriors and Heroes. Though his work is canonical, his paintings are also innately artistic. Lending equal attention to superhuman fighters and composed portraits of his characters, Hayes' work is a must-see for any fantasy art fan.

Hulking hero Hercules is one of the most popular figures to come out of Greek mythology. He has had several incarnations over the years, being presented in literature and more recently TV and film to great success. Summer blockbuster Hercules, featuring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, is due out at the end of this week, and it has prompted me to think about some of the memorable portrayals over the years.

Dragons have become ever popular in recent years, fuelled earlier this month by the release of How To Train Your Dragon 2, which was prompted by the massive success its predecessor. Earlier this year there was a lot of excitement over Benedict Cumberbatch's incredible portrayal of Smaug in the second Hobbit film, The Desolation of Smaug. It was agreed by everyone that Cumberbatch's Smaug was impressive, with a fiery presence that really made the film what it was. Which isn't surprising, given that Cumberbatch writhed around on set while saying his lines, to really get into the Smaug spirit. So it's a great time for fantasy fans, and in particular those who love dragons! Here are some of our favourite fantasy dragons in film, T.V. and art today. 

We've just released a gorgeous new digital edition of our unrivalled book: Tattoo Art by Russ Thorne. 192pp pages of colour photographs, revealing brilliant tattoo designs from fabulous contemporary tattoo artists, photographed in style by the best photographers. It's available on the Apple iBookstore and is designed for the iPad Retina display which shows off the detailed and glorious art. We're very excited about it!

Tattoo art, like most forms of art, covers an eclectic range of styles, subject matter and messages. Of these sub-categories, Old School is one of the most instantly recognisable. The clear lines and iconography relevant to sailing lore have evolved into a popular style for those with a love of inked skin. Conversely, style has evolved on the other end of the spectrum into what is being dubbed 'New School'. An anthesis to its older brother, New School tattoo art relies less on a rigid style and is more commonly associated with experimentation, natural colours and subtle messages.

It's been a long time coming, but at last we've made a fabulous illustrated ebook of the hugely successful print title, Dragon Art: Inspiration, Impact & Technique in Fantasy Art. Yes, it's very big, both in terms of dimension and the number of pages (192 pages plus covers), but we've worked hard to create a terrific iPad ready, digital book.  It's available on the Apple iBookstore and is designed for the iPad display which shows off the detailed and glorious art. We're absolutely delighted with it. It'll be on Kobo soon too, and you can download it to the Mac OSX Mavericks because at last you can use iBookson the desktop. We flirted with the Amazon on this project but the designed pages look so terrible you wouldn't want to open it again!!

We've just released a gorgeous digital edition of a brand-new book: Fantasy Art: Warriors & Heroes. 192pp pages of artwork, showcasing amazing paintings from fabulous contemporary artists. It's available on the Apple iBookstore and is designed for the iPad Retina display which shows off the detailed and glorious art. We're very excited to see what you think!

If you're a fantasy art fan, am I wrong in assuming that you find thrill in blood, sweat, triumph and glory? You're in awe of rippling muscles, masculine grit, death and dynamism and kinetic carnage? Look no further than the works of legendary fantasy and science fiction artist Frank Frazetta. 

We've just released a digital first publication in our Gothic Dreams series: Steampunk. 128 pages of colour illustrations, packed with brilliant art from fabulous contemporary illustrators. It's available on the Apple iBookstore and is designed for the iPad Retina display which shows off the detailed and glorious art. We're absolutely delighted with it.

There’s something very steampunky about cinema itself. The medium was invented in the Victorian era, and early projectors and cameras were intricate, archaic devices with hundreds of moving parts. This ethos of incricate moving parts laced with a strong emphasis on style is what makes steampunk appeal to so many people worldwide, and why too it has capured the imaginationof Hollywood filmakers.