10 INCREDIBLE MODERN MASTERS OF FANTASY ILLUSTRATIONS

These 10 artists will blow your mind with their impeccable talent for capturing the fantastical.

Tran Nguyen says: "I'd like my visuals to serve as a buffer in getting through tough times"

These 10 artists have, over time, created portfolios of amazing imagery that never fails to grab attention and inspires us to pick up a Wacom (or that ancient relic - the pencil) and get drawing!

While their processes and styles vary, they all share a common goal: to become better, continue experimenting and progress their art.

While artists never stop learning and improving, and there are certainly plenty

more masters under our rader - we think these talented individuals deserve a mention so they can continue to be inspired and inspire you on your own journey

1: RUAN JAI

Ruan Jia's "Bloodgaze" shows how the artist uses colour and light to define his whimsical style

There is a romantic, ethereal feeling to Ruan's work in which every part of the image feels like it's glowing. "This is because I love to add saturated colour to places where it is not supposed to glow," explains the artist.

"After deciding the key colour for the overall mood, I continue adding colour changes to my painting," he admits. "I love dramatic lighting, and I often make the light fall on the focus point, to make the main object stand out."

2: TRAN NGUYEN

Tran likes to find a message and purpose for her art

Tran's paintings are figurative, surreal and contain a hefty splash of fantasy. "Fantasy encompasses a perspective that's perpendicular to reality," she says.

"I think depicting imagery that captures space which could never exist in our daily lives expands out imaginative capacity.

Tran loves to paint 'therapeutic imagery', where she aims to tap into a specific yet universal emotion that everyone can relate to.

"It's my hope that the viewer can relate, recollect and thus foster well-being from what they interpret."

3: DONGLU YU

Donglu Yu's "Medieval Lord" shows her rich appreciation of colour and form - expressing detail without having to spend hours creating it

Donglu began her career traditionally, first with private drawing and oil painting classes and then pursuing art at college and university where she studied illustration and animation.

"My grandfather is a Chinese traditional calligrapher. So I've been exposed to Chinese watercolour from a very early age," she says.

After her day job as a concept artist for Ubisoft, Montreal, Donglu teaches a digital art painting class at a local art school. "It's always a pleasure to witness the progress of young students," she admits.

04. Wylie Beckert

Wylie Beckert fell in love with the fantasy community and found her style grew naturally

Describing her work as "dark and whimsical", with an emphasis on characters and storytelling.

"For me," she says, " developing an identifiable style been less a conscious choice, and more a by-product of the tools and processes I work with, combined with an eye towards continuous improvement."

05. Miles Johnston

Miles prefers to work in his moleskin with pencil - the traditional way - to drive his fervent creativity

English artist, Miles Johnston, was still a teenager when he caught the eye of ImagineFX's rising stars campaign. Four years later, he's still inspiring and creating, finding his feet in the online community.

"The whole online art scene feels like a cool, extended friendship group, and it's been exciting meeting so many people that I've known from online," he says.

06. Jana Schirmer

Berlin-based artist, Jana, recently turned to portrait art in an effort to find her true style

After facing problems and dropping out of school at 15, Jana devoted her time to painting: "Art felt like the only thing that was left for me," she says.

Jana's art is beautiful and light, semi-realistic but with manga overtones. "I used to draw and paint manga during my teenage years, and it's very hard to get rid of these 'trained mistakes' that come with a specific style," she admits.

07. Rafael Sarmento

Rafael's dramatic style uses a limited palette to create an impact

Rafael's work defines a style, neither illustrative nor fantasy, it feels like a work in progress of some larder, broader piece.

"It's like a perpetual motion machine, whose rhythm is getting faster as the time passes, and it created the impulses that makes me paint," explains the artist.

08. Ross Tran

Ross Tran is enthusiastic about learning and shares his knowledge through his popular youtube channel

Being an only child, Ross always had to find new ways of entertaining himself. "I remember exploring the back yard of my gradma's place and getting lost in the worlds I created for myself," he recalls.

"Fantasy allows for anything to happen! It's just a whole world of make-believe and unlimited things to draw from."

Ross is keen to never stop learning: "Every experience will feed into your work and make you who you are."

09. Tom Bagshaw

Tom's piece "Overflow" demonstrates his need to put a story behind his work

"Ideas pop into your head at odd times," says Tom, " like when your actually working on another piece." The artist shuns the idea that he has a style - "honestly", he says, "I've never really thought about it." 

His influences include religion, the occult, folklore and broader fantasy - always with a contained narrative.

10. Jeff Simpson

Jeff Simpson's "Catwoman" shows the artist's pursuasion towards something a little different

Jeff Simpson grew up as "the art kid", surrounded by creativity and an art teacher mother. While Jeff's day job is concept art, his personal paintings are what really catch the eye.

His portraits break rules, they are a collision of colour and shape - a merge of forms that become something broader.