There is strength through mystery. A picture produced from the images within the mind can be a more accurate portrayal of human perceptions than one based entirely on observations. When we look at the work of a fantasy artist we can respond to the mystery on a number of levels: the source of the ideas, the constituent parts, and the subject matter of the picture. The construction of the composition, its use of the elements of light and shade, and its depictions of imaginary forms are all crucial. Finally comes our response to the mysteries of the artist's technique - his painting skills.

The creation of fantasy art is achieved by the interplay of the conscious and the unconscious mind. This process was described in 1540 by Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian Renaissance master, as a challenge to the artist who must resolve a conflict between the observed and the imaginary, the known and the unknown. Images of the imagination appear in all forms of art, for example: the decorative and applied arts, sculpture and, surprisingly, architecture. This book excludes all the forms mentioned above and concentrates instead on
images, either painted or drawn, on twodimensional surfaces. It uses examples by commercial artists, those working on commissions, or artists exploring their own visual references and imagination. The vast resource of images made by people suffering from mental disorders who, as a result of illness or congenital deficiencies, create images directly from the disturbance of their minds is not included.