The word ‘fictional’ brings to mind something imaginative that doesn’t exist in real life. In contrast, ‘non-fiction’ suggests something that’s based in reality, whether it’s factual, historical and so on. However, to paint a realistic yet fictional character, I need elements from both camps. I must think about how to make something feel factual when it’s clearly not.
As a student, my favourite challenge was creating realistic but fictional feathered or furry creatures. My fascination with these types of creatures continued over my 15-plus years of designing creatures for films, television and games. This is a subject that I love, so it’s what I’ve chosen to cover in this workshop.
