WHEN INTERVIEWING AND WORKING WITH FANTASY ARTISTS for Paper Tiger and other publishers I was struck by how often the same influences were named in the shaping of their own art - artists and illustrators who were also among my own favourites. So it occurred to me that it might be interesting to gather some of them together here - just for the pleasure of it really and to give some background to the art you'll find elsewhere on this site. There's no strict order in the way I've presented them but I'm starting with Hieronymous Bosch because almost every fantasy artist I've talked to has mentioned him as kindling their first real interest in the possibilities of art. John Martin is another, though far less well known to the general public. As for M.C. Escher . . .
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