Welcome... to a very epic fantasy

Each new series of Game of Thrones is a calendar highlight for any self-respecting fantasy fan. This April’s airing of season four has been marked in mine for some time. I love the perfectly sketched characters, painted up with intriguing detail and backstory. Then there’s, well, everything in the frame. The distinct environments, the castles, the costumes, the dragons! So much thought, craft and imagination is on show, it’s enough to keep an artist inspired until the next season.

So what better time to explore the art of the Seven Kingdoms, and what better way to kick things off than Mélanie Delon’s stunning cover workshop of Daenerys Targaryen, sitting on the dragon-forged Iron Throne that she so covets.

On page 40 we speak to the key creatives involved in not only the TV series but the vast, ever-expanding world of Ice and Fire art: the book covers, the card art, the calendars. We also chat with author George RR Martin about his role in much of it.

On page 70 Polish artist Grzegorz Rutkowski has a crack at an epic battle, framed by a mighty wall of ice (that you may recognise). Over on page 78 we’ve asked Miles Johnston to explain how he creates utterly unique paintings from reference photos, and flick to page 84 to find Daren Horley’s secrets in creating an original movie monster.

There’s loads more, but before all that, join me in taking one more awed look at the mighty Khaleesi… Right! Let’s get started.