Art and science fiction (or even fantasy) writing are not often mentioned in the same sentence, which is a shame. Even medieval monks knew that when stories and pictures are combined, they can become something magical, intriguing, and alive. Today I am going to explore some of the most famous combinations of art and science fiction or fantasy, and suggest ways that you artist-writers out there (I know I’m not the only one!) can combine your passions.

To me, one of the most successful fusions of sci-fi/fantasy and art is the young adult novel Abarat by Clive Barker. While Barker’s story of an ordinary Minnesota girl transported to a world of 25 islands (Hours) stuck in time is quite stimulating, it is his colorful, surrealist oil paintings that make it remarkable. According to his website (thebooksofabarat.com), Barker spent four years on over 300 paintings before ever putting pencil to paper, more than 100 of which can be found in Abarat (which is the first book of a series). He was inspired by imagery in non-traditional formats, including the French Canadian Cirque de Soleil circus. That means that if you want to follow in his footsteps, you have to keep an eye open for intriguing images wherever you go, and be prepared to draw or paint without knowing all the details of a world beforehand.

Another illustrator of sci-fi/fantasy that I have always admired is Mary GrandPré, the artist behind the pictures in the Harry Potter books. According to an article by Scholastic, (http://content.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=5825), she has been drawing when she was five, and though she began by copying the works of others, she quickly learned that the most effective method was to draw the familiar, everyday things around her (in fact, she used herself as a starting point for the novels’ illustrations of Harry!) “’That’s what I tell kids to do,’ GrandPré said. ‘I tell them to draw what’s around them, and keep little notebooks and sketches. Draw whatever you see. It doesn’t have to be anything big or beautiful.’” She also advises young illustrators to be free in what they draw and enjoy the process – it is not as much fun if you’re following someone else’s vision, especially when you are drawing sci-fi/fantasy, which is supposed to center around your own imagination.

This week, create a drawing or a short piece of writing (whichever appeals to you most as a starting point). Then translate it across materials – describe your illustration in a story or paint or draw a scene from your writing.