John howe is one half of the incredible art team behind the lord of the rings films, being accompanied by alan lee. This book is a gorgeous, clear and easy to follow drawing and painting guide, particularly aimed at fantasy art, but containing enough information to translate to any artistic style. He breaks down the steps of composition, detailing, colouring and adding final touches to sketches and paintings. He gives some of the most clear advice I've read in an art guide book, so I can't recommend this book enough.