James Gurney and his books “Dinotopia” and “The World Beneath” are some of my favored illustration books and his work is just so incredibly inspiring.
His beautiful paintings of dinosaurs and landscapes of a lost world are like falling into a dream of a new world that you want to be in so bad. James Gurney has an amazing attention to detail and realism that makes the world he creates so believable.
I was lucky enough to be able to get a signed and numbered print of the Skybax Rider Print above at ComicCon over 10 years ago and I framed it and it is hanging above my desk right next to my Frazetta drawing among others.
I always hoped Hayao Miyazaki would make a movie out of the books, they have his 3 favored elements: clouds, flying and wind. It would have been epic I’m sure.