From iconic film work to Fighting Fantasy book covers, Iain McCaig’s pencil conjures magic with every stroke. Join Rediscovered Realms as we flip through a treasure trove of raw, expressive fantasy drawings pulled from his book Once Upon A Time In The Sketchbook.
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This Week’s Rediscovered Realms Theme Song:
Across blistering dunes and the ruins of long-dead empires, a desperate band of adventurers flees with a stolen relic . . . with something arcane and merciless on their trail. Ride hard, the desert is not your only enemy.
Once Upon a Time in the Sketchbook is no ordinary art book. It’s a portal into the primal imagination of Iain McCaig, a fantasy illustrator, filmmaker, and storyteller whose pencil has danced through some of the most iconic worlds in pop culture.
In these pages, you won’t find polished, finished pieces. Instead, you’ll find something even more magical: unfiltered ideas, living lines, and the spark of creation itself.
Iain McCaig is a Scottish-born artist best known for designing Queen Amidala and Darth Maul for the Star Wars prequels. But his legacy stretches far beyond a galaxy far, far away.
Over the decades, he’s illustrated book covers (Fighting Fantasy, Faerie Tale by Raymond Feist), contributed to films like Harry Potter, The Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy, Hook,John Carter of Mars, The Avengers, Terminator 2, Interview with a Vampire, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Guardians of the Galaxy, Outlander, and taught thousands of students how to tell stories with pictures. His work is fluid, cinematic, and full of soul, always chasing character over perfection.
McCaig’s sketchbook is a place where failure is welcome, and exploration is the only rule. Many of the drawings in this collection are character studies, unfinished concepts, and personal experiments.
They aren’t meant to impress (though they will!) - they’re meant to reveal. The book shows the process of becoming, which is a rare and intimate thing for an artist to share.
Your next piece of fantasy fun is calling.
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Long before Star Wars, McCaig made a name for himself in the realm of gamebooks. He illustrated several iconic covers for the Fighting Fantasy series, including The Forest of Doom, which we featured in a past Rediscovered Realms article.
His ability to make a single figure feel like part of a whole world was a huge part of the books’ appeal. These weren’t just covers, they were invitations to adventure!
“First and foremost, any design — whether it’s a character or a creature or an environment — is there to serve the STORY” - Iain McCaig
“Step One: draw the image from you imagination, trying to capture all the pzazz and power you can;
Step Two: if there was anything in the image that lacks authority, find it in real life and study it in as many drawings as it takes to sock it away into your memory; then,
Step Three: combine Step One and Step Two into a Third drawing, one that combines the power of your imagination with the precision of your studies. Then hide Steps One and Two so everyone thinks you’re a frickin’ genius.” - Iain McCaig
In recent years, McCaig has become a sought-after mentor and speaker, teaching workshops around the world and sharing his love for visual storytelling. One of his core beliefs is that everyone is creative - it just needs to be unlocked. His sketchbooks, then, aren’t just art objects. They’re blueprints for how to live a more imaginative life.
You are not only brave, but a Generous Adventurer whose love of Discovery, Imagination & Fun transcends our mere mortal coils . . .
These sketches may never have hung in a gallery, but they hold something rarer than polish: truth, play, and pure imagination.
McCaig’s Once Upon A Time In The Sketchbook isn’t just a glimpse into the mind of a master - it’s a reminder that creativity begins with curiosity and courage.
So whether you’re an artist, a dreamer, or just someone who loves getting lost in fantasy, may these pages inspire your own next adventure.
Until next time, keep your pencils sharp and your imagination sharper, Imaginative Adventurer!
Have any favorite Iain McCaig sketches from this edition of “Fantasy Artist Sketchbook”? Make sure to comment below!
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Cold Pursuit, Burning Sands [Verse 1] Beneath a sun that scorches cold, They ride to ancient paths of gold A map, a gem, a stolen key, Pursuer lost in dust with speed. [Pre-Chorus] The dunes they shift, the winds they howl, A vulture’s cry, a serpent foul But on they press through mirage's flame, Chased behind, in wizard's aim. [Chorus] Ride, O riders, through burning sands! With steel in heart and fate in hands The desert lulls with drowsy heat, But that which hunts you never sleeps. [Verse 2] Past shattered gates and wells gone dry, Where former races lived and died The hoofbeats drum a frenzied song, The undead's presence now growing strong. [Bridge] Dunes heave, a vortex spins, An icy tingle upon the skin. The arcane stalker appears in flame Stealing from a lich, a costly game. [Final Chorus] Ride, O riders, through burning sands! The hour is nigh, the chase commands No time to turn, no path but through, The end you seek... just might end you.
McCaig’s FF work is foundational stuff for me. His covers are just spellbinding.
He’s really awesome!! I put his book in my bday wish list! 😊