Todd lockwood is, without doubt, one of the most influential fantasy artists of the last 30 years. Born in the ’50s in Boulder, Colorado, Todd has had an illustrious freelance career – the artist being best known for his stunning paintings for TSR and Wizards of the Coast.

Transitions is the first and only book dedicated to Todd, and follows the artist on a chronological journey through his life – from early sketches through to his latest digital creations. Due to the minimal design and decent production values, the book is instantly flickable, and anyone unfamiliar with Todd’s minimal colour palette and awesome character studies will soon realise the depth and breadth of his work.

Those familiar with his paintings, on the other hand, will be fascinated by the detailed, and insightful descriptions scattered loosely throughout the title (by the artist himself). We just wish that there were a lot more of these – definitely a missed opportunity.

Another fascinating aspect of this book is Todd’s transition into the digital realm. Todd is an artist who has realised the computer is a tool to be used in the creation of artwork – rather than a tool that creates artwork. A rather interesting piece by co-author Karen Haber discusses the artist’s view of the computer as a possible stumbling block for fantasy artists, and that art education and study is more important than anything else. “You can’t make a dragon by just sticking wings on a crocodile,” is one of our favourite Toddisms.

At the end of the book, Todd offers more pearls of wisdom (the kind that he shares in his ImagineFX column every month), that aspiring artists would do well to listen to. An excellent showcase with valuable insights, Transitions is a book you shouldn’t ignore – fan of him or not.