James Gurney Art
@jamesgurneyart.bsky.social
Creator of Dinotopia and artist/author of Color and Light and Imaginative Realism.
On Substack today, the story of how I acquired a human skull.
"It came in the mail the other day. It was wrapped in about 15 layers of packing material, which intensified the suspense. The box said on the outside, ‘FRAGILE HUMAN SKELETAL MATERIAL.'"
jamesgurney.substack.com/p/the-story-...
"It came in the mail the other day. It was wrapped in about 15 layers of packing material, which intensified the suspense. The box said on the outside, ‘FRAGILE HUMAN SKELETAL MATERIAL.'"
jamesgurney.substack.com/p/the-story-...
November 11, 2025 at 8:22 PM
On Substack today, the story of how I acquired a human skull.
"It came in the mail the other day. It was wrapped in about 15 layers of packing material, which intensified the suspense. The box said on the outside, ‘FRAGILE HUMAN SKELETAL MATERIAL.'"
jamesgurney.substack.com/p/the-story-...
"It came in the mail the other day. It was wrapped in about 15 layers of packing material, which intensified the suspense. The box said on the outside, ‘FRAGILE HUMAN SKELETAL MATERIAL.'"
jamesgurney.substack.com/p/the-story-...
Are people noticing lately a lot of errors (such as lost payments, crazy accounting, etc.) from business associates (such as payment processors, distributors, etc.) who are using AI?
November 11, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Are people noticing lately a lot of errors (such as lost payments, crazy accounting, etc.) from business associates (such as payment processors, distributors, etc.) who are using AI?
The first page of a sketchbook can be a bit daunting, even for experienced sketchers. So what I do is start on page 2. I can always come back later and do a knockout first page. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
November 8, 2025 at 11:08 PM
The first page of a sketchbook can be a bit daunting, even for experienced sketchers. So what I do is start on page 2. I can always come back later and do a knockout first page. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
This painting will be auctioned at Heritage on Nov. 4, 2025. fineart.ha.com/itm/pulp-pul...
November 2, 2025 at 11:54 PM
This painting will be auctioned at Heritage on Nov. 4, 2025. fineart.ha.com/itm/pulp-pul...
Children come into awarenesses that are brand new and highly charged. Emotions overtake them. Relationships emerge and develop. They stagger into the light of life with openness and expectation.
More about childhood at my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
More about childhood at my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
Where My Vision of Childhood Came From
.The roots of Dinotopia and my love of Wordsworth
open.substack.com
November 2, 2025 at 6:35 PM
Children come into awarenesses that are brand new and highly charged. Emotions overtake them. Relationships emerge and develop. They stagger into the light of life with openness and expectation.
More about childhood at my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
More about childhood at my Substack: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
(Left, my breakfast doodle. Right: Gemini takes a crack at it.)
On Substack, I share 10 concerns about using AI as a creative collaborator. substack.com/home/post/p-...
On Substack, I share 10 concerns about using AI as a creative collaborator. substack.com/home/post/p-...
October 16, 2025 at 11:57 AM
(Left, my breakfast doodle. Right: Gemini takes a crack at it.)
On Substack, I share 10 concerns about using AI as a creative collaborator. substack.com/home/post/p-...
On Substack, I share 10 concerns about using AI as a creative collaborator. substack.com/home/post/p-...
Painting the Pre-Electric Night open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
October 13, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Painting the Pre-Electric Night open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
Milt Kahl used contour blends in this drawing of an adolescent Bambi. What's a "contour blend?" Answer here: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
September 21, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Milt Kahl used contour blends in this drawing of an adolescent Bambi. What's a "contour blend?" Answer here: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
Marty Owings on YouTube: "If you read the book it will unlock many secrets to being a better sketcher." youtu.be/G3hhyFvCHEA?...
September 16, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Marty Owings on YouTube: "If you read the book it will unlock many secrets to being a better sketcher." youtu.be/G3hhyFvCHEA?...
Quick sketch of a lady taking a photo on the ferry.
When I look again, she's gone.
When I look again, she's gone.
September 14, 2025 at 1:11 AM
Quick sketch of a lady taking a photo on the ferry.
When I look again, she's gone.
When I look again, she's gone.
Lettering is one of my secret joys, and I was so happy when Dover agreed to republish the book that inspired me at age 12.
You can find it at my website: jamesgurney.com/products/art...
You can find it at my website: jamesgurney.com/products/art...
September 9, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Lettering is one of my secret joys, and I was so happy when Dover agreed to republish the book that inspired me at age 12.
You can find it at my website: jamesgurney.com/products/art...
You can find it at my website: jamesgurney.com/products/art...
Lettering is one of my secret joys, and I was so happy when Dover agreed to republish the book that inspired me at age 12.
You can find it at my website, jamesgurney dot com.
You can find it at my website, jamesgurney dot com.
September 9, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Lettering is one of my secret joys, and I was so happy when Dover agreed to republish the book that inspired me at age 12.
You can find it at my website, jamesgurney dot com.
You can find it at my website, jamesgurney dot com.
Mixing time lapse and real time in the same shot.
September 7, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Mixing time lapse and real time in the same shot.
Is dusk light COOL (left Krøyer) or WARM (right C. Hassam)? jamesgurney.substack.com/p/art-coloni...
September 1, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Is dusk light COOL (left Krøyer) or WARM (right C. Hassam)? jamesgurney.substack.com/p/art-coloni...
Artists at the Olde Lyme colony played "The Wiggle Game". An artist would draw a few random, squiggly lines—"wiggles". They would then hand the paper to another artist, who had to incorporate those lines into a complete and often humorous drawing. More: jamesgurney.substack.com/p/art-coloni...
August 29, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Artists at the Olde Lyme colony played "The Wiggle Game". An artist would draw a few random, squiggly lines—"wiggles". They would then hand the paper to another artist, who had to incorporate those lines into a complete and often humorous drawing. More: jamesgurney.substack.com/p/art-coloni...
Art colonies that revered twilight. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
August 29, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Art colonies that revered twilight. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
There's a place up on Agriculture Hill where you can see across to the spinning midway, feel the cool spray from the gardening display, smell the french fries and chicken sandwiches, and hear the crowd laughing at the juggler.
August 24, 2025 at 12:09 AM
There's a place up on Agriculture Hill where you can see across to the spinning midway, feel the cool spray from the gardening display, smell the french fries and chicken sandwiches, and hear the crowd laughing at the juggler.
“How do you place a figure in an invented space?” and other questions from Jacob. jamesgurney.substack.com/p/questions-...
August 22, 2025 at 4:42 PM
“How do you place a figure in an invented space?” and other questions from Jacob. jamesgurney.substack.com/p/questions-...
Sno Cone shack, sketched in gouache at the county fair. Watch videos: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
August 19, 2025 at 8:31 PM
Sno Cone shack, sketched in gouache at the county fair. Watch videos: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
Finding the story in a landscape painting. youtu.be/3tQPp_QEryc
Finding the Story in a Landscape Painting
YouTube video by James Gurney
youtu.be
August 15, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Finding the story in a landscape painting. youtu.be/3tQPp_QEryc
On the new YouTube video, I redid the thumbnail and changed the title from "Painting a Stranded Boat in Gouache" to "Finding the Story in a Landscape Painting". youtu.be/3tQPp_QEryc
August 14, 2025 at 3:52 PM
On the new YouTube video, I redid the thumbnail and changed the title from "Painting a Stranded Boat in Gouache" to "Finding the Story in a Landscape Painting". youtu.be/3tQPp_QEryc
I paint a stranded boat and answer your questions. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
New Video About a Stranded Boat
Watch it first on Substack
open.substack.com
August 9, 2025 at 10:46 PM
I paint a stranded boat and answer your questions. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
Which colors are primary? One of the most basic art questions turns out to be not so simple.
More on Substack today: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
More on Substack today: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
Which Colors Are Primary?
And how should artists think about primaries?
open.substack.com
August 4, 2025 at 8:45 PM
Which colors are primary? One of the most basic art questions turns out to be not so simple.
More on Substack today: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
More on Substack today: open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
The French word “repoussoir” refers to an object placed in the foreground of a composition that enhances the illusion of distance with other objects. More on Substack open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
July 27, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The French word “repoussoir” refers to an object placed in the foreground of a composition that enhances the illusion of distance with other objects. More on Substack open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
Edwin Austin Abbey’s advice to art students: focus first on learning the basic skills and science of your craft, and wait until later to explore the artistic or creative side. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...
July 10, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Edwin Austin Abbey’s advice to art students: focus first on learning the basic skills and science of your craft, and wait until later to explore the artistic or creative side. open.substack.com/pub/jamesgur...