The fantasy genre is full of breathtaking scenery and beautiful landscapes. Whether book, film, or otherwise, audiences of this genre can be sure that they are going to encounter some amazing fantasy landscapes. Fantasy authors and filmmakers are known for being able to create new worlds that let us escape the real world. Sometimes these worlds are much more picturesque than the real world, but they often come with their own set of issues and problems. Take a look at some of the famous fantasy landscapes below and escape to a new world with amazing scenery and fantastic creatures.
Fantasy Landscape from Frank Herbert’s Dune
The image above depicts a quintessential fantasy landscape. It boasts mythical creatures, soldiers in armor, as well as action happening in an interesting setting. The main focus of this image from Dune is the massive sandworm that takes up nearly the entire image. Sandworms exist in this world as creatures who dwell under the sand dunes on the planet Arrakis. Sandworms are both honored and feared in the world of Dune, as they are essential for creating the spice, but they are also incredibly deadly.
Arrakis is a desert planet, and it is not the most habitable or comfortable planet out there. Incredibly, it still makes for a beautiful fantasy landscape. The sand dunes make for a remarkable backdrop that compliments both the sky as well as the mountain in the background. There is no greenery or water visible, but that is not always necessary for beautiful scenery. So long as the subject matter is interesting and the artwork is well-done, it can come together as a perfect fantasy landscape.
Fantasy Landscape from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
The world of Middle Earth is a land full of varying landscapes and scenery. It is arguably one of the most beautiful fantasy landscapes in existence. There are mountains, rivers, forests, volcanoes, and so much more. Middle Earth is home to countless creatures including Hobbits, elves, dragons, trolls, and orcs who all have their own homes and environments in which they thrive. Whether you read the Lord of the Rings books or watch the movies, you are certain to walk away breathless at the detail and the beauty of the landscapes of Middle Earth.
In the image above, we see the Gates of Argonath, a stunning fantasy landscape. The mountains tower in the distance and cast a beautiful shadow along the ground and the gates in front. The statues that stand in front of the mountains are likenesses of Anarion and Isildur, the sons of the High King of Arnor and Gondor. They are located on the edge of Gondor. Though various adaptations of the Lord of the Rings novels portray these statues and gates in differing ways, it is always these two men, each with one hand raised. This raised hand is a symbol of defiance to the enemies of Gondor.
These statues are massive and they tower over the landscape, but there is a simple beauty about them, as well. They guard the entrance to Gondor with power, but also with grace, making this an elegant fantasy landscape.
Fantasy Landscape from Brandon Sanderson’s The Way of Kings
Fans of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series will certainly recognize this next fantasy landscape. It is an iconic image that portrays one of the most powerful and terrifying weather events in the series. Fantasy landscapes do not always have to be beautiful, they can be haunting and dark, as well. The event pictured here is a high storm.
During a high storm, rains and powerful winds take over the entire continent. The storms begin in the east and move across the continent to the west. The east side of the continent receives the worst of the storm, and it gradually subsides as it moves across Roshar. High storms begin as a massive wall of water that is hundreds of feet high. Winds, lightning, and rain are a constant throughout these storms, which often last several hours. As the storm dies down, it turns into a light rain until stopping altogether.
The image above depicts a high storm in all of its terrifying beauty. Though it is a devastating storm, it is still a marvel to observe. Because this is fantasy, there is also an element of magic to a high storm. Highstorms are known for charging gemstones and infusing them with Stormlight, an essential aspect of this fantasy world. Even though these storms are destructive and wild, they provide Roshar with many things that it needs, as long as you don’t get stuck outside in it.
Generic Fantasy Landscape
Fantasy landscapes are not always part of an existing movie or book. Sometimes artists create new fantastic worlds that are not associated with existing stories. The image above is one of those fantasy landscapes. It is just a generic landscape, but the artwork can tell us so much about the world without saying a word.
The most striking feature of this fantasy landscape is the unique and beautiful rock formations. These are unlike anything we see in the real world. They are perfectly round and seem to follow the coastline into the distance. We do not have any information about how these shapes are formed, so we are able to make our own inferences. It could be a supernatural weather event that created them or something more haunting like aliens or demons.
Although not pictured in this image, you can imagine animals living within this fantasy world. Penguins, birds, and deer each could make an appearance leading us to believe that the landscape in this image could be one of our world or a fantastic take on our world. These animals give so much depth and realism to this fantasy landscape that you may even begin to wish it were real.
The blue water and the green grass and trees make this a picturesque image. Looking at it without any information about this world allows us to come up with our own thoughts about who and what may exist here. This just might be the most intriguing image on this list, simply because of its open-ended nature.
Fantasy Landscapes: Conclusion
I hope this article has provided you with some cool fantasy landscapes that inspire you.
And if you have your own art that you want to be featured in this list or you want us to feature some other fantasy landscape, leave a message in the comments below!
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