ImagineFX – October 2026

Summary

Cole Eastburn explains how he paints epic villains on the October 2026 cover of ImagineFX Issue 269, and the "Become a Games Artist" promise runs through workshops from page 54 to a 3D world build on 94.

Issue 269 for October 2026 leads with the games artist cover and Blizzard illustrator Cole Eastburn, and carries The art of Witchspire on 32, a Himesh Anand sketchbook on 40 and Deducing dimensions on 44. The workshops are the spine: how to become a game artist on 54, epic fantasy covers on 60, scale with framing on 72. A 3D section builds a fallen giant robot vista on 88 and a video game world on 94.

Regulars stay lean: FXPosé on 8, The Rookies on 18, Artist in Residence Gary A. Lippincott on 26, Hardware reviews on 78 and Letters on 31. For an artist aiming at a games studio job this year, the 54 workshop and the 3D world pages are the reason to buy.

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Content Guide

▸ Cover / Features
p.32 · The art of Witchspire
The feature covers the art of Witchspire, naming the project and the visual approach behind it. It addresses the look rather than just showing frames. Study one Witchspire frame named here and note the light source.

p.40 · Sketchbook: Himesh Anand
Himesh Anand opens his sketchbook, showing working pages and the range inside them. The pages carry rough and finished work together. Copy one rough page of this sketchbook to loosen your own hand.

▸ Workshops
p.54 · How to become a game artist
The cover workshop sets out the route into a games art job, naming the roles and the portfolio pieces needed. It addresses the practical path. Build one portfolio piece named here before you apply anywhere.

p.60 · Illustrate epic fantasy covers
The workshop illustrates epic fantasy covers, naming the composition and the finish used. It runs a cover from start to end. Block one fantasy cover using the composition shown here.

p.72 · How to create scale with framing
The piece teaches scale through framing, naming the elements that make a scene feel large. It covers the viewer's sense of size. Put one tiny figure in a big frame using this framing rule.

▸ 3D Artist
p.88 · Build a strange overgrown vista of a fallen giant robot
The 3D workshop builds an overgrown vista with a fallen giant robot, naming the scene setup and the growth work. It runs as a full project. Set up one overgrown base and place the robot per this build.

p.94 · Create a video game world
The 3D piece creates a video game world, naming the layout and the assets used. It covers world scale for a game. Block one playable area following the asset plan here.

▸ Regulars
p.8 · FXPosé
FXPosé runs reader art, naming the artists and the pieces shown each month. It covers the standard of work being sent in. Send one finished piece of your own to FXPosé this month.

p.26 · Artist in Residence: Gary A. Lippincott
The residency feature covers Gary A. Lippincott, naming his work and the space he works in. It addresses a working artist's setup. Take one habit from his workspace into your own.

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Editor's Take

The cover promise is kept: the "how to become a game artist" workshop on 54 and "create a video game world" on 94 join up into a real route, and Cole Eastburn's villain painting is a named Blizzard example rather than a vague cover line. The 3D fallen robot on 88 is the most fun page in the book. The weakness is the features — Witchspire on 32 and the sketchbook on 40 are thin beside the workshops, and the review pages on 78 and 81 are brief. It suits an artist building a games portfolio this year, not a fantasy illustrator wanting finished-art inspiration.

Strengths
• Games artist route is practical and joined up
• 3D world and robot builds are real projects
• Named Blizzard illustrator on the cover
• Reader art page shows current standard

Weaknesses
• Features thin beside the workshops
• Review pages run brief

Verdict: Recommended — the games-artist spine delivers, the features coast.