A series of covers for the Japanese translated “Tara Duncan” (a French fantasy novel) by illustration extraordinaire Murata Range ( pronounced “Ren-Ji”). Tara Duncan has often been referred to a French Harry Potter of sorts, though I’ve never read it. Anyone ?
As usual gorgeous artwork by Murata-san, an artist such as himself can find work anywhere in the creative universe with such formidable illustration ( and more importantly concept design ) skills tucked snugly under his arm.
Tara Duncan Artworks – Range Murata Book Review
Range Murata Illustrations – Kikan S Magazine
Futurelog – Range Murata Art Book Review
Prismtone – Range Murata Art Book Review
Range Murata’s Shangri-LaPosted in Illustration
Comments 10
June 2nd, 2010 at 6:46 am
woah, Murata attacks again! 😀
I’m specially happy about the fact his is being recognized abroad more often. No doubts, in my opinion, he is one of the best illustrators of the last decades.
And this artworks covers really made me want to read this “Tara Duncan”. Is there any official english translation?
Great sucess in his career~
June 2nd, 2010 at 8:26 am
Range Murata is incredible… I keep thinking, this is how I want CG to look like. Stylized but never lacking substance, volumetric… and incredibly controlled as far as subtle texture and color choices go.
June 6th, 2010 at 11:37 pm
Rafael Pizzo – Thanks for visiting. :] I’ve not seen the english translated version, but its probably available somewhere.
weigy – Much agreed, his understanding of flesh tones and shading is incredible. :]
June 19th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
I’m french and a Taraddict (someone who loves Tara Duncan). There is no english translation yet (official but you can find some on the official website : http://www.taraduncan.com).
Yes, it is like Harry Potter even if it was written before. The author couldn’t publish it before Harry Potter’s success.
June 29th, 2010 at 11:17 pm
God I love Range Murata. He’s a big influence on me in terms of illustrations. I have a number of these around the net but never knew where they came from. You learn something new everyday.
July 23rd, 2010 at 4:45 am
Well, I’m french and a fan of Tara Duncan,and I must say it’s an incredible story. In the website, you can have the first chapter of the fist tome translated “les sortceliers” become “the spellwavers” and the author said she succeed into convincing american translators to translate it. I see wich books the illustrations refer to…
August 23rd, 2010 at 5:30 pm
Waahhh I want this just for those Range Murata illustrations! XD
January 29th, 2011 at 4:39 am
The first three chapters are officially translated into English on the Tara Duncan website listed above, though as far as I can tell, there is no news yet on when the full book will be translated and published in English. I’m an American, but I read the first two books in French, and can’t wait to get my hands on the rest. Each book gets better than the one before it, not only in the storytelling, but also in the storyline itself and how it makes sense. By and large Tara Duncan is about a girl who grows into her powers, and the trials that come with not only having magic, but getting transported to “AutreMonde”, a sort of magical world, and having to deal with the changes as well as figuring out just why Magister wants her/her powers, why he killed her father, why he kidnapped her mother, and why he is still after her. Furthermore, there is the question of why Tara’s magic is as strong as it is, and where her place should be between the Earth and AutreMonde.
I don’t think I do the series justice, but, hopefully this gives you an idea what it is about. If it sounds cliché, it’s not really, and the pace of the novels keeps you reading. I read about the first third of the second book in one day, it was just so absorbing.
July 24th, 2011 at 11:57 am
Beautiful artwork and from what I hear, also well written! Is the full book translated to English yet?
November 5th, 2013 at 10:32 am
the first2 books for this series are outin english and i love the japense covers