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Having trouble coming up with something to draw? No worries - while you'll eventually learn how to start from a tiny seed of a thought and gradually nurture it into a complex concept to explore through design and illustration, it's perfectly fine not to be there just yet.
For now though, here's an idea that might interest you.
Who Doesn't Love a Good Meal?
We all have a favourite meal. That thing that can turn a frown upside down, or at least make us forget how the world is continually collapsing around us. Have you ever considered how an entirely different culture might approach making such a dish? Taking it one step further… what if they weren't of this world?
Pick a fantasy race, and show us how they might put a spin on your favourite dish. Think about when and why they would eat it, and what ingredient restrictions might force them into… creative alterations. Is it something that they would eat often as comfort food? Is it something they'd eat on special occasions, as part of a celebration?
Don't limit yourself just to the food - ask yourself questions about what they'd serve it upon. Perhaps all the deepest dwarves have with which to celebrate a newly excavated tunnel wing is a few sad potatoes, but the gem encrusted plates, the finely crafted silverware and tankards make all the difference.
And when concocting the food itself, don't forget the seasoning - the true hero of any meal. Consider what might be commonly available, and what might be so rarely used that no one would be caught dead missing the feast.
Example illustration by sluggydragon.
This one isn't doing it for you? How about this one instead: As Old as Stone >>>
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The Art of Brom
Here we're getting into the subjective - Gerald Brom is one of my favourite artists (and a pretty fantastic novelist!). That said, if I recommended art books just for the beautiful images contained therein, my list of recommendations would be miles long.
The reason this book is close to my heart is because of its introduction, where Brom goes explains in detail just how he went from being an army brat to one of the most highly respected dark fantasy artists in the world today. I believe that one's work is flavoured by their life's experiences, and discovering the roots from which other artists hail can help give one perspective on their own beginnings, and perhaps their eventual destination as well.