How to Visualize a Dream

Classic method for making a realistic image of an imaginary subject

Jul 24, 2025

What’s the key to making a realistic picture of an imaginary subject—without relying on a computer?

It requires harnessing two parts of the brain together: the unconscious dreamer along with the logical, procedural part.

1. The Half-Remembered Dream

For me, most picture-making journeys begin with a flash from the unconscious—something hazy or tentative that’s hard to hold onto. If you’ve ever kept a dream journal, you know the feeling. You wake up in the morning with another world in your head, but the act of writing about it alters it. It doesn’t make logical sense in the light of day. It quickly falls apart and evaporates.

Still, you try to sketch it out as best you can.

This is the thumbnail stage. I try different techniques and mediums, and I jot down whatever words, phrases, or story fragments might help anchor the full scope of the dream image.

2. Filling the Bucket

The next step is to gather ideas and references. I usually start out without knowing much about a subject, so I read up on it to understand its history, place it in context, and imagine it from different angles.

Now is when I dive into my photo reference file, which is a literal filing cabinet filled with labeled folders. Each one contains an assortment of magazine photos. I also keep sketchbooks with observational drawings that might apply.

Over the past 20 years, some of this has gone digital, so I may have a folder of image files related to the creature, costume, or place I’m trying to evoke. But I still prefer the physical scrap file. I like spreading the pieces out and touching them with my hands.

3. The Comprehensive Stage

Once I’ve explored the idea and gathered references, I develop a more resolved preliminary image. This usually takes the form of a comprehensive sketch or a small color study.

The goal here is to solve problems in composition, lighting, and color. I’m not trying to finish anything—just to test out the structure and make decisions before committing to the final. Sometimes I’ll do a tight line drawing on vellum. Other times I’ll paint a color sketch in casein or gouache.

This is the stage where the image becomes real. It’s no longer a vague impression. It has weight, space, and lighting logic. That makes it easier to carry into the final execution.

4. Why Not Use the Computer?

To someone who is curious about the new technology, I’d say by all means—try AI or other digital tools. See what they can do, and more importantly, what they can’t. You may find them useful for brainstorming or generating variations quickly. But do your version first, and preserve that initial idea.

But if you want your art to be truly yours—and to stand out—you’ll need to step outside the dataset and trust your own unconscious. AI doesn’t have your point of view, your experiences. It doesn’t have a memory of places you’ve been or people you’ve met.

That personal experience is what gives your image weight and believability.

5. Imaginative Realism

This whole process—starting from an idea and building it into a believable picture—is the subject of my book Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn’t Exist. In it, I go into more detail about tools, techniques, and problem-solving strategies for inventing scenes from the imagination.

I also demonstrate the method in videos such as How I Paint Dinosaurs, where I show how I develop a prehistoric scene from start to finish.