Born in Glen Cove (NY), Wayne Douglas Barlowe attended the Art Students League. While in college he apprenticed in the Exhibition Department of The American Museum of Natural History. In 1979 he published his first book, Barlowe’s Guide to Extraterrestrials. He spent eight years creating over 300 book and magazine covers and illustrations for every major publisher. His artwork has been seen on television, for example on the Discovery Channel. He received the 1991 Price Best Book for Teenagers by The New York Public Library. Since 2007, Barlowe has been busy working on films like Avatar and The Hobbit.