Tag Archives: Books

Like last month’s recommendation, this is one of the few books that have caught my eye in the sea of art books that are available. This book is unique because it features not only sketches from the author, but also interviews and images from other artists from a variety of fields. You will find snippets from such people as Glen Keane, Peter de Seve, and Jack Davis.

The author Tom Bancroft works in the animation industry and founded Funnypages Productions along with Rob Corley. He is most known for his work in Disney’s films Mulan and Brother Bear, and the Veggie Tales. You can see examples of his artwork and sketches at the Funnypages Productions Blog.

View Creating Characters with Personality on Amazon.com.

There are tons of drawing, painting, and cartooning books out there, and only a handful of them really capture my attention.

Well, I just ordered How to Draw and Paint Crazy Cartoon Characters. It contains tons of great artwork and includes tips, history, and advice that will truly help all you animators, children’s book illustrators, comic book artists, and caricaturists out there.

The author Vincent Woodcock has worked in the animation business as an animator, director, and character designer. His credits include films such as Space Jam and The Tigger Movie.

Buy on Amazon.com

I just ran across Stefan Bucher’s 100 Days Of Monsters. Stefan runs a popular blog called Daily Monster where he draws, you guessed it, a monster a day. The best part is he records the making of each one in a series of very well-done and fascinating videos.

Along the way, the Daily Monster started to attract fans and many of them created backstories and histories to go along with his monsters. The extra participation has made Stefan’s little project widely popular. Now, his book featuring 100 of these creations and their stories is being released at the end of the month. Included is a DVD with all of the corresponding videos, plus some cool extras.

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When my sister was looking for a Christmas present for my other sister on Amazon.com, she ran across Hans Bacher’s Dream Worlds: Production Design for Animation. Neither of us had heard of it before, but upon reading the description we decided it would be a good present for our sister, who is a big animation art fan.

Hans Bacher works as a professional artist and production designer. He had a major influence in such films as Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Mulan. The book spans his work in these films and more.

When I finally got to look at a copy of this book, I wasn’t disappointed. I’m a big fan of “Art of” books, and it was great to see great artwork from a variety of different films in one volume. And in the text, Bacher delves into the role of a production designer specifically, which you can’t really find in any other book out there. You don’t have to be an animator to appreciate this stuff either — his views on color, design, decision-making, and research are useful for anyone loves to draw, paint, and sketch.

One of my favorite parts of the book is the “Unproductive” section near the end, which highlights a bunch of funny doodles that he and his co-workers made during boring meetings. What artist can’t relate to that?

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Looking for a great holiday gift? Try Elfis, a great Christmas picture book that was digitally illustrated using many of the techniques outlined on this website.

Yes, this book was illustrated by me. But it is the holiday season, this is a holiday book, and this is my website, so I think I’m entitled to some shameless self-promotion every once in awhile.

I really appreciate everyone who decides to buy this book, so to show my gratitude, I’m going to be offering a special gift this month only. If you buy a copy anytime in December (or if you’ve already bought the book), I’ll send you a signed bookplate for free. Please read on for full details.

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This month’s featured book is Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You. (I also noticed there is a new edition, to tie-in with the upcoming movie, available to pre-order here.) I’ve chosen it because I just went to go see Tony DiTerlizzi’s show at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, and it was absolutely amazing!

Tony DiTerlizzi is the wonderful illustrator of The Spiderwick Chronicles, a popular children’s book series. The Field Guide is a reference to an Audobon-like book that the main character uses in the story. It features illustrations and notes about such creatures as sprites, fairies, trolls, and brownies. The level of skill and detail that DiTerlizzi puts into the illustrations is sure to inspire you. And this book is chock-full of them, featuring pencil sketches, full color paintings, big fold-out pages, and more.

The Spiderwick Chronicles are being made into a movie that will be released next February. The Eric Carle Museum is showcasing the books’ journey “from page to screen,” featuring lots of great original illustrations, concept artwork, and movie props. It was a big treat for me, because I’m a huge movie fan also. The show runs until the end of January 2008, so if you are near Amherst, Massachusetts at all, you MUST go check it out!

Related Links:

• Tony DiTerlizzi’s website – http://www.diterlizzi.com/

• Spiderwick Chronicles website – http://www.spiderwick.com/

• Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art – http://www.picturebookart.org/

• The Spiderwick Official Movie Site – http://www.spiderwickchronicles.com/

• Another of my favorites, Caldecott Honor-winning picturebook by DiTerlizzi – The Spider and the Fly

As artists, we work hard every day to sketch and draw and paint so we become better at our craft. Sometimes, though, you forget that there is a whole different side to the illustration world called business.

That’s why you need books like Starting Your Career as a Freelance Illustrator or Graphic Designer by Michael Fleishman. I bought myself a copy a while ago, and I’ve been pleased with it overall.

The book discusses different subjects, such as:

• Is art school necessary?

• How to find potential clients

• Creating a business plan

• Organizing your finances

• Choosing the right equipment

It’s hard to find really good books that delve into this creative business, but this is probably one of them.