This contest is closed. Check out the results.
I was trying to postpone this contest until the arrival of the last 2 art books on my shopping list, The Art of Tron: Legacy and The Art of District 9. Sorry about the missing review for the Tron: Legacy art book but my shipment is running later than usual. Anyway, I saw the book at the bookshop and it's feels more like a picture book than an art book. Stay tuned for a more detailed review that should appear, hopefully, within this week.
2010 is another year with a bumper load of art books. For this last contest of the year, just comment on which are your favourite art books for the year. Take this as an opportunity to share with others what you like.
Here are the results from 2008 and 2009.
As usual, thanks to all the readers who have bought books here, commented, linked back, followed me on twitter, subscribed the RSS, joined as a blog follower (on the sidebar by the right) or threw me a helpful vote on Amazon! Your support made this contest possible.
Contest rules
- List your 3 favourite art books from 2010 (a list to give you ideas). Add a few sentences on why you like them in the comments section.
- For contact purposes, leave your email in the form text box asking for your email (so that other people cannot see your email).
- One winner will be chosen randomly
- Prize: The winner will get to choose any artbook(s) from the list of books reviewed or the list of upcoming books worth $50 - You can get two books under $25 each.
- Bonus prize: If you've reviewed any art books on the forum, you get $20 additional.
- This contest is open to everyone
- Results will be announced after the deadline
To serve as an example, let me start with my favourite art books, in no particular order. You don't have to post ten books like me, although if you post more I don't mind.
The Art of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is definitely the best video game art book for the year. This is an exceptional art book for the phenomenal game.
The Art of How to Train Your Dragon is a beautiful art book for the charming animated film.
Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Art of the Animated Series is filled with beautiful anime art for an equally wonderful anime.
Cover Run: The DC Comics Art of Adam Hughes is the art book comic fans have been waiting for. It went out of stock real fast.
Dofus 2.0 Artbook for the MMORPG game is loaded with lots of nice character designs. It's beautiful and colourful.
Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers is a book on composition that all artists should have.
The Art of Drew Struzan is one of those art books that sold out real fast this year. The book collects close to 30 years of stunning work from Drew Struzan.
The Art of Tangled is another fantastic animation art book that mixes old Disney charm into modern animation making. The character designs are gorgeous.
Icons: The DC Comics & Wildstorm Art of Jim Lee is an art book that highlights the amazing dedication to comics from Jim Lee.
Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter is a very accessible guide that's filled with interesting and useful information on color and light. It teaches stuff you won't find in other books.
108 Comments
my 3 favourite artbooks of
Submitted by dev on
my 3 favourite artbooks of this year are:
1.Color and light- Its one of the most beautiful book and has so much of great tips and things to study about color.
2.The art of How To Train Your Dragon- SO much of beautiful art.Love the characters.
3.DRIVE: vehicle sketches and renderings by Scott Robertson- Its a delight for any one who like me is interested in cool car concepts.
1. Color and Light - As a
Submitted by Jin on
1. Color and Light - As a student learning to paint and struggling with the application of color, this book was able to explain the different facets of how light and color affect one another in an easily understandable way.
2. Cover Run - a great collection of Adam Hugh's cover art! The best part is the rough studies and sketches that lead up to the final cover.
3. Framed Ink - another great book that deals with designing composition. Easy to read with lots of drawn examples. Priceless concepts!
1. Color & Light: A Guide for
Submitted by James O'Shea on
1. Color & Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter
Everything that you can possibly think of in terms of Lighting & Color relationships is in this book. If you want to understand and apply the knowledge in this book to your artwork, get this book right now!
2. Thoughts and Doodles: The art of Sam Nielson
Although you can see many of his artworks on his blog, it's very nice to have a hardcopy of his masterful work on lighting as well as design. With a few tutorials and work processes, this book packs a lot of sketches & renderings. The best book on achieving realistic light with a fantasy setting.
3. IMAGINE: Creating Art for Entertainment by Leo Sandberg
I think its the most comprehensive book on visual development as well as production design. It cites a few design books as well as 'By Design' by Vincent LoBrutto. check out a preview here: https://www.fabpics.com/imagine/
My three favorite art books
Submitted by Lance Red on
My three favorite art books of 2010:
1) The Art of Tangled
The film in my opinion is Disney's best work since their second golden age back in the 80s/90s and the art book, as it should, really captures the magic of the film showing its development from beginning to end. Glen Keane is one of the greatest artists of our time and his sketches and drawings are always a pleasure to study. The environment paintings by Craig Mullins are also a personal favorite in the book. This book is pure Disney magic and makes the child & artist in my smile from ear to ear.
2) Cover Run: The DC Comics Art of Adam Hughes
The large color reproductions of Adam Hughes's covers in this book are great, but what really set this book apart for me were the thumbnails, sketches, and artist's comments on each piece. The reason for this is that they offered me, as the reader, a glimpse into Mr.Hughes's artistic process, which I found very enlightening.
3) Aggregate: The Art of Steve Prescott
A self-published art book by one of the best fantasy illustrators currently working in the industry. Even better is that this book is a collection of nothing but his drawings spanning his career from the beginning to the present. I have always enjoyed drawing more than painting and to have a large collection of drawings by one of my favorite artist's in a single well designed tome is wonderful. Also, if you purchased one of the limited edition copies, which I did, Mr. Prescott did a personal sketch on the inside cover for you.
My Top 3 of 2010 : The Art of
Submitted by Rui on
My Top 3 of 2010 :
The Art of How To Train Your Dragon :
Fantastic book, and i still get a huge smile on my face when i flip through the pages of viking concept work!
Walt Disney Animation Studios The Archive Series : DESIGN
A wonderful large book packed with image after image of fantastic design and concept work.
The Art of Megamind :
I love superhero concept work, and i love humorous animation flicks. This does a nice job of marrying the 2 together. Now we just need an Art of the Incredibles 2!!
1. The Art of Drew Struzan
Submitted by peaceout on
1. The Art of Drew Struzan
One of the most amazing illustrators in the last 50 years. He is cut of the same cloth of Rockwell, Leyendecker, etc. I loved seeing the process, sketches, and work from start to finish. a very enjoyable book.
2. Color and Light
James Gurney does such a great job explaining difficult subjects as caustics, the tricky nature of color as it interacts with the environment, and makes it seem effortless as he does so. He does it with an easy humor and an off the cuff style - as though painting dinosaur masterpieces were something easy to everyone. You'd love for this guy to be your neighbor.
3. Cover Run: The DC Comics Art of Adam Hughes
Adam Huges is known for his girls, but its the faces that he captures, particularly the expressions. Anyone can draw a hot body, but capturing a subtle expression, or the expression of the eyes - that's magic. And I think that's the genius of Hughes.
This contest is closed. Stay
Submitted by Teoh Yi Chie on
This contest is closed. Stay tuned for the results.
1) The Art of How to Train
Submitted by Karen Bennetzen on
1) The Art of How to Train Your Dragon
I can't count the many times Nico Marlet's genius has been commented on everywhere I go in the art world - and it shines as bright as day in this book, largely filled with his amazing concepts. The style and design of the dragons are just out of this world. Also credit to the other artists who submitted to this book - all in all a wholesome, inspiring experience.
2) The Art of Avatar: The Last Airbender
Being the most beautiful animated series I have ever seen, it was no surprise that the book with the concepts behind the series turned out to be as good as it is. What I really like about this book is the structure - reading through it, it feels like nothing has been spared to show the amazing world and characters the story was build around. When I need new inspiration I always flip through it, and I'm never disappointed.
3) The Art of Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa
(I'm not sure how recent this book is, but I decided to put it here as it is definitely in my top 3 favs.) Other than being an awesome book based on the art of an awesome, stylized CG movie, this is also a very personal book for me, as it largely features art by talented character concept artist Craig Kellman, who I had the immense pleasure of being taught by at my school in Denmark. His work and the work of his fellow artists is amazing.
Thanks for making this great blog. :)
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