Contest: What are your favourite art books from 2011?

Submitted by Teoh Yi Chie on

This contest is closed. Find out who the winners are here.

Contest: What are your favourite art books from 2011?

Here's the 4th Favourite Art Books contest!

They have been running for a while now. You can check out 2008, 2009 and 2010.

In 2008, there were only 16 participants. In 2010, it grew 106 participants! That's quite an increase.

These contests are made possible because of your support. There are many ways to support, such as:

Alright, here's how to join this contest.

Contest rules

  • List 3 of your favourite art books from 2011. To help you recall, check out the list of art books from 2011. Add a few sentences on why you like them in the comments section.
  • For contact purposes, leave your email in the appropriate text box of the form.
  • Two winners 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
  • This contest is open to everyone
  • Results will be announced after the deadline which is 31 Dec 2011

To serve as an example, let me start with my 10 favourite art books.

Everything Is Its Own Reward: An All Over Coffee Collection
Everything Is Its Own Reward: An All Over Coffee Collection
This is my #1 favourite art book of the year. It's a sketchbook by Paul Madonna. Looking at the sketches makes me feel like I'm standing in San Francisco.


Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey
While it's not totally an art book, I felt this has to be mentioned for the wonderful writing and visuals.


Urban Sketchers Singapore Vol. 1
I like how the book turned out, other than the white cover. The art and text are beautiful. It's a sketchbook I go back often to just to flip through.

Rome Sketchbook
Rome Sketchbook
All of Fabrice Moireau's sketchbooks are wonderful. I love his watercolours and pencils. I wish he comes up with a book every year.

The First In Line
The First In Line
The drawings are lovely, imaginative and inspiring. Ideas are wacky and whimsical. Line work is detailed and the subdued watercolour works really well. It's real fun to look different characters and creations, and their personalities.

Drew Struzan: Oeuvre
Drew Struzan: Oeuvre
You can relive the movies you watch just by looking at the posters drawn by Drew Struzan.

Book Review: Figure Drawing for All It's Worth
Figure Drawing for All It's Worth
I never thought I would get the chance to own this classic figure drawing book.

Alive Character Design: For Game, Animation and Film
Alive Character Design: For Game, Animation and Film
A good character design book is rare and this is a great book.

The Art of Alice: Madness Returns
The Art of Alice: Madness Returns
It's an awesome concept book with twisted ideas.

The Art of Kung Fu Panda 2
The Art of Kung Fu Panda 2
This is another book of awesome art. Too bad about the binding though.

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62 Comments

1-Andrew loomis-Figure

Submitted by ivan gregor on

1-Andrew loomis-Figure Drawing for All It's Worth

One of the best books to initiate you in drawing.Very explicative and easy to understand.One of the best and useful human body construction.

2--Buddy Scalera-Colossal Collection of Action Poses

An amazing archive of dynamic poses not only for comicbook artists but as well as for anybody who needs to learn the human anatomy.Very much diversity of poses.

3-Framed Ink: Drawing and Composition for Visual Storytellers
It is a must for everyone.Great style from the artist plus in depth explanations equals me wanting it.

1. Art of Puss in Boots I

Submitted by Sophie on

1. Art of Puss in Boots
I loved the movie and it motivated me to get this book. I never really appreciated all the beautiful environments and impeccable lighting in the movie. The full two-page artworks were amazing. Also, the color storyboards looked very cool and classy.

2. Ashley Wood's Art of Metal Gear Solid

I always thought whoever first said that video games aren't art was crazy. Ashley Woods drawings for Metal Gear Solid are crazy (in an awesome way) and really dynamic. I also appreciate art books with few words that let the artwork do most of the talking.

3. Harry Potter Page to Screen: The Complete Filmmaking Journey

As a fan of Harry Potter ever since I was small, this book would be a given. The concepts for some of my favorite places were great and I really loved the pages with the newspaper articles in the Daily Prophet that are so characteristic of the Harry Potter franchise.

I would love to say thanks Parka for your fun contests and an even bigger THANK YOU for helping introduce me to art books. This year was my first time buying art books and your site helped me to decide which ones to get and which books were suited for me. I love reading your reviews, please keep up the good work!

for me the best for 2011

Submitted by sleepyfan on

for me the best for 2011 are:
1: the art of kung fu panda 2 ( as good as the first one :D)
2. Sketchtravel (beautiful book, great idea, hope they'll do that again)
3. the art of pixar (these colorscript are simply amazing)

My 2011 favourite art books

Submitted by Crazy Baldhead on

My 2011 favourite art books are:

1) The Bird King
Shaun Tan's drawings are just magical

2) Kim Jung-Gi 2011 Sketch Collection
Loads and loads of gold here

3) The First in Line
Just fantastic

Batman: Hush Unwrapped

Submitted by Jayla on

Batman: Hush Unwrapped Deluxe-
-I own the Hush collection, and I love them! But seeing them in pencils alone is just beautiful, and in a way I prefer them over the color version, just because of the texture and the feeling of the pencils.

Alive Character Design: For Game, Animation and Film-
-I own a few character design books, but most of them are disappointing style wise or information wise, but this book from what I've seen... is beautiful! I really want to run out and buy it, because the characters look amazing, and it seems as though the author actually knows what he's doing, providing beautiful sketches and images of characters, as well as insight for aspiring character designers.

Artist's Journal Workshop: Cr eating Your Life in Words and Pictures
-This book looks amazing... I've always wanted to try keeping an art journal, and I always love seeing other artist's work.

1. The Art of Pixar: The

Submitted by Kail on

1. The Art of Pixar: The Complete Color Scripts
Its an amazing book both for reference and simple enjoyment. It makes you appreciate how important color scripts are for a film.
2. Setting the Scene: The Art & Evolution of Animation Layout by Fraser Maclean
This book is great expecially for those who love animation. This book is loaded with information regarding layout. It also has tons of illustrations not limited to Disney art.
3.The Art of Kung Fu Panda 2
What can I say. I seem to be a sucker for artbooks. Its always nice to see the sketches and the evolution of these characters. I love the first one and this one certainly doesnt let you down.

1. The Art Of Alice : Madness

Submitted by M 1618 on

1. The Art Of Alice : Madness Returns
A childhood tale as viewed through distorted adult eyes. I believe many fans of the original game have waited a decade for more of such art.

2. The Ballad Of Rango
Great idiosyncratic designs for the characters. That they were translated faithfully to the CG movie made it extremely enjoyable.

3. Monster Hunter : Illustrations
If anything, the illustrations are still much more detailed than the models in the game, being able to observe all the little details is always a treat.

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