Abridged Classics: Brief Summaries of Books You Were Supposed to Read but Probably Didn't


John Atkinson - 2018
    Tolkien, Margaret Atwood, James Joyce, Plato, Ernest Hemingway, Dan Brown, Ayn Rand, and Herman Melville.From "Old ladies convince a guy to ruin Scotland" (Macbeth) to "Everyone is sad. It snows." (War and Peace), these clever, humorous synopses are sure to make book lovers smile.

Draw Faces in 15 Minutes


Jake Spicer - 2013
    By the time you finish this book, you'll have all the skills you need to achieve a striking likeness in a drawn portrait. Artist and life drawing expert Jake Spicer takes you through a series of carefully crafted tutorials, from how to put together a basic portrait sketch to developing your portraits and then taking your drawings further. From understanding and constructing the head and shaping the hair, to checking the relationships of the features and achieving a lifelike expression, every aspect of the portrait process is examined, along with advice on which materials to use and how to find a model.

Exiles


Josef Koudelka - 2014
    The sense of private mystery that fills these photographs--mostly taken during Koudelka's many years of wandering through Europe and Great Britain since leaving his native Czechoslovakia in 1968--speaks of passion and reserve, of his rage to see. Solitary, moving, deeply felt and strangely disturbing, the images in Exiles suggest alienation, disconnection and love. Exiles evokes some of the most compelling and troubling themes of the twentieth century, while resonating with equal force in this current moment of profound migrations and transience.Josef Koudelka (born 1938) has published ten books of photographs, many of which focus on the relationship between man and the landscape, including Gypsies (1975; revised and enlarged edition in 2011), Exiles (1988), Black Triangle (1994), Invasion 68: Prague (2008) and Wall (2013). Significant exhibitions of his work have been held at The Museum of Modern Art and the International Center of Photography, both in New York; Hayward Gallery, London; and Palais de Tokyo, Paris. Koudelka is the recipient of the Medal of Merit awarded by the Czech Republic (2002) and numerous other awards. In 2012, he was named Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture. He is based in Paris and Prague.

Adventure Time: The Art of Ooo


Chris McDonnell - 2014
    Packed to the seams with concept art and storyboards, this lavishly illustrated tome offers an all-access pass into the Emmy Award–winning show team’s creative process. The Art of Ooo traces series creator Pendleton Ward's early influences and work, then reveals how the writers, storyboarders, animators, and voice actors work in tandem to bring this wildly inventive series to life.  Fans will pore over early character sketches, as well as background paintings and rare glimpses into the series' show bible. This visual treasure chest is gilded throughout with commentary from all the show's key creative talent. The Art of Ooo is the perfect companion to and celebration of this groundbreaking, award-winning series.

Studio Ghibli: The Films of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata


Colin Odell - 2009
    Their delightful films rank alongside the most popular non-English language films ever made, with each new eagerly-anticipated release a guaranteed box-office smash. Yet this highly profitable studio has remained fiercely independent, producing a stream of imaginative and individual animations. The studio’s founders, long-time animators Isao Takahata and Hayao Miyazaki, have created timeless masterpieces. Although their films are distinctly Japanese their themes are universal—humanity, community, and a love for the environment. No other film studio, animation or otherwise, comes close to matching Ghibli for pure cinematic experience. All their major works are examined here, as well the early output of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, exploring the cultural and thematic threads that bind these films together.

Monsters You Should Know


Emma SanCartier - 2018
    Illustrator Emma SanCartier captures the bizarre and hilarious elements of 17 monsters from around the world in a light, tongue-in-cheek tone, from the Japanese dream-eater Baku and the Persian carnivorous unicorn Shadhavar to the Eastern-European Shurale, a literal tickle monster. Packaged in a textured three-piece case and illustrated in lush watercolor, Monsters You Should Know is a perfect primer for the many strange, frightening, and compelling things that go bump in the night.

Seeing Gender: An Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression


Iris Gottlieb - 2019
    Deeply researched and fully illustrated, this book demystifies an intensely personal—yet universal—facet of humanity. Illustrating a different concept on each spread, queer author and artist Iris Gottlieb touches on history, science, sociology, and her own experience. This book is an essential tool for understanding and contributing to a necessary cultural conversation, bringing clarity and reassurance to the sometimes confusing process of navigating ones' identity. Whether LGBTQ+, cisgender, or nonbinary, Seeing Gender is a must-read for intelligent, curious, want-to-be woke people who care about how we see and talk about gender and sexuality in the 21st century.

The Art of Harry Potter


Marc Sumerak - 2017
    Beautifully crafted and presented in a deluxe, large-format with lavish production values, these pages present a visual chronicle of the work by artists and filmmakers to bring the wizarding world to life onscreen. Bursting with hundreds of rare and unpublished works of art, including production paintings, concept sketches, storyboards, blueprints, and more, this collectible book is the definitive tome on the visual legacy of the Harry Potter films. Fans will recognise beloved characters, creatures, locations, and more as they embark on a journey through the wizarding world, from Gringotts to the Quidditch pitch.

Chuck Amuck: The Life and Time of an Animated Cartoonist


Chuck Jones - 1989
    Winner of three Academy Awards and numerous other prizes for his animated films, Chuck Jones is the director of scores of famous Warner Bros. cartoons and the creator of such memorable characters as the Road Runner, Wile E. Coyote, Pepe Le Pew, and Marvin Martian. In this beguiling memoir, Chuck Jones evokes the golden years of life at "Termite Terrace," the Warner Bros. studio in which he and his now-famous fellow animators conceived the cartoons that delighted millions of moviegoers throughout the world and entertain new generations of fans on television. Not a mere history, "Chuck Amuck" captures the antic spirit that created classic cartoons-such as Duck Dodgers in the 241/2 Century, One Froggy Evening, Duck Amuck, and What's Opera, Doc?-with some of the wittiest insights into the art of comedy since Mark Twain.

The Sketchbook Project World Tour


Steven Peterman - 2015
    Bursting with color, vivid imagery, and bouts of whimsy mixed with deeply intimate insights, the sketchbooks capture the texture of personal experience in a dizzying variety of illustrative styles and layouts that run the gamut from street portraits to stream-of-consciousness doodles, comics, and pop-ups. The Sketchbook Project World Tour presents the most compelling, surprising, and visually stunning examples from this one-of-a-kind artistic treasury.

The Silver Way: Techniques, Tips, and Tutorials for Effective Character Design


Stephen Silver - 2017
    Whether you're a professional artist interested in improving your drawing skills, or an aspiring designer fresh out of high school looking to add to your portfolio, The Silver Way will help you build your confidence and strengthen your work in order to successfully design characters for any project, in any style. Chockfull of helpful--and entertaining!--drawing techniques and easy-to-follow tutorials developed through his decades of experience as an artist on popular animated shows (Kim Possible, Danny Phantom, The Fairly OddParents) and as the owner of Silver Drawing Academy, The Silver Way is the kind of educational art book you'll revisit again and again for guidance, encouragement, and inspiration.

Guide to Troubled Birds


Matt Adrian - 2012
    We are only just discovering the reality of our avian adversaries, with their reptilian brains, their appetites for mayhem and the fact that they fly mostly to spite us. To ignore the information found within this volume may be at the peril of your very life.

100 Ghosts: A Gallery of Harmless Haunts


Doogie Horner - 2013
    But what does that ghosts look like when he's shy? Or in love? Or a pirate, a llama, a Bona villain, or Russian nesting doll? 100 Ghosts explores every sort of spook in a series of whimsically haunting illustrations. It's a delightful collection for adults, children, and anyone in need of a friendly fright.

Crimson Peak: The Art of Darkness


Mark Salisbury - 2015
    This deluxe book explores the creation of del Toro’s sinister masterpiece and the dark themes and motifs woven into every frame of this extraordinary film. Featuring extensive interviews with the director, Crimson Peak: The Art of Darkness chronicles the creative odyssey that brought the film to screen, showing how del Toro’s unique perspective, attention to detail, and storytelling prowess were key in crafting a film of incredible visual richness and thematic power. The book also features extensive interviews with the team of artists who helped realize the world of Crimson Peak, from the film’s sumptuous period costumes to the dilapidated majesty of Allerdale Hall and the eerie red-hued ghosts that haunt the halls of “Crimson Peak.” Also featuring insights from the films stars, including Mia Wasikowska, Tom Hiddleston, Jessica Chastain, and Charlie Hunnam, Crimson Peak: The Art of Darkness explores the themes at the heart of this breathtaking supernatural mystery in unparalleled detail. Filled with striking concept art and stunning photography, the book also features a range of amazing special items, including an authentic period letter, daguerreotype photographs, biographies that reveal the secret history of Crimson Peak’s characters, a booklet that showcases the film’s amazing costume designs, and more. A thrilling journey into the macabre heart of Guillermo del Toro’s spine-chilling new tale, Crimson Peak: The Art of Darkness is the perfect companion to this gothic horror masterwork.

The Art of the Dragon Prince


Aaron Ehasz - 2020
    The world behind The Dragon Prince is finally revealed!The Dragon Prince has enchanted and enthralled viewers since its initial release in September of 2018. Now, for the first time ever, dive into the world behind its creation with this all-new hardcover collection! Never-before-seen concept sketches, preliminary designs, and first impressions from the first three seasons of the animated Netflix series expand over nearly 200 pages of content, from storyboards and environments to the characters and creatures that fans across the world have come to love.Assembled in consultation with The Dragon Prince co-creators Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond and executive producer Justin Santistevan, this is the ultimate window into the work behind the show!