Review: Avatar: The Last Airbender (The Art of the Animated Series)

It's no secret that I think the animated series Avatar: the Last Airbender is one of the most epic and amazing animated series of all time, so it's safe to say that I'm a bit biased in this review.  I picked this book up as a concept art study tool, but it's so much more than that.

This book is a record of the passion of the team behind it, an homage to all of the hard-working artists, animators, and creators.  It's not just a compilation of pretty pictures, but also features a fair amount of commentary from the creators about what inspired the series, a glimpse into the production schedule, as well as a sobering view of what hard work it is to be in animation and the challenges they met (and surmounted) along the way.

For starters, this book is oversized allowing for as many character models, expressions, and commentary as possible to be crammed in.  It was fascinating to see how characters looked in their early phases of development for the pilot of the show and just how many iterations went into getting character and setting looking just right.  Artists had to tone down detailed designs so that they would fit into a production budget.  This a great example of what I might have to work with on a project, since budget and art are such a hazy thing without solid examples of what you might have to cut from your designs to work in game/movie/animation/etc. production.


The book covers all major locales of the show, what inspired the costume designs of each region, and the particular challenges and decisions that went into settling on the designs.  Each area the characters visited had to have it's own unique national identity to it, which is golden information for any student to study, not just animation students.

One aspect of the book I particularly enjoyed about the presentation of the characters was the cross-section breakdown of their various scabbards, straps, and weapons so that we can see how they interact with the clothing of the character and how they might function.  This gave me some great ideas of how I can clearly present similar ideas in my own designs.  There are even several storyboards from several pivotal moments included in the book, which was fascinating to me to see for the structure of the boards and what notes were included on camera angle, dialogue, etc. in the margins (yet another skill I'd like to expand upon).

In addition, we get to see some fun doodles from the staffing artists that kept them sane during the production, which emphasizes the fact that no matter how masterful something is, there are real human beings who worked hard to get to their level of skill level behind each successful project that you see.  I enjoyed this section the most because it gives me hope that, yes, even beginners can get there with a strong team behind them and the right amount of study!

Along those same lines, there are tons of photos of the various locales (China, Korea, Japan, etc) the team traveled to get inspiration for the show, emphasizing that more often than not, good design does not just emerge from thin air, but from taking real world references and morphing them into something grounded, but unique.

There's so much more in this book that I can't cover here, so I'll just end with this.  If you like the show, or just want a great reference book on design layout, environments, and colorful characters, this book is for you!

Video from Parka's review of the book.

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Book Review: The Art of Shadowscapes Tarot: Minor Arcana

Some of you might remember my review of The Art Shadowscapes Tarot: Major Arcana.  I've had the companion Minors book for some time and finally have a moment to put the spotlight on this colorful tome!  Minor Arcana follows a similar formula to the last Tarot collection, with the final paintings presented after a page or so dedicated to the developmental process of each piece.  The final paintings, all beautiful watercolors, are taken from the Tarot deck developed by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law.

The creative process of the artist presented in this book has always been the strongest selling point for me.  Pui-Mun combines a healthy love of mythology intermingled with the thought processes which went behind the revisions of each piece before it reached its final stage.  She discusses what was working with each piece (and what wasn't), which is perhaps the single most useful thing you can learn as an artist!

Minors takes this process a step further by also going into the creation of the Tarot deck as a whole.  This is especially helpful for those of us who might be planning our own Tarot decks, or any large series of images, on our own. For instance, Pui-Mun discusses establishing a particular color palette and defining symbols to characterize each particular suit so that each suit has a unity of theme and appearance threading through it that allows it to differ from the other suits.

Another advantage of this discussion is that once you understand Pui-Mun's thought processes on numerology, color, and symbols, it makes for an interesting second look at each final painting.  After the book, I was able to look at each painting in a whole new light to pick out the threads that bound each suit, which is quite a treat if you own the Tarot cards as well!

All in all, I would say have this book in your library because it's beautiful, artist or no.  For The Artist, this book is a great learning tool for the important skills of brainstorming, developing sketches, and learning to tie narrative themes into your work.

You can purchase this book directly from Stephanie Pui-Mun Law at her website.  Be sure to get the sketch option to make this even more of a lovely addition to your collection and to show your support of the artist.  I did and it's worth every penny!

A preview of a few pages of the book:

More at Pui-Mun's website.

Review - Imaginative Realism by James Gurney

"There is no line between fine art and illustration; there is no high or low art; there is only art, and it comes in many forms."

I knew I would love this book the moment I read this line from the section "Art in the Twentieth Century" detailing the shift from demand for original art to printing and publication.  There is a progressive attitude here that treats all forms of art as a means to an end, tools to aid in the expression of a vision.  Leave all your doubts and fears at home because you are here to create, not quibble over what's better or pays more or what art form is more worthwhile!

I just adore that.

For those who don't know him, James Gurney authored the masterfully illustrated series of Dinotopia books, which show what life would be like if humans and dinosaurs lived together in a world much like our own.  Having penned and illustrated adventures in his own fantasy world, Gurney shares his extensive experience in doing just that - depicting believable worlds that do not exist through a variety of illustrative methods.

Gurney explains a brief history of illustration, how industry focus has changed, and what drew him personally to become an artist.  The following sections detail his workspace, developing styles, and identifying artistic influences - all useful for expressing our own unique takes on imagery using the tools and strategies of those who came before.  There's a constant emphasis on developing the idea over the technique in this book, such an important philosophy I wholeheartedly agree with!  For if the seed of a creative idea is there, then it's only a matter of having the patience to train yourself to realize it.  The toughest part of creation has already been achieved!

There are so many moments while reading this book where I felt a sense of awe and enlightenment.  Gurney put words to concepts I have never been introduced to, even being a college-trained artist!  His sections on composition and tonal development are some of the most golden nuggets of wisdom I've read.  This book is what my college education should have covered.  Everyone knows Line, Shape, Form, Texture, Space, etc...but do you really understand how it applies to creating a successful artwork?  I feel that Gurney helps to bridge the gap between these esoteric theories by giving us real examples of his working process from conception to realization.

Other techniques that really struck me are Gurney's utilization of maquettes to serve as references for his images, which allows him to bring a level of realism to his lighting and placement that would be difficult to glean from the mind's eye.  For characters that appear in multiple paintings, he suggests using a head maquette for achieving consistency in depicting those characters again and again.  What a novel idea!  Sometimes it takes a good book like this to make us start thinking in simpler modes.

The final sections briefly cover Gurney's painting process and suggested career paths for artists with tidbits of advice from someone who has been there and done that.  This forthcoming advice is the kind of gold that makes this book priceless and a must-have for any artist.

While the majority of this book is not presented in a step-by-step manner, I found his examples illustrated his points eloquently and Gurney's philosophy on art and work methods in general to be just as helpful.  His philosophy and conceptual advice make this book relevant to digital artists as well, even if most of his specific techniques are traditional.

This one's a must-have for any artist's collection! I'm looking forward to adding the rest of Gurney's books to my library as well after the inspiration and motivation this one has given me.

Book Review - Licensing Art 101 by Michael Woodward

In my efforts to find out more about how artists can bring in income from their work, I've stumbled upon what I believe to be a supremely valuable resource, Licensing Art 101 by Michael Woodward. If you're like me, you may be intimidated by the prospect of licensing your work to companies. There's so much involved with copyrights, royalties, and publishers that it seems almost too much to take in all at once!

Thankfully, this book eases some of those worries by telling you exactly what to expect from the licensing industry, from a breakdown of royalties, what to expect from contracts, and what size image and portfolio to present to agents/companies.

This book also gives a detailed section by section breakdown of the various markets that exist in the licensing industry. Art licensing is not limited to greeting cards and book covers, but expands to many fields, including (but not limited to) apparel, character design, prints, plates, stamps, animation, stock photos/illustration, and much, much more!

One of the most helpful elements of this book is the random facts that I never would have thought of otherwise, such as the fact that calendars require special ISSN codes to be sold in stores, the planning process of calendars, the window of time you have to sell them, and many other such facts!

Another invaluable section talks about the advantages of representing yourself or seeking out representation in an agent, how the royalties breakdown, and also how to keep track of your licenses regardless of which route you choose.

Lastly, the appendices collect the major licensing agencies and associations that exist along with their websites and other companies of interest, a truly invaluable quick reference.

There's so much more in this book to mention, but I'll just let you read it for yourselves. This one is staying in my library as a reference book as I am planning to hit the licensing market sometime this year. I have quite a lot of work ahead of me to compile a portfolio of consistent images (and imagery) to present to prospective agents but I'm hyped to get started after reading about the industry.

I can't recommend this book more for others of you who may be curious about the market and want to learn the basics before diving into trade manuals and trade shows.

Book Review: The Art of Shadowscapes Tarot - Major Arcana

It's been a really busy holiday season so I must apologize for the barrage of holiday sales and things of that nature. To celebrate my return to entries with a little more substance to them, I wanted to talk about the book I finished reading while I was waiting at the airport during my latest travels.

I had the pleasure of pre-ordering the book The Art of Shadowscapes Tarot: Major Arcana, the first in a series of books planned by artist Stephanie Pui-Mun Law presenting the major and minor arcana from her lavishly illustrated set of Tarot cards (with the full deck due out this coming Spring). I have been plotting to do my own deck ever since I started studying divination a few years ago. Stephanie's book was just the shot in the arm I needed to get inspired again for what will likely be my next involved project!

But back to this gorgeous compilation. As the title suggests, this tome encapsulates all 23 major arcana paintings from Stephanie's tarot deck reproduced in full color. Each section is adorned with fascinating ink drawings in the borders that draw the eye in with their intricate detail. Every time I look at them, I find some new detail I missed before.

However, the icing on the cake of this delicious treat of a book is the way it's jammed packed with preliminary sketches and tidbits of folklore discussing the symbolism utilized for the final pieces. One of the more interesting aspects of the book is seeing the process behind the finished images and how decisions were made to change the figures. Stephanie goes on to discuss how those changes affect the symbolism and presence of the compositions, something which is helpful especially to other artists learning how to make their own decisions when orchestrating a drawing.

But don't take my word for it, take a peek into this sumptuous feast of art for yourself!




All in all, a worthy addition to any artist's, or art lover's, collection! You can buy Stephanie's book here. For $15 more, you can purchase the book with an original sketch, which I can attest is well worth it! My version came with a lovely ink drawing of a masked crow woman.

It is a Shadowscapes exclusive book which you cannot find in stores and must buy directly from the artist. It won't disappoint!

BOOK REVIEW: Art Festival Guide by Maria Arango

I've recently finished reading this gem of a book I discovered in a recent foray to find resources for entering the art festival market. In the next couple of years I hope to expand my art career into selling at fairs and to my surprise, this was one of the ONLY books specifically written about the wonderful wide world of the traveling fair artist.

Written by Maria Arango, a printmaker who makes her sole means of living from her sales at art fairs, this tome offers information from how art fairs are ran, how to apply, what equipment to consider, what to expect when you get there, and just about everything in-between.

For example, did you know that in order to sell at art fairs in other states you must have a business license for each state (and possibly each city or county) you wish to sell in? One of the most helpful sections in this book is Arango's explanation of her experiences in getting audited and what information she had to show the auditor to prove that she was a business and not a hobbyist.

Another extremely helpful resource is the appendix Arango includes in the back of the book which has such useful info as layouts for setting up your booth to maximize traffic flow, lists of website links for equipment, and other valuable resources. I discovered some sites I'd never heard of before, such as Artcartons, which are custom made mailing containers made specifically for shipping larger artwork safely.

The only downfall I found in this book (which is probably due to my own personal preference) was its loose, conversational writing style. You have to sift through a lot of superfluous chatter to get to the relevant information. On one hand, this down to earth talk gives us a glimpse of Arango's humor and experiences at festivals, but on the other hand, I am a very busy impatient person and sometimes I just want a list of useful information instead of walls of text. The useful info IS there, you just have to go with the flow till you find it.

Overall, if you're looking for insight on entering the art fair business, I can't recommend this book enough! As Arango says, it takes a brave soul to venture into this business, but seeing someone else who has been able to do it and learning directly from them is a precious gift. Pick this one up, if you can!