"Art of... " Book questions
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Hey guys, I have a quick question for ya. I'm laying out my book that I'm going to be publishing soon (via kickstarter) and wondered about content. If a book was around 100 pages, would you rather it contain more finished pieces, or would you rather see sketches and know the stories behind some of the images?
SVS Faculty Instructor
www.leewhiteillustration.com -
I love seeing the bones of a piece myself - thumbnails - figure drawings - notes - early versions - it's all good though
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@Lee-White Congratulations on the publication! I'd think seeing the progression of a few (maybe 3) of your favorite pieces. It's always nice to know how works are produced. Adding details of your thought process and the decisions you make while working through projects is something I think your fans will love too.
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I would LOVE to see process pics and here the stories of each one, to go along with the finished ones you choose.
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Congratulations, great cover! I really like seeing some of the process behind the finished work. You really get a sence of the artist and I tend to feel more connected to a book that way.
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I'm with everyone else I love seeing the thought process behind an image and the different stages.
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Yay!!!! Definitely work in progress also, but I love that.....the story behind it stuff!
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@Lee-White I'd vote for having background sketches & stories behind some of the pieces (which may mean that this is "Volume 1" of X Volumes).
For me, it brings value to the book as if I am getting a peak into stuff that wasn't readily available.
It's what I've enjoyed most about my "art of [brand]" books like—Art of Secret of the Kells, Art of Miyazaki's Spirited Away, Art of Star Wars, etc.—and I think many of my "art of [artist name]" type of books are that way too.
Of course, I'd also vote for the book being heavier on imagery than text, so my preference would be to keep the stories concise.
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I vote along with the others. I would like to learn more about how you arrived at a piece and how it evolved from your original idea. Congratulations on the book - I look forward to seeing it finished.
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Definitely more process and the thinking and planning behind a piece. I am completely fascinated by that aspect, and I think most artists (and many non-artists) are too. Most of my art book collection is about planning and process by various artists.
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I agree with the other posts...if I'm going to buy an 'art of' book, I'd like to get an insight into that artist, and seeing the sketches and process of other artists is fascinating...as @QuietYell says the sketches and so on aren't as readily available compared to the portfolio pieces, and hearing the story behind the pieces is great too.
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Yes, the meat is great but I love seeing the thought process that goes on behind the final work. There is something wonderful about seeing art evolve from a sketch to concept to completion.
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First off, that cover is bonkers good! Second, count me in as a person backing this book.
I personally would only want illustrations, but my reason for owning it is to get a closer look at each of your pieces and study your work, but that might not be the main interest for many Of the people wanting it. Maybe a happy medium can be pieces seperated by year or month, and one page for each year can have a quick rundown of what you were up to that year, or something along those lines. Idk how all this works, so that might be not a workable idea.
Please keep us informed as to when we can back your project.
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I think we're all in agreement - the stories behind the work as well as sketches and process (and finished pieces). One of my favorite books is Bill Watterson's last "Calvin and Hobbes" book - the Tenth Anniversary book, he tells all kinds of stories about the strip. Love "behind the scenes" stuff, plus it's so educational.
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I do agree on seeing the process/sketches etc. Love your work!
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I love looking at peoples sketches and "unfinished" work,it gives a real insight into the working processes.It' also great to see the finished piece,the sum total of all that decision making.
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@Lee-White Great video on your Kickstarter experience thus far that you shared via Instagram. I look forward to seeing the next parts, and I very much so appreciate you sharing all of this!
Scott Monaco | QuietYell.com
IG/FB/LI: @QuietYell
IG-2: @QuietYellSketches
TW/PIN/BEH/DEVART: @ScottMonaco
SCBWI: http://bit.ly/1r8Dmqr -
Sketches and stories all the way!
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@QuietYell Thanks! For those of you who haven't seen it, I'm doing a very informal series of videos documenting my adventure into launching a kickstarter. Here's a link if you want to see:
