The Art of Kung Fu Panda [Hardcover]

Tracey Miller-Zarneke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 13, 2008

Enthusiastic, big and a little clumsy, Po is the biggest fan of Kung Fu. Unexpectedly chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy, Po's dreams become reality when he joins the world of Kung Fu and studies alongside his idols-the legendary fighters Tigress, Crane, Mantis, Viper and Monkey-under the leadership of their guru, Master Shifu. But before they know it, the vengeful and treacherous snow leopard Tai Lung is headed their way, and it's up to Po to defend everyone from the oncoming threat.

Every page of The Art of Kung Fu Panda brings you behind-the-scenes and into the studios of DreamWorks Animation, where artistry and storytelling reign. Featuring more than 300 pieces of visual development artwork, behind-the-scenes stories and insights from the filmmakers, with special attention on character design and awesome CG effects, The Art of Kung Fu Panda is a timeless book sure to inspire and delight.

Tracey Miller-Zarneke is the former Production Department Manager for Walt Disney Feature Animation and author of The Art of Kung Fu Panda, The Art of Meet The Robinsons, and The Art and Making of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Insight Editions (May 13, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1933784571
• ISBN-13: 978-1933784571
• Product Dimensions: 10.3 x 11.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #482,231 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shooting Darts of Awesome-ness and More, August 6, 2008

By 

Parka (Singapore) - See all my reviews
(TOP 50 REVIEWER)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Kung Fu Panda (Hardcover)

Length:: 0:41 Mins

This book shot darts of awesome-ness into my eyes! (Man, that was cheesy.)

It also screamed "character design" after you flip through the pages. Nicolas Marlet designed all these beautiful characters in the world of Kung Fu Panda. Pages after pages were devoted to character design.

Each major character had their own chapters and comes with an interesting background story, explaining how the characters came from research, went into concept, and then designed.

Every prop and design had a purpose and meant something relating to Chinese history. The artists understand body language very well, and they show it by posing the characters to reflect that knowledge.

Large frames were printed throughout the pages, depicting movie scenes. The level of detail was very high if you look at the drawings done on the set. Even the title typography of the book was designed to mimic Chinese words.

This book is worth getting even if you haven't watched Kung Fu Panda. It's inspiring for anyone who loves art, or work with art.

(More pictures are available on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.)

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterful compendium of animation artists at the top of their game., June 4, 2008

By 

Claire E. Hummel (Providence, RI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Art of Kung Fu Panda (Hardcover)

(I must admit, I cannot possibly imagine reviewing this book based on the peripheral merchandise it may or may not come with. An "Art Of" book should be for showcasing the art, and nothing more- however it goes about doing that, if it is successful, is trivial.)

Regardless of the final product that is the movie of "Kung Fu Panda", it cannot be denied that the concept and production art leading up to its inception is breathtakingly beautiful. Nicolas Marlet's hand is strongly felt throughout its pages, but rightfully so- his ability to distill an animal and character into so few fluid shapes and lines is rarely equalled in today's animation industry. Pages are filled with his seemingly effortless character and pose studies, all of which are, somewhat inevitably, stronger even than the final product we see on screen... But so it is with polished animation.

The environmental work and colour keys are, of course, equally strong- the book ranged from great to greater, and there is hardly a dull page within its covers... Definitely worth the price of purchase. Though I am hearing more and more good things about Kung Fu Panda as the days pass, it is the Art Of book, not the trailers or billboards or hype, which has convinced me to go see this film in theatres opening night, without a doubt.

-C

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, June 18, 2008

By 

Adele Thomas (Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Art of Kung Fu Panda (Hardcover)

This is an amazing look at the development behind the film. I bought this book based on just some small screen captures and havent even seen the feature film. But you can tell that it has had so much put into the development by the many many pages of hand drawn and painted character designs, environments and colour scripts. These images have also been used to not only guide the final CGI animation, but the wonderful traditional animation at the start and end of the film...its wonderful to see this development in a Dreamworks film, compared to the not so great Shrek development. This is a must for anyone who loves art of animation books or just want to see what SHOULD be done for the development of any animation project.