The Art of Cars [Hardcover]

Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis (Author), Michael Wallis (Author), John Lasseter (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 4, 2006

In the tradition of the smash hits Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles comes the newest film from Pixar Animation Studios, Cars, the story of a race car who learns that it's not all about the fast lane. (In fact, life begins at the off-ramp.) Offering an insider's view into the artistic development of Cars, this gorgeously illustrated book celebrates the whimsical yet painstaking research that fueled Pixar's directors, production designers, and artists. Fascinating storyboards, full-color pastels, on-the-road snapshots, and hundreds of character sketches reveal the origins of Pixar's charming and clever automobile-based world. Gleaned from the team's trips to racetracks and down the famed Route 66, The Art of Cars is as colorful as its memorable story and characters, making this bookthe only movie tie-in for adultsa spirited ride down the road of a masterful animated feature film.

Cars is a Walt Disney Pictures presentation of a Pixar Animation Studios film. 2006 by Disney Enterprises, Inc./Pixar Animation Studios. All rights reserved.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Wallis is the Pulitzer Prize nominated author of six books on the Southwest and is widely considered the authority on Route 66, the Mother Road. He served as a creative consultant and voice talent for Cars .

Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis is co-author of Songdog Diary: 66 Stories from the Road and co-editor of Greetings from the Mother Road: Route 66 Postcards . She and her husband, Michael, live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

John Lasseter is a founding member and executive vice president of creative of Pixar Animation Studios. A two-time Academy Awardt winner, he executive produced Monsters, Inc. , Finding Nemo , and The Incredibles , and directed Toy Story , A Bug's Life , T

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1ST edition (May 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811849007
• ISBN-13: 978-0811849005
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 0.9 x 9.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #477,979 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

It has been said, "reading a Michael Wallis book is like dancing to a romantic ballad. He offers his hand and gently guides you across the floor, swaying to the song of the American West."

A best-selling author and award-winning reporter, Michael is a historian and biographer of the American West who also has gained international notoriety as a speaker and voice talent. In 2006 Michael's distinctive voice was heard in Cars, an animated feature film from Pixar Studios, also featuring Paul Newman, Bonnie Hunt, Owen Wilson, Michael Keaton, and George Carlin. Michael is also featured in Cars 2, a sequel to the original motion picture released in 2011.

A storyteller who likes nothing better than transporting audiences across time and space, Michael has published seventeen books, including Route 66: The Mother Road, the book credited with sparking the resurgence of interest in the highway. In 2011, Michael's latest works were published -- David Crockett: The Lion of the West, and The Wild West 365.

Other Wallis books include The Real Wild West: The 101 Ranch and the Creation of the American West; Mankiller: A Chief and Her People; Way Down Yonder In The Indian Nation; and Pretty Boy: The Life and Times of Charles Arthur Floyd. His work has been published in hundreds of national and international magazines and newspapers, including Time, Life, People, Smithsonian, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.

Michael has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize and was also a nominee for the National Book Award. He has won many other prestigious honors, such as the Will Rogers Spirit Award, the Western Heritage Award from the National Cowboy Hall & Western Heritage Museum, the Oklahoma Book Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book, and the Best Western Non-fiction Award from the Western Writers of America.

For further information about Michael Wallis, visit http://www.michaelwallis.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Journey Through Research and Art August 11, 2008

By Parka TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Length: 0:56 Mins

From John Lasseter's foreword:
It also became a journey with its own reward, one we wanted to share with you in this book. -end-

With that, the book brings you onto a fantastic journey on the creative process of creating Cars, the movie close to John Lasseter's heart.

The few pages of stories separating the art let you understand how research was done, what the artists learn and ideas they want to bring across to the audience.

This book is filled with plenty of concept art drawings. Pixar artists draw hundreds of drawings each day but only selected ones were included into the book due to the limited number of pages. Every page is packed with art.

Also included are storyboards, architectural drawings, landscape drawings, lighting studies, car decor sketches, photos from their road trips.

This is a wonderful selection of drawings pulled off directly from the drawing board.

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

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Cars July 5, 2006

By D. Cloud

Format:Hardcover

I think this is one of the best illustrated books I've ever bought and read. I received the book before seeing the movie, so I was anxious to see if the movie followed the book. It does and it's most helpful to see how the movie came about. The illustrations in the book are of such quality that it is comparable to any coffee table book I own, and those are many. The artist' drawings are exceptional quality. I was impressed to see how many years went into making the movie and the book told the complete process of consultants, writers, etc. that were consulted to make sure of the movie's authenticity as well as appeal to both children and adults. Michael and Suzanne Fitzgerald Wallis certainly nailed Route 66 in the book and therefore was presented in the movie with much detail. Having driven Route 66, I recognized many of the buildings, landscapes, etc. depicted in the movie. Had I not ever driven Route 66, the book and thus the movie, would have made me want to see the amazing part of Route 66 located in the Southwest so well presented. Again, anyone wanting to own a beautiful book of illustrations, as well as reading how a movie is made, needs to get the book, The Art of Cars. It'll make you want to see the movie and motor West getting your Kicks on Route 66.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Nice August 25, 2006

By Robert J. Stotz

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Quality pastel renders par usual with this art of something Pixar. The color theory alone in this book is worth every penny. Great stuff to continue to inspire us fellow artists. One regret, they need to start putting some of the 3-D stills in the book since their work is unlike anything else out there. Overall, a must buy for the artist reference library.