The Art of Monsters, Inc. [Hardcover]

John Lasseter (Introduction), Pete Docter (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001

The Art of Monsters, Inc. opens the door into Pixar's colorful archives of concept art and to the endearing story of Monsters, Inc. Since the very first bedtime, children around the world have known that once their parents tuck them into bed and shut off the light, monsters lie waiting behind closet doors, ready to emerge. But what they don't realize is that these monsters scare children because they have to. It's their job. This superb film from Pixar Studios, the people who brought you Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Toy Story 2, reveals the truth about monsters with the brilliant techniques that have earned them their reputation as a ground-breaking animation studio. This incredible body of artwork was commissioned from the top artists, illustrators, and animators in the industry and from it the ultimate visual approach of the film was defined. From sketches scribbled on napkins and quickly inked marker drawings, to finished oil paintings and fabulous pastel color scripts, this behind-the-scenes artwork reveals the elaborate creative process behind a blockbuster film.

Editorial Reviews

Review

What a treat!

Pixar's Monsters, Inc. was, as far as I'm concerned, the best animated feature released this year. This art book, published by Chronicle (not Disney -- how odd?), is the only "making of" tie-in created for the film and a delightful visual companion to the movie.

This book is a wonderful collection of preliminary inspirational artwork created for the film. Most of the pieces selected contain characters and concepts that bare no relation to the monsters and mayhem in the final product. But by allowing us to see all the hard (but funny) creative work that goes into the visual decision making, the filmmakers shed some light on the secrets of creating classic animation; they add to our knowledge of the development process and garner our respect for the enormous talent at large within Pixar.

Inspirational art is a vital component of every great animated film but average moviegoers never get to see any of it. As John Lasseter and Pete Docter point out in their intro, "Once the film is completed, the inspirational artwork is filed away in the archives, never to be seen by the general public."

What makes this book so enjoyable is the array of talent Pixar assembled for inspiration. The paintings, sketches and layouts, done in pastels, markers, acrylics, gouache, pencils and mixed media presented here, are just plain fun to look at. Many of the artists were given a few details about the settings or the characters, and were then allowed to let their imaginations run free.

The artists themselves are amazing. Some of my favorite pieces are from Lane Smith, J. Otto Siebold and Oscar Grillo. Stealing the show however, are striking works from Geefwee Boedoe, Ricky Nierva, Lou Romano and Dominique Louis.

Though famed for their landmark work with computer graphics, this book reminds me that Pixar is first and foremost a "cartoon studio" the finest in the world, at this point in the 21st Century. Dominique Louis' painting of Sulley's apartment exterior, showing a street filled with sinister looking brownstones, or Harley Jessup's grand concepts for the Monsters Inc. factory, are filled with tiny details that can't be written. The inherent humor of these design defy a literal, verbal description and the wit in the color and line cannot be produced in a word processing program. (Yes, even color has wit as amply demonstrated in Tia Kratter's color studies of Sullivan's fur and Dominique Louis' color script thumbnails.)

It's joyous to see a variety of professional cartoonists letting loose with a free reign to create creatures that defy logic and all sense of human comprehension.
The secret of Pixar's success (only one of their secrets, I might add) is that they aren't out to use the computer to recreate reality. They know the computer can already do that. They are trying to make authentic, honest-to-goodness, animated cartoons that tell great stories and touch the heart.

Walt Disney accomplished that goal in the 20th Century. Lasseter and his crew are the heir apparent. They understand what makes great, appealing characters and what it takes to bring them to life. This book gives us an over the shoulder peek, with some spectacular artwork that deserves to seen, admired and kept. Animation World Magazine

About the Author

John Lasseter is Pixar Animation Studios's executive vice-president of creative and the director of Toy Story, A Bug's Life, and Toy Story 2. He most recently served as the executive producer of Monsters, Inc. and Finding Nemo, and is currently executive producer of The Incredibles.

Pete Docter has been with Pixar Animation Studios since 1990. He is the director of Monsters, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; 1st edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811833887
• ISBN-13: 978-0811833882
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #274,129 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Colourful and Cute August 12, 2008

By Parka TOP 50 REVIEWER

Format:Hardcover

Length: 0:45 Mins

This book is filled with plenty of character design and set drawings. You'll read no making of the movie. There are also no stills from the movie.

The collection of concept art is very colourful, especially the pastel drawings by Dominique Louis and Ralph Eggleston. Every panel drawn by them is a delight to look at.

A definite buy for any Pixar fan or if you're buying for kids.

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

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Awesome visuals but lacking in details January 21, 2002

By Robert Adams

Format:Hardcover

Being a longtime fan of Disney & Pixar films I found myself particularly touched by Monsters, Inc and was eagerly looking forward to learning more about the how this film came about. Previous "Art of" books from Disney and Pixar were rich sources of information on how the story and characters developed from initial inspiration to big screen. As such I was dissapointed to find this book contains primarily concept art. Rich and vivid imagery but very little commentary.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book for any animator. November 30, 2002

By Edward Juan

Format:Hardcover

What's surprising is that in this book there is hardly any screenshots or CG graphic art. But that's what makes the book great! It really proves that computer does not dominate in the animation industry; everything is still from sketches and traditional works. The book filled with great works from Eggleton (director of "For the Bird") and many other amazing script illustrators. The only thing that is disappointing is that most of the images are already available in the Monsters Inc. DVD. Overall, no animator should miss this book! Don't want to miss those amazing prints!