Book Review: The Art of Polar Express

This book had no storyboards, very little character designs but lots of digitally painted concept art. These digitally painted frames focus heavily on the sets and environment.

These panels were generously applied across the pages, sometimes taking 1 to 2 pages for just one panel, making them very satisfying to look at. They were intended to bring readers into the magical world.

Art captions explained the concept behind them, and the story it was intended to tell. Text copy were kept to a minimum and the typography used was huge, perhaps, for the children audience.

This movie was made with motion capture but nothing in the book that showed you visually how it was done. There were few 3D renders or life sculptures, strangely.

Overall, the book was a visual delight.

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Check out other books I've reviewed also, with pictures:
Art book list | Design book list