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The Art of Finding Nemo
Pixar Animation Studios, the Academy Award-winning creators of Toy Story , Toy Story 2 , A Bug's Life , and Monsters, Inc. , are bringing a new animated movie, Finding Nemo, to the screen this summer. This visually stunning underwater adventure follows eventful and comic journeys of two fish-a father and his son Nemo-who become separated in the Great Barrier Reef. The underwater world for the film was conceptualized and developed by the creative team of artists, illustrators, and designers at Pixar, resulting in a lush landscape rich with detail. The Art of Finding Nemo celebrates their talent, featuring concept and character sketches, storyboards, and lighting studies in a huge spectrum of media, from five-second sketches to intricate color pastels. This behind-the-scenes odyssey invites the reader into the elaborate creative process of animation films through interviews with all the key players at Pixar. There will be children's books related to Finding Nemo , but no adult titles other than this definitive volume. Revealing, insightful, and awesomely creative, The Art of Finding Nemo will delight film-goers, artists, and animation fans alike.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2003
9 people are currently reading
828 people want to read
About the author
Mark Cotta Vaz
70 books178 followersMark Cotta Vaz is the author of over twenty-one books, including four New York Times bestsellers. His recent works include Mythic Vision: The Making of Eragon, The Spirit: The Movie Visual Companion, and the biography Living Dangerously: The Adventures of Merian C. Cooper, Creator of King Kong, which was a Los Angeles Times bestseller.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
September 17, 2024
Un libro de arte precioso, sobre una de mis películas preferidas de Pixar.
November 29, 2014
I really liked this one for the fact that it actually consisted of drawn (digital or otherwise) art pieces, and not movie stills. The most noteworthy pieces were undoubtedly Simon Varela's charcoal drawings. They are masterpieces, with the full page lay-outs that they deserved, and if a family member came across me staring intently at a page in here, you could bet that it was one of Varela's that held my attention.
Overall, one of the better Art Of books.
Overall, one of the better Art Of books.
"But's that the theme of the movie. It asks, Are you going to live a life of complete safety and risk nothing? Or are you going to take a chance and maybe find that only by doing so are you truly alive?"
June 29, 2024
Otra maravilla de libro de esta colección.
Este tiene cientos de diseños de arte conceptual tanto de los personajes como los escenarios y ha sido genial ver de cómo era la idea original a cómo es ahora la película.
Me ha parecido muy interesante el saber cómo se prepararon para la película, cómo investigaron sobre peces y que la idea original de un padre pez que busca a su hijo fuera lo que más llamó la atención para hacer la película.
Es fascinante ver cómo crean los diseños y lo precioso que es todo. Me gusta mucho también que hablen del argumento y cómo fueron añadiendo cosas. Ha sido muy interesante.
Este tiene cientos de diseños de arte conceptual tanto de los personajes como los escenarios y ha sido genial ver de cómo era la idea original a cómo es ahora la película.
Me ha parecido muy interesante el saber cómo se prepararon para la película, cómo investigaron sobre peces y que la idea original de un padre pez que busca a su hijo fuera lo que más llamó la atención para hacer la película.
Es fascinante ver cómo crean los diseños y lo precioso que es todo. Me gusta mucho también que hablen del argumento y cómo fueron añadiendo cosas. Ha sido muy interesante.
July 19, 2012
An extraordinary collection of concept art and designs from the making of Pixar's Finding Nemo. (My favorite was the charcoal work of Simon Varela - he's some sort of charcoal-wielding ninja.)
There are no movie stills, which I appreciate very much, being that a "making of" book, imho, doesn't need them. I know what the finished product looks like, and I want behind the scenes.
Another plus was that there was no time wasted with other movies or Pixar history. Lots of other books take up several pages to go into the past, as if attempting to convince you of why the movie of interest was made. I ask, "who cares?" I love the movie, and I'm glad it was made, and now I want to see cool art! Why should I worry about whether Pixar had to delay the making of one movie in order to focus on making another? Sympathy?
At 160 pages, the book takes very little time to read, but a person can spend hours getting lost in the fantastic (often full-page) art.
Greatly recommended for anyone who loves Pixar.
There are no movie stills, which I appreciate very much, being that a "making of" book, imho, doesn't need them. I know what the finished product looks like, and I want behind the scenes.
Another plus was that there was no time wasted with other movies or Pixar history. Lots of other books take up several pages to go into the past, as if attempting to convince you of why the movie of interest was made. I ask, "who cares?" I love the movie, and I'm glad it was made, and now I want to see cool art! Why should I worry about whether Pixar had to delay the making of one movie in order to focus on making another? Sympathy?
At 160 pages, the book takes very little time to read, but a person can spend hours getting lost in the fantastic (often full-page) art.
Greatly recommended for anyone who loves Pixar.
August 26, 2016
Yep it's a book about art but it's pretty wordy and I'm counting it because I'm stressing I won't finish my challenge in time also it's my reading challenge, bog off! ;) For real though this was such an interesting read, I love the behind the scenes of how they designed the characters and locations it's beautiful and my dream career.
December 3, 2019
El libro es maravilloso, los bocetos son fantásticos, te das cuenta de cuantísimo trabajo hacen las personas que crean las películas animadas, es una gozada ver sus trabajos, y en este libro en especial los trabajos a carboncillo de Simón Varela, para mi parecer son los mejores bocetos de todo el libro.
Lo único que me quejo un poco, por poner una pega, es que me faltan curiosidades y fotografías de las esculturas de los personajes que hicieron, que por ejemplo en El arte de Coco si las ponen, pero en El arte de Frozen y en este no lo hacen, solo lo nombran.
Aclaro que si no te gusta saber cómo se hizo un película, en este caso Buscando a Nemo, no te va a gustar el libro.
Lo único que me quejo un poco, por poner una pega, es que me faltan curiosidades y fotografías de las esculturas de los personajes que hicieron, que por ejemplo en El arte de Coco si las ponen, pero en El arte de Frozen y en este no lo hacen, solo lo nombran.
Aclaro que si no te gusta saber cómo se hizo un película, en este caso Buscando a Nemo, no te va a gustar el libro.
December 3, 2019
El libro es maravilloso, los bocetos son fantásticos, te das cuenta de cuantísimo trabajo hacen las personas que crean las películas animadas, es una gozada ver sus trabajos, y en este libro en especial los trabajos a carboncillo de Simón Varela, para mi parecer son los mejores bocetos de todo el libro.
Lo único que me quejo un poco, por poner una pega, es que me faltan curiosidades y fotografías de las esculturas de los personajes que hicieron, que por ejemplo en El arte de Coco si las ponen, pero en El arte de Frozen y en este no lo hacen, solo lo nombran.
Aclaro que si no te gusta saber cómo se hizo un película, en este caso Buscando a Nemo, no te va a gustar el libro.
Lo único que me quejo un poco, por poner una pega, es que me faltan curiosidades y fotografías de las esculturas de los personajes que hicieron, que por ejemplo en El arte de Coco si las ponen, pero en El arte de Frozen y en este no lo hacen, solo lo nombran.
Aclaro que si no te gusta saber cómo se hizo un película, en este caso Buscando a Nemo, no te va a gustar el libro.
April 4, 2020
This may be the best book I've ever read, finishing it I really feel like I could cry. This movie has such a special place in my heart and by reading this book I got to see how the story and characters became who they are. I honestly don't think this book could have been better, I highly recommend. On a little side note I just wanted to say that I've heard The Art Of Tangled is the best in the "genre" but for me this one definitely passed it up. The Art Of Finding Nemo is a must read for any Pixar fan, Finding Nemo fan, or just animation enthusiast in general.
August 27, 2024
I feel in love with the colors and anesthetics of Finding Nemo so I was surprised by how many dark sketches there were in the book. It felt like the drawing didn't always match what the writer was describing but otherwise I enjoyed reading how the artists came up with ideas!
Felt interesting how they used CG and pencil sketches and colors and took scuba diving trips all for the sake of their movie vision.
Curious to see how The Art of Finding Dory compares since by then they had more animation techniques 😁
Felt interesting how they used CG and pencil sketches and colors and took scuba diving trips all for the sake of their movie vision.
Curious to see how The Art of Finding Dory compares since by then they had more animation techniques 😁
January 25, 2017
A spectacularly beautiful book. It also goes to show why Pixar is the successful company that it is. Surrounding yourself by information and artwork, even going to the extremes to see a great white shark in person to observe how the teeth and jaw work. Such a great deal of work with the stunning outcome of one of my favourite Pixar films of all time. Just as was the aim - like nothing I have ever seen before.
July 14, 2025
Finding Nemo is story of goldfish that gor separated in storm from his family and father took a journey to find him and they reach high tides and various sea animal and solve the mystery and finally finding him in deep sea
A beautiful journey they took dory and Nemo make it a good children book for readers to enjoy from them that resilience and will power is required to take a journey for loved one
A beautiful journey they took dory and Nemo make it a good children book for readers to enjoy from them that resilience and will power is required to take a journey for loved one
February 2, 2022
It's always incredible to see the roots of some of your favorite things. This book shows the hard work put into the making of this film and adds a richness to the viewing experience. I almost cried three times while reading this and hearing the backstory of one of the most beautiful films of all time.
February 29, 2020
I liked that they used only the development and exploration designs in pastel and charcoal. I genuinely expected to see more of the character designs and color scripts, hence I'm disappointed for not seeing much of those.
June 22, 2018
Another quality Art of book from the folks at Disney/Pixar, strikes a good balance between quality concept art and production insights, perfect for adults and younger readers.
December 20, 2019
If you are a fan of finding Nemo this is a must read. Also just read if u are a art fan
July 2, 2020
433 - 2020
July 31, 2022
Great!
June 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this one, mostly due to the fact that it has a lot of concept drawings using traditional techniques. Like charcoal, pastel, acrylic... and that makes it pop up from the other Pixar art books, above all the background concepts are masterpieces.
I also really liked that it has a lot of information about how the movie was created and little curiosities about it.
I also really liked that it has a lot of information about how the movie was created and little curiosities about it.
December 5, 2012
(More pictures at parkablogs.com)
This cover is the most beautiful one of all the Pixar artbooks I've owned. That pastel drawing was done by Ralph Eggleston, production designer.
This book will only enhance that feel-good feeling you have after you watch the movie, probably several times if you have kids.
There are a lot of pastel storyboards drawn for lighting studies. They are incredibly beautiful and you can almost feel the texture to them. The colour theory used for the movie is explained to you by Ralph Eggleston.
The pages are filled with character studies, set designs and lighting studies. Most of the panels were captioned to explain the art direction behind. You'll feel as if you're going on a tour at the Pixar studio, looking at art with artists talking to you.
This book gives you the movie.
This is almost a required purchase if you like Finding Nemo or just beautiful art.
This review was first published on parkablogs.com. There are more pictures and videos on my blog.
August 30, 2012
This has to be one of my favorite animated movies of all time. Not only is it beautiful in its story and message, but also very much so artistically.
And this is why Pixar never ceases to amaze me with their movies. They take the time to tell the story, from the main plotline to the tiniest detail of a computer-generated sea anemone. Each of their characters, no matter how minor their role, has a fully-developed personality, physically and emotionally. Through the various characters, settings, and props, they tell the story, a good story.
As for the art, it is absolutely breathtaking. It had me from page one to the very end. Being one who loves anything relating to the Big Blue, I felt like I was in an enchanted fairyland while looking at those pictures. The charcoals done by Simon Varela and the pastels by Ralph Eggleston are definite favorites of mine. The only dissappoint I have with this book is that it probably doesn't even contain half of the art that the studio members made during production. I'd love to see the whole collection if I could.
Overall, I find it really inspiring, and I won't be surprised if I find myself writing a story about aquatic life in the next day or so.
"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."
And this is why Pixar never ceases to amaze me with their movies. They take the time to tell the story, from the main plotline to the tiniest detail of a computer-generated sea anemone. Each of their characters, no matter how minor their role, has a fully-developed personality, physically and emotionally. Through the various characters, settings, and props, they tell the story, a good story.
As for the art, it is absolutely breathtaking. It had me from page one to the very end. Being one who loves anything relating to the Big Blue, I felt like I was in an enchanted fairyland while looking at those pictures. The charcoals done by Simon Varela and the pastels by Ralph Eggleston are definite favorites of mine. The only dissappoint I have with this book is that it probably doesn't even contain half of the art that the studio members made during production. I'd love to see the whole collection if I could.
Overall, I find it really inspiring, and I won't be surprised if I find myself writing a story about aquatic life in the next day or so.
"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..."
April 18, 2016
This is outstanding.
This book is one of the first of the Pixar "The Art of..." books. Extensive work went into the image selection and the writing of the text, and it shows. Pixar had some major technical problems to overcome in depicting an underwater world. Coral reefs are immensely complex, and there was no way that such complexity could be rendered on screen. How could one simplify that complexity, and yet retain the "image" of complexity for the viewer? Water is deep. When a person is in water, it's very obvious that there is a vast distance which one can only partly peer into. Absent 3D movie-making -- heck, even with it -- how could these distances with their infinite variations of focus be depicted on screen?
The answers are in this book.
Moreover, the reader gets a very clear understanding of just how the artists working on Finding Nemo went from vague, watery, chalk-like concept drawings to the clear, fully rendered characters you see on film. It's very clear how character and story influenced one another to create the magic of cinema. The reader sees many of the false starts and dead-ends that the artists and storytellers made, and how they backtracked to find their true path.
This is one heck of an "Art of..." book.
This book is one of the first of the Pixar "The Art of..." books. Extensive work went into the image selection and the writing of the text, and it shows. Pixar had some major technical problems to overcome in depicting an underwater world. Coral reefs are immensely complex, and there was no way that such complexity could be rendered on screen. How could one simplify that complexity, and yet retain the "image" of complexity for the viewer? Water is deep. When a person is in water, it's very obvious that there is a vast distance which one can only partly peer into. Absent 3D movie-making -- heck, even with it -- how could these distances with their infinite variations of focus be depicted on screen?
The answers are in this book.
Moreover, the reader gets a very clear understanding of just how the artists working on Finding Nemo went from vague, watery, chalk-like concept drawings to the clear, fully rendered characters you see on film. It's very clear how character and story influenced one another to create the magic of cinema. The reader sees many of the false starts and dead-ends that the artists and storytellers made, and how they backtracked to find their true path.
This is one heck of an "Art of..." book.
May 6, 2013
Review Taken From The Pewter Wolf
It's exactly what the title states. With a foreword from John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton (the main two of Pixar), this shows the art work the people involved in making this movie from the beginning to the later stages. And I drooled over each and every picture, which ranged from quick and cartoony to very serious and very in depth.
And I loved it! Loved to discover how one of my fave movies was created. And I discovered several pictures that I DESPERATELY want to frame. Might ask Disney/Pixar for a print to hang on my wall. Yes, I am that sad!
If you are a fan of the movie or interested in art, this is for you. Enjoy. And remember, JUST KEEP SWIMMING!
It's exactly what the title states. With a foreword from John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton (the main two of Pixar), this shows the art work the people involved in making this movie from the beginning to the later stages. And I drooled over each and every picture, which ranged from quick and cartoony to very serious and very in depth.
And I loved it! Loved to discover how one of my fave movies was created. And I discovered several pictures that I DESPERATELY want to frame. Might ask Disney/Pixar for a print to hang on my wall. Yes, I am that sad!
If you are a fan of the movie or interested in art, this is for you. Enjoy. And remember, JUST KEEP SWIMMING!
August 27, 2013
حتى بالرغم من كوني قد نسيت نصف الفيلم وأحداثه لكن أجواء البيئة البحرية لا زالت عالقة في ذهني ولا زلت أحب رؤيتها كثيرا.
ولأنني أحب هذه البيئة برغم أخطارها وأحب رؤية ما أبدع الله من عجائب قررت ان اشتري الكتاب لأعاود النظر كلما اشتقت لبيئة بحرية تبث الأمل بألوانها الجميلة الرائعة.
رسوم الفيلم لا يُعلى عليها، تعاون بيكسار وديزني مثمر دائما ^_^
استمتعت بقراءة ذكريات طاقم الفيلم والمعلومات التي وفروها لنا عبر هذا الكتاب الجميل.
أعتقد أن من أحب فيلم البحث عن نيمو سيُحب كتابه.
To make it very short, it's very good book, the amount of info and pictures are good, I'm sure, Nemo fans will love this book.
ولأنني أحب هذه البيئة برغم أخطارها وأحب رؤية ما أبدع الله من عجائب قررت ان اشتري الكتاب لأعاود النظر كلما اشتقت لبيئة بحرية تبث الأمل بألوانها الجميلة الرائعة.
رسوم الفيلم لا يُعلى عليها، تعاون بيكسار وديزني مثمر دائما ^_^
استمتعت بقراءة ذكريات طاقم الفيلم والمعلومات التي وفروها لنا عبر هذا الكتاب الجميل.
أعتقد أن من أحب فيلم البحث عن نيمو سيُحب كتابه.
To make it very short, it's very good book, the amount of info and pictures are good, I'm sure, Nemo fans will love this book.
June 6, 2013
Aunque también trata con algo de detalle los numerosos retos técnicos y creativos de la gestación de la película de Pixar Buscando a Nemo, en forma de recopilación de comentarios de los creadores, lo más fascinante es la selección de caricaturas, bocetos y sobre todo el impresionante arte preliminar en formatos como carboncillo o pastel. Como recopilatorio de ilustraciones, y como tributo a la película, es una preciosidad...
December 29, 2015
This is one of the few art books that manages to give a great balance of both information and art content. I never felt like there was too little or too much of either here, and there really are some stunning pieces in this. Simon Varela's charcoal pieces in particular are worth the price alone as absolute masterpieces. Much of the environmental art is perfect for any artist interested in sea plant life.
November 30, 2014
3.5 stars
Lots of full-page drawings and digital paintings. They talked about the process of how the story developed and the themes that they wanted to explore. I would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in art or film.
Lots of full-page drawings and digital paintings. They talked about the process of how the story developed and the themes that they wanted to explore. I would certainly recommend it to anyone interested in art or film.
January 23, 2009
Great art inspirational to any artist. Skimmed only.
October 12, 2013
Beautiful. Surprising that a lot of the more interesting designs are what made it on screen. The text is full of Andrew Stanton being delusional and insufferable.
November 6, 2014
This didn't give as much information on the development of the film like the other "Art of..." Disney books I have read.
July 27, 2016
Nice art. I love the evolution of the shark group "Fish are Friends not Food."
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews