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The Art of Tim Burton

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This edition has the clown lithograph sign by Tim Burton

434 pages, Unknown Binding

First published September 1, 1999

32 people are currently reading
3031 people want to read

About the author

Tim Burton

104 books2,021 followers
Timothy "Tim" William Burton is a prolific American film director/writer, best known for the dark imagery and quirky nature of his popular films. He is also the author and illustrator of the poetry collection "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories."

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5 stars
816 (77%)
4 stars
145 (13%)
3 stars
64 (6%)
2 stars
15 (1%)
1 star
8 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
Profile Image for Celise.
578 reviews320 followers
May 1, 2015
Can't say Tim Burton is an incredible artist, but that's what makes every piece true. He's not doing it for money or because he's really good at it. It's one of the only ways he knows how to express himself, whether its on paper or camera. Having it all bound into this wonderful cloth covered book is fantastic. Not too mention the Deluxe edition looks great on any shelf or table.

Such a beautiful book. I bought it right outside the TIFF Lightbox that featured a lot of his costumes (the Sleepy Hollow Cape, Edward Scissorhand's outfit, etc.), puppets from Corpse bride, crazy sculptures and twisted drawings, random props, film clips, school projects, writing notes, and a whole bunch of things that I can only classify as Tim Burton. The book is basically the photocopied versions of everything I saw so I love that it allows me to remember that experience! It even came with a special little signed lithograph in it, which is a beyond creepy rendition of a clown that I can't quite bring myself to frame.

Profile Image for Karlie.
74 reviews19 followers
February 22, 2012
Beautiful, magical and a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. Sitting in a huge chair with this epic tome balanced on your knee, especially with an equally large mug of coffee next to you. : )

The book is separated into sections each displaying pictures from a certain theme. I couldn't even pick a favourite section, let alone a favourite image, because they are all just so wonderful. A great insight into the mind of such a unique and fantastic director. Whether you are interested in the images that are memories of real life events, or the thought processes that led to some of the best movies of the past 20 years, it's all there.

The quotes spaced throughout the book also give it a personal touch, where people who are familiar with Tim's art will give you their take on it. My personal favourites were the ones from Helena Bonham Carter, as they were able to offer insight both professionally and personally. But also very enlightening are the additions by Danny Elfman and Johnny Depp, who have worked on so many projects with Burton at this point, that they have a lot of important points and opinions to contribute.

This is in my top two of expensive books that I have ever purchased and it was worth every penny. I am so glad that I have this book in my collection. I know that I will look through it for years to come.
Profile Image for Alexander Secilmis.
8 reviews
September 26, 2023
The drawings are incredible and reveal fascinating sides to the director which any fan should see. The descriptive writing by the editors, accompanying the artwork, is very well observed
10 reviews
Want to read
June 21, 2018
this book is the epic of everything every part of the catches you I recommend it too
Profile Image for Taylor.
53 reviews23 followers
July 23, 2016
I've anticipated having this book for about 10 years now, and it's served (as expected) as the most inspiring art books I have.
Tims artwork and commentary from friends / co workers really help to paint the complete picture of his own persona. These beautiful, funny, cleaver, dark and bright artworks bring me back to my childhood and open up the world behind all his produced/published pieces of art.
It felt like delving into a deeper aspect of my initial inspiration for most of what I've produced art wise, and its been lovely to see where he's derived his own, for instance, witnessing elements of Van Gogh in his own works.
I'd highly recommend this book for Burton fans (and others of course), it's perfect for getting into his own mind and taking a look behind the curtains of his film productions and other art forms.
Profile Image for Zelly B..
184 reviews
May 15, 2011
After seeing the Tim Burton Exhibition in the tiff Lightbox, I absolutely had to have this book.

It's a little on the pricey side (though I'm not surprised, given how commonly expensive art books can be), but absolutely worth it.

There are hundreds of Tim Burton's drawings - sketches, storyboard art, concepts, finished pieces - from throughout his entire career. It's really an extensive look at Tim Burton's career and gives a really great insight to how his mind works.

He remains, as ever, a great inspiration to me and having this book in my collection is absolutely worth the slightly expensive price-tag.

I recommend it to any Tim Burton fan who also collects art books.
Profile Image for Xenia.
43 reviews
February 21, 2023
A reminder to create for oneself and focus on what first got us interested when lacking inspiration
Profile Image for Leanna.
227 reviews
August 20, 2018
I had been on the fence about purchasing this book for the past several years (impossible to find at a library), but finally did so. I'm so glad I did! This book is a masterpiece and I will keep it for the rest of my life. Each image is stunning and the commentary from Tim's various collaborators brings everything to life even more. A must-have for any Tim Burton fan.
Profile Image for Ruthy lavin.
453 reviews
September 30, 2024
I am SO glad that Tim Burton shares his incredible mind with us.
Thank you for existing in my life time and the lifetime of my children, Tim 🖤
Profile Image for Redgie.
393 reviews
June 2, 2011
an amazing book. a must-have for every burton fan.
Photobucket

and to think, this collection of 1,000 images is only a small percentage of tim's body of work!
Profile Image for Sarah.
56 reviews14 followers
March 31, 2013
This is an amazing book! Full of talent and inspiration from one of my favourite directors. I read this book in almost one sitting, which is quite impressive because it's HUGE. I just couldn't put it down and I came away wanting to do some more art.
Only thing is I'm gutted I missed the MOMA exhibition.

Hugely recommend it for any Burton fan!
Profile Image for Jenny.
1 review
September 2, 2012
Mind Blowing. Every Burton fan should own this book, Not only does it let you see Tim's life work but it also lets you look into his soul. Worth every penny and is now one of my most prized possessions.
Profile Image for Sarah.
Author 27 books23 followers
March 7, 2013
It's a beautifully compiled and constructed volume that demands re-visiting over and again. Far more than just an artist's monograph, it offers a window both into the filmmaker's working creative processes as well as something of his unique, incisive worldview.
Profile Image for Aimée.
Author 5 books8 followers
January 7, 2021
Tim Burton ist im Herzen ein Künstler. Doch anstatt nur zu malen und nach seinem Tod berühmt zu werden, hat er seine Magie in Filmen gebannt. Doch das Problem, das alle Künstler*innen haben, bleibt: Er malt immer und überall auf alles, was nicht davonläuft. Also haben sich Leah Gallo und Holly Kempf hingesetzt und über 4.500 Puzzleteile zum Wahnsinn Burtons sortiert - Notizbücher, Bilder, Serviettenbildchen, Sketche und Konzepte für Filme und und und. Dann haben sie Weggefährten und Kollaborateure befragt und herausgekommen ist dieses 5 Kilo schwere Prachtwerk.


Vor einigen Jahren gastierte in Köln die Tim-Burton-Ausstellung und ich wollte unbedingt den Ausstellungskatalog dazu haben. Leider war dieser überall vergriffen und als es ihn wieder gab, nur im Shop in Amerika (hier findet ihr auch Beispielbilder!). Da das gute Stück 5kg wiegt, waren die Versandkosten erheblich über dem Budget.

Doch Forbidden Planet eilt zur Rettung und so werde ich mir diesen Schatz endlich zu Weihnachten schenken, hurra! Das Cover ist übrigens mit Cut-out, das lustige Viereck zeigt das Vorsatzpapier.



Kapitel:

1. Misunderstood Monsters

2. Alien-Nation

3. People

4. Animals

5. What is it?

6. Clowns, Puppets & Ventriloquist Dummies

7. Too much free time

8. Freaks, Friends & Foes

9. Around the World

10. Love

11. Happy Horrordays

12. Strange Places

13. The End



Die Anekdoten von Helena Bonham Carter, Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp, Vincent Price und anderen Weggefährten sind herrlich und genauso bekloppt, wie man sie sich vorstellen würde (die Geschichten, wie er Helena "umwirbt" - grandios). Ein Buch, das nicht nur Tim Burton zelebriert, sondern alles Seltsame, Andersartige und Komische.

Ich musste immer wieder kichern - wie man so "gruseliges" so herrlich abstrus gestalten kann! Das war, wie nochmal durch die Ausstellung zu laufen (besonders durch die ausklappbaren Großformate) und ich habe viele Favoriten neu- und wiederentdeckt.


Unbedingte Empfehlung zum Weiterlesen: Seine Gedichte in "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy".



"He is witty, sharp, and humorous, if slightly choppy, as though his brain is working on a level that his mouth cannot faithfully reproduce."
Profile Image for Lör K..
Author 3 books94 followers
March 11, 2017
I've always been a massive fan of Tim Burton, since I was a young child, and I was gifted this at Christmas the year it was released. My Mother got me it as a surprise and I've read this a great deal of times, and I've lost count of how many times I've actually read it.

This is a must have for anyone who is a fan of Tim Burton. The artwork shown within this book is amazing, and so stunning to see. The best thing for me was to see the descriptions and insights into his artwork and his life from friends and family. This very much runs as an autobiography as sorts. You can see where his artwork has gotten better over the years and it's so amazing to see. This is a must read for any Tim Burton fan, for sure.
Profile Image for Paris Chanel.
385 reviews30 followers
November 30, 2022
"Tim resonates with the young because, like any good artist, he has kept in touch with the child he once was. Or rather still is. His inner child is pretty outer. And his art has the artless simplicity, freedom and naïveté of a child. Tim's five-year-old son and he both love to draw monsters. Sometimes it's difficult to tell who drew what. And I mean that as a compliment to both."

The Art of Tim Burton is a collection of sketches, concept art, and paintings that were once only intended to be seen by no one by Burton himself. His art intertwines the macabre and the fantastical so uniquely and so effectively becoming its own style — Burtonesque.
4 reviews
Read
January 29, 2021
I am a massive Tim Burton fan and if you are too then this is an amazing product because it shows a lot of unseen artwork that he did whilst being at random places and they have compiled them into this masterpiece of an artbook. This book also has a lot of information about every film Tim Burton has created and most of the characters and what his thought process was going into it. I loved seeing the quotes from the people he has worked with and the quotes from him are hilarious, I am glad I was enlightened to discover his sense of humour because its brilliant 10/10 recommend
4 reviews1 follower
October 16, 2020
This book is incredibly well made, and remarkably well put together. It’s jam packed full of Tim Burton’s art. I think it’s important to know that while this collection touches on Burton’s cinematic works, you will not find a large portion of the book dedicated to them. Nightmare Before Christmas receives the greatest number of pages, but still less than ten. Other works, such as Mars Attacks, receive only a few.
161 reviews
October 26, 2022
Finished just in time for Halloween! This is a great book for reference material of all kinds. It keeps it real--not everyone is a Picasso or Rembrandt and reminds all of us that what kind of art we draw or paint is ok. Tim shows us the wild and wacky but it is totally ok to make stick figures--there are plenty of those in this book as well as his well know characters from many of the movies he has developed.
Profile Image for Lacy Lovelace.
313 reviews40 followers
July 24, 2018
The artwork was just stunning! I am so glad that I bought it because it inspired me so much that I would really like to get back to what I used to do myself-drawing! You learn so much about Tim Burton through his art and what everyone who worked with him had to say about him throughout the book! As a huge Tim Burton fan, this was definitely a must-have!
Profile Image for thessa ♡♡.
1 review1 follower
May 29, 2022
Das beste Kunstbuch, das ich jemals gelesen/gesehen habe. Tim Burton hat mir eine ganz andere Perspektive der Kunst gezeigt. Außerdem hat er mit seinem Werk bestätigt, dass man diesen Bereich nicht nur mit Können verbinden sollte. Wie vielfältig und individuell Kunst sein kann, veranschaulicht er in seinen Werken (Bücher, Filme etc.)
Profile Image for Mandi Hidalgo.
Author 2 books18 followers
September 5, 2022
I love Tim Burton. His art and movies have both been inspiring me for ages. This vast collection of his artwork is just beautiful. I love his scribbly, strange, and scrawly creations and it's a wonderful book to just sit down with and peruse for a bit.
Profile Image for Viola Folador.
122 reviews
October 31, 2022
Il libro: un insieme delle opere di Burton, i suoi disegni, i suoi schizzi, i suoi studi o i suoi passatempi.

vi's Pov: Devo a Burton molto, anche se lui non sa chi io sia. Questo libro (a lungo atteso) e tanto amato è una parte intera di me.
109 reviews37 followers
November 25, 2019
Absolutely phenomenal. If you appreciate art and Tim Burton’s style, this is a must! There is also great insights into his film and quotes from people who have previously worked with him.
Profile Image for Jenny.
9 reviews
August 23, 2022
my husband bought this book for me to cheer me up.
It is one of my prized possession books!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews

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