The Art of Ray Harryhausen

by Ray Harryhausen, Tony Dalton, Peter Jackson (Foreword)

• Harryhausen is the critically acclaimed master of stop-motion animation and has a huge following

• Publishers Weekly called Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life “terrific”; Kirkus said it’s “a must”; Library Journal said “Harryhausen is a geek god!”

• Lavishly illustrated and packed with Harryhausen’s own words and images



The huge ape of Mighty Joe Young. The fighting skeletons of Jason and the Argonauts. And, of course, the angry T. Rex of Island of the Gwangi. All these creations and many more, seared into our collective consciousness, are the work of one man—Ray Harryhausen. The father of special effects, Ray Harryhausen is revered among film historians, animators, special-effects designers, and everyone who’s ever seen his inspired stop-motion creations. In 2004, Watson-Guptill published Ray Harryhausen: An Animated Life to critical acclaim and sales of over 20,000 copies. Now WG is pleased to present a companion book: The Art of Ray Harryhausen. Concise essays and lavish illustrations look at each of Harryhausen’s many specialties, including aliens, prehistoric creatures, mythological monsters, and much more. At last, fans of Harryhausen can see the progression of his work over time, in a visual celebration of his art and artistry.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Film, Reference, Media Tie In, Pop Culture, Science Fiction Fantasy

230 pages, Hardcover

First published November 25, 2005

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible book if for no other reason than to remind me of those amazing films I grew up watching on a weekend afternoon marvelling at the special effects and camera trickery. Now with the evolution and progression of film special effects many of these films seem dated and even laughable with their effects (which I wonder has wrongly contributed to their lack or broadcasts in recent years) - however with a combination of nostalgia and utter respect for the hard work and dedication put in to these films - I love these films even more so.
This book repeatedly describes itself as a companion book to An Animated Life - which for me I think is a MASSIVE disservice, okay it may have been written with this in mind and even been a spin off project from it - however this book has more than enough merits to stand on its own. The book is a treasure trove of movie history from some of the most amazing and famous films of their time (who does not recognise the animated fighting skeletons after all even if you cannot place the film). The book is packed with amazing images and recollections of the films and people that made up the creative catalogue of Ray Harryhausen - I think that this books stands as a tribute to not only the man who pioneered the genre and techniques we so easily take for granted these days but also as a rare and privileged glimpse in to the world which is more often than not over looked and ignored when ever a special effect is applied to film. As Peter Jackson so reverently said in his introduction this mans work went on to inspire people to some of the most ambitious and amazing films to date and probably beyond.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

With all of the incredible computer-generated special effects these days, it's easy to look back at Ray Harryhausen's creations and think of them as old-fashioned and quaint. But whenever I see one of those glorious stop-motion creatures, I'm instantly 10 years old again, sitting in a darkened theatre with the widest eyes you've ever seen. This gorgeous book tells some of Harryhausen's story, which is fascinating, but trust me, you want this book for the pictures, not the words: working sketches, never-before-seen creatures, and all of your old favorites on beautiful glossy pages.

[Leonardo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very beautiful book, packed with sketches, storyboards, and photographs of the creatures and settings that the great Harryhausen created for the myriad stop-motion movies in which he was involved, this book is divided in chapters that either cover a particular period of his life (his formative years, his early works, and the preservation of his stop-motion creatures as bronze statutes) or a prevalent topic in his animation (fairy tales, Greek and Arabian legends, aliens, and... of course... dinosaurs). Harryhausen discusses his influeces, his collaborators, his working method, and even studio politics and cancelled projects, with plenty of testimonies of the joy that working on them and the related movies gave him and others. It must be emphasized that this is not a book about the movies themselves, but about the creatures and their creations. In this time of CGI and green screen, stop-motion may seem like a lost or niche style, but it certainly gave and continues giving many film viewers countless hours of joy.

[LobsterQuadrille · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing this book, it feels like I practically flew through it! There were plenty of great pictures and interesting anecdotes about Harryhausen's art and films, and clearly he was a true artist in his own right. The pictures of the stop-motion figures and concept drawings were definitely my favorites; it was fascinating to get a glimpse of his creative process through them.

I love the films Ray Harryhausen and Charles H. Schneer created: they are always colorful, swashbuckling, and wonderfully strange. Even Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger(a rather head-scratching film with villains who seem more like a misplaced comedy duo) somehow feels like it was made with a real love for the characters and world. And reading The Art of Ray Harryhausen is the next best thing to watching the films. I would have liked photos of the figures from multiple angles instead of just one, but all in all this book was a really fun experience!

[Cail Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was insanely cool to read through. Ray is a special effects OG and pioneered a lot of monster movie effects through claymation. His skill and eye for detail even at a young age is pretty astounding, reminded me of the ultimate Commercial Arts student. Reading and seeing examples of the artists who inspired him like Gustave Doré was very cool. This book is huge, lends itself well for the artistic reproductions. Also fascinating to read Ray's commentary on the models he's saved for 40-50 years. A true collector. Check out this post for a sample of his work: https://artuk.org/discover/stories/th...

[Dani Nefasto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Si te gusta el trabajo de Ray Harryhausen o sientes interés por la animación en stop motion y la ilustración debes leer este libro. Narrado en primera persona por el propio Harryhaysen, en un tono cercano y amigable, me ha hecho sentir como si estuviese realmente con él tomando un café en un bar y se pusiera a contar anécdotas de su vida, sus pasiones y su increíble trabajo.

[Walter Kawahara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this when I was a kid. Ray Harryhausen is truly one of the titans of not only special effects and monster cinema, but I would say cinema more broadly. As it turns out, his artistic talents were paired with some skill with the written word and an excellent memory. The book is itself large but very readable with a conversational tone that I appreciated. I don't know if Harryhausen knew how special he was, since he writes more about process than results, which is refreshing. The vast array of illustrations and images is also something to behold. This is an excellent read for anyone with an interest in special effects, cinema or that which is simply fantastic.

[Parka · Rating 5 out of 5]

(More pictures on my blog)

It's large 230-page hardcover and available in French and English editions so be careful to get the English one.

This book is quite different from Fantasy Scrapbook. It features more art — the storyboards and key drawings from Ray Harryhausen himself. It's also an autobiography on his career in film making where he talks about his influences, challenges, and production techniques. All the photos and illustrations are reproduced in large sizes. There are less photos of model figures. Overall, there isn't much duplication of content with Fantasy Scrapbook.

Ray Harryhausen's key drawings are impressive. They are mainly charcoal and pencil but you can see that he has a good grasp on tonal values. Together with cinematic composition, his drawings capture the action and story wonderfully. It's fascinating to look at a world created from his imagination. A lot of art is included.

The autobiography gives detailed information on film making and provides wonderful insight on producing animation at that time. There's a lot to learn from what he says when looking back at the films he made, the things he could have done differently. This is the book to get if you want to learn more about the man himself.

It's a nice film companion and a compliment to Fantasy Scrapbook. Recommended to fans of Ray Harryhausen and film makers.

[Zach Klinefelter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful and inspiring book about the late Mr. Harryhausen's amazing filmography that fans will love. It's jam-packed with fascinating descriptions and stills of Harryhausen's painstaking process, showing the evolution of his concepts into reality, and makes one admire his work even more. This is all sweetened considerably by Harryhausen's humility and passion for his work, making this far from being a typically-dry special effects book. As an added bonus it contains information and illustrations for numerous unrealized projects, which are no less fascinating than those that did reach the screen.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of Mr. Harryhausen's concept sketches, key drawings, and models designed for movies that were and some that were scrapped. Some scrapped even would have been amazing to see (curse those deadlines and budget issues). It showed his progression and inspirations in his own words. If you ever wondered about some of his films here are some thorough details into them.

[Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the coolest moments of my life was getting to see the original KING KONG on the big screen with Ray Harryhausen in person hosting and participating in a Q&A. Then later i got to shake his hand and have him sign this gorgeous book. :)

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all time favorite art books for inspiration and for a pleasant walk down memory lane. I grew up watching his work, and to read about the stories behind some of those movies and seeing how his pieces progress from sketches and storyboards to armatures to finished puppet is fantastic.

[Mhorg · Rating 5 out of 5]

If one is a Ray Harryhausen fan, this book, full of illustrations by the master himself, should be on your shelf!