The Art of WolfWalkers

by Charles Solomon, James Baxter (Foreword), Tomm Moore (Afterword)

The official behind-the-scenes art book for four-time Academy Award–nominated animation studio Cartoon Saloon’s and their co-producer Melusine’s stunning new animated fantasy adventure, WolfWalkers
 
Cartoon Saloon, the Irish animation studio behind the Academy Award–nominated films The Secret of Kells (2009), Song of the Sea (2014), and The Breadwinner (2017), and their co-producer Melusine Productions, returns in 2020 with their latest feature, WolfWalkers, directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart. To be released later this year theatrically, followed by streaming on Apple TV+, this mythic tale tells the story of a young hunter named Robyn, and her unlikely friendship with a wild girl living among wolves. Filled with exclusive hand-drawn sketches, paintings, interviews, and digital renderings that showcase Cartoon Saloon’s unique artistic style, The Art of WolfWalkers takes fans behind the scenes of one of animation’s most celebrated studios.

Through exclusive commentary and interviews with cast and crew, renowned animation critic and historian Charles Solomon showcases the craft and skill behind some of the most lovingly detailed and imaginative 2-D animation currently being produced. Featuring a foreword by award-winning animator James Baxter and an afterword by Cartoon Saloon cofounder and codirector of WolfWalkers Tomm Moore and codirector Ross Stewart, The Art of WolfWalkers is a must-have for animation fans everywhere.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Animals, Collections, Mythology, Reference, Film

224 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 10, 2020

Reviews

[Sabrina Ye · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL THE STARS 😭😭😭😍😍😍

[Jaimi Rachelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply gorgeous work 10/10 ~

[Jaimie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cartoon Saloon’s latest feature, Wolfwalkers, is one of my favourite animated movies of recent years and is undoubtedly the culmination of their Irish folklore trilogy, so I was super excited to see that they wanted to give the film its due attention with a full “art of” book. Touring us through the various aspects of the film, author Charles Solomon explores everything from the initial inspiration for the film (Irish folklore, obviously) to the unsung heroes of the film’s back end production (final lines, colours, etc) as well as every aspect in between. The film has its own innate magic that is clearly the result of incredibly hard and innovative work from the entire team, so it was a treat to discover the production design details, concept artwork, and individual stories behind the film. Solomon’s text reveals his depth of knowledge in the field of animation (it’s far more complex than we viewers have any real idea), and while it may not always be easily entertaining to read, the section divisions emphasise major themes of note that are unique to Wolfwalkers and cover expected technical details admirably. Expectedly, the visual material that went into the film is absolutely luscious, so it takes the place of honour and easily dominates the entire layout of the book from cover to cover - giving us a taste of the rough storyboards, colour visualisation, and the evolution of the characters. As we revel (once again) in the dichotomous setting of Kilkenny and the wild Irish forest alongside Mebh and Robyn, we’re brought back to the film itself and can’t wait to be fellow wolves again.

[McKenzie Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more bookish opinions, see my blog: Craft-Cycle

A captivating, behind-the-scenes look at the creation of Cartoon Saloon's WolfWalkers. This book is stunning. Cartoon Saloon always sets the bar high for hand-drawn animation. Seeing still-images, sketches, inspiration artwork, and parts of the process was absolutely breathtaking. Solomon provides splendid insight including quotes from interviews with over 30 artists, voice actors, and musicians involved in the project.

The book includes information on the story development, character design, the directing process, design of the settings, layout and background, a bit about creating the music, and more. I found it especially interesting to see the various iterations of the characters, how Covid impacted production, and how the artists created a visual distinction between the forest and the town.

This is absolutely stunning. A great read for those who love the art of WolfWalkers as well as anyone interested in animation, especially hand-drawn animation. This book gives a glimpse at the process and all the work that goes into it.

Great information and beautiful artwork.

[Carlos · Rating 5 out of 5]

La hegemonía de la animación 3D fotorealista tiene dos filos. Por un lado, ahoga a propuestas que no siguen la misma línea y/o carecen del capital para anunciarse por doquier. Por el otro, ayuda a que pequeños emprendedores como Cartoon Saloon destaquen.
Este libro es una maravilla para los sentidos: está repleto de sketches, ilustraciones con tinta, en acuarela, carboncillo y digital también, pero todo con un estilo 2D de colores vibrantes y mucha personalidad. Por si eso no fuera poco, se relata también el desarrollo del largometraje desde sus humildes comienzos, pasando por todo lo que fue el proceso colaborativo de la redacción del libreto, la animación, el montaje y la búsqueda de voces, entre otras cosas, como la forma en que la pandemia afectó a la producción.
La expresividad y el espíritu de estos personajes es algo que ni el CGI más potente puede igualar. Disto de ser enemigo de la tecnología y de nuevas técnicas de animación, pero considero que es una pena que joyas como esta no reciban la atención ni el reconocimiento que merecen.

[Catherine C · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have been fortunate enough to see Wolfwalkers, this book is THE companion to the film. Filled with all the concepts, background designs, character designs and some artwork that never made it into the film. This book encapsulates the sheer amount of work it takes to create a masterpiece such as this film. It was fascinating to see where characters and backgrounds developed from, how much they stayed true to their original form and how much they changed. In addition to the art, the prose accompanying the book, by Charles Solomon, adds to the wonder and whimsy. Solomon’s writing and explanations are detailed without feeling immense.

All in all, if you are an art lover and a film lover, this book is for you.

[UlfrTaral · Rating 5 out of 5]

The immediate wow impact factor of this book was only damaged, in my case, for being a digital version (that was acquired via humble bundle).
Although having the book in digital permits to zoom in and have the vibrance of colour as you've seen the movie itself on screen, something may be lost for not contemplating the complete spreadsheet of thumbnails and sequential images, often selected for a two page situation.

Nonetheless, *howl at the moon*.

[Susie McBeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant art book with a behind the scenes look at the process of the animation and creating the film. I esp loved the historical look back at where it was set and the overlay of the present. I also really liked seeing the first sketches and differen iterations before the characters reached their final form. A really enjoyable read.

[Graziela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing! Wolfwalkers is my favourite animation and this book made me love it even more.

I love seeing the illustrations throughout the book. They are so so gorgeous! And as someone who is not an artist, this book became almost a course on how an animation is done.

It is really impressive! I’ll surely read it over and over again.

[Alec Longstreth · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible glimpse into the process of creating one of my all-time favorite animated films. I loved seeing all the thought, care, and craft that went into all stages of this production. I'd give it a sixth star if I could!

[reveurdart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wolfwalkers - Behind the Scenes: https://youtu.be/7gCNgJvP5rI

[will tooher · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing look at the process of an international indie animation studio. Tons of gorgeous Celtic-inspired art to marvel at.

[Sam Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful look into the art and process of creating an animated film.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A pleasant overview of the creative process and design decisions for one of 2020's best movies

[Kalina Koleva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, énormément d'informations sur le processus de création du film et des tas de dessin. Chaque page est pleine à craquer d'art.

[Ayana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did a story analysis for a class this summer on this movie and used this book to get information about the animation process. Beautiful hand-drawn style. I'm obsessed!

[Lucie · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this movie so much. Hopefully I will find my own physcial copy one day of this gorgeous book. The evolution of the characters was so interesting.