Pads & Panels

Title: Digital Artists Master Class: Character Design

Publisher: Ballistic Publishing

Edited by: Daniel P. Wade

Artists: Anne Pogoda, Kekai Kotaki, Gonzalo Ordonez

Review by: Archie Easter

Ballistic Publishing is beginning to become a household name when it comes to digital art publications. After creating a number of wonderfully received art books for games such as God of War III and Uncharted 2, Ballistic has now followed up on its impressive array of books in its Digital Artists Master Class series with a book focused squarely on character design. Three artists headline this particular volume: Anne Pogoda, Kekai Kotaki and Gonzalo Ordonez; each of which displaying different approaches in terms of character design and art style. Each artist’s section features an interview with the artist, a gallery that includes commentary on each piece, a selection of focused tutorials, and finally an invited artist gallery that includes numerous works from many other talented artists. (more…)

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2010 Holiday Gift Guide – Beyond the Games and Books: High-End Tastes

By P&P Staff

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The Art of God of War III Special Edition

For the Ultimate God of War Fan, Ballistic Publishing’s The Art of God of War III lives up to the standard set by the company’s Uncharted 2 book. The Special Edition is beautifully bound in black-suede leather, with embossed lettering and the iconinc image of Kratos’ eye up close. Inside, 272 fantastically-printed pages feature different stages of character, environment and gameplay design, plus some really awesome commentary and extras. For some truly “epic presentation,” as Ballistic puts it, the super-limited Folio Edition is fantastic, but runs with a price tag of $300. A paperback is also available, with almost identical content, at a more reasonable $65. (more…)

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Title: The Art of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Publisher: Ballistic

Commentary by: Robh Ruppel

Edited by: Daniel Wade

Review by: Archie Easter

Stunning. That single word describes The Art of Uncharted 2: Among Thieves book printed by Ballistic for Naughty Dog. Detailing every facet of one of 2009’s best games, it practically sets the standard for subsequent collections of game art. This is a truly comprehensive book that details everything from character models and textures, to concept paintings, to motion capture and cinematics. Both fans of the game and anyone even remotely interested in the behind-the-scenes of game development should definitely own this book. (more…)

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Title: Rough Justice: The DC Comics Sketches of Alex Ross

Publisher: Pantheon

Commentary by: Alex Ross

Edited by: Chip Kidd

Review by: Eric Stuckart

Anyone who knows DC Comics knows Alex Ross, plain and simple. The powerhouse comic book artist has been putting his beautifully unique spin on comic books for nearly two decades, and his body of work is of near-legendary status. His exquisitely painted covers add a touch of class to nearly every comic to which he contributes, making his work some of the most recognizable.

Rough Justice: The DC Comics Sketches of Alex Ross is more than a collection of notes and sketches, which eventually become his photorealistic illustrations, covers and posters. It is a time capsule for where he was when he was brainstorming, creating or fancying new ideas on a whim. Most of the art is grouped nicely in one of two ways, by Superhero or story arc. (more…)

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Title: Dawn: The Worlds of Final Fantasy

Artist: Yoshitaka Amano

Publisher: Dark Horse

Review by: John Gustafson

Fans of the original four Final Fantasy video games should take notice of Dawn: The Worlds of Final Fantasy, a collection of artwork that inspired the games, released outside of Japan for the very first time.

Yoshitaka Amano and Square-Enix, with the help of Dark Horse, have finally decided to publish the paintings, watercolors, inks, preliminary sketches and murals for North American fans. (more…)

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