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The Art of How to Train Your Dragon #2
The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2
Filled with more than 300 images, the official illustrated tie-in to the second chapter of the DreamWorks Animation critically acclaimed Academy Award® nominated How to Train Your Dragon trilogy is based on the characters in Cressida Cowell’s bestselling series and features an introduction by the voice of Stoick the Vast, Gerard Butler. Mirroring the style of the bestselling The Art of How to Train Your Dragon , this outstanding insider’s guide introduces fans to the creative process behind the film, from the story and the characters to the visual development art and animation, to the rigging, surfacing, and lighting. The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 includes more than 300 concept sketches, preliminary drawings, architectural plans, and digital artwork that reveal how teams of artists bring the Dragon and Viking worlds to life with modern cinematic energy. Starring the voice talent of the original cast—Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson, America Ferrara, Jonah Hill, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, T. J. Miller, Kristin Wiig—along with Cate Blanchett, Kit Harington, and Djimon Hounsou, this action packed comedy adventure continues the story of Hiccup and Toothless five years after they have successfully united dragons and Vikings on the Island of Berk. While Astrid, Snoutlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island’s new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published May 6, 2014
11 people are currently reading
1164 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 25, 2019
As a devoted How To Train Your Dragon fan I can say from the bottom of my heart how wholesome it is to see how everything from these movies is being created. They show you how they come up with certain characters or dragons, and how they try out lots of different versions until they go with the ones that we end up seeing in the movie. Years go into creating all of that.
I also like how we get to read different opinions and thoughts from basically all the people in the crew as they tell you how they came up with certain things. It almost makes you feel as if you are right there with them at Dreamworks.
Plus this book looks stunning on my shelf.
To me it's one of the best experiences when I flutter through the pages of this book and look in awe at all of the different illustrations. Sure, this is something that only devoted How To Train Your Dragon will read.
You will not regret this.
Books in the series:
1: The Art of How To Train Your Dragon ★★★★★
↠ Genre: Art, Dragons, Vikings
↠ Pov: Multiple
↠ Type: Book 2 out of 3 of the Art Of How To Train Your Dragon series
↠ Rating: 5 stars
Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Last.fm
Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Last.fm
I also like how we get to read different opinions and thoughts from basically all the people in the crew as they tell you how they came up with certain things. It almost makes you feel as if you are right there with them at Dreamworks.
Plus this book looks stunning on my shelf.
To me it's one of the best experiences when I flutter through the pages of this book and look in awe at all of the different illustrations. Sure, this is something that only devoted How To Train Your Dragon will read.
You will not regret this.
Books in the series:
1: The Art of How To Train Your Dragon ★★★★★
↠ Genre: Art, Dragons, Vikings
↠ Pov: Multiple
↠ Type: Book 2 out of 3 of the Art Of How To Train Your Dragon series
↠ Rating: 5 stars
Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Last.fm
Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | Last.fm
September 2, 2014
http://openbooksociety.com/article/th...
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a fine example of an art book. At one hundred sixty pages, it is not too small to display on your coffee table or on your bookshelves. It is bursting with full color movie stills, sketches, paintings, models, photographs, and story boards. It gives fans of the movie franchise a behind the scenes look at what went into making the film. More than 500 people had a hand in this endeavor, and snippets and explanations in their own words are peppered throughout the book…from production members, actors, and the director to name but a few. It is evident that this was an intensive, time consuming labor of love for all involved, and their passion comes through. There are also quotes from the characters, one of my favorite being:
“Five Things You Should Know About Dragons compiled by Hiccup
1.Once you’ve earned his loyalty, there is nothing a dragon won’t do for you.
2. Dragons are not the enemy. They are kind, amazing creatures that can bring people together.
3.A happy dragon is an exfoliated dragon.
4. Good dragons under the control of bad people do bad things.
5. Never take a toy away from a dragon.” P. 111
One of the most interesting sections explained how the designers chose to age the characters five years from movie one to two. This is relatively unheard of in the world of animated story telling.
The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a wonderful companion to the movie, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of the movie franchise, those interested in animation, and dragon lovers everywhere.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele
The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a fine example of an art book. At one hundred sixty pages, it is not too small to display on your coffee table or on your bookshelves. It is bursting with full color movie stills, sketches, paintings, models, photographs, and story boards. It gives fans of the movie franchise a behind the scenes look at what went into making the film. More than 500 people had a hand in this endeavor, and snippets and explanations in their own words are peppered throughout the book…from production members, actors, and the director to name but a few. It is evident that this was an intensive, time consuming labor of love for all involved, and their passion comes through. There are also quotes from the characters, one of my favorite being:
“Five Things You Should Know About Dragons compiled by Hiccup
1.Once you’ve earned his loyalty, there is nothing a dragon won’t do for you.
2. Dragons are not the enemy. They are kind, amazing creatures that can bring people together.
3.A happy dragon is an exfoliated dragon.
4. Good dragons under the control of bad people do bad things.
5. Never take a toy away from a dragon.” P. 111
One of the most interesting sections explained how the designers chose to age the characters five years from movie one to two. This is relatively unheard of in the world of animated story telling.
The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is a wonderful companion to the movie, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of the movie franchise, those interested in animation, and dragon lovers everywhere.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
October 26, 2015
BEAUTIFUL book! Finally I can read something that can put my appreciation of How to Train Your Dragon's art work and story telling into words! Fantastic book if you love the series or if you love to look at artwork. ~Ashley
January 16, 2025
Just as beautiful as the first one! The art work is stunning, but most of all I loved all the quotes from the producers, animators and storyboard crew. My appreciation for these movies is only ever growing.💚
July 4, 2014
This is an ABSOLUTE must for any fan of How To Train Your Dragon, art or Dreamworks! When it arrived in the mail my 5 year promptly declared it was hers and spent hours (hours!!!) flipping the pages! This coffee table sized book has been dragged around my house, and loved to the point that it's showing wear. I normally would be a bit freaked out about this – I like my books pristine and beautiful – but the joy it brings Little here, can't be denied and so it has become hers!
View Full Review with a peek inside the book here: http://www.memyshelfandi.com/2014/06/...
View Full Review with a peek inside the book here: http://www.memyshelfandi.com/2014/06/...
January 1, 2016
A wonderful review of the art that helped develop the overall look and feel of the movie. As always there is lovely conceptual work in environments and the characters. I kind of wish there was even more concept art just to see how it had started out and even further progressed to the refined animation. Also it was amazing for Dean DeBlois to explain what the animation crew wanted to convey in this sequel, and where it might be heading for the story and the entire (and upcoming) trilogy. Can't wait for art book three to the third movie!
September 26, 2015
There was a lot of design panels, with so much effort and thought put into them. Even though I heartily appreciate looking at those, I don't love them like I do the background art and landscape. There was some of that, and some truly gorgeous panels at that, but I could have wished for a few more, or full page panels, rather than baby ones. There were a goodly amount of character sketches and the like, which make me so grateful they ended up with the character designs they did.
Interesting to page through, but it won't change your life or anything.
Interesting to page through, but it won't change your life or anything.
March 23, 2015
Absolutely great (and I didn't watch the movie yet)!
February 18, 2024
It's been a long time since I've seen the film, but I've had the art book sitting around and collecting dust for years, I thought it was about time to flip through it. And just wow! The sheer amount of work that went into this movie really hits you as you go through it, from immersing in the Nordic environment--literally, to then translating that in their drawings and animation, you can really see the passion and sweat that went into this movie.
The layout of the book was well done, and really great for a refresher, as you travel from essentially beginning to end of both the production and the film's story. You get a sneak peek into the early life of the character, environment, and other designs, and compare that to the final look. There's 3D models, thumbnails, and storyboarding. It's fascinating to see the process. All the while, you read quotes and explanations from the various artists and people who worked on the movie, as they discuss what was going on behind the scenes, and why they made some of the decisions they made.
While I did enjoy going through this, and as an artist, there were definitely some inspiring bits for me, I did have some nit-picks. I'm personally more into environments and backgrounds, and the bulk of the book is the character designs. Which was fine, just not as interesting for me. I wish there was a little more explanation from the artists themselves, as some of the quotes did get a little repetative at times, and mostly covered the movie making process as a whole, rather than deep dives into certain artworks or processes. A few artworks and screenshots as well were pretty low quality and very blurry, which was a shame. The majority were crisp and beautiful, but it was nagging to get so many that were grainy. And some bits of text here/there were a bit difficult to read due to the backgrounds they were placed on.
They also included a few bits of Hiccup's notes and such about the dragons, which was a cute element to add for any kids who made read this book.
I'm glad I finally went through this book and finished it. If you're a fan of the movie/series, this might be worth adding to your collection.
The layout of the book was well done, and really great for a refresher, as you travel from essentially beginning to end of both the production and the film's story. You get a sneak peek into the early life of the character, environment, and other designs, and compare that to the final look. There's 3D models, thumbnails, and storyboarding. It's fascinating to see the process. All the while, you read quotes and explanations from the various artists and people who worked on the movie, as they discuss what was going on behind the scenes, and why they made some of the decisions they made.
While I did enjoy going through this, and as an artist, there were definitely some inspiring bits for me, I did have some nit-picks. I'm personally more into environments and backgrounds, and the bulk of the book is the character designs. Which was fine, just not as interesting for me. I wish there was a little more explanation from the artists themselves, as some of the quotes did get a little repetative at times, and mostly covered the movie making process as a whole, rather than deep dives into certain artworks or processes. A few artworks and screenshots as well were pretty low quality and very blurry, which was a shame. The majority were crisp and beautiful, but it was nagging to get so many that were grainy. And some bits of text here/there were a bit difficult to read due to the backgrounds they were placed on.
They also included a few bits of Hiccup's notes and such about the dragons, which was a cute element to add for any kids who made read this book.
I'm glad I finally went through this book and finished it. If you're a fan of the movie/series, this might be worth adding to your collection.
October 9, 2024
This franchise will forever be my favorite animated trilogy of all time, and I love having a book that features all of the absolutely STUNNING artwork from the film.
My only qualm with this book (meriting the four star review) is that I wish that there were more fun tidbits about early drafts of the story or in-depth character profiles with information about the characters that we previously didn’t know from watching the films. I’m a big fan of behind-the-scenes trivia like that. I was however FASCINATED by just the sheer amount of intentionality, effort, and rewrites that went into even just the animation and concept art for this film, let alone the other aspects of it. It is truly amazing that less noticed aspects (such as lighting) of a movie can further enhance the brilliant storytelling and emotional factors of the trilogy. (Or of any film for that matter) Like the fact that a score and fine tuned animation, combined with a story can make us feel something????? Maybe I’m a nerd, but that’s honestly incredible to me.
Can’t wait to take a look at the first movie’s book in just a few days!!!
My only qualm with this book (meriting the four star review) is that I wish that there were more fun tidbits about early drafts of the story or in-depth character profiles with information about the characters that we previously didn’t know from watching the films. I’m a big fan of behind-the-scenes trivia like that. I was however FASCINATED by just the sheer amount of intentionality, effort, and rewrites that went into even just the animation and concept art for this film, let alone the other aspects of it. It is truly amazing that less noticed aspects (such as lighting) of a movie can further enhance the brilliant storytelling and emotional factors of the trilogy. (Or of any film for that matter) Like the fact that a score and fine tuned animation, combined with a story can make us feel something????? Maybe I’m a nerd, but that’s honestly incredible to me.
Can’t wait to take a look at the first movie’s book in just a few days!!!
December 18, 2018
During a 4 hour lull for a movie, I stopped into an Indigo in Toronto on Bloor St. W and got lost in several books, one of which was this one, The art of How To Train Your Dragon 2. A huge classic in my life, I watched it again and again when it was in theatres and actually obsessed over the score and beauty of it all, the friendship of a boy and his Dragon! This series probably made millions of people wish Dragons were still around today.
It was really fun to see the concepts of the movie. I got to see sketches and character concepts and designs of wardrobe and several layouts of my favorite scenes, and read how things came together. I particularly enjoyed reading about how they had to age everyone 5 years and how that's a rare prospect in most animation.
I don't know if I'd own a book like this, but it was great to pass the time enveloped in the magic of the story again and the pages of the book.
It was really fun to see the concepts of the movie. I got to see sketches and character concepts and designs of wardrobe and several layouts of my favorite scenes, and read how things came together. I particularly enjoyed reading about how they had to age everyone 5 years and how that's a rare prospect in most animation.
I don't know if I'd own a book like this, but it was great to pass the time enveloped in the magic of the story again and the pages of the book.
August 12, 2021
I started reading art books because I love the movies, but I kept reading them because they are fantastic motivation for my own work. Hearing about how many iterations a story went through and the amazing teamwork that brought these works to life pushes me to keep going - that was especially true of this book and the art book for Zootopia. I could always stand for the book to be five times longer than it is, but have to respect the constraints. This book was well organized and offered a lot of interesting insight. Sometimes the text was hard to read on the "parchment" background, but otherwise I enjoyed the layout.
August 17, 2020
This second art book is even better than the first, and I loved the first one!! The filmmakers start expanding on the world, since Hiccup is working to explore and discover new places outside of Berk. The landscape artwork blew me away; I loved seeing the wide shots that looked like epic paintings. There’s so much content here, including tons of concept sketches and notes on story choices. They even included pages of different outfit designs, which I always enjoy seeing! Just like the series, the books perfectly complement each other and keep getting better with each subsequent addition.
July 19, 2019
Just like the Art of How to Train Your Dragon, this book was incredible! In some places, there were a lot of words but this book is still better (in my opinion) than most "The Art of..." books. The Art of HTTYD 2 gives plenty of cool insight into how the movie was made but also more into the movie plot, aka Hiccup's world. The book is also funny while mostly being non-fiction, which is pretty much a perfect combination!
November 23, 2022
Every once in a while, I treat myself to a concept art book and I am always happy I did. I absolutely love seeing concept art.
Read
April 23, 2025i spent way too much money on this book and it was all worth it
April 16, 2021
This story is actually great.
January 28, 2016
I love art books, especially art books for films that I absolutely love (my favorite is the one from Mirrormask). I loved the original How to Train Your Dragon and the sequel looked equally amazing. Hiccup and his friends from Berk are five years older. Berk has become a dragon rider haven and the new character, city, and dragon designs reflect that. It’s a beautiful little film. So of course I was excited to get this copy of the Art book to review by Linda Sunshine.
Based on the books by Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon is chock full of dragons and their riders. They are absolutely beautiful and the drawings of main character designer Nicolas Marlet reflect that. Of course Artist Zhaoping Wei provides the more finished look to the characters.
Now I love Art of Books because I love being able to thoroughly look and drool over things I may have only seen on screen for just a short time but took so much time and imagination. Now I get to take my own time and peruse to my heart’s content. Animation in particular has so many talented people working on everything from landscapes to lighting to costumes.
The book is divided into sections with quotes from those involved with the film. There are details about Hiccup’s gadgets, a very in-depth look at some of the costumes (hello Cosplayers out there), the different dragon designs, the environment and the props. I loved reading about Berk with all of the new additions that it make it as happy for the dragons of Berk as it does the Vikings.
Things I loved: You know I love the dragons of course and I cannot help it if Toothless is my favorite. Just look at him. He is adorable. There are some great new designs this time around. Some massive, some wee and cute. There are elemental dragons and ones with very distinct personalities. I will say that there is less about the dragons you met from the first film and just a smidge on Toothless compared to the new dragon designs. I am okay with this as the new beasties are impressive. There is also some insight on how they created such a variety of dragons.
This book also uses DreamWorks Animation AR which is a free app that allows you to point your phone at certain pages that will either play a clip from the film or the storyboards. There are only a few instances of this feature and a cute little feature I suppose (I just wish there had been more).
Things I didn’t love so much: There weren’t a lot of downsides to this book. Sure the font could always be bigger or I could get more art of my favorite scenes and characters, but that is just nitpicking. I was happy to receive it, loved the film, and will look quite nicely with the other art books I have. That’s about it.
Buy or Borrow: Buy. A great addition if you loved the film. Not only does it give an amazing behind the scenes look at how the film was brought to life and all of the hard work and effort that went into its creation, but it’s just gorgeous to look at.
Part of: Stand alone
Also Recommended: Some of my favorite movie art books that I would recommend are Mirrormask: The Illustrated Script by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Moulin Rouge Art Book by Baz Luhrmann, and the Serenity Visual Companion by Joss Whedon.
Based on the books by Cressida Cowell, How to Train Your Dragon is chock full of dragons and their riders. They are absolutely beautiful and the drawings of main character designer Nicolas Marlet reflect that. Of course Artist Zhaoping Wei provides the more finished look to the characters.
Now I love Art of Books because I love being able to thoroughly look and drool over things I may have only seen on screen for just a short time but took so much time and imagination. Now I get to take my own time and peruse to my heart’s content. Animation in particular has so many talented people working on everything from landscapes to lighting to costumes.
The book is divided into sections with quotes from those involved with the film. There are details about Hiccup’s gadgets, a very in-depth look at some of the costumes (hello Cosplayers out there), the different dragon designs, the environment and the props. I loved reading about Berk with all of the new additions that it make it as happy for the dragons of Berk as it does the Vikings.
Things I loved: You know I love the dragons of course and I cannot help it if Toothless is my favorite. Just look at him. He is adorable. There are some great new designs this time around. Some massive, some wee and cute. There are elemental dragons and ones with very distinct personalities. I will say that there is less about the dragons you met from the first film and just a smidge on Toothless compared to the new dragon designs. I am okay with this as the new beasties are impressive. There is also some insight on how they created such a variety of dragons.
This book also uses DreamWorks Animation AR which is a free app that allows you to point your phone at certain pages that will either play a clip from the film or the storyboards. There are only a few instances of this feature and a cute little feature I suppose (I just wish there had been more).
Things I didn’t love so much: There weren’t a lot of downsides to this book. Sure the font could always be bigger or I could get more art of my favorite scenes and characters, but that is just nitpicking. I was happy to receive it, loved the film, and will look quite nicely with the other art books I have. That’s about it.
Buy or Borrow: Buy. A great addition if you loved the film. Not only does it give an amazing behind the scenes look at how the film was brought to life and all of the hard work and effort that went into its creation, but it’s just gorgeous to look at.
Part of: Stand alone
Also Recommended: Some of my favorite movie art books that I would recommend are Mirrormask: The Illustrated Script by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, Moulin Rouge Art Book by Baz Luhrmann, and the Serenity Visual Companion by Joss Whedon.
October 30, 2014
This was a fun book to review because I have kids and we love animation. So I decided to pull out the book when my daughter was having a sleepover and we took notes about the pages that made an impression. The girls, all preteens, had a great time! Now we just need to see the movie!
Here's what the girls had to say in their notes about the book:
*The introduction shows some sketchwork of Toothless that reminded us of Stitch, curious and cute, but probably going to cause some trouble.
*On pages 14-15 the Director explains their visit to the Arctic and showed the pictures that inspired the locations in the book. We learned that there are 5000 polar bears in a place called Svalbard.
*The book was divided into sections that make it very easy to browse what you are more interested in, like the characters or the places that the dragons live. One interesting thing was how they aged the characters from the first movie into the second, like they really did grow up, because sometimes sequels don't think of stuff like that.
*All the artwork is different! Some pictures of the locations are very real looking, others are cartoonish, and our favorites were the watercolors. The watercolor scenery was amazing and so beautiful, with places that we would be lucky to visit, like on pages 76 to 79. Those pages are about the New World Coastline, with the pretty fall colors on the trees and the soft light. It feels peaceful.
We all liked how everyone involved explained how they came up with all their ideas, and how those ideas evolved from simple pencil sketches to awe inspiring watercolors to fun cartoon images. This book, and others like it, would make fantastic gifts for friends and loved ones that enjoy movies, because you get a chance to look beyond the finished product and see the creative process involved. It has also served as a really good conversation starter when visitors pick it up off the coffee table and start flipping thru the pages. This is a great book to look at with family and will excite children of all ages!
http://vampchix.blogspot.com/2014/08/...
Here's what the girls had to say in their notes about the book:
*The introduction shows some sketchwork of Toothless that reminded us of Stitch, curious and cute, but probably going to cause some trouble.
*On pages 14-15 the Director explains their visit to the Arctic and showed the pictures that inspired the locations in the book. We learned that there are 5000 polar bears in a place called Svalbard.
*The book was divided into sections that make it very easy to browse what you are more interested in, like the characters or the places that the dragons live. One interesting thing was how they aged the characters from the first movie into the second, like they really did grow up, because sometimes sequels don't think of stuff like that.
*All the artwork is different! Some pictures of the locations are very real looking, others are cartoonish, and our favorites were the watercolors. The watercolor scenery was amazing and so beautiful, with places that we would be lucky to visit, like on pages 76 to 79. Those pages are about the New World Coastline, with the pretty fall colors on the trees and the soft light. It feels peaceful.
We all liked how everyone involved explained how they came up with all their ideas, and how those ideas evolved from simple pencil sketches to awe inspiring watercolors to fun cartoon images. This book, and others like it, would make fantastic gifts for friends and loved ones that enjoy movies, because you get a chance to look beyond the finished product and see the creative process involved. It has also served as a really good conversation starter when visitors pick it up off the coffee table and start flipping thru the pages. This is a great book to look at with family and will excite children of all ages!
http://vampchix.blogspot.com/2014/08/...
June 23, 2014
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
A review copy was provided for an honest review. The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is the perfect coffee table or fan piece. This book is composed of many high-res photos, illustrations, paintings, sketches, and storyboard drawings that are in beautiful full color. It shares a nice supply of visuals and quotes from the movie and gives you an inside look into the making of it with step-by-step character animation breakdowns, and notes from the filmmakers. Included in the opening pages is a foreword by actor, Gerard Butler--the voice of Stoick--who delivers an exciting introduction about his experience working on the first and second features.
This is a really great collectible for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes process and animation of the film. It shares the creative teams experiences and ideas that helped give form to the characters and scenes we all love. It takes you into the landscapes, and the Nordic cultures that influenced the setting of How to Train Your Dragon 2. It also combines fascinating accounts from the DreamWorks crew, analyzes different designs and explains how the creators tackled the challenge of aging each character up. My only disappointment with this product is that the text is tiny and often made somewhat difficult to read due to the contrasting background colors.
The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 displays the stages each idea had to go through in order to become what viewers see onscreen. It takes a closer look at each of the Viking's designs, the cool dragons themselves, and other concept art. Throughout you'll find informative and entertaining notes from Hiccup and Toothless. It inspects all components of the animation, and opens up the world to readers to show objects, and the characters in much greater detail. Overall this book is a work of art on its own with stunning images, neat facts, and exclusive extras that all fans of the films will want check out!
A review copy was provided for an honest review. The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 is the perfect coffee table or fan piece. This book is composed of many high-res photos, illustrations, paintings, sketches, and storyboard drawings that are in beautiful full color. It shares a nice supply of visuals and quotes from the movie and gives you an inside look into the making of it with step-by-step character animation breakdowns, and notes from the filmmakers. Included in the opening pages is a foreword by actor, Gerard Butler--the voice of Stoick--who delivers an exciting introduction about his experience working on the first and second features.
This is a really great collectible for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes process and animation of the film. It shares the creative teams experiences and ideas that helped give form to the characters and scenes we all love. It takes you into the landscapes, and the Nordic cultures that influenced the setting of How to Train Your Dragon 2. It also combines fascinating accounts from the DreamWorks crew, analyzes different designs and explains how the creators tackled the challenge of aging each character up. My only disappointment with this product is that the text is tiny and often made somewhat difficult to read due to the contrasting background colors.
The Art of How to Train Your Dragon 2 displays the stages each idea had to go through in order to become what viewers see onscreen. It takes a closer look at each of the Viking's designs, the cool dragons themselves, and other concept art. Throughout you'll find informative and entertaining notes from Hiccup and Toothless. It inspects all components of the animation, and opens up the world to readers to show objects, and the characters in much greater detail. Overall this book is a work of art on its own with stunning images, neat facts, and exclusive extras that all fans of the films will want check out!
October 24, 2015
My kids and I absolutely love How to Train Your Dragon. It’s one of my favorite animated features ever — if not the favorite. This is one of few films that all three kids of mine love. When the sequel was announced, though, I was probably most excited of all of us! LOL That said, when this book was offered for review, I could not refuse. I was eagerly waiting on the new movie, and knew this would help give me a small taste of it and help me wait.
If it’s not clear, I received this book before How to Train Your Dragon 2 was released. I was thrilled, but wary of looking too closely — worried about spoilers (however unintentional). So, I briefly looked through it, admired some of the illustrations that caught my eye, then put it away. My kids and I saw the movie ASAP after it was released. And it was fantastic. And now I’m finally getting around to reviewing this book for real. Looking at it, reading bits and pieces. Diving on in. (Anything to keep me in this story just a bit longer!)
One word: GORGEOUS! The art has frames from the film, conceptual drawings, and everything in between. I love looking at it all. And there’s so much of it, I can look through this again and again and again and never feel like I’ve seen everything. The writing is great, too. Explanations of what is pictured, and statements from people involved in the movie, from those behind the scenes to those providing the voices that bring various characters to light. That coupled with the foreword and introduction make for some great reading — especially if you love these movies as much as I do.
If it’s not clear, I received this book before How to Train Your Dragon 2 was released. I was thrilled, but wary of looking too closely — worried about spoilers (however unintentional). So, I briefly looked through it, admired some of the illustrations that caught my eye, then put it away. My kids and I saw the movie ASAP after it was released. And it was fantastic. And now I’m finally getting around to reviewing this book for real. Looking at it, reading bits and pieces. Diving on in. (Anything to keep me in this story just a bit longer!)
One word: GORGEOUS! The art has frames from the film, conceptual drawings, and everything in between. I love looking at it all. And there’s so much of it, I can look through this again and again and again and never feel like I’ve seen everything. The writing is great, too. Explanations of what is pictured, and statements from people involved in the movie, from those behind the scenes to those providing the voices that bring various characters to light. That coupled with the foreword and introduction make for some great reading — especially if you love these movies as much as I do.
August 10, 2016
When reading these "art of.." books you really get a sense of how much work is behind animated movies. And I'm so happy and thankful for all the amazing work behind How To Train Your Dragon 2, because I think it stands as my absolute favorite animated movie - ever! And I adore animated movies.
I still remember seeing the first movie. I just saw it one day by myself, didn't think it would be amazing by any means, just something I could watch because I was bored. I LOVED IT! So much. I wished I had a dragon like toothless almost as much as I wished to go to Hogwarts as a kid, hahah. There's something about the viking/dragon universe and the amazing characters that have a special place in my heart. Especially toothless! And hiccup too.
And let me tell you, if you haven't seen How to Train Your Dragon 2, you need to!! I expected it to be good but I was blown away. I cried so much it's embarrasing, but it was so heartbreaking and beautiful. I need to see it again (and again and again and again...).
Oh, back to the book - lot's of insight on the hard work behind making this movie. Awesome artwork and fun to see the inspiration behind it all. I loved that the team had been to Norway! I'm so proud to think that my beautiful country was some of the inspiration behind this epic movie :)
Great book to get if you love this movie as much as me! Or if you're into graphic design/animation.
I still remember seeing the first movie. I just saw it one day by myself, didn't think it would be amazing by any means, just something I could watch because I was bored. I LOVED IT! So much. I wished I had a dragon like toothless almost as much as I wished to go to Hogwarts as a kid, hahah. There's something about the viking/dragon universe and the amazing characters that have a special place in my heart. Especially toothless! And hiccup too.
And let me tell you, if you haven't seen How to Train Your Dragon 2, you need to!! I expected it to be good but I was blown away. I cried so much it's embarrasing, but it was so heartbreaking and beautiful. I need to see it again (and again and again and again...).
Oh, back to the book - lot's of insight on the hard work behind making this movie. Awesome artwork and fun to see the inspiration behind it all. I loved that the team had been to Norway! I'm so proud to think that my beautiful country was some of the inspiration behind this epic movie :)
Great book to get if you love this movie as much as me! Or if you're into graphic design/animation.
December 3, 2014
This book was amazing! I loved looking into the creative process that the artist went through to create this epic film.
How to Train Your Dragon and it's sequel have been one of my favorite movies and I truly appreciate how much work and thought was put into their production.
The book design and illustrations were incredible and they really stepped it up by adding sequences available for viewing through an app designed for The Art of DreamWorks books. It was awesome to compare and contrast the storyboards with the final product.
It really disappointed me how many people and critics dismissed this film, and just goes to show how little people appreciate true art. Because that is what this movie was: pure art, even music was an art form that truly played to our emotions. Great work John Powell!
More people should read these books to fully understand just how much passion and skill go into these movies. And I totally recommend it to any fan of HTTYD films. It's really eye opening, you won't regret it.
How to Train Your Dragon and it's sequel have been one of my favorite movies and I truly appreciate how much work and thought was put into their production.
The book design and illustrations were incredible and they really stepped it up by adding sequences available for viewing through an app designed for The Art of DreamWorks books. It was awesome to compare and contrast the storyboards with the final product.
It really disappointed me how many people and critics dismissed this film, and just goes to show how little people appreciate true art. Because that is what this movie was: pure art, even music was an art form that truly played to our emotions. Great work John Powell!
More people should read these books to fully understand just how much passion and skill go into these movies. And I totally recommend it to any fan of HTTYD films. It's really eye opening, you won't regret it.
November 17, 2014
Back to Berk
I love good animation, good storytelling, good fantasy, and good dragons (rather than the evil kind).
The How To Train your Dragon films were all of the above, fantastic animation and design that took familiar themes (Vikings, dragons, medieval fantasy) and raised them to new... uh ...heights.
Literally. There you are in the theater, soaring with dragons. WHOOT!!!!
This book (and its predecessor) give us a good solid look at the genius behind the camera... or the computers. How the crew traveled to the real world of the Vikings to be inspired by epic landscapes. How they designed dragons that are fantastic but feel familiar (because they're based on real world animals we actually know).
This film takes the tale of Hiccup and Toothless and Berk up a notch. Everyone has grown up a bit, the villains are tougher, the quest harder, the stakes higher.
This book too, is a notch up...showing us how they made a sequel that's not just a sequel, but a high flying epic in its own right.
I love good animation, good storytelling, good fantasy, and good dragons (rather than the evil kind).
The How To Train your Dragon films were all of the above, fantastic animation and design that took familiar themes (Vikings, dragons, medieval fantasy) and raised them to new... uh ...heights.
Literally. There you are in the theater, soaring with dragons. WHOOT!!!!
This book (and its predecessor) give us a good solid look at the genius behind the camera... or the computers. How the crew traveled to the real world of the Vikings to be inspired by epic landscapes. How they designed dragons that are fantastic but feel familiar (because they're based on real world animals we actually know).
This film takes the tale of Hiccup and Toothless and Berk up a notch. Everyone has grown up a bit, the villains are tougher, the quest harder, the stakes higher.
This book too, is a notch up...showing us how they made a sequel that's not just a sequel, but a high flying epic in its own right.
August 11, 2014
Another "The Art of"... book which is both beautiful and full of information.
I love that those books give the reader more inside in the work on the film, the thoughts while drawing it and why some characters are like they are in the movie at the end.
This book had nice sketches, pictures and color frames in it, and I like it as much as I like the movie.
I only missed a few HQ pictures of the characters. They have one big group pic in it, which shows the transformation of the young characters from movie 1 to 2, but there are only drawings of the characters on the character pages, no HQpics or stills from the movie.
I rate it with 5 stars and hope that the long lin eof "The Art of ..." books will continue.
I love that those books give the reader more inside in the work on the film, the thoughts while drawing it and why some characters are like they are in the movie at the end.
This book had nice sketches, pictures and color frames in it, and I like it as much as I like the movie.
I only missed a few HQ pictures of the characters. They have one big group pic in it, which shows the transformation of the young characters from movie 1 to 2, but there are only drawings of the characters on the character pages, no HQpics or stills from the movie.
I rate it with 5 stars and hope that the long lin eof "The Art of ..." books will continue.
October 27, 2014
Been wanting to read this book for a long time. Since even before it came out. Watching the movie only made me want to read it more. Now I'm so glad to say that I own it! It's one of those books that is nice to own because I'm sure I'll be flipping through the pages over and over again.
The art is AMAZING! It's full of all kinds of insights to the movie. It has made me appreciate all the work that went into HTTYD 2 even more.
This book is definitely one of my favorites!!!! Oh, and I must say, I would have gotten this book just for the cover!!! The art on the cover is my favorite of all the concept art found in this book!
The art is AMAZING! It's full of all kinds of insights to the movie. It has made me appreciate all the work that went into HTTYD 2 even more.
This book is definitely one of my favorites!!!! Oh, and I must say, I would have gotten this book just for the cover!!! The art on the cover is my favorite of all the concept art found in this book!
January 9, 2016
3.5 stars.
I loved the movie, and the images and sketches in this book are beautiful, but some aspects of the story weren't mentioned at all, and the accompanying text as a whole is less than satisfactory. Basically, various people involved with the making of the film wrote short paragraphs to go with the images. But there was no real information in it, and after a while they just kept repeating themselves over and over. That's not how an The Art of the ... book should be.
I loved the movie, and the images and sketches in this book are beautiful, but some aspects of the story weren't mentioned at all, and the accompanying text as a whole is less than satisfactory. Basically, various people involved with the making of the film wrote short paragraphs to go with the images. But there was no real information in it, and after a while they just kept repeating themselves over and over. That's not how an The Art of the ... book should be.
August 16, 2014
I love the film and I love this book so much Dreamworks definitely killed me. I love how they age the characters, the scenery and the plot is just stunningly amazing. Now I can't wait for the third movie... Still I get the feeling the third one will kill us all.
September 9, 2016
4.5 - wish there had been a bit more on the colour key & story board art tho
March 7, 2015
This was a big gorgeous look at the amazing work behind HTTYD 2. For fans of the movies or of those types of movies, it's a must buy.
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