Nicolas Marlet is an artist who currently works as a character designer for DreamWorks. He is especially know for his work in Kung Fu Panda, Kung Fu Panda 2, and How to Train your Dragon. He's known to be a little shy about displaying his work, so I'm really happy to now see so much of him!
This sketchbook is fantastic at emphasizing exactly what it is that Marlet does so well, capturing the essential components of a character, enough to make a real personality, in just a few lines. Looking at each of these people, we know who they are, and even exaggerated, we can easily recognize them as people we see every day. These are also some great examples of facial proportion pushing.
The book is very small, (6"x4") but this tiny feeling of intimacy, an experience that can really only felt by one person at a time, seems to mimic the moments that these drawing capture. A quick drawing to capture a fragment of time, or a single thought. I wonder what is the size of the original sketchbook? Perhaps very similar.
If you do get this book, or have it, take a moment to really examine the people. It is possible to suggest that there are a few drawings that look like they could be illustrations of the same people. But what is really interesting is that these people are illustrated differently each time, but are still recognizable.
Pros: The quality is excellent and the binding is very solid. It has a nice sturdy cover, so it looks like it could take a beating in your bag, especially given its tiny dimensions. (6"x4") There is a lot of art, and the only text is the title.
Cons: The binding is so solid it will be impossible to take any scans of it. But really, thats nothing. Also be aware that this IS a sketchbook, which means that there isn't much in the way of 'completed' looking illustrations. Instead, this gives us exactly what we want from Marlet, some awesome character sketches.
How to Buy: Currently you can buy this from Gallery Nucleus but be careful, as editions are limited
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