The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Chronicles: Art and Design

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Chronicles: Art and Design marks the beginning of a series of comprehensive and beautifully presented books created by the artists at the heart of the film-making process.

The book presents hundreds of full colour conceptual drawings and paintings, along with set designs, sculpture and glorious photography across more than 200 pages.

The book showcases art by the film’s concept art directors Alan Lee and John Howe, alongside work from other artists of the film’s 3 foot 7 Art Department, Costume Department and Weta Workshop.

It truly is a unique opportunity to see artwork by a wide range of artists across a multitude of disciplines in the film-making community of Wellington, New Zealand and to hear directly from them about the inspiration behind their work.

Included is a Foreword by Academy Award winner Dan Hennah, 3 foot 7 Production Designer for the films. The book also features commentaries by Dan, 3 foot 7 Costume Designer Ann Maskrey, Academy Award Winners Peter King, 3 foot 7 Make-up and Hair Designer, and Weta Workshop’s Design and Special Effects Supervisor Richard Taylor.

In addition to artist quotes, cast members reflect on the work and share insights into their involvement in the design process.