Description
Max and Arthur are friends who share an interest in painting. Arthur is an accomplished painter; Max is a beginner. Max’s first attempt at the use of a paintbrush sends the two friends on a whirlwind shuttle through quite a lot of artistic media, which turn out to have unexpected pitfalls. Even supposing Max is inexperienced, he’s courageous and a quick learner. His energy and enthusiasm bring the adventure to its triumphant conclusion. Beginners all over will take heart.
Amazon Best Books of the Month, October 2010: With eye-popping illustrations, three-time Caldecott medalist David Wiesner takes readers on a stunning journey through the art world. Art & Max is the story of two artists: Art, a collared lizard who is studiously painting a portrait when we first meet him, and Max, who has just picked up paints and brushes and is ready to go. What follows is a magical journey of explosive color–brilliantly highlighted by the desert background–where acrylic paints, watercolor, and line drawings, are deconstructed and re-invented, and Art undergoes a Jackson Pollack-like transformation. Combining minimal text with remarkable images, this is a book to be cherished and poured over, inspiring the artist in all of us.–Seira Wilson
Amazon Exclusive From Writer David Wiesner: The Development of Art & Max
(Click on images to enlarge)
Introduction to the photos below: These images show the development of the opening spread for my latest picture book, Art & Max. For the reason that a picture book is so brief, the opening pages must set the scene and introduce the characters in a concise and effective way. On the half title and title pages of Art & Max, I show Max racing across the landscape, from left to right. Now, on pages 4 and 5, he enters the scene as the story begins. |
This drawing is from an early dummy, before I had fully designed the characters or fully worked out the story. | Max was originally a chameleon, but I made up our minds to make him a Collared Lizard instead. | I have reversed the position of Arthur and Max to continue the left to right movement from the title page. | I am exploring body stances to find an expressive interaction between the two characters. This isn’t it. |
Arthur is beginning to look better. Their physical relationship still doesn’t feel right. | Here the characters are looking good, but I think Max still needs to burst onto the scene by hook or by crook. | Now Max is off his feet, literally flying into the picture, and the landscape has also come together. | The scene, painted, as it seems that in the book. The story of Art & Max has begun. |