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From New Line Cinema, Peter Jackson and Warner Bros. comes J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, brought to the big screen in an epic trilogy. Weta Workshop was thrilled to return to Middle-earth once again, contributing design, specialty props and specialty costumes to all three films.

CHRONICLES 1: ART AND DESIGN

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Special
Dimensions:
(W x H x L) 30.5 cm x 24 cm x 3 cm
Weight: 3.042 lbs (1.38 kg)

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 filmmaking 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 3Foot7 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 filmmaking 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, 3Foot7 Production Designer for the films. The book also features commentaries by Dan, 3Foot7 Costume Designer Ann Maskrey, Academy Award Winners Peter King, 3Foot7 Make-up and Hair Designer, and Weta Workshop's Design and Special Effects Supervisor Richard Taylor.

The Hobbit Chronicles show the incredible attention to detail that goes into everything that is being produced for these films and are a wonderful opportunity to showcase the designs and artistry of so many people within their respective departments.

Richard Taylor - CEO & Co-founder, Weta Workshop

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

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Chronicles: Art and Design showcases work by artists from Weta Workshop, Weta Digital, and 3Foot7.

Readers will be able to follow the design process as it unfolds with early sketches and final designs. The book offers an unprecedented insight into the conceptual processes behind the making of an epic film.

"We are thrilled to be involved with the Weta Publishing team in the creation of the Hobbit (Specialist) Books. It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the work produced by our amazingly talented artists & craftspeople who are responsible for conceptualizing, designing & building the sets, props and dressings for The Hobbit." 

Dan Hennah, 3 foot 7 Art Department.

The book is written by Weta Workshop senior designer Daniel Falconer, an avid fan of the books of J.R.R. Tolkien, making him eminently suited to telling the stories of the artisans' work based on Tolkien's book The Hobbit.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Chronicles: Art and Design is published as an embossed hardcover edition without dustjacket. All signed books ship directly from Weta's warehouse in Wellington, New Zealand in a specially commissioned cardboard box sturdy enough to ensure your book will arrive in great condition.

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  1. A mighty collection!
    I own all Hobbit Chronicle book and let me say that if my house ever was to burn down, those books would be one of the first things I\'d try to safe!
    Just amazing how all the artwork is, very cool to see the entire process and all the ideas that went into this amazing world!
    A book collection worth having!

    Review by

  2. Amazing artbook!
    I\'m a new Tolkien fan, and freakin LOVED the Hobbit movies! Got this artbook for my birthday, and it\'s amazing, all the right details I love. I\'m going to meet John Howe in person soon, and will try to get it signed by him! Really excited!

    Review by

  3. Lovely Book
    Great narrative!

    Review by

  4. BEAUTIFUL!
    Perfect way to showcase the amazing artwork WETA folks did for the Hobbit. I love these books!

    Review by

  5. Must have have
    Excellent work!amazing art!a book for a lifetime

    Review by

  6. It's a must have!
    Once again Weta show how to put a companion book together. Conceptual design choices are shown and explained in explicit detail, even for things barely or not even shown on film. This clearly shows the dedication and love from all involved in bringing these stories to the big screen.

    Special bonus was that I purchased this book from Weta at the 2014 Supanova Expo in Melbourne where conceptual designer Chris Guise was nice enough to do a sketch of Balin on the inside cover!

    Review by

  7. Ultimate hand-guide
    Brilliantly designed, very well written. Very informative, thanks so much Weta!

    Review by

  8. Amazing Illustrations
    It is a very interesting peek into the development of the movie that you will spend hours pouring over. I loved being able to read the narration from the artists themselves explaining the illustrations and the progress from rough idea to what we see in the movie.

    Review by

  9. Absolutely Fabulous
    As soon as it arrived it became one of my most precious belongings. The attention to detail is just baffeling. Because of it, I'll never doubt about buying the other books in this range. There are just two smaller downsides: it's quite heavy which makes it difficult to read it whilest sitting in a couch and because it's so amazing I'm afraid of reading it: just the idea of something happening to it is terrifying.

    Review by

  10. Fantastic
    Wonderful book providing in depth behind the scenes information and concepts love it I love it I love it!

    Review by

  11. Chronical of Middle Earth
    This book has a vast wealth of pictures and conceptual designs, as well as commentaries by the cast and crew. This book caters to the casual reader, as well as those interested in studying the creative process. This book has been presented in an easy-to-understand format for all ages, and I recommend it for anyone who is curious about the designs of the Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

    Review by

  12. Very beautiful & interesting
    Concept arts of dwarfs are the best :)

    Review by

  13. Disappointed with box and with customer service
    I preordered this book, when I had very little money and wanted to get it as a gift for my husband. It arrived with foxed corners because the "specially designed box" had failed to protect it. All customer service had to offer, against a signed collectible that was now very much less collectible, was some kind of in-store credit. I was, and am, very disappointed in Weta given this. I should have been able to return/exchange the book for an undamaged one. :-( I makes me hesitate in buying any other books, even though I now have the budget to do so.

    Review by

  14. Hobbit Chronicles A and D
    Very impressive, if a little physically heavy, book. Appreciated the drawings showing the process of choosing the final look of people and other creatures. As an artist this is what I love to see.

    Review by

  15. Amazing Art!
    Well to tell the truth, I was not all too interested in the book at first, but I had wanted to own it. It was low on my list of things to buy from Weta, however I still had money to spend, but not enough to actually buy the things at the top of my list. So I made the decision to buy this book.

    I will never underestimate another book of this kind! I should have never in the first place. I love Tokien and I love the Hobbit. This book completely blew me away. I couldnt believe what was inside. I swear, I could see the tiniest bit of magic flutter out of the book when I opened the cover for the first time! Im still in the process of reading it and I cant put it down!

    Review by

  16. Best
    This book is the most amazing book of a movie ever it show concept are and pictures of characters and settings from the movie and does not miss a scene at all. I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK
    TO ALL DEDICATED FANS OF THE HOBBIT AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY!!!

    Review by

  17. Stunning Book of Art
    Even better than I expected. It's a superb book filled with wonderful details, great images and information. Can't wait for the other one.

    Review by

  18. Still waiting
    I ordered this on December 7, 2012 and have yet to receive it. I got an order confirmation way back when but nothing since. I am unhappy.

    Review by

  19. Incredible!!
    Love this book!! Info is so in-depth with beautiful photographs and illustrations of the processes behind the creation of this wonderful movie! <3

    Review by

  20. Awesome
    Just received this as a birthday gift. Will be ordering the pre-release of the second book today. Best hobbit movie book out there as of this moment in my opinion. On the same level as other source books that are sometimes used for recreating models of movie props. VERY well done.

    Review by

  21. As Stunning as Expected ... Plus a Few Surprises
    Beautiful, intricately designed book with fascinating stories and comments and remarkable imagery. Plus, perhaps I didn't read through the description, I was surprised and elated to find a certain added touch to the fold-out of Thorin's map...which I won't spoil because it was all the nicer for being a surprise.

    Review by

  22. Stunning!
    Utterly amazing book! Read it cover to cover the day I got it and I'm convinced I will do so everyday for the forseeable future. There is just so much to learn and the art is simply magical. To see the artists' signatures and then read all of their insight and comments about the movie makes this book a veritable treasure. The additions of Thorin's Map and Bilbo's Burglar Contract made it even better. Especially with the glowing moon runes on the map! Kudos to Weta for giving fans such a fantastic book!

    Review by

  23. Worth every penny
    I got this book for Christmas this year and I am thouroughly impressed. It is good quality and and the art is amazing. I love Alan Lee and John Howe's artwork and there is a lot in this book. The pictures are good quality and very clear and neat.
    I love the cover design, it is exactly how a Tolkien book should look.
    I have an art book from LOTR and though it is nice, it is nothing compared to this. Weta did an amazing job.

    Review by

  24. la bible du film
    livre de collection magnifque, quelle joie d'avoir un de ces exemplaires!! merci a l'equipe

    Review by

  25. la bible du film
    livre de collection magnifque, quelle joie d'avoir un de ces exemplaires!! merci a l'equipe

    Review by

  26. Full of prop and character development!
    This is a fantastic book where you can find the development of places ,characters , monsters and props of this movie.
    Full of drawings and art pieces it is a very inspirational book for artists and a must have for all the Hobbit fans. The best book I have from the movie!

    Review by

  27. Beautifull book & poor packaging.
    The book is great looking (haven't read it yet).

    My only issue is with Weta claim : "a specially commissioned cardboard box sturdy enough"...

    Unfortunately it's just your usual wrap around cardboard letter. Absolutely inefficient to protect a coffe table book. So mine arrived with huge bumped corners. Even pages are torn on the top corner. :-(

    So very disappointed with Weta shippment and I recommand every fans to buy their own in a brick & mortar bookshop...
    Don't really give me confidence to buy other items.

    Review by

  28. Stunning!
    As a fresh graphic designer this is what I call source of inspiration! Every page is filled with details and amazing talents! I am good at drawing BUT this is what professional can do, just incredible. You can easily see the ambition and love for the work trough these art pieces. You have all my respect in every way!

    Review by

  29. FANTASTIC!
    The level of art and detail is overwhelming! Worth every penny! Thank you Weta for the amazing experience of drooling all over the pages of this book! :P

    Review by

  30. Thanks Daniel !
    Absolute piece of art!! Love the detail!

    Review by

  31. Amazing insight into an amazing film
    I love reading the "behind-the-scenes" details of movies and this book captures the essence of The Hobbit perfectly. Pictures speak a thousand words and I love how each artist writes their own personal snippet about each piece of art, keeping it short and sweet and personal.
    I look through it every night and find something new every time! A very good quality book, the map was a splendid surprise and the signatures too!!

    Review by

  32. Excellent
    This is a wonderful resource, I strongly recommend it for fans of concept art and character design.

    Review by

  33. Excellent
    This is a wonderful resource, I strongly recommend it for fans of concept art and character design.

    Review by

  34. The Hobbit - Chronicles
    A very nice book and a lot of information.

    Review by

  35. Love it!!!!

    Review by

  36. Love it!
    Such a beautiful book. Amazing quality and truly worth the money. So much more than I expected. Also happy with the extras included. A great purchase.

    Review by

  37. AMAZING!
    The book is amazing! I could not put down the book when I got it. Everything about it was spectacular! The images were amazing, as well as Thorin's map, and Bilbo's contract on the back! The best artbook I have ever seen! I can't wait for the next ones! Thanks again for a spectacular book!

    Review by

  38. Beautiful
    The quality and the designs are greats! Thorin's map and the contract of Bilbo are both a good surprise :-)

    Review by

  39. Beautilful
    The quality and the designs are greats! Thorin's map and the contract of Bilbo are both a good surprise :-)

    Review by

  40. Exquisite!
    This is such a beautiful book! It's the best book I've seen so far regarding the art and design for An Unexpected Journey. Everything's here, from costumes to character design, from props to buildings and background scenery. It's so detailed, and I especially appreciate that the initials of the designer are listed in the lower right hand corner of each picture. I feel it gives readers a chance to better familiarize themselves with the talent behind the the final product. Ultimately, it's a stunning book that I'll be enjoying for a long time and is well worth the price.

    Review by

  41. A superb piece of Hobbity goodness
    I received my book in the post today here in the UK - fantastic postage from WETA thank you so much - and I was already blown away by the beautiful cover. The magic continues page after page. I had to remember that it was a present for someone otherwise I would have sat reading it for hours. The text brings an insight into how all of the costumes and sets were created, The images show all of the different stages of design. A masterful book. Thank You WETA!

    Review by

  42. Ultimate Hobbit Artbook ♥♥
    Daniel... You've done it again!

    Upon opening the book...I'm struck by the beauty of it and the detail - made with love. Its definitely going to be a go-to book for creative know-how and may end up a bit tatty because if it.

    And now...I've had a better look:

    Gooddie! A book loaded with design process and artwork for the film, lovingly stiched together by Daniel Falconer. Artwork to appreciate and take encouragement from. And we get to see what our favourite artists do all day!

    The book also seems to carry with it the friendliness of the people in it, their professionalism and humour. Glorious pictures and sketches, pencil through to digital. An insight to the world of behind the scenes that I will relish and make tatty with constant reference.

    Review by

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