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Klaus concept art. Klaus concept art.

The first hand-drawn feature from a major U.S. studio in years has, unsurprisingly, produced one of the most interesting art-of books in some time. Klaus: The Art of the Movie sheds light on the long development and unorthodox production of Netflix’s first original animated movie, Sergio Pablos’s Klaus.

The 192-page coffeetable book explores the design of Klaus through a wealth of visual materials, including concept art, behind-the-scenes photos, and final renders. It discloses the team’s inspirations, from far-flung Scandinavian locales to the film Batman Begins, and unpacks their approach to reviving 2d animation at big-studio scale. The final chapter focuses on the development of the movie’s groundbreaking lighting and texturing tools.

Authored by Animation Magazine editor Ramin Zahed, who has become something of a specialist in the animation art-of book genre, the book draws on interviews with a wide range of animators, designers, effects artists, and other members of the production team — not least Pablos himself. There’s also a foreword by veteran animator James Baxter, who worked on the film (and currently heads Netflix’s in-house animation studio).

Klaus: The Art of the Movie, which is published by Titan Books, will be released in the U.S. on December 10. Pre-order it on Amazon.

Below, Cartoon Brew presents a gallery of exclusive images from its pages.

Klaus concept art by Yoshimichi Tamura and Sergio Martins.
Animation tips by Yoshimichi Tamura and Sergio Martins.
Artists working on Klaus at SPA Studios.
Artists working on the film at SPA Studios.
Klaus character exploration by Daniel Fernandez.
Klaus character exploration by Daniel Fernandez.
Mogens early concepts by Daniel Fernandez.
Mogens early concepts by Daniel Fernandez.
Clans at war concept art by Daniel Fernandez.
Clans at war concept art by Daniel Fernandez.
The Krums artwork by Torsten Schrank and Daniel Fernandez.
The Krums artwork by Torsten Schrank and Daniel Fernandez.
Klaus concept art by Daniel Fernandez.
Artwork by Daniel Fernandez.
Klaus concept art by Daniel Fernandez.
The Saami tribe by Daniel Fernandez.
Sergio Pablos with Saami people on a research trip.
Sergio Pablos with Saami people on a research trip.
Concept art by Pascal Campion.
Concept art by Pascal Campion.