Book- The secret sketchbook of Brian Froud

Book- The secret sketchbook of Brian Froud
Author: Brian Froud
Score: 10/10
Year:  2006
Publisher : Imaginosis 
ISBN : ? displayed is 0-9744612-0-2 but it seems to share it with ''the art of Amy Brown''. There is some mistake, so whilst I search for the info, here's the ASIN : B004E5HGYK


68 pages (not numbered). Text only 1 page + overleaf 
Language : English. 



We own several Froud books, because he's my wife's number 1 artist. Thanks to her, I discovered Brian's work and grown to appreciate it - sometimes even love it. 

I had actually seen a movie with Brian's art in it : the dark crystal, that I absolutely loved for its fine mystical nature. Perusing through the sketches, I recognized earlier, rougher, representations of some of the characters from this movie - but the secret sketches aren't only for this work. 
(Actually, he has a whole book dedicated to the art and symbols in this movie, and it's next on my reading list.)

As Brian states in the sole page of text in the book, in his welcoming message : some of his works take many years before they become a story, and he himself doesn't always know it. 

His art is classified as fantasy, but to him, this is reality : these various creatures of Faerie, with its goblins and denizens, its fairies, all inspire his art. He just must draw them as best as he can, and has been for decades since he landed on the Faerie roads. 

Some may appear grotesque, some prettier ; some seem sad, and others happy or mischievous: welcome to some of Brian Froud's secret sketches, published for the first time. 

If you look at them long enough, you may hear them speak to you as they did to me... some were funny, others brooded over something I couldn't understand... maybe I need to listen to them again, who knows!