DESIGNING TERRY PRATCHETT'S DISCWORLD

Reviewed by Steven H Silver

Terry Pratchett's Discworld has two very distinct looks. The first was created by artist Josh Kirby, who was hired to create the covers for the first several novels in the series, beginning with The Colour of Magic until his death following the cover of Feet of Clay. Kirby was replaced as a cover artist by an up-and-coming artist with a similar name, Paul Kidby, who had long been a fan of the series and had managed to send some of his artwork to Pratchett. From Night Watch through The Shepherd's Crown, Kidby created cover art for Pratchett's novels, as well as various ancilliary projects. In Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld, Kidby describes his process, shares sketches and paintings, and talks about his inspirations.

Just as Pratchett's series is subdivided into numerous sub series, so too does Kidby divide his book into sub series, providing a chapter of art on each of Pratchett's sub series. The chapter on The Wizards not only includes artwork depicting Rincewind, The Archchancellor, the Librarian, and other characters, but also places like the Tower of Art at Unseen University. Each painting is accompanied by text talking about what Kidby was attempting (and usually succeeding) in accomplishing. He also includes the art that inspired him, showing how a painting of the Wizards working in the High Energy Magic Building not only subtly introduces the reader to the art of Joseph Wright's Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump, but also pays tribute to the first sustained nuclear reaction at the University of Chicago. Kidby's paintings are as full of allusions as a Renaissance painting and while he gives some clues as to what the reader can find, it is clear that the readers can spend quite a bit of time exploring everything Kidby has elected to include.

While many cover artists have limited interaction with authors, Kidby describes a collaborative process with Pratchett. Not only did Pratchett look over his art and occasionally make suggestions, but Kidby's work also inspired Pratchett. When Kidby decided to base the cover art for Pratchett's forthcoming novel Forest of the Mind on Rembrandt's The Night Watch, Pratchett elected to change the title of the novel to match the artwork.

Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld isn't the first volume of Discworld artwork Kidby has published. In 2004, Kidby and Pratchett published The Art of Discworld. The text in that book was written by Pratchett and focused on his creative process, illustrated by Kidby's artwork, both finished and in sketch. Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld is much more focused on Kidby's process, still showing sketchwork and finished art and talking about his collaboration with Pratchett, but from a much more artistic point of view. Although some of the artwork appears in both books, each book has significant unique material, and not just because Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld has an additional twenty years of material to draw from.

Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld is an attractively designed book, with beautiful reproductions of Kidby's artwork at a size that allows the reader to see the details Kidby has worked into each painting and drawing. The accompanying text provides insight into Kidby's process and adds to the depth of the paintings, given the reader hints as to what to look for. Not only is it an excellent book for fans of Pratchett's work (and Kidby's), but it also serves as a wonderful exploration of the artistic process for anyone who is interested in the illustrative arts.

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