If there are two things that people often gravitate to, it’s art and books. Put them together, and it apparently creates something that people are willing to put their money behind – with campaigns that are meeting or exceeding their goals.
Let’s take a look at some of the most successful illustrated artbook crowdfunding campaigns this fall, and hopefully gain a bit of inspiration…
First off we have one of Kickstarter’s most funded artbooks, The Man Behind The Maps:
This stunning work was hand-painted by an expert mountain guide and depicts over 200 ski resorts. In 59 days, the book raised nearly $600,000 USD, 7276.1% of its goal!
Illustrated and Narrative Artbooks
When it comes to projects that are currently running campaigns on Kickstarter, the biggest fundraiser by far is The Labyrinth. It is a bleak tale following the survivors of a ruined Earth. With a pandemic enveloping us like an apocalypse, it’s not hard to see why people have gravitated to this narrative.
The Labyrinth has raised £221,630 (USD $288,894.83), a whopping 1171.76% of its goal. At the time of writing, it’s still open for backers.
Another artbook that is doing rather well is Elsa Charretier’s latest. Raising 1,279.41% of its goal, this new artbook is a sequel to another successfully funded artbook. The new book has raised a total of $146,896.32 USD.
Artbooks: Aiming Low, Shooting High
Looking at artbook campaigns on Kickstarter, including James Niehues’ ski artbook, one thing is apparent to me. Artbooks, when their campaigns launch, are looking for significantly less funding than what they end up getting. Perhaps these campaigns don’t expect to succeed, as artbooks are pricey to create and are not known for selling well. Secrets Of Strangehollow is only asking for £3,300 (USD $4302.79), but it has currently raised over USD $22,000 and is still funding.
So what exactly is it we all like so much about artbooks? It’s hard to say, but perhaps it has something to do with the ability to highlight our cultural interests and add decor to homes the landlord won’t let us decorate.
With galleries and museums closed for the foreseeable future, why not support your local art venues by purchasing their artbooks? That way, you can browse beautiful art pieces from the safety of your own home, and the galleries don’t miss out on your gift shop purchases.
Do you have a favourite artbook? What illustrated artbook is on your wishlist? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter or in the comments below!
