Let world-renowned animator Preston Blair introduce you to the magical world of cartooning and animation! Whether youÆre creating traditional or computer art, you'll find valuable information in this book, which covers the most important aspects of cartooning, such as working out layouts, planning scenes, and synchronizing mouth action. It also provides instruction on drawing a variety of believable animated characters, with tips on using lines of action to create realistic motion. Widely considered one of the best cartooning references available, this book is an essential library addition for every aspiring animator.
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
Very helpful, November 18, 2008
By
Alyssa RossIt's a lot wider and taller than I expected and it's a little thinner than I expected...I really don't know what I was expecting though come to think of it =) But it's a very easy quick read and even though i also bought Cartoon Animation (also by same guy) and this book seems like a summary of that bigger book I still liked it and will refer a lot I'm sure to this and his other book.
My only complaint is that it doesn't really fit on my book shelf unless it's on its side XD
Solid foundation for cartooning like the Golden Age, September 11, 2008
By
Jesse ClineI have been drawing cartoons and doodling for years and could never figure out why my flat drawings didn't look as good as the masters from the "golden age". (almost all comic strips nowadays look flat too, so people just accept that it's how they are supposed to be). Well taking the advice from John K's blog, I bought this book and basically started over from scratch. The basis of Preston Blair's technique is starting with an egg or circle with 2 lines in it and making the characters face from there. You wouldn't believe how it makes the images pop out, and how much easier it is to draw them from different perspectives all the while keeping your characters consistent. Other techniques are how to draw cartoon hands, facial expressions, and body positioning. If you are an amateur cartoonist looking to refine your work, buy this book now. Best 8 dollar investment you will ever make.
a great animation guide, February 18, 2008
By
Ashleymarie DeBondt (2 hours from Disneyland)
If you are looking for a small, comprehensive analysis of how to do animation, this is your book. Walter Foster is one of the best companies out there on drawing books, though I wouldn't recommend them all. I highly recommend this one. :)
Great, February 18, 2008
By
Chris A. Morris (Yuma, AZ)
This is a great way to see how animation starts. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to choose Animation as a career. I am taking Web design and Animation.
An absolute must-have!, February 3, 2008
By
Richard BlackThe book is arranged like this: Drawing principles, character design, then animation. The principles are about constructing forms and wrapping guidelines & features around them properly, facial expressions, building a simple skeletal foundation, how bodies can be drawn, and hands!
The character design section is small, but brilliant. There are great example drawings to work from and trust me when I say the characters are pleasing to look at.
As for the animation section, it's got the essentials for walks, runs, understanding squash & stretch and line of action in movements. It might not have enough movements as one may want, but really, using what you learn here to analyze actions from life will enable you to learn how any movement can be strengthened for animation. I actually haven't started animating yet (still doing the drawing sections), but I know I'll be perfectly fine with just this. Harold Whitaker's "Timing For Animation" does seem like it could be a perfect supplement to this though, so you might wanna check that out as well.
Other pages include things about dialogue phonemes, takes (when's the last time anyone's seen a Tex-Avery-style reaction in a cartoon? learn this and bring it back!) pointers on animation, and, best of all, TONS of characters to practice from.
The book is only eight bucks and, being from Preston Blair, a genius from the golden-age era of animation, you can't go wrong. Buy it, follow everything that he says, draw from each drawing in the book until the concepts seep in, and make some cartoons. Even if you wanna draw comic strips and/or comic books, get this now!
