In a book to be treasured by cartoonists and animation and film buffs alike, a master of the craft demonstrates the fundamentals of drawing for the screen, offering tips on two- and four-legged figure construction, body and facial movements, and realistic dialogue, and illustrating concepts such as speed, impact, weight, and recoil. Color photos and line drawings.

From the Publisher

The Collector’s Series books offer a selection of popular projects form best-selling titles in the How to Draw and Paint series. The Collectors Series books cover fundamentals and explore the techniques of featured artists. Each title provides in-depth instruction and numerous illustrations. All are perfect for the coffee table or reference library.

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In a book to be treasured by cartoonists and animation and film buffs alike, a master of the craft demonstrates the fundamentals of drawing for the screen, offering tips on two- and four-legged figure construction, body and facial movements, and realistic dialogue, and illustrating concepts such as speed, impact, weight, and recoil. Color photos and line drawings.

From the Publisher

The Collector’s Series books offer a selection of popular projects form best-selling titles in the How to Draw and Paint series. The Collectors Series books cover fundamentals and explore the techniques of featured artists. Each title provides in-depth instruction and numerous illustrations. All are perfect for the coffee table or reference library.

(more…)

Amazon.com

Pixar’s unprecedented string of hit animated features was built on the short films in this collection. John Lasseter and Ed Catmull used these cartoons the way Walt Disney used the “Silly Symphonies” during the 1930s: as a training ground for artists and a way to explore the potential of a new medium. Although it’s only 90 seconds long, “Luxo, Jr.” (1986) ranks as the “Steamboat Willie” of computer animation: For the first time, audiences believed CG characters could think and feel. (It was also the first CG film to make audiences laugh.) When the artists began work on Toy Story, they had learned so much from the shorts, they were ready to undertake that landmark creation. In the later shorts, the viewer can see the artists continuing to experiment: with a more realistic human figure in “Geri’s Game” and with new ways of suggesting atmospheric effects in “Boundin’.” Some of the more recent shorts continue the adventures of the characters from the features. “J (more…)

Review

“Halas and Whitaker’s ‘Timing for Animation’ was, and still is, without a doubt, the best book for students of the art of animation. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”Bob Godfrey, Oscar winning leading animated filmmaker and author. “Secrets of ‘action timing’ lucidly explained and demonstrated by two of Britain’s most highly respected and adept practitioners. An essential primer for both traditional and C.G. animators.”Ken Clark, animation historian and writer”…this is the only publication devoted wholly to one of the most vital concepts in the art of animated film… The book is a vital source of reference for students as well as every studio and every animator…It’s also easy to keep around for reference, it’s not a huge coffee-table bible sized book made to impress. It just gives the facts, numbers and formulas and a few drawings to illustrate. Made by animators for animators.Although it was principally written for 2D animation, this book has crucial inf (more…)

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The fun, quick and affordable way to create animations, Anime Studio is the ideal solution for first time animators, hobbyists and digital enthusiasts. Create your own cartoons and animations–the ideal solution for first time animators, hobbyists and digital enthusiasts. Click to enlarge. Complete Animation for Digital Artists Create and Import Content Create your own art using intuitive vector-based draw, paint and fill tools. Easily import artwork from popular graphics programs and use pre-built content to get started fast! Bone Rigging Saves Time Point-and-click to attach bones to your characters for easy manipulation and reduce production time over traditional frame-by-frame animation. Advanced Timeline Control Inverse Kinematics moves your character naturally between keyframes for smooth animations. Add sound, special effects, and preview in real time with multiple layers to edit your animation. Share Everywhere Export your creatio (more…)

To beginners, making an animated movie can seem like voodoo magic. And in fact, until recently, animation was expensive and time-consuming. But now with the help of Beginner’s Guide to Animation, anyone can make animated movies, using a digital camera, basic software, and a computer. The book begins with an illustrated guide to setting up a simple animation studio at home, including a list of essential items. Then, new animators hit the ground running with six innovative, instructive projects designed to develop technical skills and explore the potential of animation. A full collection of scannable templates makes it even easier to get started and to finish up. Tips, tricks, and clear instructions on editing, scoring, even making your own show reels and shorts make this the complete one-volume guide to amazing friends and family—and everyone on YouTube!—with great I-made-it-myself animation.

About the Author

Mary Murphy is an experienced an (more…)

Review

Francis Glebas has put together a really comprehensive and thought-provoking look at the art and craft of film making, specifically directing. His approach, which is to ask a lot of seemingly innocent questions, has much the same effect as the good storytelling he is trying to teach us.it draws us in and makes us think. I can’t imagine anyone, in or out of our business, who won’t find any number of helpful ideas as they work their way through the filmmaking jungles!! – Roy Disney, Director Emeritus and consultant for The Walt Disney Company Francis Glebas was one of our most talented storyboard artists at Disney, and it was our great fortune to have him on the story team. He has a wealth of experience to share. – Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO, Dreamworks AnimationFrancis Glebas has put together a really comprehensive and thought-provoking look at the art and craft of film making, specifically directing. His approach, which is to ask a lot of seemingly innocent questi (more…)

Review

“Williams is miles ahead of anyone in the world of animation.”–The New York Times

The definitive book on animation, from the Academy Award-winning animator behind Who Framed Roger Rabbit?Animation is one of the hottest areas of filmmaking today–and the master animator who bridges the old generation and the new is Richard Williams. During his fifty years in the business, Williams has been one of the true innovators, winning three Academy Awards and serving as the link between Disney’s golden age of animation by hand and the new computer animation exemplified by Toy Story. Perhaps even more important, though, has been his dedication in passing along his knowledge to a new generation of animators so that they in turn could push the medium in new directions. In this book, based on his sold-out master classes in the United States and across Europe, Williams provides the underlying principles of animation that every animator–from beginner to (more…)

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Compiled by Mike Judge (Beavis and Butt-head) and Don Hertzfeldt (Rejected), The Animation Show brought short films back to the big screen. Once upon a time, that’s how the public got to experience them. Now, they’re relegated to film fests, public television, and the internet. It’s better than nothing, of course, but they used to be treated like “real movies.” For those who missed these works in theaters–or to preserve the experience for posterity–this collection presents most of the first two programs (Vol. 3 is on the way). The lineup includes five Academy Award nominees, Mt. Head, The Cathedral, Fifty Percent Grey, Guard Dog, and When the Day Breaks. A diverse array of nationalities and techniques are on display. Locations range from America to Australia, while approaches range from pen and ink to B&W stop-motion. Highlights will vary from person to person, but notable entries include Adam Elliot’s droll Brother/Cousin/Uncle trilogy, Judge’s “Early Pen (more…)

With an introduction by John Lasseter-and very little else in the way of words-this second book in The Artist Series lavishly showcases the most brilliant animation created by such luminaries as Ub Iwerks, Norm Ferguson, Ben Sharpsteen, Hamilton Luske, Dick Huemer, Grim Natwick, Art Babbitt, Fred Moore, Bill Tytla, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Milt Kahl, Marc Davis, John Lounsbery, Ward Kimball, Eric Larson, Les Clark, Wolfgang Reitherman, John Sibley, Bill Justice, Clyde Geronimi, Ted Berman, Glen Keane, Andreas Deja, Eric Goldberg, Mark Henn and Tony Bancroft. The artwork-much of which has never before been published-offers the opportunity to marvel at the those magical lines of pencil that brought life to so many unforgettable Disney characters. Animation represents a rare opportunity to enjoy a glimpse into the truly spectacular trove of treasures from the Walt Disney Animation Research Library.

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