The Animator's Workbook: Step-By-Step Techniques of Drawn Animation [Paperback]

Tony White (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1988

The Animator's Workbook offers a complete course on the principles and techniques of drawn animation. Stressing that animation is a subtle and exacting art form which breathes life into inanimate drawings, Tony White, an award-winning animator, covers every aspect of the process. He provides technical information and explains in easy-to-follow text and step-by-step illustrations, how to capture movement, expression, and emotion. He shows you how to convncingly animate birds and animals and explores special effects - wind, water, fire, and solid objects - that can add realism, drama, and atmosphere to animation.

This book takes the mystery out of the animation process and provides sound, reliable guidance and information. Topics include:

Content
The Process of Animation
The Animator's Toolkit
Inbetweening
Head Turns
Walks
Runs
Realistic Touches
Technical Information
Exaggerated Action
The Animal Kingdom
Dialogue
Animated Effects
Backgrounds

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Like so many of the crafts, animation has suffered from the introduction of new technology. In this case computer-generated images have done much to displace the art of animation. It is White's intention to provide a foundation for apprenticeship training in order to preserve the animator's craft. His book is primarily a multilevel workbook. The only assumption is that the reader will be a cartoonist with an interest in animation. White lets the reader in on all pertinent aspects of animation from inbetweening to matching dialogue with the drawn pictures. At the end of each chapter there is an assignment for the practitioner. A valuable reference tool for most libraries and essential for art libraries. Mike Donovan, Cornell Univ.
NYSSILR, New York
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Tony White, one of Britain's foremost animators, was head of design and background on the animated television series Jackson Five, and won first prize at the Chicago Film Festival, with his first short film, Quartet. He assisted Richard Williams, the internationally acclaimed film director, on A Christmas Carol, which won an Academy Award for animation. White lives in London with his wife and two daughters.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Watson-Guptill (September 1, 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0823002292
• ISBN-13: 978-0823002290
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #232,939 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Big Four, March 9, 1998

By 

Robin McDonald (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Animator's Workbook: Step-By-Step Techniques of Drawn Animation (Paperback)

If you are an aspiring animator you have probably squeezed all you can out of Preston Blair. If "Illusion of Life" is too expensive or too heavy for you to lift, this is the book for you. One thing all three of these animation books have in common is they include pretty much everything you need to know about the fundamentals of animation. While all three books are excellent Tony White's may be the best balance of content and being a beautiful book to look at. The content contains the principals and industry insight you need to succeed in making a quality piece of animation. The book is fun to read and fun look at. The animation illustrations are very charming colorful and entertaining and reminds you of the reasons you became interested in animation in the first place. The flip animation in the corners of the pages are full color and really fun especially nice since the paper is the right thickness to give a good flip without the usual skip. This is one of the top books for you animator wannabees. If you can get your hands on the out of print Cawley/Korkis book "How to Create Animation" by Pioneer Press, and have these three others you will have every animation book for the aspiring animator you will ever need or likely want.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best for Beginners - and Beyond, July 27, 2000

By 

Ristobee (South of LAX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Animator's Workbook: Step-By-Step Techniques of Drawn Animation (Paperback)

Agreeing with all the great things previously said about this book, I can only add that "The Animator's Workbook" is the best book suited for artists just starting out in animation. It is thorough, practical and motivating, without being intimidating. If you know anybody - young or old - who wants to get into animation but does not know where to start, studying "The Animator's Workbook" is a great beginning.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for computer animators too, April 26, 2001

By 

Michele Bousquet "Animation Girl" (Raymond, NH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Animator's Workbook: Step-By-Step Techniques of Drawn Animation (Paperback)

I first stumbled upon this book when I was learning to do character animation with a 3D computer program. I found that I could learn the principles easily by doing the exercises in the book with my 3D software. Now I teach character animation, and I use Tony's section on the walk cycle to teach students how to do it in 3D. The book is clear and easy to understand, there are lots and lots of illustrations, and the price is great. If you want to learn character animation in 3D and you know little or nothing about it, this is THE book to get. It contains all the principles you'll find in higher-priced books on digital character animation.