Customer Reviews

Cartoon Animation (The Collector's Series)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been in or near the cartoon business for 50 years and Preston Blair's "Cartoon Animation" played a big role in my education. In fact, most of the professional cartoonists I've known or worked with had a copy of this book in their desks-- I just bought another copy (that makes about 30 in my lifetime-- I used it as a text book in cartoon workshops at the Univ, of Wash. and Ohio State Univ.)

When studied as a text, this book teaches us how to bring characters to life, whether you are in the animation field or drawing for print media. The pages on "follow-through" and "stretch'n'squash" are the most important lessons a young cartoonist can learn--

This book (along with Jack Hamm's figure drawing book) is the only book I constantly re-read and practice. Preston's one heck of an animator and with a little patience and practice you can pull of some great stuff with what you'll find in "Cartoon Animation".

Topics include: Developing Characters, Line of action (Invaluable!), dialouge, timing, and of course the core of this book, animating! There are a few dozen topics covered, these are mere highlights.

This book is very inspiring, and Preston is also very encouraging. Take his advice written in this book to consideration, Preston won't let you down.

This is the book to own if you want to become an animator! It is extremely helpful in teaching basic cartoon character construction techniques and features lots of information on creating animation.
This book is in most professional libraries and is extremely handy as a reference tool. I recommend it to all aspiring animators and cartoonists and I require it for my classes at The Center For Character Animation in New York. It's Highly Endorsed by this Emmy Award Winning Cartoon Animator!

I first found this book several years ago after reading the excellent Disney Animation- The Illusion of Life (Now called The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation) by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnson. This book covers several topics that the Disney book doesn't, such as lip-syncing. An animation teacher at DeAnza College in Cupertino has made this book a requirement, and I understand why. Don't think of this book as the only instruction you will need to become an animator, but buy a copy of it so you can have helpful reminders about important animation techniques without having to flip through hundreds of pages. This book is an excellent companion to the Disney book.

I got this book for my first traditional animation class and have found it to be very useful! Blair explains and shows how to draw actions of both humans and animals in all different types of cycles (walk, run, sneak... etc cycle). A great book to help you get started on learning and understanding animation.

I was expecting a GREAT book on animation, but it seems a little over-rated to me. I love old cartoons and am enthralled with the golden era, but this book doesn't live up to the 5 star rating for me. I understand it to be historical for an animation book and something that every animator should have for reference. I just don't know if this is the be all end all references for animating. I'm sure it was great for it's time. It is so fun and cute to look at now, but I have learned much more from Richard William's "The Animator's Survival Kit". I won't give up this book, I do love it. I just think it's over rated.

Every professional animator I've ever talked to has demanded that I learn from this book! John K of Ren and Stimpy fame gives people that ask for advice on how to become animators a detailed instruction sheet on how he feels they should use this book to train themselves at drawing cartoons. I learned a great deal about really drawing 3 dimensional things by using this book as well. Sure the designs are of an older flavor but the information is timeless!

This book is a must for all would be animators. I have dabbled with cartoons for years but this book helped me bring them to life, I used the walk sequences as templates and dressed them with my own characters, thus enabling me to focus on the character and not worry about the position of the legs.
There is plenty of help and advice on character building, movement, mouth shaping for speech, hands, expressions, I could go on but I won't.
If there is nothing in this book to help you.........then you should be working for DISNEY.

Along with THE ANIMATION SURVIVAL KIT and the OZAMU TEZUCA collection ( that are the #1 for really learn animation on the step by step and really detailed explanation and views), this one is the last complement remaining to complete the collection that I already had finished. YOU HAVE TO GET THIS ONE and go and get the ones I mentioned, just after that you will have the complete tutoring, teaching, and best of the best animation books ever NO MORE BOOKS ARE NEEDED after complete this collection I told you!!!

This is a 5 out of 5 star book...If you want to learn the basics (as well as the finer points) this book is numero uno!