Complete Guide to Anime Techniques: Create Mesmerizing Manga-style Animation with Pencils, Paint, and Pixels [Paperback]

Hayden Scott Baron (Author), Chris Patmore (Author), Chi Hang Li (Author)

Book Description

Art students learn to reproduce the distinctive style and vibrant colors that characterize Japanese movie animation--or anime. The author explains every stage in the creative process, from storyboarding to preparing and distributing the finished movie or video. Step-by-step tutorials demonstrate fundamental skills, such as hand-painting characters and backgrounds on separate cel layers, working with 3D graphics, and using digital pen-and-tone techniques. Separate chapters focus on stylistic techniques, animation basics such as characters' movements and lip synching, application of styles that comprise fundamentals of animated visual grammar, and other vital topics for successful movie animation. This very useful manual features more than 400 instructive color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

(back cover)
Japanese animation is one of the most exciting and influential media of recent years. With its distinctive style and vibrant colors, this dominant entertainment force has transcended the world of animation to influence movies, video games, graphic design, and even fashion. Discover how to create dynamic anime using traditional or digital media.

Learn the core style elements and visual language of anime. Simplify characters without losing their impact, create exaggerated facial expressions; use shadows and shading for dramatic effects, add lip synching and speed lines to convey movement.

Richly illustrated with screengrabs, stills, and artwork, step-by-step tutorials demonstrate key skills such as hand-painting characters and backgrounds on separate cel layers, working with 3-D graphics, and using digital pen-and-tone techniques.

Every stage of the animation process is explained, from scripting and storyboarding to preparing and distributing your movie. Includes information on storytelling conventions and advice on characterization.

Chi Hang Li is a graphic design graduate who specializes in Contemporary Digital Arts. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he has a natural affinity with Asian cultures and their aesthetic principles. Chi has been a lifelong devotee of Japanese Manga/Anime and has been a dedicated Manga and Anime illustrator for many years, publishing his work online.

Chris Patmore is a London-based writer specializing in creative technology. He is the author of The Complete Animation Course (Barron's) and Movie Making Course (Barron's) and runs a website for animators and comic book artists.

Hayden Scott-Baron is a professional video game artist, focusing on character design. He has produced artwork and scripts for several manga-styled graphic novels and has created character illustrations for books, magazines, and advertisements. He is the author of Digital Manga Techniques (Barron's).

About the Author

Hayden Scott Baron is a professional video games artist, illustrator of several manga-styled-graphic novels, and author of Digital Manga Techniques, also published in North America by Barron's.

Chris Patmore is the author of several other books on film animation, including two published in North America by Barron's: Movie Marking Course and The Complete Animation Course.

Chi Hang Li is an experienced manga and anime illustrator. This is his first published book.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Barron's Educational Series (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764133802
• ISBN-13: 978-0764133800
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,273,603 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars complete 'overview', December 16, 2007

By 

Manuel C. Hernandez "fromthewoods" (Deer River, MN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Complete Guide to Anime Techniques: Create Mesmerizing Manga-style Animation with Pencils, Paint, and Pixels (Paperback)

Pros:
This is a beautifully illustrated guide to the terminology with examples of the production and techniques of Anime in the Japanese/Asian style. It is 'complete' in the sense it covers the vast majority of terms, forms of style and applications. It even includes a section on various softwares available (2006) and what to expect to pay for them by the 'free - $$$$$' rating. That is it in a nutshell. If you are expecting the essentials (ONLY) of how-to this is it.
Cons:
IF you are however looking for a guide to help you produce on desktop computer and are a beginner, and looking to do a barebones small studio production... There are better places for the fleshing out of 'How-To' in detail.
Overall:
The book is a tease, a pleasing tease, but just a tease. Keep it for referencing terms. And face facts, to do really professional Anime, you are going to have to PAY PAY PAY! SO save your dollars for the software for editing compositing and production... and sound recording and editing needs you will have. And if you have the money for that, you can then consider writing your own 'how-to'.
P.S. Really didn't like the comment on page 41, "where a western artist may have a darker, grungier look for the clothes and expressions." I really felt that was uncalled for! Their main audience is future 'western artists'... just a thought.

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A top pick for any library where patrons favor anime discussions., June 17, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Complete Guide to Anime Techniques: Create Mesmerizing Manga-style Animation with Pencils, Paint, and Pixels (Paperback)

Japanese animation is an influential media style with bright colors and dramatic entertainment value, and any who would draw or create anime characters would do well to begin with The Complete Guide to Anime Techniques, which surveys the basics of artwork, working with 3-D graphics, and more. From creating the script to storyboarding to distributing a finished movie, this moves beyond the usual focus on drawing to embrace the whole of anime, and is a top pick for any library where patrons favor anime discussions.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good Book really helpful, September 12, 2009

By 

Ronald David Eneris - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Complete Guide to Anime Techniques: Create Mesmerizing Manga-style Animation with Pencils, Paint, and Pixels (Paperback)

This is a really good book, I has more culture and methods than actual step
by step instructions... but it has good resources