Cartoon Animation (Collector's Series)

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.

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 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!

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.

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--