Animation from Pencils to Pixels: Classical Techniques for the Digital Animator

I'm glad Mr Tony White wrote this book because in it he doesn't shy away from the fact that traditional 2D animation is an art superior to computer animation. He doesn't hit anyone over the head with that view. He doesn't have to; it makes itself known on nearly every page.As one who is utterly bored by the digital revolution I am glad there are still skilled men like Tony White out there showing us the fundamentals of an art that may (or may not) be on the verge of extinction. His first book, THE ANIMATOR'S WORKBOOK is a masterpiece, a work in a class by itself, and is one book that I wished I had had when I was still young. Had I had that book in my hands in my formative years I have little doubt that I would have made a career in animation. That fine book cannot be recommended too highly and every aspiring tradional animator should have it.This new book is excellent, too, in that it tries to keep the art of 2D alive while acknowledging the fundamentals of the current hot toy, 3D computer-based animation. For those in the 3D world who want to break away from the infantile and over-the-top productions currently in vogue and wish to bring back (if that is possible) some genuine art into this new animation realm this book will be a godsend. For many reasons this book is to be highly recommended. It shows again what a fine skill the author has, and it has inspired even me at this late stage in my life to begin to learn tradional animation. Buy it.If I have one gentle criticism to make regarding this excellent book, it would be that the authors and book editors need to know that the reading public is growing increasingly tired of reading "he or she" when simply "he" will do nicely. Have we not all now grown up enough to realize that women are not offended when the pronoun "he" is used only, and that it is totally unnecessary to include a "she" after every "he"? Gosh, I hope so.Lastly, the cd that was enclosed with the book included a delightful little production called "Endangered Species", Mr White's lament to an art being lost. On my copy the narration was recorded so low that I could not hear what was being spoken. Hopefully future editions will correct this problem.

If you're looking for a book that covers almost every aspect of the animation industry in as much detail as a book can then this is the book for you. Not only does it cover the process of animating and creating animated films it also covers all the other areas of the industry often barely touched on in other books.With chapters on Project financing, management, copyright issues, production planning and more it has all the information you'll need to plan an independent production to a professional level as well as prepare you for working as part of a studio team.Primarily aimed at classical 2D animation, Tony White takes you through all the different methods of animating 2D characters, from hand drawn on paper right through to digital vector animation concepts and techniques. He then shows you how all that 2D animation knowledge can be applied to animating 3D computer generated character models.Through out the book Tony continually references his own short, animated film, Endangered Species (included on the accompanying CD ROM), using it to show examples of everything from how he wrote up project management charts and dope sheets to how each scene was animated - he also does a scene by scene detailed break down of the films construction.You can't really go too far wrong with a book that even talks about many health issues (on the CD ROM) facing animators as a result of their work and how to avoid them.I found the book easy to follow, very comprehensive and an excellent source for future reference. It's perhaps not the only book you'll ever need but it's an excellent foundation book for any aspiring animator, regardless of the type of animation they're most interested in. Definitely a MUST HAVE.

I have studied animation for the last several years. I am a Flash designer specializing in E-learning in the Seattle market. I am not just a casual reader of this topic.Why I like this book. When you go to school for animation you have a lot of stuff thrown at you and no matter how good your notes are you can not remember it all. You need to refresh your skills. This book was not only good at that but also much more. It is a fun read, an interesting read.This book covers the complete process from picking up the pencil to marketing/distribution. Tony knows his stuff, he should he has been a professional animator for many years and you have probably seen his works. If you have seen the Pink Panther Strikes Again ("does your dog bite?") you have, he did all the animation for the film.Traditional animation is an art form and it seems like it is finally getting some of the respect it deserves. 3D is the rage these days, Pixel does an excellent job and nobody does it better, unfortunately there are more bad 3D feature films than good. Even Disney is hiring back some traditional animators and creating some old school, that's cool.If you want to learn animation pick up this book and The Illusion of Life and you will learn so very much. But the learning process also requires doing. Like the saying goes, "A dream and a number 2 pencil will take you anywhere".Keith JohnsonManager of the Seattle Flash User GroupFlash Animator/ E-Learning Specialist

Exactly as described and delivered in time.

Il librò è molto completo, è proprio un libro, nel senso che non ci sono tantissime illustrazioni, è da leggere ecco. Inoltre è in inglese, il che può rappresentare un ostacolo per chi non ha dimestichezza con la lingua. In realtà con un pò di pazienza si può leggere, anche se il fatto che sia troppo "da leggere" lo rende forse più pesante rispetto all'argomento che tratta, e alle difficoltà della lingua.