Animation

Animation by Preston Blair is a foundational text on cartoon animation techniques. The book presents step-by-step instructions for creating animated characters and movements. The guide covers fundamental principles including squash and stretch, anticipation, and timing. Blair demonstrates these concepts through detailed illustrations and breakdowns of classic animation examples. Blair's work emphasizes character construction, proportion, and expression across different animation styles. The content provides specific methods for animating walks, runs, and gestures, along with guidance for developing distinct character personalities. The book stands as a practical manual that connects classical animation methods to modern practice. Its focus on core principles makes it relevant for both traditional and digital animators.

Readers consistently point to this book as a practical foundation for learning animation fundamentals. Many reviewers credit it for teaching core principles that are still relevant decades after publication. Likes: - Clear step-by-step breakdowns of motion and movement - Focus on construction and form rather than just copying - Detailed examples from classic animation - Compact format that covers key concepts efficiently - Straightforward instruction without unnecessary text Dislikes: - Some find the dated art style and examples off-putting - Limited coverage of digital animation techniques - Basic drawings can be challenging for beginners to replicate - Paper quality in newer editions is lower than originals Ratings: Goodreads: 4.26/5 (668 ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (1,243 ratings) "This book taught me more in 30 pages than a semester of animation classes" - Amazon reviewer "The illustrations look simple but contain deep knowledge about movement and form" - Goodreads reviewer

The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams A comprehensive guide to animation principles with frame-by-frame breakdowns of movement and timing.

The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston The twelve principles of animation explained through Disney Studios' production techniques and historical examples.

Cartoon Animation by Walter Foster Step-by-step instructions for character creation with anatomical construction methods for cartoon figures.

Character Animation Crash Course by Eric Goldberg Frame-by-frame demonstrations of animation techniques used in commercial and feature film production.

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards Drawing exercises and methods that build foundation skills for animation and character design.

🎨 Preston Blair worked as an animator on Disney classics like Fantasia and Pinocchio before writing this influential guide in 1948. 🎬 The book's action analysis drawings became so widely copied that they can be found in animation textbooks worldwide, often without proper credit to Blair. 📚 The original version was titled "Advanced Animation," but it was later simplified and republished as "Cartoon Animation" to reach a broader audience. ✏️ Blair's method of breaking down character construction into simple shapes (circles, pears, and tubes) revolutionized how animation was taught to beginners. 🐭 While working at Disney, Blair animated the famous hippo ballet sequence in Fantasia and helped develop the character of Bambi for the 1942 film.