A few recommended books for the aspiring animation professional.
The following is a list of selected books which are of interest to the aspiring animator. This presents merely a sampling of the numerous animation-related books which have been published. Reference The Complete Guide to Computer Graphics and Animation Schools by Ernest Pintoff. Watson-Guptill Publications. A must-have for anyone investigating education options in the United States. Comprehensive indices are accompanied by insightful words of wisdom written by more than 50 key figures in animation. Muybridge's Complete Human and Animal Locomotion, Volumes I and II by Eadward Muybridge. These timeless essentials for any animator feature classic pre-cinema motion-study photographs of humans and animals. Technique Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. S&S Trade Publishers. Perhaps the most widely used "self-help" guide to realistic drawing. The Vilppu Sketch Book by Glenn Vilppu. Available through the American Animation Institute. The life drawing bible, according to many students of this master teacher. The Animation Book by Kit Laybourne. Crown Publishers. An information-rich guide to the processes involved in creating animated films by your own means. The Animator's Workbook by Tony White. A collection of exercises for the practicing animator to hone his or her craft. History Cartoons: One Hundred Years of Cinema Animation by Giannalberto Bendazzi. Indiana University Press. (www.awn.com/whole-toon) The definitive history text on international and independent animation. Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Abbeville Press (out of print). Written by two of Disney's most adored "Nine Old Men", this book is a dense volume of rare illustrations and production notes that are fascinating even to those who are not especially fans of Disney animation. Animation From Script to Screen by Shamus Culhane. A collection of stories and anecdotes from one of the industry's most prolific talents and beloved personalities. Chuck Amuck by Chuck Jones. Farrar Straus Giroux Publishers. A colorful autobiography of the lively career of the Warner Bros. cartoon director, creator of many adored classic characters. What are your favorite animation books? Let us know, write to editor@awn.com.
