The Elements of Drawing


John Ruskin - 1857
    The exercises become more difficult, developing greater and greater skills until Ruskin feels his reader is ready for watercolors and finally composition, which he treats in detail as to the laws of principality, repetition, continuity, curvature, radiation, contrast, interchange, consistency, and harmony. All along the way, Ruskin explains, in plain, clear language, the artistic and craftsmanlike reasons behind his practical advice — underlying which, of course, is Ruskin's brilliant philosophy of honest, naturally observed art which has so much affected our aesthetic. Three full-page plates and 48 woodcuts and diagrams (the latter from drawings by the author) show the student what the text describes. An appendix devotes many pages to the art works which may be studied with profit.

The Nine Old Men: Lessons, Techniques, and Inspiration from Disney's Great Animators


Andreas Deja - 2015
    Follow master animator and Disney legend Andreas Deja as he takes you through the minds and works of these notable animators. An apprentice to the Nine Old Men himself, Deja gives special attention to each animator and provides a thoughtful analysis on their techniques that include figure drawing, acting, story structure, and execution. The in-depth analysis of each animator's work will allow you to refine your approach to character animation. Rare sequential drawings from the Disney archives also give you unprecedented access and insight into the most creative minds that changed the course of animation.Instruction and analysis on the works of each of the Nine Old Men broaden your creative choices and approaches to character animation Original drawings, some never-before-seen by the public are explored in depth, giving you behind-the-scenes access into Disney animation history Gain first-hand insight into the foundation of timeless characters and scenes from some of Disney's most memorable feature and short films

Timing for Animation


John Halas - 1981
    This reissue includes a new foreword by John Lasseter, executive vice president of Pixar Animation Studios and director of 'Toy Story', 'Toy Story 2', 'A Bug's Life' and 'Monsters Inc.' He sets the wealth of information in this classic text in context with today's world of computer animation, showing how this is a must-have text if you want to succeed as a traditional drawn, or computer animator.Learn all the tips and tricks of the trade from the professionals. How should the drawings be arranged in relation to each other? How many are needed? How much space should be left between one group of drawings and the next? How long should each drawing, or group of drawings, remain on the screen to give the maximum dramatic effect? The art of timing is vital.Highly illustrated throughout, points made in the text are demonstrated with the help of numerous superb drawn examples. 'Timing for Animation' not only offers invaluable help to those who are learning the basis of animation techniques, but is also of great interest to anyone currently working in the field and is a vital source of reference for every animation studio.John Halas, known as the 'father of animation' and formerly of Halas and Batchelor Animation unit, produced over 2000 animations, including the legendary 'Animal Farm' and the award winning 'Dilemma'. He was also the founder and president of the ASIFA and former Chairman of the British Federation of Film Societies.Harold Whitaker is a professional animator and teacher. Many of his former students are now among some of the most outstanding animation artists of today.

Animals in Motion


Eadweard Muybridge - 1957
    Animals are shown walking, running, leaping, flying — in typical actions. The horse alone is shown in more than 40 different ways: galloping with nude rider, trotting, pacing with sulky, cantering, jumping hurdles, carrying, rolling on barrels, and 36 other actions. All photos taken against ruled backgrounds; most actions taken from 3 angles at once: 90 degrees, 60 degrees, rear. Foreshortened views are included. These are true action photos, stopped in series, taken at speeds up to 1/2000th of a second. Actions are illustrated in series, with as many as 50 shots per action. Muybridge worked with the University of Pennsylvania for three years, made more than 100,000 exposures, and spent more than $50,000. His work has never been superseded as a lifetime reference for animators, illustrators, artists, and art directors.

Drawing and Painting Beautiful Faces: A Mixed-Media Portrait Workshop


Jane Davenport - 2015
    Author Jane Davenport is a beloved artist and international workshop instructor known by her thousands of students and fans for her over-the-top, enthusiastic, happy, and encouraging style. In Drawing and Painting Beautiful Faces, Davenport guides you, step by step, through the foundations of drawing a face, developing successful features, creating skin tones, playing with bright colors, shading, highlighting, and much more as you learn to create amazing mixed-media portraits.With this elegantly designed guidebook, you will quickly master a variety of techniques in a variety ofmediums, including:PencilMarkerPenWatercolorAcrylic paintInkPastelEphemeraDrawing and Painting Beautiful Faces will have you dancing your way through the exercises. In no time at all, you will have a selection of beautifully faced portraits ready to view, display, or even sell to a fashion designer.

Artist's Manual: A Complete Guide to Paintings and Drawing Materials and Techniques


Angela Gair - 1995
    For anyone who has ever had the urge to create art, this easy-to-use manual clearly explains the artist's essential tools and materials -- how to choose them, how to use them, and how to care for them. Packed with information on myriad techniques, from color use and composition to subject choice, and including tips from the professionals, here's everything painters and illustrators need to begin, develop, and perfect their craft. Over 500 color photographs, 200 original works of art, and an extensive list of suppliers complete the most comprehensive, inspirational, and affordable artists' instruction book available today.

Making Faces: Drawing Expressions for Comics and Cartoons


8fish - 2008
    But face it, your stories can only get so far with happy, sad and angry. In order to give your characters some character, you need to know what they look like when they're about to sneeze, when they smell something stinky or when they're flirting, horrified or completely blotto. Lucky for you, that's what this book is all about!Making Faces contains everything you need to give your characters a wide range of expressions!Part 1: The Basics. How to draw heads, mouths, noses and eyes, and how they change shape when they move.Part 2: The Faces. Over 50 step-by-step demonstrations for a variety of expressions divided into scenarios. Each scenario shows four or five expressions from a single character, from simple emotions to more subtle and complex variations, so you see how a face changes with each emotion. Sidebars illustrate the same expressions on a variety of other characters.Part 3: Storytelling.How to move your story along using expression, point of view, body language and composition. See how it all comes together with damsels in distress, a noir-style interrogation, a Western standoff and other situations.Illustrated with a diverse cast of characters from hobos to superheroes to teenage girls, this guide will help you create the looks that say it all.

The Noble Approach: Maurice Noble and the Zen of Animation Design


Tod Polson - 2013
    Revered throughout the animation world, his work serves as a foundation and reference point for the current generation of animators, story artists, and designers. Written by Noble's longtime friend and colleague Tod Polson and based on the draft manuscript Noble worked on in the years before his death, this illuminating book passes on his approach to animation design from concept to final frame, illustrated with sketches and stunning original artwork spanning the full breadth of his career.

Anatomy for Fantasy Artists: An Illustrator's Guide to Creating Action Figures and Fantastical Forms


Glenn Fabry - 2005
    The author, a highly successful fantasy artist, teaches the basics of human anatomical drawing and musculature, as well as perspective and composition. He then instructs on ways to distort, develop, and transform the human figure, giving it features that range from monstrous or magical to super-agile or larger than life. Detailed artist�1/2s references and step-by-step instructions show how to build bodies that truly stretch the imagination�1/2mighty alien warriors, kick-boxing cyber-punks, and mega-muscled superheroes, to name just a few. Art students also learn how to show their characters in many different dynamic action poses, such as flying, spinning, punching, and jumping, as well as how to express each character�1/2s emotions through facial expressions. More than 300 color illustrations.

The Art Book


Phaidon Press - 1997
    Each artist is represented by a full-page colour plate of a definitive work, accompanied by explanatory and illuminating information on the image and its creator. Glossaries of artistic movements and technical terms are included, making this a valuable work of reference as well as a feast for the eyes. By breaking with traditional classifications, The Art Book presents a fresh and original approach to art: an unparalleled visual sourcebook and a celebration of our rich and multi-faceted culture.

Draw With Jazza - Creating Characters: Fun and Easy Guide to Drawing Cartoons and Comics


Josiah Brooks - 2016
    Whether sci-fi or steampunk, comic book heroines or tattooed action heroes, animal familiars or alien races, you will discover the limitless possibilities of creating your very own characters for comic books, cartoons, video games and more! No matter what your skill level, you can draw from concept to finished art with confidence. Jazza shows you how as he walks you through The Design Process! Discover. Learn techniques just like the pros use for developing characters--their backstory, personality and physicality; decide your drawing style; and explore and organize your inspiration. Design. Use brainstorm sketching to refine your character's persona. Use simplified lines and shapes to draw men and women, practice poses and play with body shapes, sizes, ages and outfits. Develop. Refine your best ideas by choosing features, color schemes, settings and context to reflect your end goal. Deliver. Finish your concept art with character turnarounds, expression sheets, pose variations and more to create a complete picture of your characters and their world.

You Are an Artist: Assignments to Spark Creation


Sarah Urist Green - 2020
    The result is You Are an Artist, a journey of creation through which you'll invent imaginary friends, sort books, declare a cause, construct a landscape, find your band, and become someone else (or at least try). Your challenge is to filter these assignments through the lens of your own experience and make art that reflects the world as you see it.You don't have to know how to draw well, stretch a canvas, or mix a paint colour that perfectly matches that of a mountain stream. This book is for anyone who wants to make art, regardless of experience level. The only materials you'll need are what you already have on hand or can source for free.You Are an Artist brings together more than 50 assignments gathered from some of the most innovative creators working today, including Sonya Clark, Michelle Grabner, The Guerrilla Girls, Fritz Haeg, Pablo Helguera, Nina Katchadourian, Toyin Ojih Odutola, J. Morgan Puett, Dread Scott, Alec Soth, Gillian Wearing, and many others.

Landscape Painting: Essential Concepts and Techniques for Plein Air and Studio Practice


Mitchell Albala - 2009
    In Landscape Painting, Mitchell Albala shares his concepts and practices for translating nature's grandeur, complexity, and color dynamics into convincing representations of space and light.  Concise, practical, and inspirational, Landscape Painting focuses on the greatest challenges for the landscape artist, such as: •  Simplification and Massing: Learn to reduce nature's complexity by looking beneath the surface of a subject to discover the form's basic masses and shapes.•  Color and Light: Explore color theory as it specifically applies to the landscape, and learn the various strategies painters use to capture the illusion of natural light.•  Selection and Composition: Learn to select wisely from nature's vast panorama. Albala shows you the essential cues to look for and how to find the most promising subject from a world of possibilities. The lessons in Landscape Painting—based on observation rather than imitation and applicable to both plein air and studio practice—are accompanied by painting examples, demonstrations, photographs, and diagrams. Illustrations draw from the work of more than 40 contemporary artists and such masters of landscape painting as John Constable, Sanford Gifford, and Claude Monet.  Based on Albala's 25 years of experience and the proven methods taught at his successful plein air workshops, this in-depth guide to all aspects of landscape painting is a must-have for anyone getting started in the genre, as well as more experienced practitioners who want to hone their skills or learn new perspectives.

Art as Experience


John Dewey - 1934
    Based on John Dewey's lectures on esthetics, delivered as the first William James Lecturer at Harvard in 1932, Art as Experience has grown to be considered internationally as the most distinguished work ever written by an American on the formal structure and characteristic effects of all the arts: architecture, sculpture, painting, music, and literature.

The Art of Spirited Away


Hayao Miyazaki - 2001
    Features commentary, color stills, sketches, storyboards, and illustrations used to envision the rich fantasy world of the film. Also includes a complete English-language script.