Further Reading: Books, Discs, and Websites
A single book cannot possibly show all art direction, character design, and storyboard styles. I recommend the following books, discs, and websites as good starting points for the aspiring preproduction artist’s reference library. The first section lists websites of various artists. The second section lists books by character designers and writers, some of whom have generously allowed me to use their illustrations in this book. The third section consists of books on story and storyboard technique for feature and television productions.
Much of the best material on story and character design appears on “special-edition” DVDs of animated films, with new treasures released each year. Some recommended DVDs are listed in the fourth section. Artistic anatomy books appear in the last section.
Artists’ Websites
The Creative Talent Network is a collective of storyboard, animation, and design artists, many of whom are associated with major studios. An extensive gallery of character and inspirational art is displayed at http://www.creativetalentnetwork.com/.
Nina Paley, “America’s Best-Loved Unknown Cartoonist,” has an extensive gallery of her animation and comic art including SITA SINGS THE BLUES at http://www.ninapaley.com.
Nancy Beiman’s website is at http://www.nancybeiman.com and more of her artwork can be viewed at the Creative Talent Network site.
John Van Vliet’s cartoons about film and animation appeared in the famous “Available Light” calendars for over 20 years. His website is http://www.migrantfilmworker.com.
Bob Staake’s animation designs can be viewed at http://www.bobstaake.com.Brian P. McEntee was art director for CATS DON’T DANCE, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and ICE AGE. His futuristic novel Eve is featured on a cleverly animated website, http://www.evethenovel.com, that sells “DNA-spliced” household implements that appear in the book.
Peter De Sève’s website has galleries of his character designs and illustrations at http://www.peterdeseve.com/.
Patrick Maté’s caricatures can be viewed at http://patrickmate.blogspot.com.
Nina L. Haley draws cat-themed illustrations. Samples of her artwork can be seen at http://buttonheadcity.blogspot.com.
Books by Animation Character Designers and Writers
Dean Yeagle is an animation character designer and Playboy cartoonist. His lovely girls and comic illustrations have been collected in several books: One Mandy Morning and the Scribblings series, which are available at http://www.cagedbeagle.com/. Dean’s design work can also be seen at http://www.bellefree.com.
David Chelsea’s illustrations appear in The New York Times. His book Perspective! For Comic Book Artists, is recommended for every animation artist’s library. He also wrote the graphic novels David Chelsea in Love and Welcome to the Zone.
Floyd Norman is “animation’s editorial cartoonist” and a veteran story man for the Walt Disney Studio, Hanna-Barbera, Pixar, and Disney Publications. His books Faster, Cheaper! and Son of Faster Cheaper are available at http://www.afrokids.com along with his comic valentine to a certain former CEO, How the Grinch Stole Disney.
Michel Gagné’s Insanely Twisted Rabbits and Frenzied Fauna are available at http://www.gagneint.com/ along with huge online galleries of his character designs.
Mark Newgarden’s book We All Die Alone anthologizes his brilliant deconstructions of popular cartoon styles. EM! ® appears in A Public Service Announcement at http://www.laffpix.com.
Patricia Bernard is a best-selling Australian writer of travel, adult mystery, and children’s books, several of which were illustrated by Nancy Beiman. Her website is at http://www.geocities.com/patriciabernard2001/.
Christopher Hart’s series of character-design books are excellent guides to specific design styles. I contributed 12 pages to How to Draw Animation.
Books on Scriptwriting and Visual Storytelling
Dreamworlds (published 2007) by art director Hans Bacher (MULAN) promises to become the standard text on animation art direction and screen design. Bacher’s website is at http://its-a-wrap.blogspot.com/.
The Art of Monsters Inc. by John Lasseter and Pete Docter, The Art of The Incredibles by Mark Cotta Vaz, Brad Bird, and John Lasseter, and The Art of Finding Nemo by Mark Cotta Vaz (Chronicle Books LLC). All aspects of preproduction are extensively illustrated. Other books in this series are also highly recommended.
Making Shapely Fiction by Jerome Stern (W. W. Norton and Co., 2000) is a hugely entertaining guide to story construction that is useful for animators and creative writers.
Layout and Character Design Made Absurdly Simple by Brian LeMay (Sheridan College, privately printed, 1991) is a good guide to television animation layout and production design that also includes examples of television storyboards.
Film Directing: Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen (Michael Wiese Productions, 1991) is the basic textbook for cinematic editing and staging.
How to Write for Animation by Jeffrey Scott (The Overlook Press, 2002) is a guide to writing and pitching television series by an Emmy-award-winning author who also happens to be the grandson of The Three Stooges’ Moe Howard!
Sight, Sound, and Motion: Applied Media Aesthetics by Professor Herbert Zettl (Wadsworth Publishing, 2004) is a detailed description of visual theory and applications that is useful for all storyboard artists.
The Visual Story: Seeing the Structure of Film, TV, and New Media by David Block (Focal Press, 2001) is an excellent guide to basic film language.
Paper Dreams and Before the Animation Begins by John Canemaker are out of print, but highly recommended.
Animation from Pencils to Pixels by Tony White (Focal Press, 2006) describes the pre-production and production of a single film.
Bruce Block (Focal
Directing the Story by Francis Glebas (Focal Press, 2008) is a comprehensive guide to feature animation direction.
DVDs
SHREK (two-disc set) has three complete pitches of sequences that were later cut from the film. Uniquely, two camera views are included for each pitch: the audience’s and that of each of the three story men who pitch the action, presentation, and acting boards. A large gallery of character and background designs shows how the look of the film evolved over time.
THE INCREDIBLES (two-disc set) has an excellent “making of” section on disc two that shows an animatic being assembled for the “100-Mile Dash” sequence. Rough and presentation boards, maquettes, model sheets, and color scripts are visible in some shots. Separate chapters discuss production and character design.
THE FANTASIA ANTHOLOGY (three-disc set) contains a complete rough story reel with soundtrack and cut-in animation for the unfinished “Invitation to the Dance” and story reels for “The Ride of the Valkyries” and “The Swan of Tuonela.” There is a large gallery of story sketches and concept art from each sequence of both the original FANTASIA and FANTASIA CONTINUED and deleted scenes from “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” sequence
CINDERELLA and LADY AND THE TRAMP (two-disc sets) include story reels for sequences that were cut from the final films and galleries of preproduction artwork. Cinderella also contains a tribute to designer Mary Blair.
BAMBI (two-disc set) includes the original storyboard for what later became the “Bambi on the Ice” sequence and deleted boards showing the death of Bambi’s mother. The director’s voice-over is a skillfully edited and acted recreation of actual story meetings between Walt Disney and some of his key personnel. Extras include a fine gallery of Tyrus Wong’s gorgeous color keys.
Press, 2007) The WARNER BROTHERS GOLDEN COLLECTION’s special features include rare storyboards, profiles of individual characters and artists, and ‘schematics’ or layout and art direction sketches. The entire series is highly recommended.
TREASURE PLANET (deluxe two-disc set) contains an interview with maquette sculptor Kent Melton describing his modeling technique.
THE CORPSE BRIDE’S extras describe the creation of maquettes and the armature and animation techniques utilized in the stop-motion production.
MUNRO is included in Rembrandt Film’s Greatest Hits.
GORILLAZ’ DEMON DAZE (two-disc set) contains the rough story reel for the “Feel Good” music video.
T.R.A.N.S.I.T by Piet Kroon is available on the ‘Short 4-Seduction’ DVD.
HOLLYWOOD CAMERA WORK: MASTER COURSE (six-disc set) contains virtual ‘cranes’ for Maya and two-dimensional blocking templates for Adobe Illustrator as well as comprehensive staging of live-action camera blocking using simple computer-generated human figures.
Anatomy Books for the Artist
Animal Painting and Anatomy by W. Frank Calderon (Dover Publications) is still the best comparative-anatomy book in print.
The Vilppu Drawing Manual by Glen Vilppu (Vilppu Drawing Studio) is by an artist who regularly teaches at major animation studios. All of Vilppu’s discs and tapes are recommended.
The books of George Bridgman are useful guides to simplified artistic anatomy. His style can get in the way but his principles of construction are excellent.
Artistic Anatomy by Dr. Paul Richer is an outstanding guide written and illustrated by a doctor who was also an artist. Kinesiology and the mechanics of movement are illustrated with near-photographic accuracy.
Force: The Key to Capturing Life Through Drawing by Mike Mattesi (Universe Star) is a good guide to gesture drawing that is an excellent supplement to Paul Richer’s book.