The Art of Flash Animaton- by Mark S. Smith

Cartoon Animation -by Preston Blair

The Animator's Survival Kit-by Richard Williams

The Illusions of Life-by Ollie Johnston (Disney)

These are Good books not only for 2d animation. They could teach some basic skills in the animation concepts generally.

Its just a pity we can't exactly lay hands on these books in our local bookstores. But I bet you could buy them online

Anybody got the soft-copies (.pdf)?

I'm not sure now if I still have this stuffs with me , but pretty certain that a pdf copy of Illusion of life is available. If you need it holla me.

@richylaw

I'd mail u soon for ur pdfs. Thanks!

i really would not mind having a bite of the cake. kindly send the pdf(s) to me. thanks

ok guys, I will do that over the weekend

@Richlay

Thanks 4 your reply to my email. I'll be expecting ur mail. What are u into? 3D or 2D?

@Seanpel

Those books would realy teach u the "ART or animation" and not just the graphical skills. Where r u based?

Timing for Animation
by Harold Whitaker, John Halas

Thats another good one: to polish ur timing skills. Quite important.

'Sup bro. I'm a 2D animator myself, PURE/Traditional 2D as a matter of fact; that's how devoted I am to the genre. I have all the books you listed above and out of the pack, Richard William's Animator's Tookit and Illusion of Life standout, as they give the reader a background into how traditional animation was pioneered and refined as a mainstream artform. However, there's another author whose books prolly dwarfs the aforementioned titles in its nitty gritty detailing of the animation process, and that is Academy Award winner Brian Lemay's books (www.brianlemay.com/index.html). His books are the most detailed and comprehensive sources of animation info there is out there, infact I understand many animation schools the world over have adopted them as part of their curricula for teaching animation. Only Williams' Animator's Toolkit comes a close second for it's equally rich and comprehensive treatment of the subject. Speaking of Williams, he happens to be one of my favourite all-time animators, in the same league as Milt Kahl [the Disney animator reputed to be the Greatest and most technically proficient Animator of our time], Ken Harris [another proficient master animator from Warner Bros.], Art Babbit, Chuck Jones, Tex Avery, Glen Keane [animator of Disney's "Tarzan"], Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston [Disney's two most famous great animators], James Baxter [relatively younger, but a great animator, he animated Quasimodo from the Hunchback of Notre Damme, Tulio of "Road to Eldorado", Rafiki of "the Lion King"], e.t.c. Williams' "Thief and the Cobbler" animated feature [which unfortunately he never got to complete], is reputed to be one of the greatest animation feats ever attempted. It's got some of the SMOOTHEST animation I've seen to date! A hastily put together version of the flick can be viewed online in its entirety at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2263043366719734101&q=animator+richard+williams. His son, Alex Williams, also an animator, was responsible for animating Lion King's villain 'Scar'. Another book that you might want to look at is one about storyboarding, titled "From Word to Image, Storyboarding and the filmaking process", by Marcie Begleiter. It teaches a comprehensive and detailed approach to making storyboards and planning shots, composition, staging, e.t.c. for both live-action and animation and I think it's one of the better books out there on the subject. I believe it's available on amazon.com.

In my opinion and experience, the best way to learn 2D animation is by reading the aforementioned books, STUDYING animated films [i.e shorts and features alike], and PRACTISING what you're learning. The best animated works were made during the 'Golden Age', by Disney, Warner Bros. and the Fleischer studios from between the late '30s and the early/late '50s. Animated works of great quality do exist today as well, but for a solid grasp of the techniques that pioneered the artform, the earlier works are best suited for any student or enthusiast. If you can get your hands on the dvds of classic disney/warner bros. shorts and features, watch them in slow-motion while observing the animators apply the principles you've read about in books, AND then try to apply them yourself. Get you a light-table -- you can build a customized version -- a decent p.c or laptop with a chunky disk space, a 2d animation pencil test software like Digicel's "Flipbook" [my personal favourite] or the free shareware available online for download, called Monkey Jam, a scanner or digital camera, and start PRACTISING what you're learning! Draw! Draw! and Draw!! Exercise patience as you go along [because you won't get it all nailed down at once], and watch your skillz improve! I learned all these by experience. You gotta be patient and determined, if you're going to become a good/proficient animator.

The mentoring aspect just cannot be overemphazed. To become the best you gotta learn from the best, hence why I recommended that you cop the Disney, Fliescher and Warner Bros. studios works. Dub them from cartoon network if you must, but try and get your hands on 'em. Personally, I own dvd copies of MOST of Milt Kahl's [the reputed greatest animator] works, and STUDY them to learn what made his animation standout technically from the rest, and to train my eyes on how to recognize GOOD/QUALITY animation from one of lesser quatity. I also study Ken Harris's works, Glen Keane, and even James Baxter's. I recently bought a copy of Richard William's critically acclaimed feature, reputed to be responsible for reviving 2D animation during the late '80s and early '90s, "Who framed Roger Rabbit", and found the featurette section to be packed with a gold-mine of knowledge about the animation process. Watch as many "making-of" documentaries of animated works as you can find. A lot of dvd's come with special featurette sections where you can access and watch documentaries of how animated features are made. I cannot overestimate the educational value of such documentaries. They show you HOW the movies were made, the budget and number of artists involved. 

I currently have two almost completed animation shorts on my laptop [just need to digitally paint 'em], each 2 mins. in length. Took me two weeks to time-out the dialogue, and almost a month to animate each short -- each gulping about 1,500 individual drawings, all on ONES! One's titled 'Candid Politriks' -- about a nigerian politician, addressing an audience of supporters and candidly intimating them of his intention to loot the treasury upon getting elected into office. It's done in FULL ANIMATION style [at a high frame rate of 24 frames per second]; it came out so smooth that even I was wowed! I haven't come up with a satisfactory title for the second, but it's about two friends, Jamiu and Ike, two police officers at an illegal police checkpoint rationalizing and justifying why they collect bribe from motorists. I'll find time to upload both on youtube, as soon as I get a chance.

Cheers.

Some 2D related blogs you might want to check out:

http://theartofglenkeane..com/
http://characterdesign..com/
http://mayersononanimation..com/
http://handdrawnnomadzone..com/
http://johnkstuff..com/
http://sevencamels..com/
http://blackwingdiaries..com/


Cheers.

@Lafem

I dont know what to say man but I love your flaming drive & zeal. You are cool!

All well said. I'll check those sites u droped (already checked some, they good).

But I need a good graphics pad & pen. I know WACOM are reputed 4 making some of the best.

Your contribution on this thread is rich. All noted.

Thanks 4 ur attitude of sharing knowledge and tips.

Cheers man!

Animation: The Basic Principles by Brian Lemay

and Designing Cartoon Characters for Animation by the same Author

I have not read them yet but Lefem says they are good (and that the Author is experienced in Training)

Cheers!

Please i am not left out o, Can you also send them to me. adetilewa@gmail.com

Guys, am swell that am in hear. Pls is there anyone that uses Studiomax3d hear, i need a mate hear cos it makes me fell am the only one, and please wham and the others can u give me links on 3d studio max, books, tutorials or anything of interest on this package because its the only one i use for now, pls am counting on u guys. Thanks.

@ aseye

I basically do 2d for now (using flash). Though these books are generally for animation and not only 2d animation. They teach u the ART of animation.

@wham thanks man, but i tried these sites, i couldnt really ger thru, how does it work?

fine

check here http://www.webdesignlib.com/ am not sure if they have all your list

@Wharm Thanks very much, I appreciate your effort. I hae downloaded it. if you have any other one let me know.

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