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Product Description
Product Description
Animation designer Tom Bancroft brings his knowledge and experience to this fun and accessible book on character design. From Snow White to Shrek, from Fred Flintstone to Sponge Bob Squarepants, it is the design that communicates a character's personality even before a single word of dialogue is spoken. Bancroft, who designed the character Mushu, voiced by Eddie Murphy, in the Disney animated feature film, "Mulan," begins the book with time-tested design concepts, then explains how to work with a script, about character hierarchy (treating important characters, and lesser characters differently), how to maximize a pose and expressions, and ultimately, how to finish a character that sparkles. At the end of each chapter are exercises to help the reader hone his skills. Bancroft also explains how these lessons can be applied to different industries: film, TV, video games, and graphic novels. The book will include practical advice from professionals in each of these industries, including Mark Henn (director of animation, Disney's "The Little Mermaid"), Peter DeSeve (character designer, "Ice Age"), J. Scott Campbell (Wildstorm/DC Comics), Rob Corley (feature animator, "The Lion King", "Aladdin", "Lilo and Stitch"), Butch Hartman (creator, "Fairly Oddparents"), Jack Davis (MAD magazine), and Bill Amend (cartoonist, "Fox Trot". The introduction is written by Glen Keane (Walt Disney).
About the Author
TOM BANCROFT has worked in traditional animation for 15 years, spending most of that time at Disney Feature Animation, where he was supervising animator for the character Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy), in the movie "Mulan." He has also worked for Big Idea Productions on the popular "Veggietales" series as a character designer, CG animator, storyboard artist, and director. His most recent work was on Disney's feature film, Brother Bear.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The specific purpose of this book is to demonstrate how the use of different shapes and construction can produce characters with different personalities. To that end it is superb. Running alongside the chapters to do this (facial spacing, body shape etc) is an ongoing assignment given to cartoon professionals to produce a lead character with a specific personality. The results are interesting as each is very different yet displays the character traits specified. The book goes on to show the design process for the entire cast from sidekick, to sweetheart, to thug, to villain. The book hasn't improved my drawing (I think it assumes you have some talent already) but has highlighted why some of my computer characters look out of places alongside others.
Overall delivers very well the narrow brief it describes.
Overall delivers very well the narrow brief it describes.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
55 reviews
62 of 64 people found the following review helpful
Really Shocked By This Book!
14 May 2006
Format:Paperback
I've been a professional Illustrator for 4 years now, and before then an avid student of art. But during all that time, I've bought piles and piles of "How To Draw" books, namely by Christopher Hart. I was in the book store one day and saw this one and almost just bi-passed it as just another amaturise attempt at trying to make a "How to Draw Cartoon" book, the cover being the main turn-off.
In my 8+ years of buying these types of books, this is the first time I was simply astonished by what they were presenting; MOVEMENT!
It is rare that anyone write's these books with any mention on how an artist can try to achieve a sense of force and movement, and that is why I so highly recommend this book. The incoporation of how to apply the knowledge to comic book work was also great, not to mention the fact that Tom Bancroft also had the "Assignements" in the book which gives you a real look into what can go into creating charachters.
From novice to seasoned professional, this truley is a great book!
In my 8+ years of buying these types of books, this is the first time I was simply astonished by what they were presenting; MOVEMENT!
It is rare that anyone write's these books with any mention on how an artist can try to achieve a sense of force and movement, and that is why I so highly recommend this book. The incoporation of how to apply the knowledge to comic book work was also great, not to mention the fact that Tom Bancroft also had the "Assignements" in the book which gives you a real look into what can go into creating charachters.
From novice to seasoned professional, this truley is a great book!
39 of 43 people found the following review helpful
This is the best book you'll find on understanding how character design works.
13 Oct 2006
Format:Paperback
"I'm stumped, all my characters come out looking the same! What am I missing?"
"I'm drawing the same character as Seth, but his pictures are coming out better than mine. Why?"
"Ok, there's been a change of plans and our target audience is no longer going to be for kids in kindergarten but now 11 to 14 year old boys."
"Ok, the client is for a Honda dealership that primarily serves the Mexican market and we need a superhero mascot that appeals to these customers but doesn't turn off the other people who would be buying cars from them."
If you're researching this book chances are that you've already got some experience reading art and animation how-to books or know somebody who has. There are many books on cartooning and animation but there has been a frustrating lack of material that really digs into the meat of the creative process behind character design. Most books fall into categories that either narrowly focus on concept art from specific productions, or they discuss all facets of animation and cartooning and relegate character design to a single chapter and / or style. This book recognizes that educational void and happily is helmed by a man who not only can draw, but can explain the REASONS behind the stylistic choices employed by the best designers out there.
The REASONING is an important point that cannot be stressed highly enough and is what pushes this book beyond just another how-to-draw endeavor and becomes something that should be mandatory study material for anyone involved in the character creation process, from cartoonists, animators, sculptors, and 3D modelers, to storytellers, marketers, and producers. Tom Bancroft explains the esthetics of design appeal and allows you to better understand how your choices affect the audience's psychological response to the character's look. Going further you'll learn how to take that design awareness and modify your efforts to fit a wide range of stylistic applications so that your romanticly-loveable-yet-monstrous-and-scary frankenstein character can be drawn for an action-drama scenario or a slapstick-sendup. You'll still have to figure out for yourself however what the boss means when he asks for you to make your work "more hip and edgy!".
This book is filled to the brim with excellent and inspiring artwork and text which is both easy to comprehend and is satisfyingly complete. When you're finished going over this book I guarantee you'll either have learned something useful or you'll be applauding Bancroft for finally delivering the goods on a topic so many of us love but haven't seen explored to this extent outside of the studio or classroom.
Bravo, Tom, and thank you!
"I'm drawing the same character as Seth, but his pictures are coming out better than mine. Why?"
"Ok, there's been a change of plans and our target audience is no longer going to be for kids in kindergarten but now 11 to 14 year old boys."
"Ok, the client is for a Honda dealership that primarily serves the Mexican market and we need a superhero mascot that appeals to these customers but doesn't turn off the other people who would be buying cars from them."
If you're researching this book chances are that you've already got some experience reading art and animation how-to books or know somebody who has. There are many books on cartooning and animation but there has been a frustrating lack of material that really digs into the meat of the creative process behind character design. Most books fall into categories that either narrowly focus on concept art from specific productions, or they discuss all facets of animation and cartooning and relegate character design to a single chapter and / or style. This book recognizes that educational void and happily is helmed by a man who not only can draw, but can explain the REASONS behind the stylistic choices employed by the best designers out there.
The REASONING is an important point that cannot be stressed highly enough and is what pushes this book beyond just another how-to-draw endeavor and becomes something that should be mandatory study material for anyone involved in the character creation process, from cartoonists, animators, sculptors, and 3D modelers, to storytellers, marketers, and producers. Tom Bancroft explains the esthetics of design appeal and allows you to better understand how your choices affect the audience's psychological response to the character's look. Going further you'll learn how to take that design awareness and modify your efforts to fit a wide range of stylistic applications so that your romanticly-loveable-yet-monstrous-and-scary frankenstein character can be drawn for an action-drama scenario or a slapstick-sendup. You'll still have to figure out for yourself however what the boss means when he asks for you to make your work "more hip and edgy!".
This book is filled to the brim with excellent and inspiring artwork and text which is both easy to comprehend and is satisfyingly complete. When you're finished going over this book I guarantee you'll either have learned something useful or you'll be applauding Bancroft for finally delivering the goods on a topic so many of us love but haven't seen explored to this extent outside of the studio or classroom.
Bravo, Tom, and thank you!
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Not your average "How To Draw" book!!
31 Jan 2006
Format:Paperback
I got a chance to peruse a pre-release copy of this book and I really liked what I saw.
Tom is a former Disney animator and does a great job of breaking down the elements of good character design. What I really like about his book is that it isn't merely a "How to draw like me" book. He teaches principles that anybody can put to use in their own style.
Not only did he ask Rob Corley to write a chapter (his business partner), but he asked several guest artists to submit their interpretations of the same character. Among the guests are Peter deSeve, Mark Henn, Bill Amend and Jack Davis... yes, the Jack Davis. A very diverse collection of styles, yet with one thing in common: they create excellent designs brimming with personality and attitude.
Tom's point in the book is that good character design, regardless of style, comes down to clarity, appeal and knowing your character inside and out.
(Oh, and Glen Keane wrote the forward for some more words of inspiration!)
Tom is a former Disney animator and does a great job of breaking down the elements of good character design. What I really like about his book is that it isn't merely a "How to draw like me" book. He teaches principles that anybody can put to use in their own style.
Not only did he ask Rob Corley to write a chapter (his business partner), but he asked several guest artists to submit their interpretations of the same character. Among the guests are Peter deSeve, Mark Henn, Bill Amend and Jack Davis... yes, the Jack Davis. A very diverse collection of styles, yet with one thing in common: they create excellent designs brimming with personality and attitude.
Tom's point in the book is that good character design, regardless of style, comes down to clarity, appeal and knowing your character inside and out.
(Oh, and Glen Keane wrote the forward for some more words of inspiration!)
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