Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 38
 Excellent book on animation May 21, 2009
AnarchyJim (san francisco, CA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There is just a wealth of information here for budding and experienced animators. Even with so much of animation being done digitally, understanding the traditional way of doing things is important. For storyboards if nothing else.
Excellent material here that is probably worth a year of classes at one of the 'art' schools.
 Excellent book for the budding artist/animator! May 21, 2009
Bryan Barrow (Santa Cruz, CA USA)
This is a great book for the budding artist or animator, presenting master classes as taught to Disney animators in the 70's & 80's. The classes go into great detail on facial expressions, hands, walking, etc. This book contains some vintage images of classic Disney production animation art, which is why it interested me, but not enough to recommend to the average Disney or animation fan- this book is geared primarily to the artist.
Amazing Series of Art Lessons From Disney's Other Walt - Highly Recommended! May 21, 2009
CFH (Blue Ridge Summit, PA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This wonderful collection of Walt Stanchfield's drawing lessons is one of the happiest "finds" I have come across in a long time!
While originally geared to Disney animators, the lessons are useful to almost anyone wanting to learn (or improve) character drawing. I have taken several years of art lessons, and putter around at both pencil and computer art, but it was clear right from the first few chapters that Walt's style was going to change the way I approached some of my drawing. The easiest way to sum up the style presented in this book is "doing more with less". Looking at the emotion and action Walt was able to suggest with just a few simple lines is truly impressive.
The book consists of 149 short chapters, each covering a particular area of drawing and often containing enjoyable and insightful narratives relative to the lessons. This makes the book enjoyable reading even for those who are not interested in drawing this kind of art.
An interesting, educational, and entertaining book! Highly Recommended. The second volume is also available: Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes, Volume 2: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures
Great for artists, wannabe artists, and animation film buffs May 14, 2009
M. Stewart (Texas, USA)
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is a collection of class notes from on-the-job animation classes given by one of the legends of animation, Walt Stanchfield. The notes are largely unedited, so this isn't really a "how-to" on becoming an animation artist; rather it is really a book of ideas on how to enhance your ability to draw, especially work for animation. But any animation film buff will find it interesting; and actually the book is very interesting for all. The author has an easy-going style, and he is quite entertaining.
The book is grouped into general topics, but due to the nature of these being class notes, there is some repetition of some of the subjects, and it isn't designed as a complete course coverage of "how to be an animation artist" but rather "OK this week we are going to talk about lighting." There are a lot of interesting things mentioned about what made Disney animation films groundbreaking. One nice thing about the random nature of the book; you can just pick it up and jump around in it; read a few pages here, then some pages there.
Just a warning; of the hundreds of sketches included, a few of them the artist forgot to sketch clothes on the person being sketched. Being a book about Disney animation that was disappointing. I guess I'll sketch some clothes for them.
Disney's Other Walt May 14, 2009
Karen Joan (Texas)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
DRAWN TO LIFE: 20 GOLDEN YEARS OF DISNEY MASTER CLASSES, VOLUME 1: THE WALT STANCHFIELD LECTURES is a beautiful book for animation students, artists, and admirers alike. This book works on many levels: as series of artistic master classes, as an historical record of Disney animation, and as pure entertainment for fans of Walt's work. A fascinating read, DRAWN TO LIFE chronicles the career and legacy of Walt Stanchfield, the man who inspired and influenced Disney animators for over 30 years.
Walt Stanchfield began working for the Walt Disney Studios in the early 1950s. Almost everyone is familiar with his work. Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, 101 Dalmatians, and The Jungle Book are just a few of the great Disney films that bear his mark. DRAWN TO LIFE contains the teachings, lectures, and notes that he imparted to the likes of Tim Burton, John Lasseter, and many other animators during his reign at Disney. Filled with amazing sketches, drawings, and even how-tos, this text is an important document for any aspiring animator, and it is both easy and fun to read. Walt's experience and insight into the techniques of animation are priceless.
I am by no means an artist, but I found DRAWN TO LIFE to be interesting, enjoyable, and educational. This book is very inspirational; after reading it, I feel like I could pick a pencil and draw a recognizable figure. Clearly, DRAWN TO LIFE: 20 GOLDEN YEARS OF DISNEY MASTER CLASSES, VOLUME 1: THE WALT STANCHFIELD LECTURES is a must have for anyone interested in art and animation.
Showing reviews 21-25 of 38
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