Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 26-30 of 38
 Long live Walt Stanchfield May 12, 2009
Mary K. Quaife (Oak Park, CA United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is the Real Deal! As a student and admirer of Walt Stanchfield I will attest to the depth of Walt's material, and to the way he inspires artists to reach for new heights of excellence.
I remember, at a wrap party in the early nineties, imploring of Peter Sneider to publish the Stanchfield notes. He said "It will never happen."
Thanks Don, and to the Stanchfield family for more animation magic!
Every page a gem May 10, 2009
Ernest Friedman-Hill (Gaithersburg, MD United States)
This is a wonderful book that works on many levels: as drawing lessons for animators, of course, but also as a historical document, and as a fascinating glimpse at sketches and unfinished drawings from many classic Disney animated features. Stanchfield's thoughts on drawing are unusual, original, and thought-provoking, and they'll help you learn to be a better artist no matter what your speciality.
There are a few spots where an editor's notes could have added a lot to the main text; explaining the identity of various mysterious personages, for example. It's also a shame that the many sketches from the author's original notes couldn't have been reproduced more clearly.
 Great instruction, and not just for animators May 6, 2009
C. Huddleston
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This big, gorgeously laid-out book is a gem instruction for artists who like to draw. Stanchfield was a Disney animator for many years, and he really understands how to convey life and motion in a drawing, whether it's intended for an animation camera or not. His knowledge of anatomy, movement and expression shine through and are an inspiration on every page of this book. He gives little details about things that I never thought about when approaching a drawing. Some of it is obviously geared toward the animator, but all of the instruction is easily adaptable to regular drawing.
The book is organized into a series of themes ("Gesture", "Seeing," etc.), with short chapters for each theme. Each chapter is accompanied by the artist's wonderful sketches, and the tone of the instruction is straightforward,conversational and encouraging. It doesn't have to be read in order, you can skip around and read little bits and pieces of it. I find it helpful to read 2-3 chapters a day just to inspire me and to remember what he had to say. He really makes you want to grab a pencil and draw.
Highly recommended -- the only thing I wish is that they would have said what will be in volume two -- I can't wait for that!
Historic and practical value May 6, 2009
Steven Larsen (Philadelphia, USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I know little of the personalities and figures involved behind the scenes in the animation world, but it is obvious that Mr. Stanchfield has had much influence throughtout the field. Browsing through this book, it will remind you of many other drawing books on the market, probably because many of todays authors learned from Stanchfield.
The book is a series of short chapters, each drawn form the lectures of Stanchfield. They don't seem to be ordered specifically for following chapter 1 to the end. I have been soending a few moments each day randomly reading a chapter or two and applying what I learn to my work.
The lessons are of course, mostly about gesture and how to add life to drawings, but other themes come up as well, some of them show the author's understanding of the artist's psychology.
No matter how many other drawing books you have, I strongly reccomend this one. Keep it on your desktop and pick it up whenever you have some spare time.
It's a wealth of information and insight into drawing, animation and observation May 5, 2009
Parka (Singapore)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R348HGD04UHQUM Drawn to Life is a collection of lectures from long-time Disney animator Walt Stanchfield. He has worked for Disney since the 1950s.
There are two volumes, each with over 400 pages. The reason for two volumes is probably to make the books easier to handle. Both are on gesture and life drawing, even though the cover art might suggest otherwise, especially the one with the lion. You can start reading from any book and any lecture. The order isn't important.
There are plenty of essays in the books. Each is a lesson relating to drawing and animation. It can be tangent drawings, creating believable characters, learning to observe, understanding gestures, etc. There are tips on almost anything relating to drawing. Loose and sketchy sketches serves as examples to the lessons.
These books are more thinking than drawing technique books. For example, the lessons are not about how to draw perspective, the lessons are about how to use perspective. You can view sample pages for volume one and volume two on amazon.com to get an idea.
The books represent a tremendous wealth of information and insight into drawing, animation and observation. After all, Walt Stanchfield has more than 50 years of experience in animation.
This book is recommended to those who are into animation and drawing.
There are more pictures of the book on my blog. Just visit my Amazon profile for the link.
Showing reviews 26-30 of 38
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