Recommended Books, DVD's & Soundtracks, For Continued Learning and Inspiration ::
After the classroom meets on the last day, one way your education continues is through books & DVD's. Below are a list of books and DVD's that I have used to learn technique and to stay inspired. Also are a list of soudtracks that I often use in class that are fun to work to.

The links are provided if you wish to add it to your collection.


INSPIRATION ::
These books feature works of artists that inspire me as a painter and animator.

Burt Silverman : Sight and Insight
A collection of paintings from one of my favorite painters. Study his work for his accuracy in likeness, use of color, paint quality, and draughtsmanship.


 John Asaro
John Asaro is a phenomenal painter. You'll be inspired by his compositions and limited watercolor palette. His oil paintings are also inspiring. My favorites are his ballet paintings.
Michael Whelan
An incredible science fiction and fantasy illustrator, master draughtsman and painter. Michael still serves as a source of inspiration and excellence. Students love when I present his work, and I encourage them to see how he uses color roughs as a guide before starting a painting.

 Richard Schmid
One of the best books on painting I've ever read. If you pick it up, be sure you do the color board exercise. It'll train you to see and mix color. His paintings and drawings displayed in the book are beautiful.

Detailed write up will be coming shortly.
John Singer Sargent by Carl Ratcliffe

My favorite artist of all time. When you see an artist you like, study his works and emulate what you like in your own work. Learn as much as you can about that artist and let them serve as a standard for you. If you don't have one yet, check this guy.
 John Singer Sargent, The Early Portraits
by Richard Ormand

As far as portraiture goes, Sargent has been my standard. There were many portraits in this book that I had never seen before, and each is catalogued in detail. A simple source of inspiration that I refer to often.
The Society of Illustrators Annual
Features some the best and brightest illustrators in the industry. Keep this is a resource for reference and to stay on top of how digital and traditional media is being used in the field of illustration.

 The Art of the Hunchback of Notre Dame
A great book with beautiful examples of layout design, also one of my favorite animations.
The Art of Mulan
Large shapes of color and select detail characterize the layouts of this beautiful film. Its also one of my favorites. Study it for color, composition and mood. 		The Art of Monsters Inc.
Study this book for excellent examples of character and layout design from one of the most popular Pixar films ever made. A must have if you are a character or conceptual artist.
The Art of Finding Nemo
Look at this for character design, but pay particular attention to how the artists use color to convey mood. Their mastery of emotion and facial expressions are also great
. 		The Art of The Incredibles
My favorite Pixar film. The most interesting thing to note about this book is its use of traditional illustration for conceptual work. There take on a futuristic 60's retro is interesting and well executed
.
The Art of Prince of Egypt
by Dreamworks This showcases some of the best use color I've seen in layout design ...masterfully done. 		The Art of Star Wars Episode I
Any of these books should easily be part of your collection. It features character and environment designs by Ian McCaig and Doug Chiang.
The Art of Star Wars Episode II
Attack of the Clones. Many of the designs featured in this book were done in the Corel Painter Program.		 The Art of Star Wars Episode IV
A New Hope. This features some of the first production illustrations by Ralph McQuarrie for the original Star Wars. Still a marvel to see and study.
The Art of Star Wars Episode V
The Empire Strikes Back. My favorite of the series for its opening sequence on Hoth. 		The Art of Star Wars Episode VI
The Return of the Jedi. Features artwork by Joe Johnston. Study also the storyboard sequences spread throughout the text.


Research & Inspiration ::



ANIMATION

The Illusion of Life
Ollie Johnston
A must have for any anmation student. It gets into detail about the nuances of the animation process and its history that were developed by Disney in the 1930's.
Maya 7: Visual Quickstart Guide
These books are great for teaching software because they use a visual approach to presenting the material.

Tasks are easy to find and simple to follow. When I'm on Maya, this guy is right next to me.
Learning Maya 7
The exercises in this book are great. They continue to build on one another until a project is complete. This is another one I chose for its use of visuals to illustrate procedure..

 Cartoon Animation
A simple easy to read text that introduces you to the basics of cartoon animation and the "the principles" that every animator should know.
3D Short Film Production
Jeremy Cantor

This text is essential if you want information about creating your own independent short. Covered are the important aspects of character des., timing and even marketing your film.
 Exploring Drawing for Animationn
Steve Missal

One of the very few books that tie life drawing into animation. Some of topics discussed are anatomy (my favorite part in the entire book), character design and sequential posing.



DRAWING & PAINTING ::
Being able to draw and paint realistically is an essential. Keep your pencils sharp, a sketchbook ready at all times and get to work. Let the paint flow. The books below will keep you on the right path.


Drawing ::
Anthony Ryder: Complete Guide to Figure Drawing
The book is excellent in how to approach contour and in building values to establish form. Pay attention to the sensitivity he has when he draws ...very inspiring.

 The Art Spirit
Robert Henri

If you are ever uninspired as an artist, pick up this book, open it to any page and start reading. You'll get out of your slump quickly. Recorded in this book are Henri's class lectures from the late 1880's to early1900's about drawing, painting and composition. The advice is relevant today. One to definately have for your library. Its small too, so you can carry it with you anywhere.
Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain
A must read for anyone wanting to learn how to draw. Do the recommended exercises and your work will change. Most important, she teaches you to see how an artist sees. This is requred text if you are enrolled in my classes.		 Glenn Vilppu Drawing Manual
One of my life drawing instructors. The approach I teach in class is based off of this book and his teachings

If you do it correctly, and if you practice, you'll speed up your drawing, an important skill if you are an animator.
Drawing & Perspective Handbook
James D'Amelio
This book is excellent for its casual way of sharing what would otherwise be a technically daunting subject. You'll love the light hearted illustrations he uses for demonstrations.

 John Vanderpoel: The Human Figure
This book is hard to read if you are a beginner. Once you've gotten used to a process, and after you've studied anatomy, the text will make sense. the illustrations in this book are beautiful and he's good at describing how anatomy connects.
Sargent : Male Nudes
An awesome collection of Sargent life drawings. Study this book for his expression of gesture, accuracy and form.


 Anatomy for the Artist
This book has been in print for quite some time and is part of a many artists' book collections. I refer to it often when I teach life drawing. If you get it, look at the skeletal drawings in posese that were done without reference...amazing.


Painting ::
Oil Painting Techniques
by Harold Speed

 A pretty nice book describing the nuances of palette organization, brushes and how to begin a painting through blockins. The text is easy to read, however it feels like it would be better for intermediate students.

Greg Kreutz : Problem Solving for Oil Painters
by Greg Kreutz

The set up of the book is unique, it almost acts as a trouble shooting manual for your paintings. You learn a lot about how to manipulate paint to get what you want and the examples that he uses are masterfully executed.
Proven Techniques for Creating Great Art
by Dan McCaw

This is a great book for beginniners. It breaks down the painting/drawing process into a simple and clear to understand way. The illustrations that he uses are also pretty inspiring. For the basics on the craft, get this book.		 Fill Your Paintings With Light & Color
by Kevin McPherson

Great book that breaks down the landscape painting process step by step. The section on color is explained well and simple to remember in the field.

Research & Inspiration ::



Recommended DVD's
Below is a short list of DVD's that I play for my classes. We review the "special features" and study them for their storytelling, storyboarding and commentaries. These are also the DVD's that I just can't get rid of because of they're entertainment and inspirational value.
Batman Begins: 2 Disc Special Edition

Perhaps the best Batman movie to date. The special features get into the creation of Gotham, production design and even the martial arts used in the film.



 The Batman Vs. Dracula:

An interesting take on the crossover between these two famous characters. The "special features" covers this. You'll also see Joker as a vampire with fangs ... now thats creepy.
Conan the Barbarian
The movie tha made Arnold famous. Great characters in a great adventure. James Earl Jones is also great in this picture.

 Chuck Jones Extremes & InBetweens :
This DVD makes me want to make my animations better. Chuck Jones' take on developing characters are invaluable and timely. You'll also see commentaries on his work by Ron Howard and Jon Laseter.
Final Fantasy VII, Advent Children
Great shots, angles and animation. A great example of how CG & Maya can push limits in ways that live action cannot.

King Kong, 2 Disc Special Edtion
The production diaries documenting the 30+ week creation process is incredible and serves as valuable learning.
Star Wars Trilogy
Check the making of documentaries on Disc 4 for some history and the events that transpired during the creation of the origicanl Star Wars.

SOUNDTRACKS
A selection of music soundtracks that I like to play while everyone is working in class. They set a nice tone for work to be done. The important thing is that nobody complains, the music is universal and inspirational.
Conan the Barbarian

An excellent fantasy adventure soundtrack that has a great variety of sounds to work to. If you are fans of the film and remember how cool it was to watch the film for the first time, then this is for you. I listen to it often, especially when driving.

The Incredibles

I like the 60's "Spy" movie feel that this soundtrack has. Its a lot of fun to listen to and is easily recognizeable.
IMAX -The Living Sea :
Sting

This soundtrack features music created by Sting for this IMAX film. There's a great variety of music that represents the many personalities of the sea. The music features new age contemporary jazz, calypso and reggae and I find the pieces to be relaxing and meditative.

 The Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring :
Howard Shore

Of the trilogy, this is still my favorite. The soundtrack is bold, exciting and has many soft melodies that make for interesting work music.




More Research & Inspiration ::