Synopses & Reviews
[back cover]
3D Toons shows you how to master cartoon 3D graphics and animation
Read the history of traditional and 3D cartoons. Discover how 3D Toons are put together. Learn the conventions, styles, and characters that populate the 3D cartoon world. Develop your own cartoons and characters, from original concept to a basic working model. Understand the secrets of modeling, texturing and rigging cartoon characters. Learn how to breathe life into your 3D Toons by creating characters that walk, talk, and move in ways that convey mood and emotion. Shoot your 3D Toons, using lighting, composition, and the secrets of the cinema to create professional quality stills and shorts. Explore different 3D Toon styles and see how traditional animation techniques still have a place in the digital world. Browse the 3D Toon Gallery, a showcase of the best in 3D toons, with thoughts and advice from the artists who created them.
[flap copy]
A new breed of animation is grabbing headlines. From Toy Story through Shrek to The Incredibles, 3D cartoons are becoming the hottest thing in Hollywood, and they’re also taking over TV. While big-name feature films take years and cost millions to make, amateurs with talent and imagination can take part in this exciting new art form. Using a standard PC and the right 3D software, small studios and independent artists are making their own 3D toons—and here’s the book that shows how you too can join them.
Its authors—successful professionals with over a decade of experience in the field—reveal the secrets of how 3D characters and sets are brought to life in cartoons, graphic novels, and computer-animated short films. Even if you’re a newcomer, you’ll benefit from their clear, non-technical discussions of body and facial design, texturing, rigging, lighting, and posing. Beautifully illustrated spreads take you from the first steps to the final work. A gallery section showcases new and innovative work from leaders on the independent animation scene, making 3D Toons an eye-opening read for any artist on the cutting edge.
Go behind the secrets of today’s hottest digital art formUnderstand the techniques underlying 3D cartoons and animation Design, build, and animate 3D cartoons and comics by following the authors’ practical guidelines Learn as you analyze this book’s high-quality reproductions of the best in 3D cartoon art
[back flap]
About the authors:
Steve Anzovin is the CEO of Anzovin Studio, a computer-generated character animation services company he cofounded in 2000 with his son, Raf Anzovin. Steve also founded and manages Anzovin Studio’s publishing arm, which develops commercial software tools and CD-ROM-based training materials for animators. Raf Anzovin is the cofounder and creative director of Anzovin Studio.
Synopsis
3D animation is today's hottest art form, and here's the perfect training manual to get 3D artists started! Both experienced artists and newcomers to 3D can discover the secrets behind creating fully dimensional characters for comics, web toons, graphic novels, and computer-animated short films. This book will also appeal to collectors, comics enthusiasts, and others who simply appreciate great cartoon art and want to know more about how it is created. The authors show how claymation and other traditional animation media can be given fresh life by using digital techniques. They also instruct with clear, non-technical explanations focusing on body and facial design, texturing, rigging, lighting, posing, and other aspects of building digital characters in 3D. Illustrated spreads graphically demonstrate how to conceive characters and scenes, then develop them into a finished narrative work. A gallery section showcases recent creations of some of today's leading 3D artists. Approximately 400 illustrations in full color.
About the Author
Steve Anzovin is cofounder of Anzovin Studio, a character animation services company, which also develops commerical software tools and CD-ROM-based training materials for animators. Raf Anzovin, with his brother Steve, is cofounder of Anzovin Studios.