[BOOK] Thinking Animation - Bridging the Gap Between 2D and CGI

"2D has a kind of freedom that is difficult to reproduce in CG. In 2D, the artist can draw what he/she wants. He can make use of squash and stretch techniques that are easy to draw in 2D but hard to duplicate in CG. In CG you are bound to physical restrictions. You can only work on an enclosed, controlled environment. Facial in a character is probably the hardest thing to duplicate in CG, In 2D, the artist usually deforms the face in ways that are physically impossible." 

Thinking Animation is a book which explains how animators of today can utilize techniques of traditional animators and incorporate them with computer generated animation. This book is useful for me as it gives explanations of the ups and downs of both Hand-drawn animation and CGI, while also explaining the history of the field of animation. It delves into the studios of today and compares them to studios of the twentieth century and also has interviews with a variety of animators from various backgrounds of animation. One of the most useful things about this book for me is that it compares the box office for 2d animation to CGI animation and how well they each did from 1994 - 2005. Overall this is a fantastic book with lots of useful information, which will help me over the course of my Masters.




Jones, A. and Oliff, J. (2007). Thinking animation. Boston, MA: Thomson Course Technology.