Cartoon Animation

Cartoon Animation by Preston Blair is a practical guide to traditional animation. This digital edition is provided as a PDF, and you can download it instantly after purchase. It is written for artists who want to bring their drawings to life.

The book begins with drawing fundamentals and moves through character construction, movement, dialogue, and technical production. It treats animation as both art and craft, combining drawing skills with acting, timing, and film knowledge.

Book Overview

In Cartoon Animation, animator Preston Blair shares the working methods used by professional cartoon studios. The book explains how to create believable characters by understanding proportion, personality types, and construction. It then shows how to plan movement, time actions, stage scenes, and add dialogue using phonetics.

Blair draws on his own studio experience, including his work as an animator and designer on Red Hot Riding Hood in the Tex Avery shorts. He wrote the book for students, cartoonists, illustrators, and anyone interested in the animation process.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• How to develop original cartoon characters using shape, proportion, and personality types
• How to construct figures from circular forms and use the line of action to create attitude
• How to time character actions so they fit the speed of the film
• How to animate dialogue, including knowledge of phonetics for mouth movement
• How the animation camera, staging, and screenwriting elements affect the final scene
• How to study the gestures and expressions that make a character feel alive

Why This Book Matters

Cartoon Animation preserves the fundamentals of an American art form. Preston Blair worked in classic theatrical shorts and later in television, producing educational films and half-hour cartoon episodes including The Flintstones. His guidance connects drawing practice to the broader craft of animation.

For readers interested in illustration, cartooning, or film, this book offers a clear view of how animation was taught and practiced in the studio era.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital download, so there is no physical shipping. After your purchase, you can access the PDF immediately. It works with Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and most PDF reading applications.

FAQ

When will I receive the book? You can download the PDF immediately after purchase.

Will a physical copy be shipped? No, this is a digital-only product.

What devices can I use? The PDF can be read on tablets, phones, computers, and e-reader apps that support PDF files.

Add Cartoon Animation to your digital library and start studying the techniques used by professional animators.