Simplified Drawing for Planning Animation

Simplified Drawing for Planning Animation by Wayne Gilbert is a practical 41-page PDF workbook for animators. It explains how to use clear, informative thumbnail sketches to plan animation before starting the final work. This digital edition is available for instant download after purchase.

Whatever medium you animate in, computer, pencil and paper, stop motion, or cut outs, the fastest way to plan your animation is with simple, informative sketches. The book focuses on communicating the idea behind the drawing rather than decorating it with detail. That makes it a useful companion for planning animated scenes, shots, and character movement.

Book Overview: Simplified Drawing for Planning Animation

This workbook is built around three main areas: geometric shapes and perspective, simplified human anatomy and caricatured anatomy, and posing your character while planning animation. The author recommends reading the material first, then practicing warm-ups, drawing shapes in perspective, learning the body’s simplified shapes, and finally applying those skills to character pose and animated scene planning.

The intended reader is an animator or animation student working in any medium. The workbook also quotes the authors of The Illusion of Life, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, on spending half of your time planning a scene and half animating it.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• How to build a character’s design from a few simple lines and shapes
• Warm-up exercises and geometric shapes in perspective
• Simplified human anatomy and cartooned human anatomy
• Posing your character with action and acting in mind
• How to show force, weight, path of action, squash, stretch, and drag in drawings
• Why research and acting out reference material strengthen your planning drawings

Why This Book Matters

The workbook draws on animation history, including the professional development sessions held at the Walt Disney Studio in 1937 and led by Don Graham. It presents drawing as a way to capture the intangible 4th dimension of force, especially through the principle of action versus acting.

By simplifying the human body into clear shapes and lines, the book helps animators show why a character moves, not just how. That makes it a focused resource for anyone who wants to strengthen their planning drawings before animating.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital download, so no physical item will be shipped. After purchase, you can access the PDF immediately and read it on supported devices.

The file is compatible with desktop computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, and appropriate Kindle apps or reading apps. Use the device that is most comfortable for your drawing and planning workflow.

FAQ

How do I get access to the workbook?
After purchase, the PDF is available instantly as a digital download.

Will I receive a physical copy?
No. This is a digital product only, and no physical copy is shipped.

What formats are supported?
This edition is a PDF, and it can be opened with compatible Kindle apps, tablets, desktop software, or mobile readers.

Download Simplified Drawing for Planning Animation to build a clearer, more informative drawing practice for planning your animation.

Verified Bibliographic Details