From his days working under the Nine Old Men and creating layout for Disney classics like Aladdin and Hercules to more than a decade of teaching animation to the rising generation at CalArts, Dan Hansen has accumulated a lifetime of knowledge and is sharing it with you in Unlocking Animation Layout. Acting as your personal mentor, Hansen walks you through all of the elements of design and layout you’ll need to become a successful layout artist. Each chapter discusses a new concept using actual layout drawings from real films, includes a list of film examples of the idea in action, and offers an assignment that, once completed, can become part of your portfolio.

While other books get in depth about the technical aspects of perspective or animation pipeline, they won’t bring you any closer to becoming a better artist. But Unlocking Animation Layout does just that, focusing on the design and art skills you’ll need to affect the viewer’s experience and help the director tell the story. Packed with information you won’t find anywhere else, this book is an invaluable resource for students and professionals who are interested in improving their animation layout skills.

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