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So I had been seeing the book Drawn to Life, a collection of lectures by Walt Stanchfield, recommended on a few of the art blogs I follow. I had a giftcard to Barnes and Noble burning a hole in my wallet since Christmas, so yesterday I picked up a copy and took it to Union Square park to read.
This book is amazing!
The main audience is for animators, but it's much more than just that. It's written in plain, straightforward language that makes you go "how come I never thought of it this way?". I have never taken a class in animation before so much of it may be old news to those of you with more training, but it's just brilliant to me.
Not only is is an excellent source of some fundamental lessons for animation and drawing, It's like... a self help book for the stagnant artist. Maybe it's just my current kind of fragile, easily impressionable mental state but it's like this book was written specifically for me right at this moment. I feel like it's basically kicked me in my ass and got me to snap out of it. I know the saying goes "work to live, don't live to work", but as an artist my work IS my life. That can sound sort of melodramatic but it's how I think and live. This book's approach to teaching you is that the most important way to improve your skills as an animator and artist is to improve your skills as an appreciator of the world around you. Not only to be a better artist but a better observer. He says to think of the mind as a dynamo. It generates more energy the more energy it uses. Stagnation only begets more stagnation. Totally obvious, I know. But it's relevant to both your passion for your craft but also for your life. There's even a chapter in here about exercise. In an animation book! The desire to improve, to reach beyond yourself, in all things.
Maybe I am PMSing or something, but I am totally blown away by this book.
I have to go get myself a cheap sketchbook and a ballpoint pen and get sketching ASAP.