the art of entertainment is a huge industry that goes far beyond 2d work. Modern animation for movies and games often relies on 3D software to model, render, manipulate, and animate characters.
These jobs are in high demand, but there is also a large supply of applicants. if you are good, you can get in, but you will have to work hard.
You are reading: Books on 3d animation
If you love 3d animation and want to get started, I’ve compiled the top 10 best books for beginner and intermediate animators. These books teach the fundamentals of animation and 3D software from scratch. Regardless of your 3d skill level, I guarantee you’ll find something valuable in this collection.
and if you prefer video tutorials, check out pluralsight’s 3d animation courses. These step-by-step videos detail 3D animation for beginners, and you can even test the waters with a free trial.
animator’s survival kit
No animator can expect to get far without reading The Animator’s Survival Kit. It may seem rude to make this assumption but even professional animators frequently rely on this book.
is by far the best resource on realistic animation techniques. assumes a certain level of knowledge and focuses mainly on 2d animation. but the skills and resources of the book can be easily applied to 3d animation. In fact, the book’s author, Richard Williams, helped Disney with his successful 3D toy story.
You’ll get hundreds of unique diagrams and drawings made to illustrate each point of the book. Through quick tips and exercises, you’ll quickly learn the true values of animation and how these apply universally to 2D and 3D work.
It is a very large book at 342 pages and each chapter contains exceptionally informative tips for aspiring animators. I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough.
If you’re serious about animation, you definitely need a copy of this book on your workstation.
3d animation basics
If you don’t know anything about 3D animation then you should check out 3D Animation Essentials. It’s a brilliant introductory book that holds your hand throughout the entire teaching process.
Feels like a complete curriculum combined into one book made for beginners who need a getting started guide. You’ll learn about the entire 3D production workflow, including pre-production concepts, modeling, animation, rendering, and post-production touch-ups with visual effects work.
Over the course of 350 pages, expert animator andy beane shares the fundamentals of 3d animation from the inside out. is a very accessible book even for beginners who have no idea how to create animation.
Some chapters even include Q&As with animation professors and industry veterans who share their advice on specific topics.
You won’t learn everything by reading this book. however, you will gain all the basic knowledge you need to feel confident in approaching 3d animation as a career.
the essentials of 3d art
With so many different programs available it can be tough knowing where to start. 3D Art Essentials takes software out of the equation by teaching the core 3D skills without any particular program.
You will learn to model characters, create realistic poses, create textures and animate your own shots. these tips focus more on the general procedural angle than specific details. but the author recommends the best programs for each stage, including maya, blender, and zbrush.
Most new animators just don’t understand the pipeline or the terminology. This book will allow you to teach all the most important information without the need for you to learn a certain 3d rendering program.
This is another lengthy 288 page book and well worth a read if you are new to the 3d animation industry.
the art of animation and 3d computer effects
Once you’re ready to get into the nitty-gritty industry techniques then you’ll want a book that delivers on more advanced topics. The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effects is literally a guide on the best tips, techniques, and resources for modern 3D animation.
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Currently in its fourth edition, this book includes advice for animators at all levels of pipeline. Major studio animators offer their tips for you to learn from members of Disney, Pixar, Blue Sky, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, and dozens of other entertainment studios.
I can’t overstate how wonderful this book is. You’ll learn how-to guides for creating realistic animations, visual effects, timing, and modeling characters in poses that blend perfectly with a scene.
You don’t need any 2d art knowledge to immerse yourself in this book. however, it helps if you already have some animation knowledge.
The book comes with over 700 unique diagrams and illustrations that explain every part of the animation process. I’d recommend this primarily for intermediate-level animators, but it can be valuable to anyone with enough tenacity to work on content.
digital modeling
No 3D production is possible without high quality models. The best modelers know their place in the pipeline and it’s crucial that every animator understand this as well.
William Vaughan’s Digital Modeling is the definitive resource guide for animators and aspiring modellers. he will learn all the essential skills for 3d modeling that can be applied to any program like 3ds max, zbrush or maya.
If you like zbrush, I’ve actually covered the best zbrush books that can be helpful along with digital modeling.
this book is 430 pages long and teaches the basics of different programs, why to model, details such as the number of polygons, various types of surfaces, plus a free training video on some techniques in the most popular modeling programs . Later chapters delve into the entertainment industry, sharing tips on how to land a great job.
excellent book for anyone interested in the modeling process and also very useful for aspiring 3d animators.
the complete guide to blender graphics
Blender is one of the premiere programs for 3D rendering.
It’s run by a non-profit company, so it’s a great choice for beginners because you can download it for free.
but learning and mastering blender is a completely different topic. The Complete Guide to Blender Graphics is aimed at newbies who have no idea where to start. the book is just under 600 pages, so it’s really huge.
The author starts with Blender’s GUI and interface features. then delve into the typical 3d workflow using practice exercises to teach you along the way.
You will learn about the different content layers in the rendering process and how to animate your content. the last few chapters cover python scripting and custom plugins to enhance your blender workflow.
This isn’t the only program to learn, but it’s often a great starting point for beginners with little money to spend on their education.
3d animation for beginners using maya
Another champion program in the animation space is Maya. This is huge and it’s used by major companies like Disney, Square-Enix, and even the South Park animation team.
3d animation for beginners using maya teaches how to get started with this amazing program. many users would agree that maya has a steep learning curve and it takes time to nail down the basics, let alone get into more advanced stuff.
also maya can be used for many different purposes, so it is difficult to identify a single correct workflow.
This book is aimed at people specifically interested in 3D animation and reads like a college textbook, mainly because the author is actually a professor at the University of Colorado Boulder.
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I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Anyone who is serious about 3D animation will run into Maya at some point. beginners will have a hard time, but with tenacity they can learn all the great Mayan fundamentals in this book.
However, if you’re just starting out cold with animation, I’d recommend getting a simpler guide, like 3D Animation Basics, in addition to this Mayan book.
the illusion of life: disney animation
If there’s any holy grail of animation it’s The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. This book is wildly popular and for good reason. It teaches all the core principles that made Disney’s movies so great, and what makes the company a titan of industry in the modern era.
You will learn how Disney artists create movies from the first idea and progressing to final production. You will find many timeless hints and tips in these written words. And while this isn’t a how-to book, it can help you learn some animation basics.
many things have changed since the early days of disney. since then the company has abandoned 2d altogether and this leaves a lot of room for 3d animators to enter the industry.
The old masters were brilliant animators and their knowledge applies to modern 3d work as well as 2d work decades ago.
the illusion of life is definitely a book worth reading to get inspired and delve into the process of creative animation. but keep in mind that this is not a 3d tutorial and it won’t inherently make you a great 3d animator.
but it will help you become a more educated and insightful animator.
cracking animation: aardman’s book of 3-d animation
The creators of Wallace and Gromit team up for this incredible 3D stop-motion animation book. Cracking Animation: The Aardman Book of 3-D Animation teaches fundamental techniques for creating your own stop motion animated film.
This book does not cover traditional 3D rendering, but does cover much of the technology used in the Chicken Run movie along with the Wallace and Gromit cartoons. this is valuable for animators who want a greater variety of options for their animation work.
in the updated version of this book you will find extended interviews with other animators and directors who worked on related 3d animated films. share tips and tricks for aspiring animators looking to break into the industry.
This book is part guide and part behind-the-scenes look at the industry. It doesn’t offer strict workflows, but it does teach the fundamentals of 3d animation in a hands-on way.
animation methods – simplified rigging
Lastly we come to one of the best books you can get on rigging for animation. The general process of rigging involves creating a skeleton for your characters so they can be moved easily with animation software.
Animation Methods: Simplified Rigging teaches the basics of character rigging with Maya. you’ll learn everything there is to know about rigging without the fancy technical gibberish.
This is often a difficult topic to tackle, especially for beginners. however, the simplified rigging makes it, well, super easy!
you get clear exercises and instructions to help you understand the correct way to manipulate characters from scratch.
Animators will have to learn to manipulate if they ever want to work in 3d. I highly recommend this book as a starting point because it offers a low barrier to entry with a very simple writing style.
Each book in this publication is incredibly valuable to aspiring animators, but for different reasons. 3d animation has taken the world by storm and the trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down.
for complete beginners i would recommend getting the essentials of 3d animation and maybe a software book like the complete guide to blender graphics. With these two titles you can learn the basic foundational skills and then slowly move on to other books that pique your interest.
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