Our Verdict
Less about Maya and more about the fundamentals of getting your cartoon characters moving, this book is essential for animators who want to give their work that extra boost.
For
- Full of advice
- Not too Maya-specific
- Helpful breakdowns
- Industry insights
Against
- No actual software training
Why you can trust Creative Bloq
Mastering 3D software and creating show-stopping 3D art is no easy feat. The big leap with Cartoon Character Animation with Maya is that Keith Osborn trusts you're already using the software. While this book is steeped in its author's 10 years' experience animating movies, it does so with theory, insights and advice. If you've made your lovable character but failed to make him or her move, this book will share ways to do so.
To that end, you don't need to be a Maya pro to get a lot from the book; indeed the advice presented here can be applicable to most CG animation software, but when it does touch on specifics, such as managing the Graph Editor and testing your pose, it's done so in a clean and informed way.
Insider insights
It's in the more general insights and animation techniques where the book comes alive, backed by some great examples and interviews as Osborn ropes in industry friends such as Matt Williams (The Princess and the Frog), Ricardo Jost Resende (Nut Job) and Jason Figliozzi (Wreck-it Ralph) to bolster the wealth of advice.
If you're looking for a dry, step-by-step approach to solving your Maya-specific dramas then this book isn't for you, but if you want to brush up on your core techniques and theory, and learn why your animations aren't moving with flexibility and invention, it's a must-have.
Cartoon Character Animation with Maya
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out of 10
Less about Maya and more about the fundamentals of getting your cartoon characters moving, this book is essential for animators who want to give their work that extra boost.
Ian Dean is Editor, Digital Arts & 3D at Creative Bloq, and the former editor of many leading magazines. These titles included ImagineFX, 3D World and video game titles Play and Official PlayStation Magazine. Ian launched Xbox magazine X360 and edited PlayStation World. For Creative Bloq, Ian combines his experiences to bring the latest news on digital art, VFX and video games and tech, and in his spare time he doodles in Procreate, ArtRage, and Rebelle while finding time to play Xbox and PS5.