How to Draw Manga: Making Anime

Rating:
Summary: 'Making Anime' is a great book!
Review: This book has wonderful easy to understand instructions on everything from creating cels to perspective and finishing.

Rating:
Summary: anime
Review: this book is a great reference for anyone interested in making anime!

Rating:
Summary: An excellent, excellent book!
Review: This book is an unprecendented step-by-step guide for the making of (Japanese-style) cel animation. Nowhere else, even in American books (and have I looked at a few!) are the complete procedures for animation wrapped up so tightly or professionally.

Reasons I recommend the book:
1) Besides being immensely clear in its text (a fine, strong translation, unlike some others in this How to Draw Manga series), this book has pictoral examples accompanying every principle about layout, perspective, depicting emotion, staging, anticipation, realistic lines of motion, and so on.
2) The *complete* start-to-finish process is covered -- rather than just the animation and inbetweening bit, on which most other books focus; even aspects of animation such as tracing/inking, coloring/painting, visual and lighting effects, background design and execution are covered magnificently.
3) Typical amateur work is scrutinized for common mistakes and is corrected by professionals, for an indirect application of techniques covered.

When our local Anime Club decided to make a cel-animated film of our own, this book proved immensely useful. For additional animation techniques and advice, I also recommend "The Animator's Survival Kit" by Richard Williams and "The Illusion of Life" by Ollie Frank and Johnson Thomas.