Going Further

Take an art class, if you have the time. Many community colleges offer reasonably priced classes that meet in the evenings. Look for classes in figure drawing, art history, or art appreciation. These classes can hone your sense of color and design and possibly spark ideas about how to approach new problems as you encounter them. Several schools specializing in teaching 3D animation are located around the country and around the world. Alias|Wavefront, the creator of Maya, also offers classes and listings for other areas where classes are being formed.

Request the books listed in the "Bibliography" section from your library. For hard-to-find books, most libraries offer interlibrary loans.

Bibliography

Art Books

The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression, by Gary Faigin. Watson-Guptill, 1990. ISBN: 0823016285.

Atlas of Facial Expression: An Account of Facial Expression for Artists, Actors, and Writers, by Stephen Rogers Peck. Oxford University Press (Trade), 1990. ISBN: 0195063228.

Dynamic Figure Drawing, by Burne Hogarth. Watson-Guptill, 1996. ISBN: 0823015777.

Dynamic Light and Shade, by Burne Hogarth. Watson-Guptill, 1991. ISBN: 0823015815.

Dynamic Wrinkles and Drapery, by Burne Hogarth. Watson-Guptill, 1995. ISBN: 0823015874.

The Human Figure in Motion, by Eadweard Muybridge. Dover, 1989 (orig. published in 1887). ISBN: 0486202046.

Art History and Appreciation

Arts and Ideas, by William Fleming. HBJ College & School Division, 1997. ISBN: 0155011049.

History of Art, by H. W. Janson and Anthony F. Janson. Harry N. Abrams, 2001. ISBN: 0810934469.

Learning to Look at Paintings, by Mary Acton. Routledge, 1997. ISBN: 0415148901.

Creativity and Visual Psychology

Color, Environment, & Human Response, by Frank H. Mahnke and Rudolf H. Mahnke. John Wiley & Sons, 1996. ISBN: 0471286672.

Conceptual Blockbusting: A Guide to Better Ideas, by James L. Adams. Perseus Press, 1990. ISBN: 0201550865.

The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards. J. P. Tarcher, 1999. ISBN: 0874774241.

Ways of Seeing, by John Berger. Viking Press, 1995. ISBN: 0140135154.

Film Direction

[digital] Cinematography & Directing, by Dan Ablan. New Riders Publishing, 2003. ISBN: 0735712581.

Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics, by Michael P. Rabiger. Focal Press, 1996. ISBN: 0240802233.

Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen, by Steven D. Katz. Focal Press, 1991. ISBN: 0941188108.

Lighting

Digital Lighting & Rendering, by Jeremy Birn. New Riders Publishing, 2000. ISBN: 1562059548.

Light Fantastic: The Art and Design of Stage Lighting, by Max Keller and Johannes Weiss. Prestel Publishing, 2000. ISBN: 3791321625.

A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting, by Steven Louis Shelley. Focal Press, 1999. ISBN: 0240803531.

Set Design and Interior Design

Colour Art and Science (The Darwin College Lectures), by Trevor Lamb and Janine Bourriau (eds.). Cambridge University Press, 1995. ISBN: 0521499631.

Living Colors: The Definitive Guide to Color Palettes Through the Ages, by Margaret Walch and Augustine Hope. Chronicle Books, 1995. ISBN: 0811805581.

3D and Computer Graphics

3D Graphics and Animation, by Mark Giambruno. New Riders Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 0735712433.

The Art of Maya, by T. Hawken et al. Alias|Wavefront Education, 2000. ISBN: 0968572510.

The Art and Science of Digital Compositing, by Ron Brinkmann. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, 1999. ISBN: 0121339602.

The Art of Visual Effects: Interviews on the Tools of the Trade, by Pauline B. Rogers. Focal Press, 1999. ISBN: 0240803752.

[digital] Character Animation 2, by George Maestri. New Riders Publishing, 1999. ISBN: 1562059300.

Inside Maya 5, by M. Adams et al. New Riders Publishing, 2003. ISBN: 0735712530.

[digital] Texturing and Painting, by Owen Demers. New Riders Publishing, 2001. ISBN: 0735709181.