MY BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS Back to tutorial index This list hasn't been updated for quite some years now, and I doubt I will do an update anytime soon. Instead of reading books on 3D, these days it's much better to check out some of the tutorial dvd's that are available. I particularily recommend the 3ds max tutorial dvd's from CG Academy, they are very educational and feature excellent tutors. And if you need some books for inspiration, I suggest going to Amazon and searching for "Art of"-books on the most recent animated features. You can't go wrong with that :) I've compiled a list of books that I think will be useful for other artists. No matter how great video or web tutorials are, I still prefer books for reference and practical use. The books on this list have been immensely useful for me, and I hope you find something you like. By shopping from these links you will also be supporting my personal projects, so thank you very much. Living in Europe? Click here! The links will be switched from Amazon.com to Amazon.co.uk. Books related to 3D and compositing: Mel Scripting for Maya Animators: A very nice introduction to scripting in Maya, with practical examples guiding you through progressively more advanced tasks. You learn how to control particles, program your own rigs and how to make a simple crowd system. Complete Maya Programming: This book slightly overlaps the one above, but this will give you a more broad introduction to programming and Mel scripting. For the more advanced of you, one third of the book is dedicated to programming C++ plugins for Maya. Inspired 3D Character Setup: A very detailed book on rigging characters, written by industry professionals. It's Maya-centric, but I have applied the techniques in this book to 3ds Max without problem. I see there is an Inspired Advanced Rigging and Deformations book out now, should be worth a look. Inspired 3D Modelling and Texture Mapping: A book from the same series as the above, but this one teaches building and texturing models. Again, what makes this series so great is that it's written by real professionals, they're just so much better than the books I learnt from ten years ago. Art and Science of Digital Compositing: A huge reference on all aspects of putting together images seamlessly. Contains every bit of information a compositor might look for, with examples from classic VFX films. Digital Compositing for Film and Video: While the above book will give you all the theory, this will show you how to put it to practical use. Between the two, you should have all the compositing weapons you need. You even learn how to create your own keyers and despillers. Cool fact: The author is a former Atari employee, and created 'Sesame Street Cookie Monster Munch' among other games! Books about animation and drawing: The Illusion Of Life: This is THE bible for anyone interested in animation, and it was the book that inspired me to move into film. Even though it's focusing on the Disney style of animation, it should be on every animators desk. You learn all the animation principles, together with layout, story, sound, acting and much more - and you learn it from the two of the best craftsmen drawn animation ever had. I own three editions of this book, just to be sure. Treasures of Disney Animation Art: A companion to The Illustion Of Life, this book has full scale stills from the classic Disney features and shorts. It's full of animation drawings, layouts and finished background. A great study. Unfortunately it's been out of print for some time. Peoplewatching: A guide to human gestures and behaviour. Why do we react the way we do to strangers, how can you tell that someone is lying? This book will learn you the more subconcious things people, and is a wonderfol resource when you're animating characters. The Animator's Survival Kit: A great book by Richard Williams, based on his famous animation lectures. Although I disagree at times with his occasional formulaic approach, this is probably the best practical animation book ever written. The text is wonderful, a goldmine of information and advice. The Human Figure in Motion: Thousands of sequential images documenting different human motions or actions. The photos were taken over a hundred years ago, and they're still the best resource on human motion you can find. Animals in Motion: Same as above, only with animals. Animation - 2D and Beyond: Survey of different animation styles, with presentations of different animators and projects. It's a great visual inspiration. Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist: This is the best anatomy book I've found so far. Gives you a good run-through of every bone and muscle in the body, and has chapters on the difference in human anatomy across continents. Drawing the Head and Figure: A great little book on how to draw humans. Learns you how to draw every single body part from different angles, both through structural analysis and using some nice tricks. Books on photography, lighting and surfaces: Cinematography Screencraft Series): Biographies, interviews and case studies of some of the top Directors of Photography. A rare view into the minds of some of the most talented people in film today. Production Design & Art Direction (Screencraft Series): From the same series as the book above, but this book talks to some of the best art directors and production designers in film. Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs: There are so many great and inspiring books on photography. I feel I should mention this one, because it's written by Ansel Adams, one of the pioneers of photography, and details how he produced forty of his photos. The Stanley Kubrick Archives: Kubrick was a successful photographer before working in the movies, and this mammoth book is full of huge stills from his films. It's perfect for anyone who want to study the images of this perfectionist. Fashion Shots (Pro-lighting): Incredibly useful book on studio and location lighting for fashion shoots. All examples have technical diagrams that you can imitate in your 3D software. Check out the other books in the series as well. Surfaces - Visual Research for Artists, Architects and Designers: The title says it all. A huge book with stills of over a thousand different surfaces. Originally for theatre designers, but highly valuable for 3D artists. Say you need to illustrate concrete, just open up the concrete chapter and start browsing for the exact surface you want. Natural Surfaces: As above, but while the first book concentrates on man-made surfaces, this one is about surfaces in nature. The Invisible Art: This is a book on matte painting, covering the artform chronologically and by the most prominent artists. If you think Sin City or Sky Captain was groundbreaking, this book shows you that Hitchcock worked similarily - only fifty years earlier. I include this as a photo book, because of the important lesson this book gives you: Photos are only a starting point, if you know how to draw or if you know compositing, you can create anything you imagine. Books for inspiration: Star Wars Chronicles: Don't trust a 3D-modeler who isn't a fan of Star Wars. This is the ultimate in Star Wars research and inspiration, with 315 pages in A3 format shock full of photos and illustrations. I love it! The Art of Star Wars - Episode 1: Wonderful artwork from the conceptual artists behind the new Star Wars films. Check also the book for Attack of the Clones, which might be the best art book from the new trilogy. Schiele: One of my favourite artists, this guy was a genius of line and stylization. I have many books on him, but I picked this one because it's so cheap. Ron Mueck at the National Gallery: Former special effects model-maker turned sculptor, Mueck creates the most lifelike and thought-provoking sculptures since the great classics, a modern Michelangelo or Bernini. Mythology - The DC Comics Art of Alex Ross: Great and timeless superhero artwork from the hands of a master. Superman was the great hero of my childhood, and nobody draws Superman as majestic as Alex Ross. Hellboy - Right Hand of Doom: All of the Hellboy series are fantastic, but I find this one a touch above the others. This has a perfect collection of short stories, full of great mood and drawings. And it starts with pancakes! Jim Henson: A true genius, whose mission was to make the world a better place. Here you can read all about The Muppets, Fraggle Rock, The Labyrinth, Dark Crystal, Storyteller and the rest of his more or less known work. Pictoplasma: The greatest collection of character designs I know of. Although it mostly covers modern and slightly trendy characters, it's still hugely inspirational. All the images on this website are (c) copyrighted Rune Spaans and their respective owners. Any use of the materials on this site other than for private, non-commercial viewing purposes is strictly prohibited. If you want to use some of these images for promotional or editorial reasons, please contact me.