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Cool tools really work.
A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted.
Papertoy Monsters: 50 Cool Papertoys You Can Make Yourself! by Brian Castleforte (author) and Robert James (illustrator) Workman Publishing Company 2010, 124 pages, 8.6 x 11 x 0.9 inches (softcover)
As a child, I often viewed school as an evil creature that could be temporarily subdued only by sickness, weekends, government holidays, and art/craft Fridays. Among my favorite Friday activities were the various papertoys that I got to color, cut out, and assemble. Some were mechanical, some were static, some would have a specific purpose, and some would just be neat little creatures to play with. But, they all had the same feature that I found so intriguing: they were three-dimensional toys born from a single sheet of two-dimensional paper. Three decades later, I can finally relive those fond childhood memories as well as share them with my nephews.
Papertoy Monsters is a collection of 50 monster designs by 24 papertoy artists from around the globe including the author, Brian Castleforte. Building one of these monsters is pretty straightforward, and the only required tool is some glue. The author recommends some other tools, but glue is really all that is required. Inspiring mad scientists have it so easy nowadays.
Every monster is printed on both sides, so the finished toy has colorful graphics inside and out. Pieces are perforated for easy punch-out, and pre-scored for easy folding. Even the slots are pre-cut for easy assembly (no dangerous X-Acto knives to contend with). Construction difficulties range from easy to advanced, and are recommended for everyone nine years or older … but, my six-year-old nephew gets a kick out of them, too.
With 24 artists, there is a wide variety of monster styles and designs ranging from strange and cute to creepy and bizarre. In fact, just choosing which monster to build is a tough choice. As if that wasn’t enough, there are ten additional blank templates that allow you to design, color, and build your own monsters. Decisions, decisions! Papertoy Monsters is a young mad scientist’s dream. It’s a portable laboratory with enough body parts to create an entire army of fiendish and friendly monsters whenever the mood strikes; no grave robbing required. – Robert Nava
THE ANIMATOR’S SURVIVAL KIT: A MANUAL OF METHODS, PRINCIPLES AND FORMULAS
The Animator’s Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Forumlas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion, and Internet Animators by Richard Williams Farrar, Straus, and Giroux 2012, 392 pages, 9.4 x 10.9 x 1 inches
In middle school, I was absolutely certain that I wanted to be a Disney animator … until life threw me a curve ball right after high school. Now, I’m a papercraft artist. But, I still love animation, and I keep learning what I can.
Richard Williams, the director of animation for Who Framed Roger Rabbit, has spent his entire career learning from the best classic animators from the Golden Age of animation. He has taken all that he has learned and boiled it down to the simplest and fastest way of doing things. This allows animation to become second nature, freeing the animator to focus on the performance and actions of the characters.
The Animator’s Survival Kit focuses mainly on traditional hand-drawn animation, but the methods and principles work no matter what tools are used. They work because they are the core principles of all animation. Whether it’s CG, stop motion, or computer games, all can benefit greatly from this well of knowledge. The book is very friendly, filled with energetic hand-drawn illustrations and handwritten text; the pages look like excerpts from an artist’s sketchbook. Williams provides examples for everything from timing and spacing to dialogue, acting, and directing. In most cases, there are creative step-by-step drawings to illustrate Williams’ points. There are also wonderful quotes and anecdotes from his decades of collaborations and friendships with animators.
Whether you’re an aspiring animator or just interested in the genre, The Animator’s Survival Kit provides a fun and highly informative insight into traditional animation. And, the knowledge can be applied to many of today’s animation styles, and is practically future-proof. Although my edition of this book is out of print – and therefore a bit pricey – the edition linked above is an affordable, updated edition that has been expanded to include more on “animal action, invention and realism, with sophisticated animation examples.” – Robert Nava
Books That Belong On Paper first appeared on the web as Wink Books and was edited by Carla Sinclair.Sign up here to get the issues a week early in your inbox.
