PRESTON BLAIR
How to Animate Film Cartoons (1980)
original published drawings
pencil on 15″ x 22″ and 15.5″ x 15″ paper assembled from smaller sheets, image sizes: 14″ x 20.25″ and 15″ x 22″
These eleven (11) lively drawings of a running and falling Elf were created by Preston Blair as an illustration for his animation instruction books published by Warren T. Foster. It was published on page 6 of How to Animate Film Cartoons (1980) and later on pages 135 and 135 of Cartoon Animation (1994). In both books it was titled “Straight-Ahead and Rhythm Animation.” The individual drawings were executed on individual sheets of paper that were taped and glued into place for publication.
Preston Blair began his career in animation with Walter Lantz and Charles Mintz in the 1930s before joining The Walt Disney Studios later in that decade. He animated characters for Fantasia (notably Mickey Mouse and Hyacinth Hippo) and also worked on Pinocchio(1940) and Bambi (1942). After the 1941 strike he left Disney for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer where he joined Fred “Tex” Avery’s unit. He is famed for his animation of the sexy nightclub star Red in six of Tex Avery’s M-G-M cartoons. In the 1960s he animated at Hanna-Barbera on The Flintstones and in subsequent years was involved in the development and production of animated films and commercials.
Mr. Blair authored a number of art and animation instruction books published by Walter T. Foster. The first, Advanced Animation, was published in 1947 and revised several times into the 1990s. The 1980 edition was titled How to Animate Film Cartoons. His Cartoon Animation and Animation 1 remain in print today.
This original work is from the estate of Preston Blair. Our certificate of authenticity is included.