Composition for the 21st ½ century: Image-Making for Animation focuses on composition and its technical and artistic application in animation, illustration, games, and films. It covers all aspects of design and discusses in detail their artistic applicability and impact on image and narrative. Emphasis is placed on the ability of each aspect to support and affect the narrative. Additional case studies explain the successful use of these concepts in films and animation. This book is geared toward students; however, it is also reader-friendly for professionals. Composition for the 21st ½ century: Image-Making for Animation’s goal is to comprehend composition as an artistic tool and as a significant part of the professional image-making process.

• Teaches the complexity of composition in image-making.
• Closes the gap between praxis and theory in animation.
• Explains how to produce images that support the narrative in their visuals.
• Discusses the need for artistic reasoning in image-making.
• Presents case studies that assist the reader in understanding the process as they progress through this book.

For more than twenty years, Thomas Paul Thesen’s career has been about learning and understanding the complexities of art, animation, and image-making, both in still illustration, drawing, and photography, and in the moving image. He has worked in the industry as a character animator and visual development artist for companies such as Pixar, DreamWorks, and Sprite Animation Studios. He has also taught for many years at universities across Asia, the USA, and the UK.