Animation is such a delicate craft, and mastering world-class animation technique is so elusive. The nuts and bolts can be passed along with brute force, but the true artisans typically emerge after careful tutoring at the feet of the masters. Don Hahn, who produced Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, understands this process, and on April 9th the release of volumes one and two of his book series will help artists down that path. Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes contain Walt Stanchfield’s copious animation notes that were mostly intended for the artists he helped train at Walt Disney Animation Studios. His student roster included names like Brad Bird, John Lasseter, Don Bluth and the mighty Glen Keane. According to Keane, Stanchfield would say “Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. We all have 10,000 bad drawings in us so the sooner you get them out the better!” Great advice.

Leo Brode had originally compiled these notes and offered them for free in PDF form, but now that Stanchfield’s widow Dee and Hahn have released the two books, he has pulled them off his server. Here’s a teaser for the Focal Press book series, narrated by Don Hahn.