Set the Action! Creating Backgrounds for Compelling Storytelling in Animation, Comics, and Games

Teaching the visual arts can be difficult. One can tell when a drawing looks right , but to effectively explain underlying foundations of why , especially to a student or novice is quite the undertaking. This is where Elvin Hernandez thrives.a But most importantly, Hernandez has fun with his teaching.a His up-beat personality and tongue-in cheek sense of humor shine through in every drawing, making Set the Action! a must-have for any artist who puts pencil to paper. Jesse Cowan, Author- Little Wolf With such an abundance of material on character design, a book on staging has been sorely needed. Set the Action! is the missing piece in any visual storyteller's toolkit! Danny Araya Insightful, beautifully drawn and cleverly written. aElvin Hernandez puts the spotlight on the undervalued (and overlooked!) techniques for the use of the Background in dynamic storytelling. aA great read! -Brian Muelhaupt, 2D Animation Director Elvin Hernandez easily manages to walk the line between informative lecture and engaging conversation. His understanding of the importance of setting and space in visual media is easily conveyed and immediately understood. Witty and informative, Elvin Hernandez's Set The Action! isn't just a book that you have to read, it's a book that you want to read. John Griffin, Professor of Media Art and Animation, The Art Institute of Washington Mr. Hernandez, a wonderful artist and storyteller, has been able to put his talents together in this book to generously explain not only the history of perspective and the importance of it to making scenes and backgrounds work, but he has laid it out in a way that reads well, and will appeal to both the novice and the experienced artist. -Charl Anne Brew, Professor of Visual Effects & Motion Graphics, The Art Institute of Washington