This is not a book for animation fans, it's a book for animators explaining how to do it. I first saw it mentioned in Byte magazine in the 1980s because they thought it gave insight into user interface design.
- What (the subject: portrait, human figure, landscape, animals,...)
- How (the medium: Drawing, painting, digital painting,...)
- Why (the objective: Study, doodling, full piece, Technical, illustrations,..)
The what is mostly a bunch of rules about anatomy, poses, perspectives, best practices...
The how is where you learn the concept of edges, values, color palettes, etc.., as well as the specificity of each medium.
The why is mostly tips and techniques.
What and How is your best bet for starting. Animation is kinda a why. So select one subject (portraint and figure drawing are really complicated), then learn the basics of one medium (I'd go with pencil). And then learn about it.
Most books focus on the subjects. The books about How generally assumes you have practiced a lot and are looking for better approach.
What I currently have on my bookshelf are:
- Figure Drawing - Design and Invention, Michael Hampton: The author also post on Youtube
- How to Render, Scott Robenson, Thomas Bertling
- How To Draw, Scott Robenson, Thomas Bertling
- Imaginative Realism, James Gurney
- Color and Light, James Gurney
- The Artist's Complete Guide to Facial Expression, Gary Faigin
- Classic Human Anatomy, Valerie Winslow
- Bridgman's Complete Guide to Drawing from Life
And a few others
- Anatomy For Sculptors, Uldis Zarins
- Anatomy of Facial Expression, Uldis Zarins
- Figure Drawing for All It's Worth, Andrew Loomis: It may be free
- Force, Michael D. Mattesi