While some rigging books focus too much on the theory of rigging and provide little instruction; others do the exact opposite and offer no reasoning behind the button-pushing. The Essential Introduction to Maya Character Rigging, 2nd Edition, however, offers a perfect balance.

Cheryl Briggs (formerly Cabrera) is an award winning animated short film director and has advised and guided aspiring animators, game artists, and visual effects artists for 20 years. Since 2009, Cheryl has been teaching all aspects of production in the Character Animation specialization in the School of Visual Arts and Design at the University of Central Florida. She also taught as Professor of Animation at the Savannah College of Art and Design from 2001 to 2009. Cheryl is currently on the Board of Directors for the Animation Hall of Fame is a member of SIGGRAPH, ASIFA-Hollywood, Women in Animation, Women in Film and Television, and the Society for Animation Studies.

Cheryl is also an Autodesk Certified Professional and an Autodesk Certified Instructor in Maya; Author of An Essential Introduction to Maya Character Rigging (2008, Focal Press), Reel Success: Creating Demo Reels and Animation Portfolios (2013, Focal Press), and Animating Short Stories: Narrative Techniques and Visual Design (2019, Bloomsbury Academic).

Cheryl holds a B.A. and M.Ed. in Education and an M.F.A. in Computer Art with a specialization in 3D Animation. She is a digital artist and animator that blends the lines between digital imagery and the traditional painting medium. She has participated is numerous group and solo exhibitions in the US and her works are featured is several private collections. Her award-winning students have been featured in animation festivals worldwide, and many have gone on to work within the entertainment industry.

Introduction 1

Chapter 1: Skeleton Setup 11

Chapter 2: Control Rig Setup 41

Chapter 3: Bipedal Legs and Feet 75

Chapter 4: Bipedal Spine and Neck 103

Chapter 5: Bipedal Arms and Hands 143

Chapter 6: Quadruped Legs and Feet 193

Chapter 7: Quadruped Spine and Neck 261

Chapter 8: Head 305

Chapter 9: Facial Rigging 335

Chapter 10: Props 379

Chapter 11: Wrapping Up the Setup 393

Chapter 12: Skinning Your Character 415