A couple of my better pages from last night's session, Photoshopped into vivid purple and orange because bright colors are fun.
Feb 21, 2008
Feb 8, 2008
LIONS FTW
I renew my undying love for PBS nature documentaries.
This one was interesting because I drew it straight on the computer in front of the TV instead of on paper, using that cool ArtRage2 program I found.
...next time I won't save straight to JPEG though, as I don't have control over the compression. It makes the white lines look icky.
Feb 6, 2008
Animation Workshop notes
I took some limited notes from Dylan Brown's presentation yesterday - basically when he said something that I felt "I gotta remember this," I wrote it down. Hopefully it'll have more value for more people than just me, which is why I post. Enjoy!
-----------------------------------
CHARACTER ANIMATION
- key thing to focus on = performance
- character's history/context comes from story
*animators perform it.
*ask "why?" not "how?" a character moves
- each character will have his own style of movement
*examples of Remy be consciously pushed toward rat and away from "little man in rat suit" - for example, he leans forward when he stands or walks and keeps his paws in front of him all the time.
*anatomy informs acting decisions
*action supports character design
- ball/walls metaphor
*you are the ball, moving foward between two walls
*the walls are the limits/ wrong decisions
*you go until you hit a wall (like the Remy-as-Pepe-lePew run) and this bouncing eventually guides you into a straight line that gets you to the end of the tunnel or whatever.
*the purpose of tests is to get things wrong, so you can better figure out what's right. They can help you make informed acting and motion choices in the final scene.
- copying reference is great... as a test. It helps you capture nuances that straight observation won't get you, which is its value. Then you go on to caricaturing it with the stuff that you learned.
- design and animation should keep the characters in the same world.
- the concept of a "gesture box" ...notice this! Examples given were:
*Americans have pretty large gesture boxes; their hands can go everywhere
*French have smaller ones - their hands are more contained but they are very energetic within that little box
*Japanese have an extremely small box up front
*etc.
PRESENTING
- What are a person's gestures telling you about him?
*if nothing, the acting is bad (milking the giant cow, etc.)
*pointing at self is especially bad
- take acting classes
- The character is defined by the way they do or don't move.
- acting = psychology
*characters connecting with each other instead of merely existing in the same space.
- boards =/= acting! The animator's job is to make those story moments sparkle with character
- Remember the idea that "he who moves the least has the most power"
- Spoken lines don't matter. Delivery does.
*try writing out the subtext to get it in your head before animating, as it's the most important part.
*example: Skinner being "nice" to Linguini, while his posture and acting still say he's a bad guy.
- Character Arcs
*over time have continuity
*example: "Colette teaches Linguini to cook" montage:
**status change...
**Colette goes from dominant to equal, hard to soft
**Linguini goes from submissive to equal, afraid to confident
*don't think of your scene on its own! It has to fit with the others.
- Other things to remember:
*counterbalancing: when your arm goes out, your hips go back, etc.
*study live action for "acting" rather than animation
**why do they choose to do what they do?
*Why is the shot there? What is its purpose in the film?
*watch people in real life and see what they do
*don't be afraid to do what will teach you
*traditional drawing/animation requires you to think more about what you're doing - that's its value even when you're going to do 3D
Things Dylan Likes to See
- your personality shining through (animate something with soul)
- sincerity of performance
- take risks now while we're still students
-----------------------------------
CHARACTER ANIMATION
- key thing to focus on = performance
- character's history/context comes from story
*animators perform it.
*ask "why?" not "how?" a character moves
- each character will have his own style of movement
*examples of Remy be consciously pushed toward rat and away from "little man in rat suit" - for example, he leans forward when he stands or walks and keeps his paws in front of him all the time.
*anatomy informs acting decisions
*action supports character design
- ball/walls metaphor
*you are the ball, moving foward between two walls
*the walls are the limits/ wrong decisions
*you go until you hit a wall (like the Remy-as-Pepe-lePew run) and this bouncing eventually guides you into a straight line that gets you to the end of the tunnel or whatever.
*the purpose of tests is to get things wrong, so you can better figure out what's right. They can help you make informed acting and motion choices in the final scene.
- copying reference is great... as a test. It helps you capture nuances that straight observation won't get you, which is its value. Then you go on to caricaturing it with the stuff that you learned.
- design and animation should keep the characters in the same world.
- the concept of a "gesture box" ...notice this! Examples given were:
*Americans have pretty large gesture boxes; their hands can go everywhere
*French have smaller ones - their hands are more contained but they are very energetic within that little box
*Japanese have an extremely small box up front
*etc.
PRESENTING
- What are a person's gestures telling you about him?
*if nothing, the acting is bad (milking the giant cow, etc.)
*pointing at self is especially bad
- take acting classes
- The character is defined by the way they do or don't move.
- acting = psychology
*characters connecting with each other instead of merely existing in the same space.
- boards =/= acting! The animator's job is to make those story moments sparkle with character
- Remember the idea that "he who moves the least has the most power"
- Spoken lines don't matter. Delivery does.
*try writing out the subtext to get it in your head before animating, as it's the most important part.
*example: Skinner being "nice" to Linguini, while his posture and acting still say he's a bad guy.
- Character Arcs
*over time have continuity
*example: "Colette teaches Linguini to cook" montage:
**status change...
**Colette goes from dominant to equal, hard to soft
**Linguini goes from submissive to equal, afraid to confident
*don't think of your scene on its own! It has to fit with the others.
- Other things to remember:
*counterbalancing: when your arm goes out, your hips go back, etc.
*study live action for "acting" rather than animation
**why do they choose to do what they do?
*Why is the shot there? What is its purpose in the film?
*watch people in real life and see what they do
*don't be afraid to do what will teach you
*traditional drawing/animation requires you to think more about what you're doing - that's its value even when you're going to do 3D
Things Dylan Likes to See
- your personality shining through (animate something with soul)
- sincerity of performance
- take risks now while we're still students
Jan 29, 2008
some environment paintings
I managed not to make it to our film class today, so these are probably irrelevant now. Hence, me posting 'em here rather than on the film blog.
Pity... I'm getting a little better at this, if slowly. The program I found and did these in is pretty cool too.
Jan 18, 2008
Mountain place
Usually on paintchatty things I get way too slaphappy to do anything worth looking at. Kinda wish I'd worked a little bigger on this one.Jan 14, 2008
January Journey
On the way home I was also itching for something to do (after all, it took three separate flights to get back), so I wrote a visual journal entry of sorts, projecting everything onto Ravan because griffins are fun to draw.
December Airport Gestures
Jan 9, 2008
Dec 29, 2007
Character Design Final
Yay characters! Karu is still my favorite, even if I did get the humans kinda close to matching his style. And the lion demon is cool too.
And at least I actually spent time on these backgrounds, even if I still suck at 'em.
As for the story behind these, here's how it goes:Paye is a young man who lives in a nomadic herding tribe in Africa, content to do his part as a member of his tribe. His best friend and pet is a perky little cheetah named Karu, raised from cubhood. His people allow this, but are not entirely happy with the arrangement – after all, cheetahs are predators and known to hunt the flocks the tribe survives on.
The time comes to move the herds to better grazing ground, but soon afterward, some of the livestock starts disappearing… two or three animals a night. By themselves they aren’t great tragedies, but things like this add up fast and the tribe depends on their herds for survival. It isn’t long before Paye is approached by the chief (Kitok), who tells him the tribe blames Karu for the lost animals and that he’s got to go. Paye refuses, and while Kitok is sympathetic, his hands are tied. The only way Paye can take the blame off his pet is to prove that something else has been killing their herd animals. And thus begins his journey… where he finds that there is in fact a witch at fault. Her name is Imamba and she can summon animal demons, using them to possess predators which she sics on the herd.
Paye demands to know why she is attacking his people - she claims this part of the grasslands as her own and is infuriated that the nomadic tribe has brought their herds to graze here. Paye tries to reason with her, saying that the earth belongs to no one person. The argument escalates until Paye loses his cool, threatening Imamba with war, now that he knows where she lives… she will have none of this and possesses Karu with a demon. The climax of the story, then, is Paye’s moment of decision – he has to figure out how to avoid getting killed and save his tribe’s livelihood… without having to hurt his beloved friend.
BIOGRAPHIES:
Paye (hero) – young warrior, generally helpful to his people and gentle to Karu. He’s a decent enough sort, but not excessively mild and definitely not a pushover. He also has the tendency to get a little arrogant and will definitely become belligerent if pressed. His threat to the witch is an example of this, and he immediately regrets it when she reacts on his feline friend. Despite his faults, Paye’s heart is in the right place and he’s up to any challenge if it’s for a noble cause.
Karu (comic sidekick)– two-year-old cheetah and Paye’s constant companion. If cheetahs had middle names, Karu’s would probably be “Fun.” He loves to play and hunt for his master, and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. As he is an animal, Karu never speaks in a human tongue, but as many pet owners are, Paye is familiar with Karu’s grunts, trills, growls, and chirps… and can interpret his general emotions well enough. Not like Karu makes it hard to begin with.
Kitok (misc: mentor figure)– The chief of Paye’s tribe. He is a just man with some eccentricities, but all in all a strong and wise leader for his people. He has nothing against Karu and probably doesn’t think he’s responsible for the livestock deaths, but he has to be concerned with the wishes of his tribe as a whole. After all, he plays no favorites.
Imamba (villain)– a solitary woman who needs nobody to get along just fine. Imamba found her own tribe life as a young girl trying and was probably hurt by someone in those early days, souring her views of community life. She has a very strong sense of pride and is quick to squish those who bruise it or try her patience otherwise. The demons are merely her weapons against those that would invade her personal space, and also her way of hunting food without a tribe to support her.
The time comes to move the herds to better grazing ground, but soon afterward, some of the livestock starts disappearing… two or three animals a night. By themselves they aren’t great tragedies, but things like this add up fast and the tribe depends on their herds for survival. It isn’t long before Paye is approached by the chief (Kitok), who tells him the tribe blames Karu for the lost animals and that he’s got to go. Paye refuses, and while Kitok is sympathetic, his hands are tied. The only way Paye can take the blame off his pet is to prove that something else has been killing their herd animals. And thus begins his journey… where he finds that there is in fact a witch at fault. Her name is Imamba and she can summon animal demons, using them to possess predators which she sics on the herd.
Paye demands to know why she is attacking his people - she claims this part of the grasslands as her own and is infuriated that the nomadic tribe has brought their herds to graze here. Paye tries to reason with her, saying that the earth belongs to no one person. The argument escalates until Paye loses his cool, threatening Imamba with war, now that he knows where she lives… she will have none of this and possesses Karu with a demon. The climax of the story, then, is Paye’s moment of decision – he has to figure out how to avoid getting killed and save his tribe’s livelihood… without having to hurt his beloved friend.
BIOGRAPHIES:
Paye (hero) – young warrior, generally helpful to his people and gentle to Karu. He’s a decent enough sort, but not excessively mild and definitely not a pushover. He also has the tendency to get a little arrogant and will definitely become belligerent if pressed. His threat to the witch is an example of this, and he immediately regrets it when she reacts on his feline friend. Despite his faults, Paye’s heart is in the right place and he’s up to any challenge if it’s for a noble cause.
Karu (comic sidekick)– two-year-old cheetah and Paye’s constant companion. If cheetahs had middle names, Karu’s would probably be “Fun.” He loves to play and hunt for his master, and doesn’t have a mean bone in his body. As he is an animal, Karu never speaks in a human tongue, but as many pet owners are, Paye is familiar with Karu’s grunts, trills, growls, and chirps… and can interpret his general emotions well enough. Not like Karu makes it hard to begin with.
Kitok (misc: mentor figure)– The chief of Paye’s tribe. He is a just man with some eccentricities, but all in all a strong and wise leader for his people. He has nothing against Karu and probably doesn’t think he’s responsible for the livestock deaths, but he has to be concerned with the wishes of his tribe as a whole. After all, he plays no favorites.
Imamba (villain)– a solitary woman who needs nobody to get along just fine. Imamba found her own tribe life as a young girl trying and was probably hurt by someone in those early days, souring her views of community life. She has a very strong sense of pride and is quick to squish those who bruise it or try her patience otherwise. The demons are merely her weapons against those that would invade her personal space, and also her way of hunting food without a tribe to support her.
Dec 9, 2007
Levi running, WIP
(click on the picture for the amazing low-quality video)I think I might be almost there! Just gotta work out a little more stiffness... maybe try to liven up those eyes a bit.
Dec 7, 2007
Possible Final character?
I've avoided leaning on my "cat crutch" all semester, and dangit I want to have a cat for my final character lineup. I figure so long as I don't do it the standard Rachel-way I should be OK. As far as the direction my ideas are going, this fella would be the comic animal sidekick. I like the way his neck/head are right now... more exploring to be done for sure.
Nov 28, 2007
Nov 15, 2007
This week's gestures + creepy bison
I used my tablet this week, trying to keep it fresh. Not as good as I hoped (more of the same, really) but it was cool to change up the method a bit.
I liked how this guy came out, though I was able to put him down so easily I worry that I'm subconsciously stealing some design. I guess at least that means he doesn't look too much like Rachel Style, so that's an accomplishment.
Nov 9, 2007
Wednesday's gestures
I kept doing the same old sketchy thing week after week, so I tried something different this time. Turned out OK, I think.
Nov 7, 2007
Some early Cats
So everyone and their dog knows that I love cats - both the little fuzzballs themselves and the act of drawing them. Common sense dictates that I should stay away from using Cats as one of my categories for the next character design assignment, but I kinda want to take the challenge and see if I can draw a cat that I wouldn't normally draw otherwise. Maybe I'll do 4 drawings and mix the cat if it's too obvious.
So these were some warm-up designs, where I played around with different ways of approaching felines. Some are more effective than others, I think.
So these were some warm-up designs, where I played around with different ways of approaching felines. Some are more effective than others, I think.
Oct 27, 2007
some Dogs
Hopefully I can get some good critique on this before just picking one I like and crashing and burning as a result. :)I'm mostly worried about them being too obviously my style. I know it's pretty obvious on a few of these, but on others I really tried to keep myself out of it. That's going to be the hardest part of this assignment for me.
Oct 25, 2007
Rough concepts for hero and villainess
The non-stereotypical hero. Non-stereotypical because it looks like you could impale him on a toothpick. Or something equally unpleasant and ridiculously easy. Not his fault someone chucked him a sword, kicked him out the door, and ordered him to go save the world.
And for my stereotypical villainess... hopefully the fact that she's ethnic doesn't kill the stereotype too much. She does have evil demons at her beck and call... I think those are somewhat standard in the evildoers' world. She'll be a little sexy too, if I can manage that.Best gestures from this week's funtime session
I was using a Col-erase pencil at first and sucking hard... and then I switched to a standard liquid ink pen and my drawings suddenly got a lot better. Weird.
Oct 22, 2007
Fun Gestures + a caricature
Basically, this outfit ruled. I definitely need to go to these gesture sessions more often, for the honage of my skills besides the whole "hooray for drawing buddies" thing.
Also, I like that my random weapon of choice was a purple ballpoint pen.
In other news, the more I think about it the more I'm sure I should have turned this guy in for the caricature assignment.
Oct 11, 2007
Classmate caricatures
I don't think I'm pushing these even remotely close enough, so no doubt there will be more to come. :)
I think I like Jake's "angry face" the most.
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