Entertainment...maybe Educational.....NOT!
OK so watch this short clip of a guy drawing at his lightbox and then we will talk.Seems like a nice friendly guy and he can draw pretty good hey? But there is an issue here that as a teacher I am constantly at war with. This clip is a piece of entertainment, its function is to promote the product. As such its a great idea, and is replicated in many of the making of "doco's" that are standard fair with any DVD releases these days. Its fun to watch and we get to see how amazing the artist is, wondering at their mind blowing "illustration" skills.
The problem is that this bears absolutely no similarity to how traditional animators actually work. An animation drawing has to...... Click HERE to continue reading.:
Student addendum: by Frank: 'Caught red handed!'
and check out the banner illustration
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Related post: Walter Lantz can be educational!
17 comments:
The 1st thing I noticed when i watched that was the fact that there was no sound. I was expecting a guy doing a little sketch drawing on how he does something, kinda like your tutorials and all I got was him making an artwork.
Even though I've only just started animating, I already can't be bothered to make anything really detailed. I mean I got a tad annoyed at drawing a lollipop tree after a while, let alone a proper looking tree with little bits of leaves fall of it and everything.
If i want to make a nice, gorgeous, detailed artwork I wait till I get home and do some of my own drawings for the fun of it (speaking of drawings, I finally got over my artblock! HORRAH!)
I shall impress the people on DeviantArt with my ability to colour and I shall impress you with my understanding of timing in animation ^___^
Maybe some people are still used to having to make a nice piece of artwork like they used to in art classes instead of doing rough pieces?
Its not just that he draws detail. Its that he draws the detail FIRST?!??!?
There are so many other things that need to come before any detail.
Maybe he was cleaning up key frames?
Oh my, look at the time. And it's raining. And I'm probably the only one awake to hear it. And I wonder if I would hear a falling tree in the forest. It's an over caffienated philosophy thing.
AW, c'mon now Ian, a bit harsh on the artist, maybe?
I just watched the film.
It's a stop mo' with live action elements. I don't think it's a "how to animate" tute.
It is what it is: a film.
But, I know what you mean about the illusion of working cleaned up. I think a better example would be Mel Blanc at the end of Woody Woodpecker cartoons? Or may be a Disney promotional still.
Anyway, the artist is from Perth, WA and he's got an animation disc. I thought I was going to be lonely when I went back to the old country. Not so, it seems.
Argh, I got that wrong.
There are no animators in Perth!
The artist in the clip is Dave Zaboski and he's in California.
He's a fine arts artist illustrator. He makes no claims to being an animmation craftsperson.
http://www.davezaboski.com/
I reckon fire a rocket at Mel (and Good Morning Austalia the frauds*). And everybody work rough!
*Not the animator who was coerced by wolf smiling, yummy smelling, brodcast producers.
Frank did you even read what I wrote?
It went like, "Seems like a nice friendly guy and he can draw pretty good hey?"
I have nothing against the artist, its the phenominon of using the artist as a marketing tool and not telling the whole truth about what that person dose that bugs me. Even then I admitted it works for marketing purposes, it just happens to screw things up in the minds of the would be animation student.
No more late night commenting for there Mr not paying very much attention but still commenting anyway! :)
hahah ease up people. I think we all gotta lay off the coffee for a while.
Although he does seem like a bit of a poser. If we all knew why he made this video, then we could give him a proper evaluation.
If he was just showing off his illustration skillz then he's being a royal douche for using a lightbox. And if he's trying to show us his step by step guide for cleanup drawings, then he's either really skilled with an amazing nack for getting things right the first time, or he's an uneducated animator. And something tell's me he's no cartoon prodigy.
Hahaha poor guy, either way he's screwed.
Or perhaps he wasn't expecting such an anal retentive audience. ^_^ and I'm looking at all of us.
I'd also like to point out that even the greats can fall victem to vanity "Ian and his facial expressions on his keyframes"
*music starts*
Ian, you're so vain... You probably think this comment is about you. ^_^
Kidding!. OH! I hope you've got a backup plan for maya expiring. Just as I'm getting into it, BAM it's about to stop working for us all.
Yep, I read the post and watched the film. That's the reason for the GMA reference (the story about the animator having to draw a lion).
They just seem a bit disparate to me.
That's why I use the Woody Woodpecker reference as a suggested example of the "illusion" that animation is not built on a pile of rough exploratory drawings.
I still think the illustrator/artist guy, Dave Z, made a stop mo' film and that he's not the best example to illustrate the point about working rough.
I'll go look for another example of the illusion. I'm sure I've seen plenty of promotional photos where the 'animator' is at the light box with a beautiful drawing pinned under his nib.
Mitch I like your comments
I agree with absolutely everybody. Love, Terry
The guy is fine. I have nothing against the guy! He is probably a really nice guy!
REALLY NICE!
This is a post about students, about how easy it is to get the wrong impression. You need to keep in mind why things are made and filter what you can learn accordingly.
I don't put up posts about anyone I don't like, or of work I don't like. I like a happy blog :)
Just trying to help the learnin is all, coming across this video refreshed the isssue in my mind.
(Mitch you don't need to worry about Frank and I, he likes to rattle my cage and I'm probably more entertaining when I'm rattled. We are good mates always I would say:)
That's not what Frank told me the other day, Ian.
MREOW!
i like potatoes...:-)
Whos stiring this time :)
Potatoes?
Lol, well I think the guy is a little strange for using his lightbox for drawing an illustration. It's like showing off his bling.
My own oppinion. Lol, its alright Ian, you don't seem like the bitchy type. I can't imagine you finding someone on the internet you don't like... and then talk about how wrong they are for half an hour..
THATS MY JOB!
rWhat's with this 'Lol'?
I don't see her name on the class lists.
Is she related to 'Lull'?
I am certain and immobile in my resolve that Lol is an acronym for "Little Old Lady".
Yes, Ian is so correct, I like to agitate his beaker of animation passion chemicals, because the resultant reaction oft brings surprising, enlightening and educational results.
And, Mitch, as you will already know, the only peacemaker on this blog is the one packed by Harry.
Hey my 'tricky' word to type in is 'fouoxqoc'. Can any Lord of the Rings nerds enlighten me as to it's meaning in battle dwarfish?
Apologies to the descendents and estate of Mel Blanc (the WB voice). Luckily Jane wasn't reading the posts as my Animation history mark would have been lead weighted. (I claim sleep deprivation!)
I meant to frame Walter Lantz as the culprit. And I did, in Ian's original post, which I have hacked, with a picture*, 'caught red handed'.
*or two
Next to him, in picture, is Animation Mentor animator Jason Ryan working rough on a Cintq? screen. I think that's the way I see animators now. (But we should still be dressing up in sharp 1950's suits.)
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