Williams, R.W.2009. The Animator's Survival Kit. Faber and Faber Limited.
Popular
Source:Book
"Do you act the same way with your wife/husband/lover as when a traffic cop pulls you over? Or with the bank manager? Or with your children? with your boss? With co-workers? Friend? with your subordinates? Your enemies?
We're acting roles all the time, dependant on the situation we're in and we know it. We trot out the personality appropriate to whats required in our situation.
Theres: The Authoritarian
The Child
The Student
The Responsible Adult
The Lover
The Friend
The Clown
The Empathetic, Kindly Person
The Hunter
The Power-Crazy Maniac etc
The thing is to be aware of it and use it to express things-to develop the ablity to project it through our drawings or invented images by gettting into the character we're depicting, im the situation they're in, knowing what it is they want- and why they want it- that's acting." pg 315
This quote has quickly become my favourite quote and one of the easiest explanations of acting. This quotes suggests that you need to realise that you, as a person, act differently with every single person, even without knowing it. After reading this quote i quickly thought about how i act at home to when i am at work and how i speak differently to every person. It then goes on to discuss the differently personality traits a person acts out on a regular basis.This is a great list as it kind of looks like a checklist of personalities that an animator or designer must think about when creating and drawing a new character.
Not only must you know your character inside out but you must draw from the characters perspective. You must know what the character is thinking and why they would think that and also know how to display this to the audience.
Monday, 2 April 2012
Friday, 16 March 2012
psychology of personality
Stanchfield, W.S.2009.Drawn to Life: 20 Golden Years of Disney Master Classes: The Walt Stanchfield Lectures. Focal Press
Academic
Source:Book
"In the book, Psycho-Cybernetics, the author, plastic surgeon Maxwell Matltz, tells how the personality itself seems to have a "face". "This physical 'face of personality' seemed to be the real key to personality change. If it remained scared, distorted, 'ugly', or inferior, the person himself acted out this role in his behaviour regardless of the changes in physical appearance". That applies to drawing as well. Just "copying" the live model in class, or "sticking to the model" in animation does not ensure a faithful depiction of a character's action or personality. The "face of personality" can be found as much in the gesture as in the physical makeup." pg 86
This quote suggests that when creating a character you need to think of the personality however the look also affects the personality. As if you have changed the look of the character over time it does not mean that the personality will change too. Personality can be shown through expression, clothes and makeup, its not necessarily just the the facial expressions.
I really like how pyschology of personality ties in with drawing. I find myself reading pyschology books to create personality traits for new charaters. Looking further into this subject I am learning that you need to have passion to draw a characetr but you also need to do a bit of research before starting, to decide what you want to create and how you will create it. Drawing sketches and concept art are all parts of this.
"Dr.Maltz goes on to say, "...the 'self-image,' the individuals mental and spiritual concept or 'picture of himself, was the real key to personality and behaviour. " Again, applying that to drawing - isn't it our character's "self-image" that we are drawing? We have to create the illusion that it is our character who is thinking- who has decided to perform the action" pg 86
Reading on into the same page I came accross this quote. This quote suggests that you need to draw as if you are the character, you cannot just draw the character doing an action such as running away, you need to show the character thinking about it, you need to show how the character actually expresses how they are thinking and then comes to the conclusion of running.
Academic
Source:Book
"In the book, Psycho-Cybernetics, the author, plastic surgeon Maxwell Matltz, tells how the personality itself seems to have a "face". "This physical 'face of personality' seemed to be the real key to personality change. If it remained scared, distorted, 'ugly', or inferior, the person himself acted out this role in his behaviour regardless of the changes in physical appearance". That applies to drawing as well. Just "copying" the live model in class, or "sticking to the model" in animation does not ensure a faithful depiction of a character's action or personality. The "face of personality" can be found as much in the gesture as in the physical makeup." pg 86
This quote suggests that when creating a character you need to think of the personality however the look also affects the personality. As if you have changed the look of the character over time it does not mean that the personality will change too. Personality can be shown through expression, clothes and makeup, its not necessarily just the the facial expressions.
I really like how pyschology of personality ties in with drawing. I find myself reading pyschology books to create personality traits for new charaters. Looking further into this subject I am learning that you need to have passion to draw a characetr but you also need to do a bit of research before starting, to decide what you want to create and how you will create it. Drawing sketches and concept art are all parts of this.
"Dr.Maltz goes on to say, "...the 'self-image,' the individuals mental and spiritual concept or 'picture of himself, was the real key to personality and behaviour. " Again, applying that to drawing - isn't it our character's "self-image" that we are drawing? We have to create the illusion that it is our character who is thinking- who has decided to perform the action" pg 86
Reading on into the same page I came accross this quote. This quote suggests that you need to draw as if you are the character, you cannot just draw the character doing an action such as running away, you need to show the character thinking about it, you need to show how the character actually expresses how they are thinking and then comes to the conclusion of running.
Wednesday, 14 March 2012
ideas for animated shorts
Sullivan, K.S. Schumer, G.S.Alexander, K.A.2008
Ideas for the animated short: finidng and building stories. Focal Press
Popular
Source:Book
"A good character is also a character that you understand. Knowing your characters well allows you to construct believable reactions to conflicts faced in the story. These reactions are what will move your audience through the story. To engage your audience, you need a fully developed character." pg 99
Like another quote i researched earlier, I think you need to know your character really well to create realistic reactions. This quote suggests that the audience needs to understand the characetr to understand the story. If the character isn't right or believable then it can affect the whole animatiuon and make the sotry unbelievable too.
Looking further into how personalities develop the look of the character I learned that you need to focus on the personality a bit more, not just what he or she likes but what makes them like somehting or makes them angry.
Ideas for the animated short: finidng and building stories. Focal Press
Popular
Source:Book
"A good character is also a character that you understand. Knowing your characters well allows you to construct believable reactions to conflicts faced in the story. These reactions are what will move your audience through the story. To engage your audience, you need a fully developed character." pg 99
Like another quote i researched earlier, I think you need to know your character really well to create realistic reactions. This quote suggests that the audience needs to understand the characetr to understand the story. If the character isn't right or believable then it can affect the whole animatiuon and make the sotry unbelievable too.
Looking further into how personalities develop the look of the character I learned that you need to focus on the personality a bit more, not just what he or she likes but what makes them like somehting or makes them angry.
monsters v aliens
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Monsters-vs-Aliens-1-Disc-DVD/dp/B001NGO8BC/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1330020043&sr=1-1
Dreamworks
Source:DVD
"Then I thought it would be a great idea to actuallly have horrific monsters but give them personalities and saturise them at the same time"
This is a quote from the making of Mosnters v Aliens. In the behind the scenes footage, the animators and directors explain why and how they created the film and characters.
I like this quote as it kinda sums of the definition of the principle Appeal. As you they have tried to create horrible mosters but making them fun by their personalities and balance them out a bit.
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Digital Art Masters
3D Total.com.Digital Art Masters, Volume 3.2008 Focal Press
Popular
Source Book
"The primary task, before starting this kind of work, is to decide it's "personality". Think of the personality and discover the body shape that will reflect this, then choose suitable poses. You need to add personality to the whole character, and forget that just the face is conveying the character's personality. First, you should show off your skills by creating a very strong character, with a strong personality, right from the early stage in the process." pg 140
This suggests that before you even start drawing, you look into the personality and try out different shapes that could create your body shape. Aftyer this you can build up on your character and different stands and poses. Personally, I think the author is trying to suggest that you forget about the facial features and leave that till last and work on the characters body displaying the personality. This has taught me that you cannot just think of the characters face when trying to convey a certain personality. The whole body shape matters. Creating a strong and memorable character will boost your skills and make you become a memorable artist.
Computer Game Designer
Rauf, D.R. Vescia, M.V.2008. Virtual Apprentice,Computer Game Designer. Checkmark Books
Academic
Source:Book
This section of the book is personal accounts by people in the field. These quotes are by Travis Kotzebue who is an artist/animator
academic
"To create a character it's a good starting point to have a reference, such as an actor or a real person, so you have set personality traits to play with." pg 47
"You want to find that personality early on, to give yourself as much to play with it as you can. Then in the Sly universe, anyway, you want to brainstorm what kind of animal would best personify that personality. Then you just start drawing!." pg 47
I looked further into how Lady and the Tramp artists created their characters, by looking into behaviours and personalities before drawing, I found these quotes. I like how you decide on a personality trait then design and create a character around it. It becomes more of a reference for the artist and narrows done the many different possiblilties that the character can look like.
This book is about game design and how many people create a game, what they do and what interests them in this particular subject.
Academic
Source:Book
This section of the book is personal accounts by people in the field. These quotes are by Travis Kotzebue who is an artist/animator
academic
"To create a character it's a good starting point to have a reference, such as an actor or a real person, so you have set personality traits to play with." pg 47
"You want to find that personality early on, to give yourself as much to play with it as you can. Then in the Sly universe, anyway, you want to brainstorm what kind of animal would best personify that personality. Then you just start drawing!." pg 47
I looked further into how Lady and the Tramp artists created their characters, by looking into behaviours and personalities before drawing, I found these quotes. I like how you decide on a personality trait then design and create a character around it. It becomes more of a reference for the artist and narrows done the many different possiblilties that the character can look like.
This book is about game design and how many people create a game, what they do and what interests them in this particular subject.
Friday, 2 March 2012
analysing animation films
When watching several animation films again I analysed the characters personality and how it was shown through thr drawings of the characetrs however when doing this I noticed that I was being sucked into the film, for example, when Grumpy, from Snow White, would storm in angry, I would find myself feeling a little sorry for him.I do think Personality can create the character and develop a character from an little sketch to a finalized animation film.
Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs from the illusion of life
Image Source: EMPIRE, online, accessed 14th of February 2012
Thomas, F.T. Johnston, O.J.1997
The Illusion of Life Disney Animation
Hyperion
Popular
Source:Book
When reading further into The Illusion of Life I learned how animators started communicating their characters emotions and expressions. In Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs the animators would draw out all of the scenes and show them to an audience and capture their responses to the characters lives.
"(Now,) the spectators were being asked to respond to these cartoon characters in a new way and to share their feelings of desolation. A laugh at this point would have destroyed the whole concept. In the orginal version of the sequence, the audience had laughed at a crucial scene of Doc and Dopey." ...
"It was a touching moment; however, the viewers' response to this shot of the usually jolly Dopey was an anticipatory laugh, one that quickly turned to confusion and then embarrassment, but by then the spell had been broken."
"You cannot always do it right first time; many things do not work the way they are "talked." "
pg 476
These quotes suggest that you may have thought about the emotions and personality of the character and developed it into a particular scene, however you need an audience to test this scene out on as it may not always work. This links back to one of the earlier quotes I found about getting feedback on your drawings, it proves that no matter what stage you are at, creation of a character, development, or final development, you need to get opinions of others to actually create somehting that works. Without other peoples views you may create somehting that does not work or just isnt the reaction you were hoping for.
The illusiion of life- personality and crafts
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Illusion-Life-Disney-Animation/dp/0786860707/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332524092&sr=1-1
Thomas, F.T. Johnston, O.J.1997
The Illusion of Life Disney Animation
Hyperion
Popular
Source:Book
"In every art form it is the emotional content that makes the difference between mere tecnhical skill and true art. The poet, sculptor, dancer, painter, singer, actor- all everntually can become proficient in their crafts, dazzling mechanical perfection, but their work will be meaningless unless the personal perceptions of the artist are communicated as well."pg 473
This quotes explains that you can have all the skills and be able to master your craft but you need the personality and emotion in it to become great. It suggests that technical skill is not everything when it comes to the creative arts. I think that you do need a passion in something to become great in it, and you need to give something a personality to seem real to the viewers.
"This thought was stated most simply by one studio artist when he noted that many of the young men "could animate beautifully, but that isn't what makes you laugh and what makes the tears come"." pg473
I really like this quote as it proves that you could spend hours, even days, drawing and animating a character and perfecting it however without a personality or emotion it will not appeal to the audeince, it will not grab them and it will seem lacking to the viewers.
"(Obviously,) this all will be easier and more interesting if the animator likes the character in the first place. We advised a group of young animators: "Look for the things in your characters that make them so interesting that you end up loving them. They should be appealing to you; you are creating them. Endow them with all the great qualities you like that are consistent with their personalities, so that you will want to be around them." " pg 397
This quotes is interesting as yet again it shows that you need to have passion about what you are creating. You need to give your character a personality that will define them and will also be memorable and liked by the viewers. However you need to like this character aswell, you need to know it inisde and out and create a character that you enjoy making.
Personality is a big thing when creating a character, not only for the audience and for development of a character but for the animator and concept artsist. Everyone who is part of creating that character should know it really well, they should know how the characetr gets angry and upset and how the character shows the emtions. This will help the development of the character as you will be able to learn how to draw it in certain situations/scenes and how the audiences will perceive it.
Friday, 17 February 2012
Lady and the Tramp research
They decided that Lady would be a cocker spaniel therefore they looked into the behaviour of sporting dogs, how they act, what they like then, ulitmately, what they look like. They then researched into Hounds and terriers to understand the size of the dogs and the behaviours, For example, what makes the hound so famous for sniffing and hunting.
Terriers are usually small dogs however, at times, can have a bad attitude, especially with new people and new dogs. When watching the film again it is clear to see that Jock, the terrier, is a very loyal and loving dog to his friends but when a new dog arrives, Tramp, he growls and becomes defensive. This particularly interests me as you can see from this concept art that he can be happy and loving but can suddenly change to insecure and angry. After watching the extras on the DVD I watched the film again and it is obvious that the concept artitsts really captured the personalities of the dogs.
Image Source:FancySomeDisneyMagic, online, accessed 17th of February 2012 http://fancysomedisneymagic.tumblr.com/post/4184325826/concept-art-for-lady-lady-and-the-tramp
BlackWingDiaries, online, accessed 17th of February 2012 http://blackwingdiaries.blogspot.com/2006/02/on-story-simplicity.html
A Jo with a
Blog, online, ccessed 17th of February
2012
http://ajowithablog.tumblr.com/post/7764842381/jock-concept-art-from-lady-and-the-tramp
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Walt Disney
"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." - Walt Disney
from the Walt Disney Website
from the Walt Disney Website
Blog quotes
John.K.Stuff, J.K.S. Monday 13th February 2012. johnkstuff.blogspot.com/
Popular
Source:Blog
"When I design characters for myself, I think less about design than I do about personality. In fact, I rarely think at all about it. I feel it instead."
This quote suggests that a concept artist shouldnt worry about the designs and what the character should look like but should focus more on how the character should act, for example, are they grump as you cacn create a whole chracter around a personailty or emotion.
"Usually my own characters start as an idea that rests somewhere between a general character type and a specific variation. Then I let nature take its course and allow the characters to evolve, being pushed along by the stories I write for them."
Not all characters need to be developed by drawings, they can be developed by storyboards and the script. They can change and grow over time into a different looking character, depending on what the story wants
Popular
Source:Blog
"When I design characters for myself, I think less about design than I do about personality. In fact, I rarely think at all about it. I feel it instead."
This quote suggests that a concept artist shouldnt worry about the designs and what the character should look like but should focus more on how the character should act, for example, are they grump as you cacn create a whole chracter around a personailty or emotion.
"Usually my own characters start as an idea that rests somewhere between a general character type and a specific variation. Then I let nature take its course and allow the characters to evolve, being pushed along by the stories I write for them."
Not all characters need to be developed by drawings, they can be developed by storyboards and the script. They can change and grow over time into a different looking character, depending on what the story wants
Drawing for animation
Paul Wells, P.W. Joanna Quinn, J.Q. Les Mills, L.M.2008 Basics Animation 03 Drawing for Animation
Ava publishing
Acadmeic
Source:Book
This book is like a step by step guide to drawing and animation however it references work by different animators and artitsts. At the back of the book is has the name of every film that has been quoted or referenced and lists other books and websites to look into.
This book has been really helpful as it has allowed me to look into professional work a lot more and understand how and why the concept art has got to certain stages.
Tuesday, 14 February 2012
Jungle Book Concept Art
Concept art interests me as I like looking at how the character developed into the finished character in the film. I like seeing the rough, quick sketches of the characters with different looks and a lot of different colour changes.
The image of baloo and Mowgli is particularly interesting as the colour of the characters have changed over time. In the 1967 release Baloo is a brown bear however over time it has changed into a dark grey colour.
I love the rough concept art of Junior the elephant as they seem very quick and its not about the style of drawing, more about the look and personality of the character.
/http://animationart.tumblr.com/post/14875562988/shere-khan-milt-kahl
http://fancysomedisneymagic.tumblr.com/post/5757454912/the-bare-necessities-of-life-concept-art-for-the
Friday, 10 February 2012
Bambi concept art
I picked this concept art as you can see the basic shapes the concept artist started with before going onto develop more facial looks for the character. Not many of the looks are that different as its clear to see that changing simple things like the eye shape and mouth shape can change the look and mood of the character.
Sunday, 5 February 2012
How to make animated films
Image source: Amazon, online, accessed on the 5th of February 2012 http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Make-Animated-Films-Masterclass/dp/0240810333/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330020378&sr=1-1
White, T.W. 2009. How to Make Animated Films: Tony Whites Complete Masterclass on the Traditional Principles of Animation. Focal Press
popular
Source:Book
“Even show your initial sketches to others for feedback. Ask them to look at your designs and tell you what they think the inherent personalities and attitudes your characters have. Better still, first show them the silhouette versions of your characters and ask them they same questions before showing them your development sketches.” page 244
This book was really interesting as it was a bit like a step by step guide of how to create and develop characters and their personalities. I choose this quote as I feel that a big part of character concept art and development is showing people your work and your ideas and getting feedback on the look of the character as that way you can see if the character works and gives off the style that you are creating.
White explains that once you have the basic look of the character, start on the development and then work and change what things you think would really make the character. It is okay to try out different looks on the facial and body features as it is part of the development.
“Once you have established the broad characteristics of your character, begin to focus down by better defining his or her key essentials. Does the bigger nose really make him or her better? Would the character work better thinner, fatter or more buff? Ask yourself these questions about all aspects of your character. Feet too big? Too small? Are the arms more effective longer or shorter? And so on.” page 245
"Attitude is another aspect of your characters design that you need to visually communicate to your audience. The pose or stance of the character will very much define his or her attitude. If your character is a kind of "wimpy coward" type of guy, you don't want to draw him wuth an aggressive, fighting stance. Similarly, a big clumsy-looking oaf will not cut is as a sensitive brain surgeon. Look at styling in other films and analyse what the attitude of their best characters exude and why they work so well for the parts they play." page 239
This quote explains that the look of the character is also important when trying to convey a certain attitude and personality as you need to crerate a believeable character that appeals to the audience. If the characters body proportions, look and personality dont match then the audience may not take to that character.
Tangled Concept Art
I have read and looked at many websites and forums, looking into the concept art and development of the Rapunzel character and how it started. The concept artists started by drawing the traditional rapunzel with the long wavy hair and changing little things to make the character look young and up to date.
Up concept art
Image source: Super Punch, online, accessed on the 5th of February2012 http://superpunch.blogspot.com/2009/04/concept-art-for-pixars-up.html
In the film Up the audience meet the main character as a little boy and see clips of him growing up, getting married and turning into an elderly man. Its interesting as you can see the development of the character in the film and how changing simple things such as the style of dress, hair styles and little facial expressions and
lines, can age a character
The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effects
Image Source: Amazon, online, accessed on the 5th of February 2012 http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-3D-Computer-Animation-Effects/dp/0470084901/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330020291&sr=1-2
popular
Source:Book
“The look and personality of characters is developed through drawings, sculpture, maquettes, and even computer generated renderings.” page 62
Concept art isn’t just little sketches and drawings; it can range from computer drawings and models that create the look, feel and personality of the character. They are starting base for any character, from the leading main character to a background character.
"Animated characters, just like humans,animals, plants and minerals, come in all shapes. One of the most fun aspects of devloping a computer animation is designing the shape of the characters." pg290
I like this quote as sometimes when creating and devloping characters for other classes you forget that this is the fun side of the designing. This suggests that you have the power in what you are creating and you can alter the personality of the character by changing the look and shape of the character.
"Often the shape of a character implies much about the character's personality or the way it moves."pg 290
As stated in other research, the shape of the character can visualise the characters personality, so can the way it moves, such as the way it walks and bends. When creating concept art, the poses you give the character will matter as it will not look right if you give a strong, bulky character a wimpy, shy pose. The walk of the character will need to follow the same rules. This links into the 12 principles of animation. Characters need to have a personality to be memorable and to actually become a character, however the audience need to believe in the characetr therefore it needs to be appealing. Any characetr can be appealing, as long as it appeals to the viewers eye, if the anatomy doesnt look right and doesnt fit with the personality then it will not be believable to the audience.
animation writing and development
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Animation-Writing-Development-Script-Effects/dp/0240805496/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332516354&sr=1-1
Wright, J.W.2005. Animation Writing and Development: From Script Development to Pitch.Focal Press
academic
Source:Book
“However, really outstanding, professional-quality artwork can help sell your show.”
This quote suggests that you can always have a pitch and an idea which can be bought by many people however artwork can really make the project. The art work can tell a story and can really show off a message behind it. This wasn't the first quote Ive seen however it jumped out to me as a game designer, a programmer or a director can always have an idea, but its the look and cocept art that can make the idea seem real.
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