TEACH YOURSELF | How To Animate

(Source: artofglenkeane)

You learn from other artists. Mentors are essential. We all stand on the shoulders of somebody else. Nobody comes up with something totally themselves – 

Glen Keane 

As Glen Keane emphasizes here, finding good mentors is a great part of an artist’s growth. I love listening to other artist’s advice and wisdom. Unfortunately, it can be very expensive nowadays to find your mentors in school programs. Also, teachers often have so many students that they don’t get to devote as much time to each as they’d like to.

So for those of us who value having that personal mentor but feel like we might need additional education – there’s the internet.

So many mentors share so much good advice online. Besides, it can almost feel like their tips for growth are specifically geared toward you and you learn from them without having ever met them personally (although I’m sure many of us who use the internet for mentors would be thrilled to meet them and thank them for their help in person!).

In my last post, I shared the names of a few bloggers I’ve found helpful for story-boarding. For this post, I focus on animation.

The Art of Aaron Blaise 

Aaron Blaise was a hand-drawn animator at Disney during its Renaissance years, i.e. the 90s. He animated one of my favourite scenes from Beauty and the Beast (when Beast has saved Belle from the wolves and they argue by the fireplace). Since then, he has worked on the John Lewis Christmas Advert 2013, along with other projects. On his youtube channel, Blaise shares what he’s learned over the years. He also offers official classes on his website, creaturearteacher.com 

Animation Meat – Nine Old Men 

This site has uploaded some invaluable notes by Eric Larson and Ham Luske, among others, on animation.

Animators Resource 

A site that shares news and tips on animation!

My Sketchbook 

This tumblr site has notes on animation, as well as ‘appeal’ in characters and general advice about the animation industry

Walt Stanchfield – 28 Principles of Animation 

These notes are from Walt Stanchfield’s Drawn to Life and cover animation, specifically.

Frank and Ollie – Animation Tips

This site shares notes from two of the Nine Old Men, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston

Glen Keane – A System for Planning and Timing Animation 

A PDF version of notes on animation by Glen Keane

Daniel Gonzales

Daniel Gonzales is an animator at Walt Disney Studios and also teaches 2D at CalArts. On his blog, Gonzales gives some tips on exercises you can do to practice animation.

Mike Nguyen

A CalArts alum, Mike Nguyen is a 2D supervising character animator known for his work on classics such as Beauty and the Beast and Iron Giant. On his tumblr, Rainplace, he shares advice on animation! 

Pixar in a Box

This site teaches you about some of the fundamentals that go into making Pixar movies. One of the first lessons is on animation, which I've linked to above. If you're new to computer animation or want to brush up on some of your knowledge of it, this site explains the fundamentals in an easy-to-understand manner. You get to make your own animation and there is even a quiz at the end! Check out this introductory video:

2D Traditional Animation 

On this tumblr, Xavier Ramonède shares original hand-drawn animation sheets from animated movies

Frame by Frame 

Another great tumblr for studying stills from animated movies

So those are the sites that I have found really helpful in learning about animation online.

When it comes to individual pieces of advice from different corners of the internet, I have unearthed a few tidbits here and there that I have shared below.

First off, I came across a CTN video recently about acting in animation and how important that is in making a character come to life. In the video, four different animators were given the same piece of dialogue to block out. Each animator then came up with their own interpretation of who that character was and what the subtext of the dialogue was. It's a very telling talk, and I love how different the final animation turned out, depending on the subtext of the character and the thought-process of each of the four animators. Here is a link to the video.

Also, here are two pages with advice from Glen Keane:

(Source: lindadornart)

(Source: thisismyplacetobe)

I also love watching lectures on animation by Glen Keane on Youtube.

As a final note, I’d like to thank not only the artists who share their advice online, but also those that have shared links to other artist’s advice. I wouldn’t have been able to find these sites were it not for them!

(Source: the-disney-elite)

-Christine-

TEACH YOURSELF | How To Storyboard

(Source: sevencamels)

There is no way in the world anyone will acquire this kind of expertise other than practice, practice, and more practice… In The Seascape Painter’s Problem Book by E. John Robinson, he says (I take the liberty to substitute to word “paint” for “drawing”), “Your ability to draw will be no stronger than your determination to learn” 

Walt Stanchfield, Drawn to Life 

When I decided I wanted to delve into the animation industry, I knew that I was signing up for a life-time of learning. Based on the advice of people successful in the industry, I sensed that the skills required to get your foot inside the door go beyond what you can learn in a classroom – that the art of understanding animation and storyboarding depends on your desire to study the basic principles throughout your life and on your own.

So when it comes to learning on your own, an important question, of course, comes up: what is the best way to go about studying to become better at drawing/animation/art?

I think there are two ways to go about this:

1. Sketch and study real life and figure out what I find appealing

2. Seek out advice from artists I admire and learn what works for them

To this end, I like to scout the Internet – I go from blog to blog of people recommending one artist, who recommends another artist, and so on –  and I ask my teachers at CalArts and my classmates which blogs they follow. I really wish I'd searched the Internet more before attending CalArts. It is never too early to take education into your own hands! I have come to find that there is simply so much good advice online, on everything from what it’s like to be an artist to specific advice on drawing and the like.

One of the blogs I came across, by Emma Coats, had a post called “Teach Yourself X.” The post is about the importance of learning on your own from making your own art and what you can find online. I took inspiration from that for this post and decided I wanted to share the links of blogs I have found helpful.

I have divided the various blogs I like into categories of tips on storyboarding, drawing, character design, etc. I will begin to share each category in separate blog posts with descriptions and links. Even so, you can learn many things from each blogger. They each go beyond the scope of the category I have put them into.

The way I use these tips: I take notes as I read the advice and save them into categories on my computer. For instance, I have a folder called “layout” and within that I have folder named “specific stuff” > “point of interest” > “contrast” > “complex vs. simple.”

This way, I can return to the notes and keep reminding myself of these tips. I can save any new notes I take into categories as they pertain to the notes I already have, which makes these basic principles seem less overwhelming. Also, it helps me understand how to use these basic principles consciously for what I intend to get out of, say, a composition. For instance, I can know that if I want to guide the eye and create a center of interest, I can use principles such as rhythm, contrast, value, and scale because I can find all these tips under "point of interest." Then hopefully, one day, I will have absorbed all these basics and use them unconsciously in my art (all the while experimenting with finding my own solutions to creating "appealing" art in my sketchbook). 

I mention my sketchbook here because it is important to note that I try to observe things in real life first and express my own "discovery" of appeal. It should feel like tips from these bloggers "ring true" to something you intuitively already know --  and not like a formula you need to memorize. As Glen Keane said in one of his interviews, students often "forget that somebody once observed something. Everything that works is based on real life."  The blogs I share offer advice based on observations other artists have made, which can be very helpful. But while I study these blogs, I also make sure to "discover" my own observations by carrying a sketchbook and studying real life.

Without further ado, here are some links to blogs I have found helpful for story-boarding:

Mark Kennedy – The Temple of the Seven Golden Camels

Mark Kennedy is head of story at Disney Feature Animation. Since 2006, he has been posting tips on his blog, The Temple of the Seven Golden Camels, that are mainly geared toward story-boarding.  I only found this blog about a year ago – but oh how I wish I’d found it sooner! The blog not only helps me grasp story-boarding – it also teaches me about composition, contrast, how to guide the eye through a painting, character design, you name it! Without a doubt, this is one of my favorite blogs out there!

The Art of Griz and Norm

Husband and wife, Griz and Norm both work at Disney. Griz (Grizelda Sastrawinata-Lemay) is in Visual Development and Norm (Normand Lemay) works in Story. I heard about this blog through my teacher in Character Design at CalArts, Joe Pitt. I cannot recommend it enough! The two of them post advice called “Tuesday Tips.” These posts offer advice on composition, design, line quality, story-boarding, solidity, gesture – all the things artists in animation bear in mind as they make their art and/or storyboards. If you haven’t already, go check it out!

Emma Coats – Storyshots

Emma is a CalArts alum and has worked at Pixar before she decided to become a freelance director. She offers advice on how to get better at story-boarding, by studying camera angles, composition, lighting, perspective, and how to get hired in the industry. I heard about her through a classmate – so if you have friends who are also interested in animation, don’t be afraid to ask them where they get their inspiration!

The Art of Dave Pimentel

Dave Pimentel is head of story at Disney. On his blog, he offers some tips on making interesting and clear storyboards through visual tools such as rhythm, contrast, perspective, overlap, tone and value.

I also like to search Youtube for informative interviews/lectures. Here is one with storyboard artist Steven Macleod that I love:

Finally, here is also an interview with Disney story artist Lissa Treiman on what it is like to be a story artist at Disney Feature.

I hope you find these blog links helpful! I am going to make more posts with blog links that fall into the categories of animation and drawing. I also want to say a huge thank you to all the artists who share their advice and experience of the animation industry online.

-Christine-

To CalArts Or Not To CalArts: That Is The Question

My classmate inside Chouinard Hall, the residence hall for first-years at CalArts

Around this time of year (March and April), students from all around the world hear back from the Character Animation program at CalArts. Some learn of their acceptance while others are encouraged to try again next year. If you have been rejected but know that CalArts is the place for you, don’t stop trying! I know many people who tried multiple times before getting in.

For those of you who have been accepted, congratulations! I remember the day I got my letter like it was yesterday and I will never forget. I know that for many of you, CalArts is probably your dream school. That’s why it can be hard to come to terms with the fact that there might be hurdles in the way of you attending. Factors like finances and how rigorous the program is might leave you unsure as to whether CalArts is actually meant for you. In truth, should you go to CalArts?

Such a hard question to answer with certainty when you're a student choosing whether or not to go. I mean, you can only truly know how you feel about attending CalArts once you have been a student there and tried it. 

Even so, I don’t think there is any harm in a little research!

That’s why I’ve posted the below questions – questions I asked myself before going, and questions I would have asked myself knowing what I know now about the program. Considering these questions is good for finding out your priorities and helping you make the decision about whether to attend CalArts. 

Will attending CalArts bring you into financial difficulties later as you pursue your career? Do you have a plan for coping with that?

The majority of students I know take one or multiple loans to get them through their studies at CalArts. As CalArts is a very expensive school and you will become an artist afterward (not a doctor), please consider the kind of life you envision for yourself. What are you willing to give up as you pursue your dream school? You might be giving up both leisure time and monetary success later as you work to pay back your debt. As my teacher in Entrepreneurial Studies at CalArts, Judy Karfiol, told us during class, money is an important part of life and there is no shame in bringing it up. It is what makes the world go around. So what does money or lack thereof mean to you? Of course, taking chances is a huge part of life and you can’t know what life will look like 10 years from now. Maybe you will become the next John Lasseter! I guess the most important question to ask yourself is, would you regret not attending CalArts because of finances? There is no wrong or right answer. If you’re interested, CalArts alum Melissa van der Paardt discusses her experience with student loans in this youtube video.

If you’re an International Student, what are your plans for your career? Are you able to fund your education at CalArts?

If you are an International Student, it is especially important to consider your options after your studies at CalArts. Do you plan to go back “home?” Do you want a job in the States? Getting a working VISA for the US can be an extremely complex process. Make sure to stay in contact with CalArts about what assistance they can offer you in this matter. Also, International Students have a harder time getting scholarships to CalArts, as explained on its website.

Do you like to sit down at a computer for long periods of time? Or perhaps more importantly, will you be able to balance out those hours spent inside dark rooms with exercise and a social life?

Depending on your commitment to your studies, you will spend an average of 15 or more hours a week on the computer, whether during classes or for homework, your first semester. Three of my required classes freshman year were entirely dependent on a computer and getting to know software. Also, as you might know, 98% (or so I estimate) of students create their films on the computer, even if it is hand-drawn. So hours spent on your film can be added to the above figure. To get the most out of my experience at CalArts, I tried really hard to spend time away from the computer, but even for me it was difficult!

Are you ready to have teachers critique your work in front of your classmates?

Most (if not all) classes consist of critiques. The teacher will usually spend the first 2 hours critiquing each student’s homework in front of the class. 

Will you be happy attending 9 or more classes pr. semester that the department, for the most part, set out for you according to your year level?

Each class is only worth 1-2 credits, although the time spent in a majority of the classes and on the homework is as much if not more than a regular 3-credit college class. This means more classes for you, if you’re going to meet the mark of being a full-time student (on average, 9 classes pr. semester. The average at a regular university is 5 classes pr. semester). Each class amounts to 3 hours a week, on average (like a regular 3 credit college class, except for Life Drawing which is 6 hours, including a lunch break). Unlike a regular college class, the 3 hours are put together and you only meet once a week. Homework is considerable, but diminishes your spring semester due to films (although not in your critical studies classes, which are a requirement – you have to supplement your classes with these “regular” liberal arts classes in which you'll be writing papers and doing presentations) and I spent that extra time on my film. 

The classes within the Character Animation department are set out for you according to your year level. My first semester, I had Digital Methods I, Color and Design, CG Foundation I, CG Character Animation I, 2D Character Animation I, Story I, and Life Drawing I. These were all required classes. As lower-level students are not able to take any of the upper level classes within the department, I met the credit and critical studies requirements by supplementing these classes with Introduction to Human Anatomy and Acting for Animators. I was one of the students who had the least amount of classes that semester, because I had transfer credits from my previous university. However, I also sat in on Design for Storytellers.

Is Student Life important to you? Have you researched how you will be living and what you will be eating outside of classes? Do you like the CalArts aesthetic?

If you want to stay in a residence hall your first year, CalArts requires you to room with a roommate. You will be staying in Chouinard Hall (upper classmen can stay in Ahmason, which is on the other side of campus), most likely together with another character animation student (although it isn’t always so). The room is rather big and you get a bed, table + chair, a dresser and a closet.  Also, there are compartments you can use for food, shoes or the like. You share the bathroom with the room next-door. There are two doors that lead to the bathroom, one in your room and one in the room next-door. You can lock the other room out of the bathroom, but don’t worry because you will get used to unlocking/locking two doors. If nothing else, your suite-mates will let you know if you have kept the door locked to their room.

Living on-campus together with a roommate is, I think, an invaluable experience! You get to live 2 minutes away from classes and your friends live just down the hall from you. Also, you can stay up late in the Labs (where the computers we work on are at) and not have to worry about getting home.

You can alternatively live off campus, but if you don’t have a car, it might be a problem getting to and from school. There is public transportation and you might be able to bicycle around (although the traffic is dangerous and cars are for the most part not used to cyclists in the US). 

First years living on-campus are furthermore required to have a meal plan from the CalArts Cafeteria. Personally, I hated this rule since I like cooking myself and didn't exactly like the food in the Cafeteria!

In Chouinard Hall, there is a shared kitchen in each hallway. Mine was situated in a small (room for max. 2 or 3 people) room with no windows. There was a stove, a fridge, and a sink. In my experience, it is a very typical dorm kitchen-- i.e. not somewhere I would like to spend too much time. 

CalArts itself is one big squarish building with long hallways and about three levels (I’m actually not sure how many levels there are now that I think about it! The overall layout of CalArts is like a maze). A majority of the character animation rooms do not have windows and have possibly seen better days. The grounds surrounding the CalArts building are kept pretty and green. Campus is close to a quiet neighborhood and you can see mountains in the horizon, so it is pretty secluded.

And finally, what would you like out of your experience at CalArts?

Perhaps you have already answered this question in your artist statement in your application to CalArts. Still, it’s an important question to keep asking yourself. The sad truth is that attending CalArts doesn’t secure you a job in the industry...

If you're interested in reading more about being a CalArts student, Jennifer Harlow has a blog that covers all her four years. I remember reading eagerly through every single post before attending CalArts. On a side note, a conversation I had with her is the reason I started this blog! 

-Christine-