TEACH YOURSELF | How To Add Feeling Through Composition

Artistic know-how does not need to be expensive or attained at a school like CalArts. That's why I research free online advice on drawing and encourage my readers to do the same. You can take your education into your own hands.

For this post, I explore the relationship between composition and feeling -- which is, of course, essential to understand for filmmakers. Conveying emotions through visuals is part of what makes filmmaking so exciting and creative!

My hope is that these handouts and videos, which I share below, can inspire students to learn the fundamentals of composition and feeling -- without paying a fortune!

Lines represent feelings

Here is a handout that was shared by Mark Kennedy on his blog Temple of the Seven Golden Camels. These illustrations, originally from the book Creative Illustration, show how different shapes connote different feelings. For instance, horizontals and verticals are calm, whereas diagonals are full of motion and tension.

(Source: sevencamels)

So depending on the mood of the piece you are working on, different lines and how they divide the canvas will aid in conveying that feeling you’re going for.

Brad Bird did a handout on how to add depth to your storyboards/compositions.

Pace and staging characters 

Here is also a video that analyzes the pacing of the camera moves in Brad Bird's movies and how such adds to the story of each film, respectively. Toward the end, there is a brief mentioning of symmetric vs. dynamic filmmaking.

Brad Bird- Playful Cinema from The Royal Ocean Film Society on Vimeo.

As this video highlights, how you make cuts and stage your characters has a great effect on the ‘feel’ of the movie.

Tony Zhou has made a similar video that explains why Edgar Wright’s filmmaking works so well – namely, because he takes advantage of the film medium and shows visuals that are funny, even without dialogue.

Edgar Wright - How to Do Visual Comedy from Tony Zhou on Vimeo.

I recommend taking a look at some (or all) of the videos Zhou has posted!

Characters and how they fit into the overall composition likewise connotes a lot about the feeling of a scene. For instance, a character can be visually depicted as taking up a large portion of a shot and we will sense that she or he is more important or powerful than any other given character.

This video, by Zachery Ramos-Tayolor, gives an example from the movie Steve Jobs. It highlights how the characters’ movement indicates who is in power.

Steve Jobs - Blocking & Realist Acting from Zackery Ramos-Taylor on Vimeo.

Similarly, Mark Kennedy did a blog post that analyzes the movements of characters and how such symbolize the power dynamics within a scene in Paths of Glory.

(Source: sevencamels)

The camera angle can also aid in power dynamics. When I was studying How to Train Your Dragon, I noticed that in scenes when Stoick was imposing, the camera angle was always placed up toward him and down toward Hiccup. This established a power relationship – Stoick seems authoritative, whereas hiccup is small and unsure.

Thanks for reading along! And as always, a thousand thanks to the artists who shared their advice online!

Good luck studying.

TEACH YOURSELF | How To Do Gesture

Curiosity about life in all of its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people

Leo Burnett, quoted in #Girlboss

As part of my Teach Yourself series, I’ve been wanting to do a post about advice on gesture drawing. After having searched online for tips for a while now, I realize it is hard to locate any blogs that focus specifically on gesture drawing. As a result, I have decided to compile specific advice in the form of videos and handouts as I have been able to find them. These tips all come from different corners of the Internet, as opposed to a few specific blogs.

Defining 'gesture'

Gesture is about capturing the essence of what you’re drawing.

It is arguably the single most important part of making a lifelike figure. Without it, a drawing will seem stiff. When I decided I wanted to go for CalArts, I made it a goal to really hone in on my gesture skills. 

Gesture is about feeling the action and making mental observations before you ever put the pen down to the paper. This way, you’ll communicate clearly and guide the eye of the onlooker through an appealing flow of lines.

Advice

Here is a handout by Griz and Norm on gesture drawing:

(Source: grizandnorm)

When you’re drawing a gesture, the essence of the pose should be captured within a minute or so – perhaps even sooner. Instead of focusing your attention on each little part of the body, you should focus on getting the whole figure down, without too much detail. This way, you have everything you need, should you decide to finish the drawing at a later point in time.

(Source: drawingsfromamexican)

Rad Sechrist shares some very good advice on his blog, Rad How To, about gesture:

In one of these handouts, Sechrist points to the fact you need to ‘push’ the pose. This is something I think a lot about, too, as I draw. It can be very easy to fall into the trap of  “straightening up” a pose and making it more symmetrical. But when a drawing looses its angles and tilts, it also looses its power and life. If this is something you struggle with, you have to make a conscious effort to overcome this tendency by exaggerating the pose.

(Source: grizandnorm)

On a final note, I want to thank all these artists for sharing their advice on gesture drawing!  

-Christine-

  

CalArts Teachers Recommend: Study These Artists

… [I] make sure I am studying good art. There is a phrase that says "Garbage In Garbage Out". Meaning... if you are looking, studying or around bad stuff (in this case art) you will absorb it naturally, and then when you put pencil to paper that is what will come out.  You can only produce what you know.  So if you would like to be a great artist study great art work, be surrounded by it. Study just the good stuff 

– Randall Sly

At CalArts, teachers seem to be at odds with each other when it comes to the question of whether or not studying from other artists is an accepted approach for learning. The foremost agreed approach seems to be that you should learn most about drawing through life-drawing and sketching. This way, you will make your own observations, which you can use for characters and the way they act while also finding your own sense of appeal.

On the flipside, I think all the teachers also see the value in studying other artist’s artworks (for learning – not for sharing as your own work). Drawing “in the style” of that artist forces you to observe what makes the art work and why the artist made the choices she or he made. When balanced out with sketching from real life, I think studying art can be a great learning tool!

Whenever I “feel bad” about that way of looking at it, I remember what artist Glenn Vilppu, a great believer in originality, says in his book Drawing Manual: “Copying or drawing from other artists is an accepted traditional approach to learning in conjunction with drawing from observation and creating from your imagination.”

Throughout my studies at CalArts, teachers have given us names of artists that they recommend looking to for inspiration and study. I have shared these below, as well as links to their websites. There were more than a few I had not heard of prior to being given their names. Now, I can’t imagine not being familiar with them and their art!

Enjoy!

Emmanuelle Walker

(Source: emmanuellewalker)

Shiyoon Kim

(Source: shiyoonkim)

Dice Tsutsumi

(Source: madeofcelluloid)

Nicolas Marlet

(Source: characterdesignnotes)

Milt Kahl

(Source: andreasdeja)

Sergio Pablos

 

(Source: thespastudios)

Walt Kelly

(Source: entrecomics)

Carter Goodrich

(Source: illustrationart)

Joe Moshier

(Source: sb.kraljeva-sutjeska)

Annette Marnat

(Source: theinspirationgrid)

Earl Hurst

(Source: savedfromthepaperdrive)

Tom Oreb

(Source: andreasdeja)

Daan Jippes

(Source: alchetron)

Gahan Wilson

(Source: expendablemudge)

Charles Addams

(Source: theinvisibleagent)

Peter de Sève

(Source: david-wasting-paper)

-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-