2D Animation

Posted on by Thor

Last month we had a husband and wife learning animation together in the front row. They gave their all and produced some stunning animation. In general the whole class was full of aspiring animators and there was friendly competition to come up with original and inspired ideas. I’m starting to get used to drawing on the tablet. I just need to put the lines down quicker letting them slide over the glass. With my water color sketches, I have a very limited palette. Suddenly on the tablet I have millions of color choices. That alone causes me to slow down.

I am now at Art Basel Miami Beach and I realize that I can’t yet scan the drawings I have been doing. I just searched the hard drive to pull up this digital sketch. I’m considering bringing the tablet out to sketch today. We were walking all day yesterday from 11am to well past midnight and I know I only saw a fraction of the art. I don’t like the notion of carrying it around after the battery dies however. A sketchbook that dies after several sketches is a pain. Yesterday I did four sketches. The tablet would die after two sketches.

Storytelling Drawings

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In the 2D Animation Lab at Full Sail, students returning from the lunch break are asked to do a storytelling drawing. They are given a theme and asked to do some thumbnail drawings and pick one idea to execute. The drawings aren’t supposed to be highly rendered works of art, but rather simple, playful ideas. Sample suggestions include, standing in line, waiting for an elevator and moving something heavy. At the end of the 10 classes there are six or seven examples from each student and the best three are graded.

Pirates of the Caribbean had just come out in movie theaters. Larry Lauria came up with a new theme called “Pie Rats of the Caribbean.” Dan Riebold likes to tackle each storytelling himself on the white board. His whimsical sketches help inspire and challenge the students. Often there is a movie screen which he works behind like the Wizard in the “Wizard of Oz.” Dan was drawing a rat which had just been punched by a slice of pie. The vicious pie had not been sketched yet. Larry likes to do small sketches as well. When the students were finished, they were asked to tape it up on the white board. Of the ten to twenty students it is always fun to see all the different ideas that students generate.

Improv at Full Sail

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As part of my continuing education at Full Sail I took a two hour workshop that taught the basic principles behind improvisational performance, and how to use the hidden communication framework within improv to connect with students.Ten to fifteen Full Sail instructors and staff gradually filtered into the classroom. Adam Bellis and Simon MacDonald, both SAK comedians were at the front of the classroom. They asked people to sign in as they arrived. They had a few power point slides but from the start it was obvious that participation would be needed from everyone. Everyone was asked to stand in a circle to participate in an acting warm up exercise.

The game was called GO! The premise was simple, you must point to someone in the circle. They would say “Go” and then you would walk to take their place. They would then point, seeking permission from someone else. It was surprising how tricky this was. You really had to listen. There was a sense that decisions and permissions were rushed. In another pass the verbal, “Go” was replaced with a simple nod. Being a visual person I found this easier yet following the flow sometimes left me glancing around aimlessly. Was I making a fool of myself? Was everyone thinking the same thing?

The next exercise was called, “The Name Game” or Johnathan’s alliteration. You had to state your name and then add a descriptive action while acting it out. Everyone in the group had to repeat the name and action. I think I said something like, “Thor is thirsty” as I acted like I was sipping tea. What was I thinking? Everyone repeated the action raising their pinkies delicately. By the end, I felt I knew the people around me. This was a perfect ice breaker.

Adam and Simon then conducted an improv where they were puppets being manipulated by audience members. I volunteered and controlled Adam. It was fun raising his arms to gesture as he spoke. They worked together building a sacred bridge of trust. They validated each other and forwarded the story by creating new options. It is easier to tear down a bridge than to build it. Everyone in the room was free to openly express themselves which was a good environment to communicate and learn in.

It turned out that Simon is producing a Fringe show this year which is a Star Wars musical. I love the premise and I hope to sketch rehearsals as it develops.

Day of the Dead

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The day of the dead is a 3000 year old celebration that takes place in Mexico on November first and second. Grace Kurth offered a creative workshop in the design and art theory room at Full Sail. Participants were invited to bring…
1. A box: cigar, wine, wooden crate or any wooden or cardboard box.
2. A photograph of a loved one you wish to honor. It could be a family member, friend, special person, or a pet.
3. Mementos: tokens representative of their favorite, hobbies, music, teams, foods, movies, special trinkets, labels of their favorite drinks,
4. Glitter, beads, fabrics, buttons, any type of embellishment you might want to add.
5. Paints, markers, color pencils to paint the skulls. Glues and any hardware you might need.
6. Optional items: candles, marigolds, sunflowers, empty bottle, shawl, cloth, or other items.
I brought my usual bag of art supplies and my curiosity.

The day of the dead is not a dark macabre celebration. In Mexican culture death is considered a transitional phase not horrific or scary. It intends to celebrate the people who came before us. La Katrina born in 1913 drew cartoons which showed skeletons adorned in the trappings of wealth. The image showed that no matter how wealthy you are you will go through the phase of death. Dandy skeletons both male and female are popular images.

Grace took a trip to Janitzio, a small island where the day of the dead is celebrated. As evening fell a long line of people with candles walked up to the highest point on the island. There they built alters called ofrenda which celebrated the life of a loved one. Marigolds which represent regeneration were garlanded and used everywhere as decorations. Skulls of sugar called Calacas were ornately decorated to remind us that life is a delicious sweet indulgence. “Just when the caterpillar thought it was over, it became a butterfly.” Grace quoted.

Tom Buzbee brought in many photos and documents to commemorate his Papa. His father was a diplomat with a long square beard. Bananas were perched on the center rise of the ofrenda. Tom explained that when his father was sick in his final days he took to hoarding fruit in his room. Whenever he left the room there would be a scavenger hunt to find the hidden fruit. A small raisin was found years later that was once an apple. The smell of ripe bananas brought back vivid memories. Two of his daughters helped him make the altar. Libby was hot gluing long white whiskers onto the jaw of a skeleton, a stunning tribute to her grandfather’s whiskers. Avaryl had exotic skeletal tattoos on her chest and arms, a living celebration in the day of the dead tradition. She was busy decorating tiny skulls in bright colors. The room buzzed with creativity and stories of lives worth honoring.

Second Life

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As part of my required studies at Full Sail, I took a course on how Second Life might be integrated into course studies at Full Sail. Kristopher Newton introduced the course instructors to Second Life which is a virtual online world where people can create their own avatars. Amazingly people are selling virtual merchandise, real estate and art in this environment. Fifty five million dollars were generated last year, making it the fifth fastest growing economy in the world. Apparently pop singers and musicians release their songs in this virtual world to test their market. There are virtual galleries and museums where artists are selling their work. I imagine creating my own avatar that does what I do every day which is to draw. My avatar would enter a club, bar or concert hall, find a seat and sketch. I could become the Analog Artist in a Virtual World.

Kristopher actually created a virtual Full Sail campus modeled on the real life existing campus. When he started, he discovered that the polygon count had sky rocketed overnight. He explored his model and couldn’t figure out what had happened. He finally discovered that someone had built an entire city above his campus and they had painted a sky below the base of the city so it was impossible to see. Kristopher dismantled the city, saving the parts he might be able to use in the future. He remains convinced that Second Life can be used as a teaching tool to get students to interact in new ways with the curriculum.

I decided to give Second Life a chance when I got home that night. I picked an avatar that had a backpack and hiking boots since that seemed the most practical options for exploring a new world. Being a robot or a pussy cat didn’t appeal to me. I walked through the introductory rooms learning how to walk, sit, talk and fly, then I explored my first environment. The place was designed for social interaction among avatars just starting out in Second Life. My computer volume was down but I noticed people kept typing “Welcome Thor.” I walked up to a balcony so I could overlook the club. I sat and imagined myself starting a sketch. Perhaps this was an answer to the conflicts that arise when I find myself sketching in the real world too often. I could be home every night documenting life in a virtual world, forever at my desk, available yet lost in thought.

Unfortunately Second Life is excruciatingly slow. I had to wait for all the other people in the room to materialize and walking around was an awkward process making my Avatar look like he was ice skating through quick sand. I kept flying into walls and falling from insane heights. In the end, I became bored and shut off my computer so I could explore my one and only life.

iLife

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I found out that I have to take 10 hours of courses at Full Sail before December which is the month I was hired. The list of class offerings was rather limited and since I have to rush to get the credits, I ended up taking a course on iPhoto and iMovie. Course instructors are all given an Apple laptop but I am a lowly Studio Artist so I was never issued an Apple. I showed up for the class with my Motion Computing tablet PC but all the programs discussed were written strictly for the Apple.

Both programs are fairly simple to use. Three other instructors were taking the course with me. I am used to doing video editing using Adobe Premiere Pro. Since I use this comprehensive program, I doubt I will ever see a need to use iMovie. Exporting the movie so it is formatted for uTube is a nice feature however. iPhoto can remove red eye but I have Photoshop which can do so much more. Apple does integrate all the programs nicely so a beginner can organize all their photos and videos easily. Facebook could learn a thing or two about elegant programing from iLife.

Scherenschitten

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Lesley Gondeck Silvia offered a free after hours course at Full Sail explaining the art of Scherenschitten. She pointed out that in America very few people carry on traditions and crafts from their home country. She began exploring the art of paper cutting as a way to re-find her roots. Recently Lesley did a cover for the Orlando Weekly using Scherenschitten. She showed preliminary sketches and explained her process. I always learn something when another artist explains how they work.

As Lesley wrote, “Scherenschnitte means ‘scissor cuts’ in German, and it is the art of paper cutting design. Founded in Switzerland and Germany in the 1500’s, it was brought to Colonial America in the 1700s by immigrants who settled primarily in Pennsylvania. I am enjoying working with paper. It’s cheap, hands on, less commonly seen, and makes me feel like I’m learning a bit about my German/Swiss heritage. Cindy Ferguson’s style is a big influence as is the works of Rob Ryan.”

The art studio was a room I had never been in before. I felt immediately at home among all the drafting tables and the wide assortment of art on the walls. Tom Buzbee, Grace Kurth, and Hugo Giraud were also in the studio as instructors and backup. Tom said hello and explained that the art lab is made available for students who want a place to be creative. It is a place they can escape to if they are tired of writing code and taping keyboard commands. He said that the Dada artist ideals are promoted.

After Lesley’s talk, all the students were given xacto blades and black construction paper. I cut out paper in the shapes of the black metal struts to the art desks. I flipped the black paper defining the shapes already established in the sketch. I glued the bold black shapes to the sketch. It was fun playing with a new medium. I think it is time for me to add black to my palette.

The Secret of Nimh

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On the last day of the 2D Animation class at Full Sail each month, Kathy Blackmore lets the students vote on an animated movie to watch. Before they voted, students asked the instructors about their experiences in the animation business. One student asked, “What was a highlight or defining moment in your career?” I described the day when I found out I was accepted into the Disney internship. “This might be way before your time, but it was a Mary Tyler Moore moment. I danced in the streets of NYC and threw my cap in the air!” Kathy described the pride she took in one particular Stitch scene where she did every drawing herself. Alex Kupersmidt the lead animator paused for the longest time when he looked at it. Such a pause usually meant he was contemplating a change or fix to the animation. He said, “It’s perfect.” He then turned and walked away. Such praise from an animation legend isn’t often offered.

The class had a split vote between Secret of Nimh and Lilo and Stitch. Dan Reibold really wanted to see the Secret of Nimh since he hadn’t seen it in a long time. Kathy’s heart warming stories about working on Stitch might just throw the voting in favor of the Disney film. Dan decided to pick up the Nimh DVD case and he made up a story about how this movie was the reason he wanted to become an animator. The students didn’t buy his story, they laughed. Kathy decided to show the movie to keep Dan from crying. Some students continued to work on their animation flip books as the movie played. This has to be the best animated feature Don Bluth produced. It is a classic.

The Sketchbook Project

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The Sketchbook Project has been traveling the country hitting large cities everywhere. Now it is in Orlando for two more days. I went on Friday, the first day to see what the buzz was about. I submitted a sketchbook and it is part of this national tour. In all there are over 10,000 sketchbooks from artists from around the world. The mobile sketchbook library is being housed at Full Sail Live which is a brand new state of the art performance space on the Full Sail campus. When I arrived, Mark Baratelli and Brian Feldman were in the lobby. The first order of business was to get a library card, so I got in line to pick up my card.

Inside there are about 10 to 15 bookcases full of sketchbooks. My first impulse would be to thumb through multiple sketchbooks until I found one that caught my eye. Unfortunately you can’t walk among the stacks and choose the books yourself. The Project staff have to find the sketchbook for you. You can pick sketchbooks by the artist’s name or by geographic region or by the theme. I remember my theme was “Faces in a crowd.” I asked for two sketchbooks with that theme. One had over rendered pencil drawings of people’s faces from family photos. It had little appeal. The second book was covered in foil and had entire pages boldly painted with gouache. It was bold and interesting. Maisy and Ron Marrs showed up so I shadowed them for a bit so I could glance at Maisy’s sketchbook. Her work was fun and whimsical and there was a sketch of me in there which was an unexpected surprise.

I started sketching the long line of people waiting to check out sketchbooks. I spoke with Megan Everhart who was waiting to pick up her 2012 sketchbook. She had driven five hours down here from South Carolina to experience the Sketchbook Project first hand. Her work is abstract and she also does murals. Her iPhone had died so she couldn’t continue to shoot photos. I offered her my charger but I couldn’t find the wall plug piece. It was somewhere in my bag, but I couldn’t locate it among all the art supplies. She had a five hour drive back north so she headed out early. A former Disney colleague, Rusty Stoll was checking out sketchbooks, but after four books he was disappointed in the lack of draftsmanship. I saw Tracy Burke with her parents checking out the work. I kept bumping into people I knew, like Bess Auer of “Central Florida Top 5.”

All afternoon I checked out sketchbooks and I was enthralled by the wide variety of the work. At 6pm the founders of the Sketchbook Project, StevePeterman and Shane Zucker took to the stage. They were college buddies and the seed of this project started small. They at first only envisioned 100 sketchbooks would ever be submitted. Over time they had to adjust as the numbers escalated. There are 10,000 sketchbooks now being housed at Full Sail Live. It would be impossible to view every sketchbook even if you spent all three days checking out books as fast as you could view them. The sheer volume of art is staggering. Once again the power of the Internet is making art available to the masses. You have to experience the Sketchbook Project to believe it. It is open today (7/30) and Sunday (7/31) from Noon to 5pm. Don’t miss it! Listen to what others had to say…

“This event was incredible!! If you missed it today, check out Sketchbook Project this weekend while you can!!
– Tracy Burke

“The Sketchbook Project was one of the best shows I’ve ever been to for art! International artists and their sketchbooks and the excitement of being able to share it with everyone!”
– Maisy May Marrs

“Just got back from the 2011 Sketchbook project at Full Sail. It was awesome, so many books to look at. If you have a chance to go and check it this weekend Sat and Sun. 12-5pm. Check out Thomas Thorspecken, Peter Soutullo, Maisy Marrs and some other Florida Natives books while you are there. This is taking place here in Orlando, is free and its at Full Sail Live behind the Mickey D’s on 436 and University.”
– Chris Tobar

Filming Hank Williams Jr. at Full Sail

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Full Sail sent out an e-mail saying they needed extras for the filming of an NFL Monday Night Football theme song by Hank Williams Jr. When I arrived at Full Sail Live there was a small crowd of people outside in their football jerseys. There was a registration tent for media and one for extras. I decided to sign in with the extras. The release basically said that when I entered the film set I would not hold Full Sail responsible for any injuries I sustained. The group of football fans were being lead inside. I quickly signed my life away and ran to get in with them. We all waited in the lobby as a stage hand explained the ground rules. Inside we could hear loud music and screaming. Someone leaned over and said, “Looks like we’re missing the party.” We were told that we could leave the filming area at any time but we wouldn’t be able to get back in. One of the football fans started eating M&Ms from a catering table. Our guide said, “That food is for the paid extras.” The M&Ms were dropped.

Once inside I separated from the group and looked for a vantage point to sketch from. I sat up on an empty stage platform and got to work. Most of the time everyone stood around waiting for the filming to begin. I had no idea if I was in the shot or not. I kept thinking someone would tell me to move closer into the crowd. I must have looked like I was part of the crew as I worked furiously on the sketch. Hank Williams Jr. ambled out with his cowboy hat, cigar and big sunglasses. He posed for pictures with a few people then got on the stage which was painted like a football field. When I sketched him, he had his back to me as he sat waiting for the next take.

Finally the cameras were ready to roll. The drummer started playing and Hank strutted around on the stage as cheerleaders danced. People were moving their lips to the lyrics but no one sang. Then sparks began to cascade from the ceiling. In a second shot everyone was warned that there were loud firecrackers above their heads. They were told they were safe as long as they stayed on the near side of a red line on the floor. I was on the wrong side of the line. I glanced up and there was the pyrotechnic device maybe 10 feet above my head. I can sketch under most conditions but this time I decided to move. The explosions were loud and everyone screamed even louder. The director called, “Cut! Alright everyone it’s time for lunch.” My sketch wasn’t finished but I had no choice, the extras were being ushered out. I had no need to get back to the testosterone fueled NFL theme song war zone.