₦airaland Forum

Anyone of you naija/africa-based nairalanders seen or heard of the 'Magic Cellar' animated series? I learned about it from a website announcing the premiere of a series of shorts to be aired on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC 2) by that title. You can read the full press-release by clicking on the following link:  http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/3/prweb361327.htm   

(At the bottom of this post is a 3D image model of the characters from the animated series.)


Excerpts:

Magic Cellar, a series of twenty (20) animated shorts is set to have its world premiere on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC 2) on Saturday, March 25, 2006. A one hour nationally-televised special will launch the series. Over 300 under-privileged children will participate in the national launch. Magic Cellar is Africa’s first 3D animated series. Beautifully produced entirely in Maya software, the series marks the first time Africa’s children will see themselves reflected in an animated series. The series celebrates Africa’s culture and traditions while promoting reading as exciting and adventurous. The series is based on African folktales, partially collected from interviews conducted with elders in villages across South Africa. Each episode is broken up into three sections: a brief introduction and set-up; the African story; and a wrap-up with the lessens learnt. Each episode is a self-contained, animated short.

Anyone seen or heard about the following commercial?

(See below this post for a collage of the images I made from the pics on the website.)

culled from: http://www.visuals.co.uk/clayanimation.asp


Nigerian Clay Animation Commercial.

Shot on a Sony PD150 and a Sony DSR 570, supplied by Magus Visual South Africa.

The commercial is being screened in Nigeria this Autumn.

South African animation studio 'Realize Animation' www.realize.co.za have just completed two commercials (a 60 seconds and a separate 15 seconds) for 'The Cornerhouse Production Company' using the stop-motion technique of clay animation.

The commercials were shot on a Sony PD150 and a Sony DSR 570, supplied by Magus Visual South Africa, using direct-to-disk digital image recording.

Clay animation is the technique whereby individual photographs are taken of a plasticine subject and then played back at 25 frames a second to create the illusion that the plasticine is moving of its own accord.

The story was conceived by Executive Producer Deborah Corner of 'The Corner House Production Company' www.cornerhouseproductions.co.za for their Lagos based client 'Mouka Foam Limited', manufacturers of foam and spring mattresses. Initially the concept was intended to be shot using live action, but the costs proved prohibitive and an alternative was sought in animation.

The commercial opens on a lion, our hero, who is being kept awake by jungle noises and is distressed still further by the backfiring of a pick-up truck as it drives past his jungle lair. The truck breaks down nearby and he goes off to investigate only to discover that it is carrying a much-to-be-desired 'Mouka' foam mattress. A tug-of-war ensues between the driver and our hero, who comes off victorious and escapes with the mattress. "Clay animation seemed the ideal route because of its wide appeal as an endearing form of expression, but we were initially concerned about the high cost of a traditional stop-frame production" says Deborah, who has had previous experience in producing clay animation for 'Chilile Productions'. "When we were introduced to 'Realize Animation' as an emerging studio that was animating with digital video and thus by-passing the cost and time constraints of film, we were thrilled to be able to work out a budget and production time-line that was realistic for our client."

Director and head animator Stuart Forrest established 'Realize Animation' in 2001 and the company has risen very quickly. In their first year of production they won Best Animation at the Multichoice Vuka! awards, and were consequently employed by 'Triggerfish Animation' to work on two seasons of stop-frame animation for 'Takelani Sesame', South Africa's version of 'Sesame Street'. Stuart welcomed the opportunity to work with 'Corner House' on the 'Mouka' production.

"Deborah gave us a great storyboard with very clear characters," says Stuart. "She also had clear expectations of lighting and set requirements, having worked with clay animation before. This enabled us to commission the character and set design very quickly, and we were able to start shooting an animatic within 3 weeks of our initial meeting."

Most of the animation was shot on a Sony PD150, but some of the more complex shots were captured on the DSR 570. "We used the DSR 570 on scenes where we were going to use chroma keying, because we felt we'd get a cleaner key from this camera," says Stuart. "Magus Visual were very helpful and provided invaluable technical support as well as a reliable camera."

I've initiated this thread to [hopefully] serve as a hub of sorts, from where animation enthusiasts can stay abreast of under-publicized 'afro-centric' animation efforts going on within and without Africa, as well as help us measure the pace of animation development on the continent -- the animation projects/content discussed herein doesn't necessarily have to be produced in Africa, so long as it's got an african theme/story/message to it, it belongs here. It could be news or info on an africa-themed animated feature, short, commercial/advertisement, music-video, educational program, animation festival, or what have you, whether completed or in development. Doesn't matter what style/genre; be it 2d, 3d, claymation, stop-motion, cut-out, e.t.c,  it's welcome. Hopefully this will inspire, educate/englighten, encourage, and motivate us all. Any and everybody can chip in.

@jparrot: Bro, you try o! Your 'purple ant ninja' looks so professional. Keep it up.

I got the following 3D image of character models from a press release site announcing the premiere of an 'african' 3D-animated series. You can read the full press-release by clicking on the following link: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/3/prweb361327.htm

Excerpts:

Magic Cellar, a series of twenty (20) animated shorts is set to have its world premiere on the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC 2) on Saturday, March 25, 2006. A one hour nationally-televised special will launch the series. Over 300 under-privileged children will participate in the national launch. Magic Cellar is Africa’s first 3D animated series. Beautifully produced entirely in Maya software, the series marks the first time Africa’s children will see themselves reflected in an animated series. The series celebrates Africa’s culture and traditions while promoting reading as exciting and adventurous. The series is based on African folktales, partially collected from interviews conducted with elders in villages across South Africa. Each episode is broken up into three sections: a brief introduction and set-up; the African story; and a wrap-up with the lessens learnt. Each episode is a self-contained, animated short.

Anyone of you naija/africa-based nairalanders seen it, yet?

Below's a duplicated text of a recent interview granted by Brad Bird, the Oscar winning director of such smash-hit animated features like 'The Iron Giant' (2D), 'The Incredibles' (3D), and the recent 'Ratatouiile' (3D). Enjoy!


Brad Bird, director-writer.

Interview by Debra Kaufman

Nov. 1, 2007


AWARDS: 2005 Academy Award for best animated feature film: "The Incredibles"; 2005 Annie Award for directing in an animated feature production, Voice acting in an animated feature production, Writing in an nnimated feature production: "The Incredibles." CURRENT CREDIT: Directed and wrote Disney/Pixar's rodent-with-a-heart-of-a-chef adventure "Ratatouille"; slated to direct "1906" for 2009 release. MEMBERSHIPS: Writers Guild of America, Screen Actors Guild, ASIFA. Academy member since 2004.

The Hollywood Reporter: You're working on your first live-action feature, Warner Bros.' "1906." How is the work going?

Brad Bird: I'm not in a position to talk about it more than that except to say that I'm excited about it and it's a big project. A lot of people don't realize that in all my years wandering through development hell wasteland, half of what I wanted to make were live-action films and half were animated. The animated ones were the first I got to make, which led to other animation. My ideal career would be to bounce from genre to genre, from musicals to Westerns to political comedies. And also to go between live-action and animation. I don't consider animation a genre -- it's a medium that can do any genre.

THR: But computer animation does seem to have captured your particular creative talents. Is it the form of animation you prefer to work in?

Bird: Film is the most wonderful medium invented. It's recorded dreaming. And I think people need to recognize that the language of film -- using angles and shots and color and music and performance -- is essentially the same from medium to medium. I'm not one of those people who believe that CG is superior to every other form of animation. It's not. It's simply another tool that you can use to express yourself.


THR: By the time you took over "Ratatouille" from the previous director, Jan Pinkava, you only had a year and a half to put it all together for its original release date. What was that like?

Bird: There was a wonderful basis to start with. It was a magnificent idea, and the looks that had been developed were all wonderful, but the story had proven to be a tricky one to get to work. I had to very quickly get under the hood and try to make it work. It was a very scary thing for me. I joked to the crew that it was like the "Wallace & Gromit" film where Gromit is slapping down track in front of the moving train. In a strange way, TV proved to be the best education I could have possibly gotten. Working on (Fox's) "The Simpsons," I wasn't only around brilliant writers, but we had pretty ambitious stories. And the decisions had to be made immediately because another show was coming down the conveyer belt. I saw some amazing saves where the episodes were done, didn't work and one night of brilliant restructuring turned it into a brilliant episode. It absolutely saved me on (1999's) "The Iron Giant" and this film, both films that were done pretty quickly.

THR: Arguably, it's risky to make a movie with a rat as the protagonist. Was it hard to make those animals likable?

Bird: When I got involved with the film, they had dealt with peoples' aversion to rats by making them little humans, shortening their tales, making them walk on two legs, de-ratifying them, so to speak. I really pushed to put them on all fours and give them rat behaviors, so we could see our main character choosing to emulate humans. It was a visual barometer of how he feels. In front of his dad, he has to go on all fours; when he feels shame, he goes back to rat physicality. It was a way to physicalize his emotional state.

THR: What are you most proud about with regards to "Ratatouille"?

Bird: That it assumes the audience is not stupid. I think also it feels a little bit European; its origins probably have something to do with it and the fact that it didn't originate with me. I tried to be respectful to the rhythm and feels of a foreign film, without copying or being dishonest. I'm proud of the studio for rallying behind it. All the tools were assembled and built carefully, but we used them fairly quickly. They indulged me. Once John (Lasseter) and Ed (Catmull) and Andrew (Stanton) asked me to take this on, they said, "We don't have time to give the notes we normally do. We're here if you have any questions," and I certainly took advantage of that when I felt I was getting too close and needed perspective. But they knew the time for pondering was gone, and they really trusted me.

THR: How did winning the Oscar for 2004's "The Incredibles" affect you creatively?

Bird: I don't think it changed me. Probably the best practical thing that it did -- which probably could be said of awards in general -- is that it makes people relax a little bit about turning over the keys to the car to you. Hollywood, underneath its cocky suntanned exterior, is a place of very frightened people. I don't really like to work with frightened people. I like to work with people excited about possibilities who can't wait to explore them. If the award un-frightens people about me making a film with them, then it's an incredibly useful thing. It's not just an honor, which it is, it's practical.

THR: Are we in a golden age for animation?

Bird: What's most refreshing about this age is that adults realize that animation isn't just for kids. It never has been, but it's a hard perception to change, and we're wearing it down like water on stone. In the sense that people are making more films than ever, which I think is a really good thing, and people are willing to back more films, I think that's wonderful. I'd like to see more variety in the kinds of stories being told. That is the only thing that would keep me from saying it's a golden age. It's on the edge of a golden age or could soon be a golden age. People need to branch out -- and that goes for film in general. We need to start surprising people again.

culled from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/features/film/e3i653608aa3a0ea3bba6ec63fa98301e01

(4):

(3):

(2):

Following are rough drawings of [naija] characters I randomly thought-up not long ago -- I look forward to animating them some day.

(1):

Kola 'D' Terrible  .

@Grafikdon: You're one heck of a good illustrator, bro. Your style is very similar to those of some of the best manga/anime artists I've come across.

@namzo, adjain & the rest: I found a website that should adequately answer your questions pertaining to the subject matter, its address is: http://www.howtomakecomics.net/

wham:
@Lafem

Thanks for the hints man.

Would I be right to say u used charcoal pencils to draw some lines on those characters on paper first?

OR was it a tool in Paintshop?

Believe it or not, I used a 2B pencil [HB should work as well, the darker, the better] and a plain white sheet of paper. Before scanning, I set the scanner software to recognize the image as either a 'colored' [in some scanner softwares that can come under a different label/tag, like 'lineart'] or 'grayscale' document/picture. Also, you can scale/resize the dimensions of the image in the scanner software before the actual scanning. After scanning, you then import the image into your image editor [could be any one, be it the open-source Gimp, or the commmercial ones like PhotoShop, Corel, Paintshop, e.t.c] and further manipulate it. For me, I darken the lines of my drawings by increasing the 'gamma' levels before applying color to them. I'll find time to take detailed screen/snap-shots of the process one of these days. Hope I made sense?

wham:
@Lafem

I love your Characters and their sketches.

They are indeed, Nigerian. And u have not been slack in utilizing good Lines-of-Action and the basic 2.5D shapes to form them. They are well rounded and funny looking.

Those are the kind of characters I'm working on.

Thanx bro. I strive to create characters with a naija look/personality, hence the traditional costumes, names, and props. As per your observation of my utility of basic shapes and line-of-action in my artwork(s), I gotta commend you for training your eyes to catch those , because that's the very [fundamental] basis of rhythm in animation art -- the average person's eyes are inbuilt to recognize rhythm, but as an animator those senses become even SHARPER because you train your eyes to pick-up more subtle details that escape the "layman's" senses, as you can prettymuch see/know what's going on from frame-to-frame and therefore are in control of what your audience sees.

Just keep drawing, bro. And never stop. I draw every chance I get and keep honing my skillz. Also, [this is every important] try and keep 'em [your drawings] simple -- which is why the use of basic shapes and curves are important because it gives you a lot of flexibility in terms of fluid and smooth movement of the character when animating. Too much detail can make the drawings not only hard to animate [a la having to redraw those lines of details over and over], but also less rhythmic.

omega25red:
lafem i wanted to know do you draw on paper scan it then paint it ??

Yes sir! And thank you for the props . That's exactly how I do it. After I import the image into my PaintShop pro program, I darken the lines of the artwork/image a bit (because,  depending on the settings of your scanner software, the scanned image can sometimes come out with somewhat grayed-out lines), and then I paint it. 

Meet Wale Okosha

@zPixel: Nothing do you, bro. I find your work VERY impressive. Keep 'em coming.

Hmmnn, sounds interesting. Regrettably I'm not in naija, else I'd attend the event. Maybe next year.

iparrot:
hey lafem, can you give me the license to model those characters , i can imagine the amount of fun i could get out of this when, i finish animating them!!!!

Hell yeah, bro! For the right price, ofcourse. So you be animator too? Nice!!

Thanx Graphikdon. Your observation about my style and its influences is spot-on. Styles vary from artist to artist and can be blended as needed. Mine's a hybrid of the rich "Golden Age" styles of Disney, Warner Bros., and the Fleischer brothers studios, all combined with my own innate style. As you already know, a [cartoon] animator is an actor [with a pencil or computer] as well as an entertainer whose primary objective [and challenge] should be to arrest/captivate his audience's attention via his character(s)' ability to successfully [and clearly] deliver or convey a story/message.

As an artist/cartoonist/animator, I strive to incorporate humour into the very 'soul' of a lot of my characters [especially with respect to their body proportions, posture, and demeanor; all these are essential to establishing a character's personality], as I've found humour to be a most effective tool in helping to sustain one's audience's attention without compromising the essense of the story. That you find my characters captivating enoff to conjure animated images in your mind is most gratifying to know , and tells me that I achieved my aim. Once again, Merci!

dakmanzero:
however u should let em know that the skills required to tidy up a scanned image will have a slight learning curve,

Some mouse-drawing skillz are also neccesary, I think.

Actually, 'clean-up' is best done by hand. All you need to do is place a clean sheet over the rough image and trace it, and then re-scan the cleaned-up version. Atleast that's the conventional way of doing it, for both animation and comic-books. Using a mouse, on the other hand, is way too time-consuming and can be difficult to master.

Akanni Blade!

alao!!!

Meet "ibadan's finest". It took me less than a minute to sketch this, and roughly 10mins to paint it.

@Grafikdon: Those are really tight and quality stuff you got up there, bro. Your skillz just keeps getting better. Nice, very nice!

ARMAND SERRANO: Environmental Designer at Sony Pictures Animation; MEDIA: Adobe Photoshop


INTERVIEW:

Tell us a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?

I GREW UP IN THE CITY OF MANILA, PHILIPPINES. I ALWAYS LOVE TO DRAW BUT THE FUNNY THING IS I NEVER PLANNED TO DO IT PROFESSIONALLY. I GOT INTO PLAYING MUSIC SINCE HIGH SCHOOL AND EVEN CARRIED IT ALONG WITH ME WHILE IN COLLEGE. I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS IN MANILA AND MAJORED IN CIVIL ENGINEERING (YEAH I KNOW, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ART). AFTER GRADUATION AND A SHORT STINT IN CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN, I JOINED FIL-CARTOONS, A LEADING HANA-BARBERA STUDIO AT THAT TIME. I WAS TRAINED TO BE AN ANIMATOR AT THE STUDIO. AFTER A YEAR OF ANIMATING AND REALIZING THAT MY PASSION IS SET DESIGN, I MOVED TO LAYOUT. I STAYED WITH HANA-BARBERA FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS THEN JOINED PHILIPPINE ANIMATION STUDIO AND SUPERVISED LAYOUT FOR OVERSEAS PRODUCTIONS OF MARVEL TV. THEN IN 1996, MOVED TO THE US FOR GOOD. FINISHING A LAYOUT VISUALIZATION AND BACKGROUND DESIGN COURSE AT ASSOCIATES IN ART IN SHERMAN OAKS WAS A STEPPING STONE IN ACQUIRING THE STANDARDS OF WHAT TRADITIONAL FEATURE FILM STUDIOS WERE LOOKING FOR AT THAT TIME. DISNEY TOOK NOTICE AND HIRED ME FOR THEIR FLORIDA STUDIO TO WORK ON MULAN. THE REST I GUESS IS HISTORY.


How do you go about designing environments, and what goes through your mind, from start to end?


I AM THE ONE RESPONSIBLE IN DESIGNING THE LOCATION AND CREATES THE STAGE FOR THE CHARACTERS.

IN CREATING THE STAGE, I HAVE TO KNOW FIRST THE STORY. THEN FOR EACH SEQUENCE THAT REQUIRES DIFFERENT LOCATIONS OR SETS, I HAVE TO GATHER AS MUCH INFORMATION LIKE MOOD, TIME OF DAY, CAMERA MOVEMENT, HOW BIG THE LOCATION SHOULD BE, ETC. THEN FROM THESE, I COULD FOCUS MY DESIGN ON WHAT THE SEQUENCE AND CHARACTER NEEDS. FOR EXAMPLE IN LILO AND STITCH, THERE WAS A SCENE WHERE LILO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SAD AND LEFT OUT BY OTHER KIDS WHILE SITTING ON THE PORCH. I PUT LILO UNDER THE SHADOW AND DESIGNED THE FOLIAGE AROUND HER WITH ALL THE LEAVES DROOPING DOWN IN ORDER TO EMPHASIZE THE CHARACTER’S EMOTION. A BIT OF RESEARCH WAS INVOLVED IN IT TOO TO DETERMINE THE KIND OF PLANT THAT WOULD WORK WELL WITH THAT DESIGN CONSIDERING ALSO THE COLOR PATTERN THAT GOES WITH IT. CREATIVELY DESIGNING THE MOOD OF THE SET BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN THE CHARACTER AND HELPS STORYTELLING A LOT.

ALWAYS REMEMBER, WHAT GOOD IS A CHARACTER IF THE SET DOESN’T WORK WITH IT.

What is a typical day for you at Sony Pictures Animation, and who are the people you work with?

A TYPICAL DAY AT SONY CAN RANGE FROM RELAXED TO HECTIC DEPENDING ON WHAT STAGE OF PRODUCTION I'M IN. BUT FUN NEVER LEAVES THE STUDIO BECAUSE OF THE TALENTS I'M CLOSELY WORKING WITH LIKE MARCELO VIGNALI, WHOM I WORKED WITH ON THREE DISNEY FEATURES BEFORE, AND MARCOS MATEU, A VERY TALENTED ILLUSTRATOR AND PAINTER. OTHER TALENTS I'M REGULARLY IN CONTACT WITH ARE PAUL LASAINE, RON LUKAS, SYLVAIN DEBOISSY, AND RICHIE CHAVEZ TO NAME A FEW. IT'S DEFINITELY A PRIVILEGE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THESE GUYS.


What are some of the things that you have worked on?


I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON ANIMATED FEATURE FILMS IN THE PAST TEN YEARS PARTICULARLY IN LAYOUT AND VISUAL DEVELOPMENT. BUT PRIOR TO FEATURE, I WORKED ON SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. NEVER DONE ANY COMICS PROFESSIONALLY BUT I'M CURRENTLY INVOLVED IN A COLLABORATION WITH MARCELO AND MARCOS TITLED "EL-PACIFICO" (www.el-pacifico..com), WHICH IS AN ONLINE IMPROMPTU COMIC BOOK. I DID PERSONAL OIL PAINTINGS WHILE I WAS STILL AT DISNEY IN ORLANDO AND BEEN PART OF EXHIBITS AT THE ORLANDO AND MAITLAND MUSEUMS OF ART IN FLORIDA.


Is there a character design you have done that you are most proud of?

IF YOU ASKED ME ABOUT SET DESIGN, I HAVE A LOT. BUT FOR CHARACTER, WELL, I’M GETTING INVOLVED RIGHT NOW WITH AN INDEPENDENT FILM PROJECT AND WE ARE MAKING A PERIOD MOVIE. DESIGNING THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND THEIR COSTUMES IS DEFINITELY A FRESH CHALLENGE FOR ME THAT SURELY I’LL BE PROUD OF.


What projects have you done in the past, and what are you working on now? (if you can tell us)

LET ME GO BACK IN TIME HERE , THE TV PROJECTS THAT ARE MOST MEMORABLE FOR ME ARE AS FOLLOWS: PIRATES OF DARK WATER, TOM AND JERRY KIDS, ADDAMS FAMILY, FANTASTIC FOUR AND X-MEN. FOR ANIMATED FEATURES, DISNEY'S MULAN, TARZAN, LILO & STITCH, BROTHER BEAR, AND SONY'S SURF'S UP (SLATED FOR 2007). SORRY, I CAN’T MENTION YET MY NEXT MOVIE WITH SONY. BUT ON THE SIDE, MY WIFE AND I ARE VENTURING INTO A SMALL LIVE ACTION STUDIO. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN COLLABORATION WITH ANOTHER STUDIO IN LONG BEACH AND ALREADY IN DEVELOPMENT STAGE ON TWO INDEPENDENT LIVE ACTION FILM PROJECTS. I AM PLANNING FOR MY DESIGNS ON THESE PROJECTS TO BE COMPILED IN BOOK FORM AND HOPEFULLY WILL BE AVAILABLE EARLY NEXT YEAR.

Who do you think are the top artists out there?

ACTUALLY, THERE'S A LOT … YOU JUST HAVE TO SEARCH FOR THEM.


Could you talk about your process in coloring your art, as well as the types of tools or media that you use?

FOR YEARS AS A TRADITIONAL LAYOUT ARTIST, VALUES AND COMPOSITION HAS BEEN MY GAME. NEVER USED COLOR EXCEPT FOR MY OWN PERSONAL ARTWORKS. BUT AS VISUAL DEVELOPMENT, IT'S 100% DIGITAL FOR A FEW YEARS NOW WHETHER GRAYSCALE OR COLORED AND THE TOOL OF THE TRADE FOR ME IS PHOTOSHOP.

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON THE PROCESS, I STILL DESIGN IN BLACK AND WHITE. THIS COULD EITHER BE GRAPHITE ON PAPER THEN SCANNED OR DONE DIRECTLY IN PHOTOSHOP. THEN, DIGITALLY, I BLOCK IT OUT WITH COUPLE OF GRAY VALUES IN ALMOST LIKE A COMIC BOOK MANNER AND PAINT IT.

What part of designing is most fun and easy, and what is most hard?

HONESTLY, IT’S DIFFICULT FOR ME TO IDENTIFY, WHICH PART IS EASY OR HARD BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE DESIGN I WANT TO ACHIEVE. BUT
I ALWAYS LOVE THE CHALLENGE TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND STRETCH THE RANGE OF MY ABILITIES.

What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?

WELL FOR ONE, I WOULD SAY I'M FORTUNATE TO BE SURROUNDED EVERYDAY WITH TOP ARTISTS IN THE BUSINESS. WHAT I SEE ON THEIR WALLS AND CONTINUOUS INTERACTION KEEP ME CREATIVE AND FRESH. I ALSO JOINED A SKETCHCLUB EVERY FRIDAY. LASTLY, I TRY TO BE VERY SELECTIVE IN ARTWORKS THAT I LOOK AT AND APPRECIATE. THAT GOES AS WELL WITH MOVIES THAT I WATCH. IT PAYS TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WE FEED OUR CREATIVE MIND.

What are some of your favorite character designs, which you have seen?

I ALWAYS LOVE ASTERIX.

What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why?

PERIOD PIECES. I AM HISTORY BUFF.

What inspired you to become an Artist?

I BELIEVE I’M BORN WITH IT FOR I BEEN DRAWING ALL MY LIFE. MY EARLIEST INFLUENCES ARE MAINLY CLASSIC COMIC BOOKS WHEN I WAS A KID AND DEFINITELY OLD EPIC MOVIES THAT I CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF.


What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?

THE VARIETY IN STYLE, DESIGN APPROACH AND RENDERING. NOT TO MENTION THE JOKES THAT KEEP US RELAXED WHEN UNDER PRESSURE.

What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?

THERE'S A BUNCH. YOU CAN CHECK MY WEBSITE OR BLOG FOR THE LIST.


What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give?

PROBABLY FOUR THINGS: 1. ALWAYS ASK YOURSELF WHAT STORY YOU WANT TO TELL IN YOUR ARTWORK, 2. KEEP IN MIND YOU'RE NOT THERE YET, SO KEEP IMPROVING YOUR CRAFT, 3. ALWAYS BRING THE FUN THAT YOU HAD AS A CHILD WHILE DOING YOUR ART, AND, 4. BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHER PEOPLE'S ARTWORK.


If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

I COULD BE REACHED BY EMAIL THROUGH MY WEB OR BLOGSITE http://armandserrano..com/.


Finally, do you have any of your artwork for sale (sketchbook, prints, or anything) for people that like your work can know where and when to buy it?

HOPEFULLY I WILL HAVE SOMETHING BY NEXT YEAR.

MEL MILTON: Designer and Animator; MEDIA: Wacom Cintiq 21UX

INTERVIEW

Tell me a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?




I was born in the Phillipines in 1970. I have always been a doodler but never thought serious of drawing until I was 30. It was after I met my wife that I realized I wanted to be the best man I could be and do something I loved. So I set out to get my foot in the door. At 33 I got my first game job. Man was I so excited. It was a breath of fresh air to do something I loved.

My teen age life was very turbulent. Spent most of it drugged and drunk and out of place. (With the name Melvin and weighing 99 pounds there really wasnt much to me.) I dropped out of the 10th grade and after a stint of being homeless, joined the navy. But my outta control ways caught up with me and was kicked out after 9 months. I had a rough couple of years doin odd and end jobs to pay the bills but got to draw on occasion whilst drunk at parties. My first art job was with an illustrator. The job paid by the project. Some projects took months and my landlord didnt subscribe to that. I went to tell my boss that I couldnt do it any more cause I needed money. He implored me to continue and that if I didnt keep at it one day I would wonder "what if ?"

I was 21. I quit and was on my way to new york to find my artside. My brother in Utah asked me to think it through and stay with him til I got a plan. Ive been in utah 15 years now. Utah has some of the most amazing pool of artists. Ive been fortunate to have worked with some and meet others as the years have gone by. I met my beautiful wife Anne here and hope to one day make her proud of me.

I am about to graduate from Animationmentor and the journey continues.



How do you go about designing, and what goes through your mind, from start to end?





As of late I start with line of action. Once I feel that there is good movement then I lay down some shapes. I usually look for reference and what not if I dont understand the subject Im drawing. I like sketching quick and loose and feel that I can get more ideas down that way. I try to think about the characters personality as well. I pretend that they are animated. Since learning animation Ive been tryin to put more life into my designs. I dont get much time to refine my pics since I started school, so I mainly I stay quick and loose. With graduation comin up in March I look forward to gettin in some cleanup time in.


Is there a design you have done that you are most proud of?



I feel like Im still learnin my way round things and hope one day to get one out of me. I enjoy drawing and know that I will never be completely satisfied with anything I do. Which keeps me pluggin away at it everyday.



Who do you think are the top artists out there?


Man there are so many artists out there it isnt funny. The blogging community has opened the door to the world of fantastic artists. Im a fan of Keith Lango, Al Hirschfeld, Stephen Silver, Marcelo Vignali, Harald Siepermann, John Nevarez, Martin Wittig, Ben Cauldwell ,Chris Wahl , Jeff Matsuda, Jeremy Hopkins, Kyle Marshall, Sean Galloway, Bobby Chiu, Mike Matessi. Many of the guys at avalanche. This list is the tip of the ice berg. So many people have been inspirational to me. I have a list of inspirational blogs that I try and add to all the time. Please check em out if you get a chance.


What part of designing is most fun and easy, and what is most hard?





I love drawing monsters and cartoony characters. Ive just started getting used to drawing in public which has been a hard thing for me. Coming up with subjects to draw sometimes can be tough or feelin in the groove of drawing. Those days I switch up with animation or do some 3d. Also wish there was more time in the day.


What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?




I watch cartoons, draw, jog hang out with my wife. I collect toys to put in my home office to always have inspiration around me. I blog which is like keepin a sketch book for me. I like goin to peoples blogs like Shane Lewis' blog and Brian Gubicza's blog these guys are great for creative inspiration. I dream of being at a really cool studio and being able to absorb from the best of the best. Dreaming is probably one of the things that keeps me goin most.


What are some of your favorite designs which you have seen?




Fosters home is some of my fav. Monsters Inc and Incredibles both had phenominal designs. The designs in Dark Crystal. Jeff Matsudas Joker is a fav of mine as well. Sooooo many good designs out there I could go on forever.


What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why?





Im a big fan of cartoons. Foster Home, Avatar, Batman, etc etc. I hope to one day find my way into television cartoons or somehow be apart of a feature length animated feature. I have quite ironed out a plan as to how I am but thats where my heart lies. To work on something cartoony

What inspired you to become an Artist?


Ive always wanted to be an artist but my wife was my first burst of inspiration.From the day I met her I knew. She helped me to be a better person and cheers me on when I want to give up. Shes makes me feel like I can do anything. My second burst of inspiration is our son Mekhi. I wanted to be a fun dad and to be someone who he wouldve had fun growing up with. Now I create my art with the intentions to be the guy I promised my wife and my son I could be

What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?



I've learned that I will never stop learning.


What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?




http://www.cartoonbrew.com/
http://www.keithlango.com/wordpress/index.php
http://drawn.ca/ http://www.drawingboard.org/
http://www.drawergeeks.com/
http://toonclub..com
http://artjumble..com/
http://forums.cgsociety.org/
http://conceptart.org/
http://www.awn.com/
http://avalanchesoftware..com/
http://fpsmagazine.com/

Again so many out there.




What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give?




I started at 30 and enveloped my self with people and friends who enjoyed art. I was fortunate to work with some of the best in the biz. I spent many of those years feeling like I had to compete with people and never feeling like I would ever amount to anything. I now know that I do it because its fun. Because it makes me happy. Never forget that its all about the fun.


If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted? (Email, Web page)




http://melmade..com
http://www.melmade.com

melmade@msn.com

Finally, do you have any of your art work for sale (sketchbook, prints, or anything) for people that like your work can know where and when to buy it?



I may put a sketchbook out soon. If interested please email me.

Following are a couple of interviews from Artists/Character Designers of repute from the Comic, Game, and Animation industries. You can view collages [I made] of their portfolios/artworks right underneath the interview texts. Enjoy!


RYAN WOOD: Concept Artist; MEDIA: Corel Painter

INTERVIEW:

Tell me a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?

I graduated with a BFA in Illustration from Utah State University. I studied illustration exclusively for my Jr. & Sr. years. I have one really talented teacher to thank for teaching me a ton about painting and illustration--Glen Edwards. He really was one of the few instructors that stressed the fundamentals of drawing & painting while so many others either couldn't or wouldn't. I originally planned to be an illustrator, but found a job as an artist at a videogame company. It was fun to discover all of the different aspects that went into making videogames. After that, I learned how to animate, build 3D models & paint textures. It really opened up some possibilities as far as what I wanted to do with my career. Right now I split my time between concept art and texture painting.


How do you go about designing, and what goes through your mind, from start to end?

I think it’s very important to have a good idea of fairly specific character traits. It also helps to understand as much information as possible, such as backstory & other character relationships. After that, I like to have a couple of actors' voices in mind to help me visualize how the character will act. I use an illustrative approach to it, so it's challenging to visualize how it's going to animate sometimes. I'll usually try to make the character have as much appeal as possible, but without getting too "cute". No matter how ugly a character is, they should still be fun to look at. I try to avoid seeing other character designs that are similar in subject matter so I don't start tainting my view of it. It's good to look at other designs after you have your initial version on paper. It helps to make sure you come up with a solution that hasn't already been done before. There is always creative overlap, sometimes it's hard to avoid. From there, you just bust out a ton of sketches while trying to consolidate the things you like down into a handful of designs. Sometimes I'll paint a few of these sketches up, in hopes of really "selling" the design to other artists. It's a constant filtering process that seems like it never ends.


What is a typical day for you at Avalanche Software, and who are the people you work with?

A typical day starts with chatting a little bit with Todd Harris (concept bro), going over the concepts we’re currently working on. Pretty informal critiques & comments follow, trying to figure out what’s working, what’s not. I usually focus on texture concept painting, trying to reinforce the design ideas of the character and world concept into the surfaces of the game. Along with other artists we'll draw variations of established sketches and hopefully introduce something fresh into the design. I feel fortunate to work with so many tremendously talented artists; it's inspiring to see what people are working on everyday.

What are some of the things that you have worked on?

The Tak and the Power of Juju series of videogames (THQ/Nickelodeon) Chicken Little, Meet the Robinsons (Disney) Many other videogames over the years that kind of blend together.


Is there a design you have done that you are most proud of?

I don't know if I have one in particular, you're always thinking the design isn't perfect and can be refined some more. That being said, I'm grateful for the experience I had on Tak. I learned a lot about taking a character from start to finish. The Pins & Needles characters were a couple of voodoo dolls in the game, and they were Tlalocs' incompetent henchmen. I really got attached to them, and was fairly pleased with how they turned out. Tak was a really fun project to work on with Todd & Dave (McClellan), we got a lot of creative freedom to do what we wanted. Since it was our first original IP, we fed alot off each other and learned a ton about the process, and how hard it truly is sometimes.

What projects have you done in the past, and what are you working on now? (if you can tell us)

Right now I'm working on some original stuff that I can't talk about, other than to say I'm really excited about it.

Who do you think are the top artists out there?

Oh man, there are so many. I like artists from "low-brow" to realistic fine art painters to animators & story artists. Here's a few: Burt Silverman, Richard Schmid, and Jeffrey Hein. All of the animators at Pixar, the Foster's character designers, Glen Keane, Nicolas Marlet, Steven Silver, John Nevarez, Peter deSeve, JohnK, Bill Wray, Sebastian Kruger, so many to chose from.

Could you talk about your process in coloring your art, as well as the types of tools or media that you use?

I use Painter pretty much exclusively for painting up my drawings, I’ve tried to replicate the process in Photoshop but haven’t figured out that one yet. The process I have been sticking with lately is doing a full B&W value study after I scan in my line drawing. After I get that to a point where I’m happy with it, I’ll do a selection using image luminance; paste it onto a separate layer. After that I'll paint some rough color washes underneath the sketch on the base layer. Then I'll put a new layer on top of that & start blending the two layers together. In the process I'll hopefully try to cover-up all of the B&Wdrawing with brushstrokes, depending on how finished I want it to look. I've tried to mimic the process & techniques that I would use on a traditional oil painting.

What part of designing is most fun and easy, and what is most hard?

The best part is the initial kernel of an idea, when you’re trying to sketch what’s in your head. Some people are really good at that, I feel like it’s the biggest challenge. Once that is established, fleshing out the details is the fun part. You can go overboard sometimes too, by “noodling” out your drawing too much. I really enjoy the painting part of the sketch; it seems like that is when it starts to come to life.

What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?

I don’t have a really good answer for that; it seems like music, movies, books always help me get inspired to create new stuff.

What are some of your favorite designs which you have seen?

That seems to change every month. I really like art that has some kind of a twist on the conventional character designs out there. It's good to have the solidity of design that some of that stuff has, but it's better to have some sort of fresh take that makes it different.

What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why?

Definitely heads & people, because there are endless possibilities, and you'll never run out of inspiration.


What inspired you to become an Artist?

It was the only thing that I was any good at early on. As a teenager I was into skateboarding and wasn't really all that good at it, but I loved the art on the decks & stickers. I was thrilled to find out that people actually get paid to draw stuff, and I wanted to do THAT! My dad is an art teacher too, so he was always encouraging me. Combine that with tons of Looney Toons & other cartoons, and that's how I got the desire to be an artist.


What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?

It seems like you will pick and choose different techniques from a variety of artists. I was lucky in school—we had a guest artist program where illustrators came and did presentations of their art & process. A couple of my favorites were C.F. Payne and Skip Liepke. It was tremendously valuable to see professionals work up close, and what it takes to really have a compelling portfolio.

What are some of your favorite websites that you go to?

All of the regular art sites like Drawn.ca, Cartoon Brew, after that I usually go blog surfing, there are so many fantastic ones out there, with new ones popping up every day. I've got a bunch of links to friends other art I like at my blog, too.

What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give?

It probably sounds simple, but my college education came down to this:"Draw and paint, ALOT. You'll get better." There's a quote out there by Chuck Jones I think that says something to the effect--"You've got a million bad drawings in you, you better get started." It's important to learn and soak up info(theories, techniques,artists) whenever you can, but it really just comes down to plowing through some sketchbooks & paint.

If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?

You can always email me here: woodyrye@yahoo.com
Or visit my blog: woodyart..com

Finally, do you have any of your art work for sale (sketchbook, prints, or anything) for people that like your work can know where and when to buy it?

At the moment, I don’t have anything available. I’m in the process of putting together a book of paintings & sketches that I plan to have done for Comic-Con in ’07.

Collage 3:

Collage 2:

Collage of screenshots 1:

Below are screenshots from music videos of the hugely successful and popular band, 'Gorillaz'. I just love the stunning visuals; a seemless combo of traditional animation and CGI. The concept and design of the characters are cool as hell.

You can watch two of their popular videos titled "Dirty Harry" and "Clint Eastwood", respectively, on youtube at 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adcdbfIoeW4 and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2asPB8BOz4I

Gorillaz is a virtual band created in 1998 by Damon Albarn of Britpop band Blur, and Jamie Hewlett, co-creator of the comic book Tank Girl. The band is composed of four animated band members: 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel. The band's music is a collaboration between various musicians with Albarn being the only permanent member. Their style is broadly alternative rock, but with a large number of other influences including hip hop, electronica, dub and pop.

The band's first album, 2001's Gorillaz, sold over 7 million copies and earned them an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the Most Successful Virtual Band. It was nominated for the Mercury Prize 2001, but the nomination was later withdrawn at the band's request. Their second studio album, Demon Days, was released in 2005 and included the hit singles "Feel Good Inc.", "DARE", "Dirty Harry" and "Kids With Guns / El Mañana". Demon Days went five times platinum in the UK, double platinum in the United States and earned five Grammy Award nominations for 2006 and won one of them in the Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals category.