I have been noticing a ton of designs lately where the character has no nose. Does this disturb you like it does me? It gives me an uncomfortable feeling seeing these smiley faces walking around on the screen or paper.
And then there are the ones where characters have noses that look like a bat's or something worse.
I think it is a problem of people getting to cute with their designs. I say just draw a good nose, they're not hard.
I have seen some commercials where the character is a stickman. They are obviously made by pro studios, so why settle for a stickman?
Well, that's my first post here at AWN.
Yessss!
Well.......expression and movement can still be achieved without a nose or as a stickman. Sometimes it's about what it does not what it looks like.
Say....you aren't Lynda Barry, are you?:)
i dont usually REALLY like that type of stuff but like Graphiteman said, what going on is whats important.
Here is some of the best smiley faced stickmen stuff ive seen
http://bitterfilms.com/
swankaman
p.s. "life as a guy" is my fav!& my girlfriend loves it!
Actually, I directed a film about the Bratz dolls, and they too had no noses. I thought it was weird as hell too, but the client gets what the client wants. I have noticed as well that it seems to be turning into a trend.
Oh well...
Cheers
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
Personally, I have a problem with characters with only 4 fingers on their hands. I think it's really lazy to do this. The fifth finger is not even so independent, it has the same nerve as the 4th one, fcristsake!!!!
danielpoeira.org
No, I'm just a fan. I freak out on her comics, man, as my cousin Marlys would say.
On the subject of stickmen and smiley faces and their performances, I feel distant from characters that have no nose, regardless of if they have a good performance. It is almost like they are wearing a mask or something.
Part of it is my dislike of designs that seem self indulgent. No nose is the big kahuna of this. It's like, "I'm so good I don't have to put in a nose because my design of a circle head with two big eyes and smile is beyond reach."
Even designs that are more complicated, with interesting hair, glasses, earings, etc. still look like smiley faces if there is no nose. These kinds of characters always look way too cute, cocky, and designy.
I had the same feeling about Luxo Jr. That lamp had personality and all the stuff people rave about, but I sure did feel distant from it.
I think a lot of thhis trend in the print and graphic area is being generated by AOL Instant Messaging icons (AIM). It's popular on cell phones not just computers so it's becoming the in thing. This too will pass.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
That's a good observation Phacker.
Hey Daniel, your little elephant is ok, he has a nice big nose!
Design certainly does plays a part in its appeal to one.
But I believe there are badly drawn stickmen and well drawn stickmen as there are badly drawn noseless characters and well drawn noseless characters.
I believe it's more a design and taste issue you are describing....I think...not to put words in your mouth.
I know there's this show my kids watch where the characters have extra set of broken outlines around their bodies. The lines don't boil or move, it's tightly drawn like frozen shake and motion lines and it just bugs my hide.
My kids are like, "Shutup , dad and let us enjoy the show.".