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This is a question for the working animators who keep up with their figure drawing:
What scale (paper size) do you typically use for your figure drawings?
When I first started, the teacher I had (who was not geared towards animation) said, "Life drawing is a BIG art form. Big paper. Broad strokes. Use your whole body." And I did, and I think it really helped me. But, it didn't translate to my Wacom very well.
Listening to Vilppu, he says to work small when you're figure drawing bc that's what scale you'll be working on when you animate. So, I've been working much smaller lately.
What scale do you draw on? Do you find it makes a difference when translating that skill/knowledge to your work?
Just really curious about this.... Thanks...
I'm taking classes again so the majority of my output is 18x24 pads of bond or newsprint, with the occasional sheet of half or full rag paper (the full size is bigger in both dimensions than the first two).
If it makes a difference when you go to work small I haven't noticed. Seems all my drawing is subconsciously improving, down to elements like folds and wrinkles and also the ability to inject torque...and I don't just mean with people. And that's working as small as notebook paper. That's just what it seems like though; I'm not a fanboy but certainly a respectboy, and as far as figure drawing goes if Glen subscribes to it strongly there's gotta be a good reason.
People with a fine arts bent approach figure drawing differently than do animators. In a recent class for my MFA, my animator's approach of pushing the model's pose farther in my rendering was actively discouraged. Similarly, we spent half the semester perfecting shading techniques which, while being a handy skill to have, serve no purpose in animation drawing. Three-hour drawings were the norm, which would never fly in an animation studio.
There is much to be learned by doing fine art figure work, but personally I'd pay more attention to Vilppu's approach if you're honing skills for animation.
Thank you, both. Good information.
www.ElusiveMoose.com
Whatever works
Hello,
Whatever works is good...the fact that your are drawing at all, is really good.
I have always propagated that drawing large (A-1) was best because- physically you are involved with the "slashing and burning" action of the gesture.
I could never understand why Glenn Vilppu drew so small. When he was here in Savannah, I asked him, "Why do you draw so small?"
His reply, "Because in animation that's the size you work at..."
Thats why I say - "whatever works".
Of course, Glenn's drawings are so amazing- maybe we should all draw that size... HIS DRAWINGS ARE INCREDIBLE!
Gee....now I have to go draw....
Thanks
Larry
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Hi, Larry. Thanks for the reply. One of the first things I did when I started all this animation re-education stuff was work through your articles on AWN.
Yeah, drawing was probably the biggest hurdle in all this for me (at least so far). I originally thought, "Computer animators don't need to know how to draw". But then I read Williams' book, and he harps on drawing so much, sooo....
I usually get 2 studios a week, so I may just switch back and forth and try for the best of both worlds...
Yeah, watching him draw is like watching a really good magic trick. I just sit there with my mouth gaping trying to figure out how the heck he just did that.
Thanks again!
www.ElusiveMoose.com
I should add that even when I'm doing those notebook drawings, I'm one of those that still has their whole arm into the movement, and that might help -- the difference is of course it's proportionately smaller of a movement so I don't go hurting the other notetaking sttudents.
Yeah, good point. I do the same on the smaller scale.
I think the biggest difference for me between going big and going small was the way I held the charcoal/conte/Wacom pen.
Going from an upright easel to a Wacom on a table was kinda bizarre. But a sketchpad on a drawing board is much easier for me to translate as far as technique and motion.
Anyway, thanks again!
www.ElusiveMoose.com