question about using colored pencils

Hi muurtikaar.

Ironically, I was writing about this very thing for my new book (essentially an entired degree-level course on animation, with DVD lectures and examples) when I read your recent post. The new book's been in the works for two years now but I'm doing a tidy-up on the text manuscript and happen to be writing about animators' equipment when I read your email.

Anyway, professional animators use Col-erase almost exclusively. I personally always use the 'BLUE' pencil (not 'Photo-Blue' which is far too light to be of any use... i.e. doesn't show up on penciltesters or scanners very well when testing rough animation). Disney animators used the 'RED' a great deal, although I'm almost certain they didn't switch to the Blue after initially roughing out their scenes. (They called their drawings 'Reds' by the way... meaning pencil test animation, prior to clean-up.)

A 'committed' line means a final clean-up line. I.e. An animator roughs-out all his animation using the Blue (or Red, if you're so inclined?) and when they have tested and are happy with the movement they have created they will then 'clean-up' their drawings with a black, soft lead pencil... or even a fiber tip black pen, which works best for scanning purposes.

Remember though, it really doesn't matter what kind of pencil you use... it's the animation that is the most important factor and if you can do that drawing with coal on a white wall its all permissable!

By the way, I'm sorry I don't post much on this forum anymore. Its not that I'm indifferent to you guys or anything but I am so overwhelmed with work these days that I just don't have time. I should have my new book material out of the way in a few weeks, so that will help. However, as I'm now Dean of the DigiPen Institute of Technology's BFA degree in 'Production Animation' I barely have time to do anything but concentrate on my students. I don't even have time right now to keep up my personal blog or post more of my work on YouTube! (See links below).

But anyway, please keep the topics going. I love to read what you guys are up to and will jump in from time to time if I can offer something specific... like today! For further information, I do recommend my book 'Animation from Pencils to Pixels'... it should have all the answers you will ever need. I'm not plugging it for a sale, its just that after spending 4 years of my life writing just about everything I know about the industry from top to bottom I'm sure you'll find anything you need right there. The new 'course' book will use it and my 'Animator's Workbook' as text books... but will additionally give you guys a well structured, knowledgeable, degree-level program on how to become a professional-level animator and filmmaker.

Must go now... I have to work on it some more over the Labor Day weekend! (Groan!) :)

And... 'good luck' with your animation and studio building everyone!

Tony :^{)}=-

Animaticus Foundation: http://www.animaticus.com
Personal blog: http://blog.animaticus.com

And here's where you can check-out some of my work by the way...
Miscellaneous: http://www.youtube.com/user/TonyWhiteAnimation
Commercials: http://www.youtube.com/user/TonyWhiteArchive
Short films: http://www.youtube.com/user/TonyWhiteFilms
Portfolio: http://www.creativetalentnetwork.com/portfolio.php?id=229

"Be the change you want to see in the world." (Mahatma Gandhi)