Thursday March 3rd, 2011 Animation Seminar

[Dave]

The seminar starts every Wednesday at 4pm Arizona time.

We start this thread early to give members a chance to upload any video (http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php) or images they want critiqued on the weekly video seminar. Throughout the week, Dave will try to incorporate as many images and video clips (http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php) as possible into the live seminar.

Image and Video Rules:
1. The best format for video clips is .MOV files, preferably MPEG-4. You can upload them here. (http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php)

2. Please clearly label all of your drawings in your images, example "a, b, c, d... etc" so that Don can easily refer to them.

3. Please clearly label all animation pencil tests with large drawing numbers so that Don can easily refer to them.

4. Please do no post images or videos from the current workshop as it is not fair for the other members. However you may post images or videos from workshops that have already ended.

The deadline for clips and images to be critiqued in the live seminar is 24hrs prior to the seminar date and time.

Please keep your questions concise so we have time to answer everyone. Only questions pertaining to animation technique will be addressed.

Thanks

Here is the link to watch the live Seminar.
http://donbluthanimation.com/_Don_Bluth_Animation_live_seminar.html

You must be logged into your Don's Club account (http://www.donbluthanimation.com/member_home.php) to see the stream.

[madanimator]

Hi Don,
in the last days I like to draw racoons. What do you think of them?

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx208/madanimator/Waschbr1.jpg
http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx208/madanimator/Waschbren.jpg
http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx208/madanimator/waschbr3.jpg

Here are two more drawings of a racoon:

http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx208/madanimator/waschbr5.jpg
http://i756.photobucket.com/albums/xx208/madanimator/waschbr4.jpg

[msferoz85]

Hi!

In his animation masterclass, Richard Williams has the following to say about life drawing:
"The worst thing you can do is to try and get good drawings. What we need to do are intelligent scribbles."

Can you please elaborate on this idea of "intelligent scribbles" and what you think of it?

Regards,
Shakaib.

[andrew sharp]

Hello Don and Dave. I worked on dialog this week .I was wondering if you could please give me a critique? I key framed the animation on 16 s then 8s. The inbetweening was a lot easier with the keys set thankyou for showing us how to animate from key to key. The keys took a long time, but the breakdowns were a lot easier then straight ahead rough animation.Thankyou.
http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=644
this is an updated version. Is this time code ok or would you like the time code on 2's?
http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=647

[andrew sharp]

Hello This last friday I had a chance to meet with a large group of artists and teachers.so I got a lot of quick sketches could you give me some pointers on what I need to work on thankyou.

http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/life3-2.jpg
http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/life2-2.jpg
http://i1209.photobucket.com/albums/cc396/andrew_sharp1/life1-2.jpg

[Josh Lokan]

Hi Don,

I'm trying to put together that "Fish Test" for review. Here is where I'm at. I'm not happy with it, because after looking at it I see that I did a lousy job of getting my point across. The fish is supposed to be excited that a door is opening off screen, but I don't get that at all. And if I'm the animator and I don't get it then something is really wrong! I'm really only keeping it on here so others can see my mistake(s). Oh well...either back to the drawing board or lesson learned for the next one.

http://donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=645

The good thing about doing this test is that I also discovered I'm lousy at planning for, and drawing in, moving holds, and I see that as a very good thing! My question this week is could you please show me how to plan and draw a moving hold? I see 2D animators using this all over the place and I know this is something I'll have to get a handle on.

Also, I'm really, really interested in the next Animation Master Class. When will we have a chance to sign up?

You're the best,

Josh

[OwenWelsh]

Hi Don,

I recently went to the Walt Disney Museum where they discussed the xerox process on 101 Dalmatians. I had no idea that it took 3 entire rooms to xerox a single cel. I had always imagined a standard photo copy machine or something and it all happened effortlessly.

1. Did you have your own xerox lab in-house or did you contract out your xerox work? How did it work?

2. Could you also explain how you would pick out certain elements to be hand inked? Would the inker receive the partial xerox and the original pencil drawing to then complete the hand inked portion of the drawing?

[Andreas Westin]

Hi Don,
thanks for these great Live seminars!

1. I wonder if you could you give some pointers on drawing expressive eyes?

2. I am interested in hearing more about the plans for the summer camp and also upcoming workshops?

3. you said it's a good idea to study Chaplin and the like for 30 minutes per day. Are there other daily excercises/studies
that you can recommend?

4. Are you planning to publish any more books or maybe collectables from your films.

Thanks again
Andreas Westin

[Sung1]

Hey Don,

I'm trying to solve a problem. During the planning stage, I would imagine the movement, time it with a metronome or instinct and draw the keys. However, I have trouble timing body parts such as the arms that drag behind. I'm not talking about secondary actions such as the hair or cloth because I usually straight ahead that after everything else is done. Do you have any suggestions?

-Sung

Thanks Dave.http://www.donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=648

[AJartist]

what do you think of the rhythm in these observational studies, do you think i could of made certain things bigger or smaller?

I knew Marc Davis always carried around a sketchbook with him, and Milt Kahl never did, would you happen to know if any of the nine old men who were crazy about their sketchbooks?

http://donbluthanimation.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=132&pictureid=1530

[lavallelee]

Hey Don,

I am back doing life drawing! I haven't done life drawing since 2009. Any advice would be great!

http://www.flashcartoons.org/bluthlearning/2-2010-A.jpg

http://www.flashcartoons.org/bluthlearning/2-2010-B.jpg

http://www.flashcartoons.org/bluthlearning/2-2010-C.jpg

http://www.flashcartoons.org/bluthlearning/2-2010-D.jpg

[lavallelee]

More of the life drawing.

http://www.flashcartoons.org/bluthlearning/2-2010-F.jpg

http://www.flashcartoons.org/bluthlearning/2-2010-I.jpg

[Andreas Westin]

I wonder if it's beneficial to copy an animation scene from a movie or is it better to spend time working on something of your own?

[arif]

Hello sir...
Here is more anatomy study...

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/g2-1.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/g1-1.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/another.jpg
http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/fiiiiii.jpg

[arif]

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/another1-1.jpg

http://i622.photobucket.com/albums/tt308/arifnbd/ddd-1.jpg

[zanekohler]

Hi Don,
Wondering if you have any feedback?
Thanks


http://www.zanekohler.com/storage/sketchblog/2011/ZaneKohler_great_escape800.jpg

[Sung1]

Dear Don,

You said that you really enjoy the editing process. Does this mean that you did much of editing yourself?

Please take a look at my animatic. The time cap for a show that I want to enter is 1 min 30. So I decided to showcase the fight scene from a longer film. But I felt that I still need a set up so I added that. It is at 2 min 30 currently. I would love your advice. Thank you.

Sung

(Thanks Dave.)http://donbluthanimation.com/videos.php?showvideo=648 (Please don't download this file except for Dave.)

[Seth]

Hello Don! Long time no speak. I hope you have been well.

I've recently made a big decision in my life, I have quit my job and am moving out West to better myself in the Art and Animation field. Your Master Class last Summer had a big affect on me. I'm going to be able to stay with someone on the boarder of Arizona - Utah for rent free for the next 2 to 3 years. Practically giving me 8 hours or more a day practicing drawing, animation and the like. Pretty good compared to less than an hour a day that I have now.

Now my question is, with this limited time that I have to better myself as an animator. What goals should I be setting? What should I be trying accomplish in this time frame? Thank you and sorry if this is too much of a general question.

P.S. With my new schedule I will be able to attend your wonderful Seminars on a regular basis!

[OwenWelsh]

Hi Don,

I took the advice you gave me on my Iceplant character and have made a model sheet for him. Can you please critique it and offer any other advice to make him better? For the characters I am creating for my project I need them to be as simple as possible and the feedback you have given me has always been helpful in streamlining my characters design.

Thanks,
Owen

[OwenWelsh]

Hi Don,

When you design spatial structures and the composition of your scenes; do you just naturally feel you way through the storyboarding process or do you surround yourself with tons of photos, film references and other things to help lead you to your final composition? Also did you ever study image composition formally? The focal point in your scenes are always very clear, but I also find it fascinating how you compose the picture itself.

[Seth]

Hello Don,

I regularly watch your DVD series of tutorials and was just wondering if you had any new ones on the way. Thanks!

[OwenWelsh]

Hi Don,

I was wondering which film of yours was the first one to be digitally inked and painted? I was watching Thumbelina and noticed the lines were colored which hinted at a digital production workflow. How exactly did the digital production pipeline work? Would you simply scan in the clean up pencil sketches into the computer and begin coloring them? I'm just wondering what the technology was like then.

[OwenWelsh]

Hi Don,

I noticed on many of your films that when there is a character moving across a pan background during a trucking in and pan move; the character seems to have a drop shadow behind them it looks sort of like a black outline and makes the character look really super imposed over the background art. Did you do this so the character would stand out from the background and be more noticable?

[Richard Willimot]

Hello Don and Dave! Don I was wondering if you ever tried to work on different styles for your drawings?

[zanekohler]

I am here... just cant get on irc