Appeal, appeal, my kingdom for appeal!

[eezacque]

One of the things that hits me again and again is that my characters seem to lack appeal. And everytime I ask people for advice, on how to develop a sense of appeal, they seem to imply it is a magical talent, which cannot be developed if it's not there. I spent time studying character designs, spent time tracing them, but I feel this does not teach me any of the underlying principles.

What is your take on this? How would you suggest to develop a sense of appeal?

[arif]

ok...i think..in my sense, you can achieve it easily.I don't believe that people needs extra God gifted talent for it if you really want to do that..we are all gifted but dont know what to do....

what does it mean `Appeal`??..if my drawings got attracted by people and they like it or smile ..then i am success...i have noticed 2 important things to get appealed my drawings..

1. Wonderful Facial expressions which can remind people some moment , sad, joy, happiness..etc..

2.Good poses...

If you can master these 2 things...your works look `Appeal`..

Have you ever tried to draw a very `Happy ` face or veryyyyy `sad` face..??..if you can try only theses things,,you will find some changes on your work.

It is completely my own view. as i have found these 2 things when i think i got attracted by others drawings and see these element..

Hope, it will help you.

[Rodney]

There is a sense in which a thing either does or does not have appeal but much of that (like all art) is very subjective.

What qualities do you find appealing?

If you are struggling with appeal it may be that you are just caught up in the word itself. Substitute a similar word and you might suddenly find your work more appealing.

For instance, certain styles can be appealing (women's fashion hinges on what is currently appealing).
Some colors may be more appealing than others (a perfectly ripe banana versus one that bruised).

What is more appropriate in the given situation?

What helps convey a mood, emotion or feeling?

Don often refers to images as symbols. What represents the thing you want to portray the best? Is there anything that might convey that better?

Shapes can also influence appeal. Round, soft and flowing lines are often more appealing but not in an image that is trying to suggest harsh reality. So maintaining representational forms that are appropriate to the situation help communicate your intentions.

Proper proportions and relationships help strengthen interest and cohesiveness. An organized collection of objects that make sense within a particular context will generally be much more appealing to the eye than a unrelated themes, disorganization and chaos. A clear composition will help focus on the most important elements in a drawing or help to frame the most important subject in a picture.

Something that stands out from the crowd by way of contrast, even though not the prettiest aspect of an image may capture a viewer's interest. They may not know what they find appealing about it but it'll often be something that they can readily identify with... especially if they they can see or imagine themselves in it or if they've had a similar experience... even if they only unconsciously recognize it.


everytime I ask people for advice, on how to develop a sense of appeal, they seem to imply it is a magical talent, which cannot be developed if it's not there.

If I had to guess I'd say that most things in life that are appealing are labored over meticulously but that alone does not guarantee appeal. Appeal can't be forced although I think it can be augmented. For appeal to occur it seems to me that we must feel a natural connection with the person or subject matter under consideration and that connection will in turn hold our attention. Something that holds our attention will be appealing to us. Even things we wouldn't normally consider appealing can appeal to our sense curiosity. Like that accident we just divert our eyes away from... we are drawn... pulled... helplessly in.

I think Don's suggestion to put down the pencil BEFORE drawing and visualize what you are about to draw is one key way to draw appealing imagery. See it. Connect with it. Then draw that feeling.

By definition... Appeal: the power or ability to attract, interest, amuse, or stimulate the mind or emotions.

[OwenWelsh]

Appeal was something that was very much lacking in my work in the beginning. I do not think it is a magical ability, anyone can obtain it. But it does take some time and work for it to sink in. I think you can add appeal simply by simplifying the shapes within your designs. Also simplify the poses themselves into something very clear and readable. Think shapes, not lines. Keep hunting for more simple shapes and you will get a more appeal out of your drawings. Simplicity is the best word I can think of when it comes to appeal.

[eezacque]

what does it mean `Appeal`??..if my drawings got attracted by people and they like it or smile ..then i am success...i have noticed 2 important things to get appealed my drawings..

1. Wonderful Facial expressions which can remind people some moment , sad, joy, happiness..etc..

2.Good poses...


I agree that espressions and poses are part of appeal, but they are not the whole story. Personally, I don't think a totally hopeless design can be saved by wonderful expressions and strong posing. Anyways, thanks for you input, I'll keep it in mind!

[eezacque]

There is a sense in which a thing either does or does not have appeal but much of that (like all art) is very subjective.

What qualities do you find appealing?


Part of the problem here is that I believe it is partly subjective, and dependent on culture, age, gender, period, whatever. Now, I don't mind to be criticized for lack of appeal, because I am educated to entertain the masses. I don't do fine art, where I'm just doing my own thing. However, I often notice that teachers cannot explain why a design is or is not appealing. As one teacher put it, appeal is not just "I personally like it" or "cute", but he could not explain what it is.



If I had to guess I'd say that most things in life that are appealing are labored over meticulously but that alone does not guarantee appeal.


A baby is a good example here :)

I feel that John K. gives a pretty concise overview of appeal in http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2008/12/disney-principles-appeal-1.html He makes some of the point you mentioned above. Any agrees or disagrees on John K's overview are greatly appreciated. And, of course, thanks for sharing your ideas.

[OwenWelsh]

The straights against curves principle is something you could employ to strengthen your drawings. This one took me a while to lock into as well, because its a different way of thinking and drawing. You look over your drawing and think, where can I simplify, where can I add a straight? If you can please your own eye, then you are sure to please others.

[Rodney]

I find I'm in agreement with most of what John K said at that link. He is almost exclusively quoting from 'The Illusion of Life' though so he's using a good reference.

Like most things Appeal can be overdone... for instance, when someone is overly attracted to something that is outside society's norms we'd likely call that the object of desire a fetish. But even there the word comes from the French word f?tiche and from the Portuguese feiti?o which suggests sorcery and artificiality... as if the person who is captivated by the object was under a spell. This is the realm of the snake oil salesman, the fraud and the charlatan. What is appealing to you has been faked!

Appeal is a favoring toward one extreme or another... usually an exaggeration of a feature that is complementary (a positive versus negative). Favor is a wonderful term to use with design and animation too. It is very simple a preference you have or make.

While it can be said that a particular preference may be subjective, this need not always be the case. It may be a shared preference that appeals to everyone or sometimes it may be just good 'ol common sense.

Another way to approach the subject of appeal is to examine what is unappealing.

Unappealing by definition: not able to attract favorable attention.

There's that word favor again! And it's complemented by the words such as attraction and attending. So once again the object or person with appeal is drawing us in (perhaps unconsciously) but as that attraction gives way may still hold us there (consciously) due to our preferences.

The conscious part we control (as we grow older we tend to get more sentimental and we long to be surrounded by familiar things... we can resist this!) whereas the unconscious appeal we have very little control over, they are hardwired into us; the nurturing of cute babies for instance (but we can also resist this!).

Perhaps it is this dual conscious/unconscious nature that explains why people have such a hard time explaining what appeal really is and how to consistently reproduce it?

Added: In reading back through my post I think "instinct and learned behaviors" might be a better way to say 'conscious and unconscious'. Hopefully it still makes sense.

[arif]

I agree that espressions and poses are part of appeal, but they are not the whole story. Personally, I don't think a totally hopeless design can be saved by wonderful expressions and strong posing. Anyways, thanks for you input, I'll keep it in mind!

Yeah ..you are right....good `SOLID` design is the most essence of drawings...you have to know to draw a `Good Shape` which has 3 dimensional look...if you can do that with very strong `Emotional content`...people will look your work..i can bet.

[frankenart]

john k loves to do things his way or the highway. he preaches about limited animation in the 80s but yet if you look at his flash animations now. my point.he puts down every animation comp he worked for.im sorry he has great insight but he points the finger too much.

[frankenart]

dont get me wrong tho i visit his blog daily.he just needs to respect his animation past more than he does.instead of putting down the classic companies he was fortune enough to work for.i mean some never had the chance.ok.im done.off my soapbox.

[jeremyhopkins]

I'd have to agree with John K's post as well. That said, the average movie goer doesn't care about design principals or solid drawing, they only want to be entertained as was mentioned earlier. There are two extremes, one where the artist has free reign but their work doesn't speak to a larger audience and one where the design message gets watered down due to large committees making fear based decisions. The best projects I've worked on have been in small groups with extremely talented people that supported one another and each person brought a different set of skills. When you're in school, you don't have to worry about the corporate committee because you're on your own. Your only fear is finding a job and paying school debt/living expenses. My first suggestion to you is to think about where you'd like to go in the future. If your goal is to work at one of the larger studios in a design position, then I'd recommend learning their heritage first. Find their best designers and study them like you're doing now. Find out their inspirations and try to draw from multiple sources not just the work being done at the studio. You may feel like this doesn't help but it provides support until you feel comfortable with your work.
Everyone has different goals though I'd say most of us want a balanced approach with an enjoyable process but also to tell a story that entertains others. Knowing the character and what would entertain your audience is key to appeal. Even weak designs can be made appealing if the audience relates to the action taking place. Simon's Cat is a good example of weak design principals and drawing being carried by appealing and reliable ideas.
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I'd say that most Disney inspired artists look at Fred Moore's work for similar inspiration though his drawings contain excellent design principals as well. The general public won't see value in a gesture or sketch. An untrained eye usually values realism and associates skill and appeal with realistic accuracy. Also, the masses usually need to be told something is great before they believe it and sometimes this works for movies and sometimes it doesn't. Audiences didn't find appeal in Joshua Bell's subway performance (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html) but were willing to pay top dollar to see him in concert. Anyways, great topic and I hope you find the answers to your questions.

[Every Puss.]

I love Simon's Cat. I sort of disagree that it is a weak design principal. It's strong because it is cute in a very original way. It seems purposefully childlike. By looking at his techniques I can tell he is doing this style because he feels it will have the best charm. He seems to have good drawing and definitely great animating skill.

[jeremyhopkins]

I hear what you're saying but it's important to separate the principals of good design from an aesthetic point view when discussing appeal. Good composition or solid drawing doesn't change which is why art students still study Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Based on those rules and ones the early animation studios developed, Simon's Cat is not well drawn or composed however I believe it is aesthetically pleasing because, as you've mentioned, people can relate to the situations. The style works because the shorts are simple and childlike so the subject matter matches the drawing. Children aren't normally known for being brilliant designers and since I haven't seen any of Simon Tolfied's other designs, I can't say if has a skill set beyond what he has drawn for Simon's Cat. Maybe the style is intentional or maybe it is a limitation.

An example of a better constructed cat would be Fuddles by Frans Vischer. It may not, depending on your aesthetic point of view, be more appealing but the construction, design and animation principals are more solid.
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