(Narrative Research) 'A Guide to Everything- From Flip Books to Flash "The Animation Bible" '

'A Guide to Everything- From Flip Books to Flash "The Animation Bible" '

(Furniss M, 2008, The Animation Bible A Guide to Everything from Flipbooks to Flash, 1st edition, Laurence King Publishing Ltd, City Road, London)

(Furniss, 2008, p. )

'[Animations] can be entertaining, fun, inspirational and can leave viewers with satisfaction of having expanded their knowledge or experience

Research

'The arts have always needed an audience, but the nature of audiences has changed over the centuries, and never more radically than during the past 100 years. In turn, audiences have changed art'
-

By Brian Hunt

12:00AM GMT 13 Jan 2001

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/4721019/The-untold-history-of-the-audience.html

The untold history of the audience

Research

“Let’s face it, the form of a book is different from the form of a film, is different from the form of a television series'  Bissinger

body language

http://www.innergladiator.com/body-language-the-ultimate-guide-for-men-kindle/


Lower power to high power



I was researching in ways that show the difference between shy and confident, anayalysimg the way a powerful figure looks compared to a small figure.

Final Panel, taking a bow.

Inside Cafe Panel

London street panel

Printing

The first print v.s the original ;
The tones are much different, the print being darker, (despite fitting the design of the sky nicely) it hides some of  the details on the river, like the reflections. And takes away the representation I had being trying to create, my original was supposed to represent the weather clearing, with the rainbow appearing after my previous raining drawings. Along with the rivers reflections, a connotation of self-reflection. But with the print being darker, it connotations a continuous theme of stormy weather.
I could ignore  this, as it is not completely significant difference, however I would prefer to print on a different type of paper, of better quality. I have chosen to print out on photographic/ glossy paper to ensure the brightness and colours I have used will be shown.

Priniting and biding

This is how my drawings look printed out (on normal white paper), the drawings came out much darker compared to the original image.

In my attempt to bind, I sewed the pages together then added binding tape to the spin, despite fixating the photo's together, I feel it could look neater. Sewing 8 pages proved difficult as pages kept moving; so i have decided to re-print, in better quality paper and bind in a different way. 

Market scene panel

Panel four

In this panel, I have moved the "Journey" further down the river, yet still very close.  I took reference once again from a photograph I had took earlier on in the week, and a observation drawing i had done of a ballerina. What intrigued me was that the narrative showed more a clear trip, and the hard reflections from the calm river. I also the thought the colours would be interesting.

for the based of this panel, I made the rain (shown in the earlier panel) calm down in this one, with the sun breaking through causing a rainbow. Adding a drawing in the background of the ballerina with the umbrella (from an earlier panel) on the bridge with a man shows that time has gone one passed. And also links my panels together. In some what of a narrative form.

I focused a lot of time on the detailing of the buildings in the background, as I felt they where central and would "make" the image. Originally I had a bun for the dancer however, I thought the hair falling freely felt more effective, not only fitting with the posture and shape she was creating with the pose, but the sense of 'freedom' and letting go with this image.
The river and reflections have  connotations of self-reflecting, seeing through layers of deception. Adding to  this, the sun breaking through the dark clouds and the bright rainbow appearing through the miserable wet has a positive expression, as if overcoming the negativity in life. The pose of this dancer has expressions which fits with in this representation also. Fitting well.
I feel that this one was most effective, due to its colours and focus on expression and emotion, rather than atmosphere.

This took a day and half, it has more contained detail but less time token to do it. I have also discovered other short cuts.

Pannel 3

(Shortened time-lapse)

I decided that I would draw the bridge on St Georges street, to give more of a routed journey for the narrative aspect. As the distance between the Haymarket Starbucks and the playhouse are far apart that it may seem random dotted places. Also, to further link the panel to the first panel of the imaginary coffee place I created, 'Coffee Buzz' aka Starbucks, I redo one of the takeaway coffee cups seen in that previous drawing with the same logo, (but different type of coffee) to show its a different person in this scene.
I enjoyed playing with different colours and tones and textures to create different effects for the river, to give a more realistic look, I also played with the layers- adding reflections, leafs and twigs on top with their own reflections and shadows, weeds at the bottom and fishes, which I feel gives more depth.
I found the smudge tool useful into giving a blended smooth look for the metal fence. The trees in the background could have more work and details done to them, however that would have been even more time consuming. This drawing roughly took a day and a half. The university building also lacked detail like the previous drawings, however it was less major.
I like the way the dress ended up looking, however it took time deciding how I wanted the bodice to look, continually changing the colour tones and texture. I also had the same trouble with the colour of the hair, changing the hair from brown to strawberry blonde, eventually changing the hair colour to a darkened candyfloss pink that is more modern and fashionable.

Panel two

(Time-lapse of my second panel)
- Using Procreate and Ipad Pro

This drawing was based off a photograph I had took of St Georges street, focused on the Play House Bar, and a observation drawing I had done of a ballerina, using them both for reference. In this drawing I decided to play with colours more, and reflections. I also tempted to experiment with a new atmosphere, one of pouring rain. An experiment with the tools to give the illusion of rainfall and stormy weather, which I feel was successful. I also experimented with different tools to try and great a more interesting dress.
I also did it from a different perceptive, allowing to see the sky, surrounding environment and not  time focused on the  interior of the café/bar.

To create the reflections;  I duplicated the lights, flipped them round, changed the opaqueness down, and then blended it so they slightly loose there shape, for a more puddle like nature instead of a hard reflection like a still river. I also took reference from my previous studies from the rainy day where I draw people with water colours whilst sat in the rain.
Once again the layers where useful to edit objects and be able to work on them separately.

However what I found unsuccessful was the perceptive of the back building, something I continuously seem to struggle with. However I decided to create an Illusion by creating clouds over the mistaken shape.
Also what made this one quicker, in the background I duplicated a lot of the windows so it was less time consuming, however I feel not all fit the windows correctly- anther error with the perceptive of that building.
Once again I am yet to see how this will Print.

First panel, panoramic drawing.

(time-lapse of creating my digital drawing for the first panel. )
Program used: Procreate App
Device: Ipad Pro

For this panel, I used reference from my observational drawing of Starbucks to create the architecture that can be seen from the exterior view. However I decided to use and experiment with different colours and textures; especially in the interior where I used mainly original ideas for the interior design.
However experimenting with new tools took time, it also allowed much more texture and a closer realism than what I would have done using art materials instead of digital.
I had previously started my drawing on my Ipad 2, on the much older version of procreate, where I drew the ballerina for it. However this was a frustrating process as its capacity stopped it from working mostly. Purchasing the Ipad Pro and carrying on working from that meant I had to restart the piece again, (taking more time) but I did use a pixilated picture of the previous drawing to re drawn the new ballerina.
Using the apple pencil gave me much more possibilities and details than my previous technique of using my fingers, also the updated modern version of procreate had more advanced tools, helpful tools included 'touch ups' ; including zombie skin, fine, flowing and short hair and many others to add textures.

Adding textures took more time, including experimentation with them, however I feel these where important in making my drawings more effective. Using procreate allowed my to use layers, meaning that I could work on the interior, bit by bit- adding floors, wall paper, doors, furniture, decoration, lights, then people. Slowly building up the details around the drawing, trying to give the illusion of a real café atmosphere. The layers also allowed me to work on the exterior in parts and then add them together. It also allowed me make windows that reveal parts of the café with out fully closing it off unlike my ink experiment for this piece where it over bled and took the full colour away.

Overall this drawing took me along time to do, roughly a fortnight. However I feel now I have played and experimented with materials the next seven drawings should hopefully take me much less time.

The pros of using procreate is that enables me to duplicate, layer, erase which makes it much easier to to fix  mistakes and change, and do some things quicker. At the same time this is a negative as I had become obsessed with silly details, which when  zoomed out and added layers back wasn't even able to see.

I am yet  to print this off and seeing how the quality comes out, the colours and texture could possibly not come out as vivid and clear due to printing, inks and types of paper. which is something else I may to need to test, the look on card, glossy and matte paper.

Animated films - James Clarke

Clarke J, 2007, ‘Animated films’, VIRGIN BOOKS LTD, Thames Wharf Studios, Rainvillie Road, London, England.

‘Walt Disney is one of the most significant popular culture figures of all time, both as an artist and so on a movie maker induralist.’ P.26

‘His [Walt Disney ] story telling impulse has been criticised for homogenising the fairytale narrative, his studio adapted into features in 1937 with Snow White and the seven dwarfs.’ P. 26

‘What is most undeniable is his personal advancement of the medium of the classical or full animations inwhich drawn characters are animated against visually realistic background using ink and paint, it is perhaps the form of animation closest to the tradition of the picture book and certainly the illustrated fairytale’. P.26

‘In adapting fairytales and previsouoy existing stories, Disney (both the man and the collective effort of his titular studio) reframed them in the public imagination to the point they have become to be the thought of the definitive. 27

‘ if one where to read the orginal Pinocchio or snowwhite, tale recorded from the European oral traditions by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the difference in action and tone would be astonished.’ 27

‘Famously, he [Walt disney] stated that "until a character becomes personality, it cannot ring true to an audience’ 29

‘By the mid 1930’s  Mickey Mouse’s merchandising was vital to covering studios costs and it allowed the Disney narrative to become increasingly ingrained in the American and eventually global imagination and cinematic genetic code’ 30

‘Disney is often cited negatively as narrowing in audiences sense of what a fairytale can be.’ P.30


‘In Disney’s films the magic is often explained as being a mechanical process demgestifing royalty, empthasing the age group of between  children and parents’ 30

‘ ever since the little mermaid, the gently rebellious heroine is domesticated by love in Disney films. Disney hero’s search for happiness and accept responsibility.

Oxford companion to fairytales quoted by animated films; ‘ Disney’s version of the fairytale focus on the the ‘PRIVILEGED OF innoncence, the valorisation of sentiment ... a jovial disdain for ugliness or deformity, a luxuriant, infantelis cel eratipn of cute’ 31.  

First panel draft

This is my first panel plan, outlines so far are pencil. The paper I am experimenting with is water colour paper. I would like to add colour to the café then add the window panels, however this will be challenging with art materials, I plan to experiment with inks, as they can be diluted to be weaker and more opaque. 

I feel Adding ink will stop the bleed taking away the drawings boldness. However I will most likely need to reapply after the ink dries.  However I used by copic marker ink pen, which is supposed to not be effected by pens.  I also added more details, such as the way I want the window panels to look, dress and characters. I added a bag what  says 'Work load' to show she presents  a normal worker who is represented as a perfectionist ballerina in response to coffee. 

Although I may add more details in relationship with coffee, a possible idea of having zombies customers who have the complexion of zombies, as they have not got their deuce of coffee yet. Although I have not left for room of this, I may have to  redraw this. 

I would also like to show the coffee shop employees as drained, tired entirely. (showing the effects of working in this job industry.)