My Art Training

There is so much to be learned about drawing that it can be quite daunting. It is a constant journey through life. However, as Confucius said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with that very first step." The dilemma for me is which step do I take. In what direction do I start?

I am currently in a life drawing class, and I realized that life drawing will do me no good if I don't know the other parts, like light, value, and perspective. This is just adding another load onto me. I need to find some organization to this. Since I am mostly teaching myself, there is no structure to this journey. Does anybody have any suggestions?

Perhaps the biggest part of my problem is my motivation. So many distractions surround me, and I allow them to draw mw away from my studies. That will have to be my own personal hurdle.

To all of my artist friends or to those who have any ideas on how to move forward, I eagerly await your answers. Until then, I will be working my way through my many art books. Thank you for reading.

The Illusionist: The Magic of Animation isn't Dead

Hello dear readers (all three of you). I have returned from the netherworld in which we call reality. I am hear to give you a review of the darling of the animation world, The Illusionist. I have heard plenty of good reviews, and some bad reviews. I decided to check it out myself. I went to the only theatre in Seattle that was showing it, paid my fare, and went in. I have to say this: I LOVED it!

This movie was magic to me. It has reaffirmed my love for animation, and given me new hope for the medium.


Synopsis: An aging magician is at the end of his career. Constantly playing smaller and smaller venues, he plays at a pub in rural Scotland. There he meets a young girl, who is astonished by his illusions as he bestows gifts to her. She joins him as he travels to Edinburgh, where he takes up more and more menial jobs just to support the girl's illusions.

Okay, to start off, the animation and visual style of this movie are wonderful. It is only once or twice that the animation dropped in quality, becoming very choppy and TV-like. I chalk that up to the film's status as a foreign co-production. It's hard to keep track of quality when so many animation studios are involved. However, these are minute quibbles. For the most part, the animation was astounding. While it was not overly cartoony, it does convey the emotion and attitudes of the character. Each one had their own way of walking, body language that gave them an individual identity. That is always a plus for me.

This has led me to a greater understanding of animation. I think I am truly beginning to understand the use of caricature in the artform. Caricature allows the artists to get at the heart of a character's psyche. Perhaps that is why many animated films are done with a more simplified storyline. It allows the animators to utilize that tool to express characterization. That kind of simplicity truly works for this film. It is not overtly complex in its plot, but it doesn't need to be. It's about the characters and the world they live in.

However, underneath that simplicity lies a rich emotional core. The film is all about magic and illusions. For starters, the protagonist is a magician. There are other performers/illusionists in this film, like a ventriloquist and a clown. Throughout the film, the film exposes the lie and blatantly comes out to say, "Magic does not exist." That adds a double meaning, especially since the film is an animated one. I will say that there was a lump in my throat by the time the movie ended.

I will say at first that the movie started out a little rocky. It was beautiful to look at, but just didn't grab me as I wanted it to. As soon the girl Alice was introduced to us, I began to get more into it. It added that humanity and warmth that I needed. As the film went on, I became more and more entranced and involved in this world. Everything felt real to me. Not a single thing rang false, and that is one of the greatest achievements a movie can make. That, and I felt like I was in an adult world, not Hollywood adult, but almost like the real world. It wasn't physically real, but the emotion was real, and that is the important part in my book.

One of the complaints drawn up against the film is that the relationship between Alice and Tatischeff is creepy and inappropriate. I didn't see it like that. call me naive, but I felt it was more like a grandparent relationship. It reminded me of William Hartnell and Carole Ann Ford's onscreen relationship in the early Doctor Who. It was completely platonic.

Another issue people draw against this movie is that Alice was not a likable character, that she was using Tatischeff. My rebuttal is that she is not using him. She is just that impressionable child who believe the illusions Tatischeff presents her. She came from a village that only recently got electricity earlier in the movie. Besides, Alice is not a bad person. She is just at that age where she is a bit self-absorbed. I have been there. I identified with that. It added dimension to her personality and made her feel like a real person. She's a flawed human being like anyone else. Her sweetness countered those shortcomings.

To sum up, this film is one of the best animated films I've seen. I will say it is one of the best films of the past year. It is a testament to the power of animation to tell a wonderful story. There is still magic out there. I've seen it up on the screen. Do yourself a favor and check this film out. You will be rewarded.

Until Next Time

More Barks and Scrooge!!

Hello Everybody!!!! Sorry for being away so long. Once again, I've been feeling uninspired. Today, I'm bringing you some one-page gag strips by the master Duck artist himself. These are all from Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge.

Writing/Art: Carl Barks

WD US Issue No. 12

WD US Issue No. 18

More good stuff to come!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everybody!!

May everyone get what their heart desires!





May those who are less unfortunate this time of year find hope and healing. I send my love to all of you!

Joyeaux Noel!

Alice in Comicbook Land Pt. 5 (Finis)

We're in the final stretch people. How will Alice fare in the Queen's makeshift trial? Probably not well. And we're off!











Here's a little cursory sum up of the whole comic. For those of you who weren't paying attention the first time.


Thank you for taking the time to read through this. I hope you've all enjoyed it. It was a nice little comic. It skipped other parts of the film (the Walrus and the Carpenter, all of the songs, etc.) but it was entertaining enough. However, Riey Thompson may not have been the best pick for drawing this. His drawing chops probably were not up to the task of drawing a more realistic character like Alice. Still, he did a good job.

Coming up soon: More Carl Barks and Uncle Scrooge!

Richard Williams Commercials

Richard Williams is a fascinating figure in animation history. He was a man with great ambitions for animation, but unfortunately was undone by his lack of financial stability.

During the 1970s, he brought some of the best of the Golden Age animators such as Art Babbitt, Ken Harris, and Grim Natwick to England to teach his animators how it all was done. That helped improve the quality of the animated commercials Richard Williams provided by lightyears. Here are some samples of the work his studio did.







The only issue I have with these is Williams' insistence of animating on ones. Now, in some cases, it could be beneficial such as if you were animating in a more realistic fashion. However, it can be a bad habit if you are animating more cartoony characters such as Goofy and Donald Duck in the Fanta commercials. Doing it all on ones gives the feeling as if they're somewhat floating and not entirely grounded.

I hope to reach that level of expertise that Richard Williams and his animators reached in these commercials.

More of Gulbransson's Magic Line

Today, I give you more of Olaf Gulbransson and his magic lines. They flow so smoothly, like a classical symphony. These are the rest of them from the book on Simplicissimus I have.

Entertainment

"Excuse me, please, don't you have anything depraved here? But not too bad, so a man can take his wife along."

Calm Sea

"You have such charm, Fred! I admire your tastefully composed personality."

Departure

"And bring me back a fig leaf from Italy. I can't afford a suit any more."

The Last Foothold

"I don't believe in God any more, I don't believe in people any more-and now you want to make me sick of cards, too!"

After Dinner

"Of course, you still have to hold that big gawky boy on your lap!"
"Let me alone. You need your paper for your digestion, I need my motherly love."

Baedeker

"The tedesco can't even do that without his book!"

The Power of Music

"When I hear them play, I love them both. After the concert I prefer a prizefighter."

I hope you've enjoyed them.