You are on page 1of 38
ADVANCED zee TOs) ie lair CONSTRUCTION OF THE HEAD THINK OFTHE HEAD AS A ROUNDED oes SG ale sae SHAPED, Bae SHAPED OR EGG SHAPED AS THE CASE MAY BE.— IN ANIMATION THIS HI HAPE MA\ EPSPECTIVE AND FORM A GREAT NUMBER OF TIMES DURING A SCENE “1 IM DLIEY MATTER A CORRECT PERCPECTIVE FRAMEWORK SHOULD FIRST BE DRAWN,THEN THE DETAILS CONSTRUCTED OVER THIS FORM. TAKE AN EGG- DRAW THE GUIDE CIRCLES AROUND IT=THEN PUT IN THE FACE- NOW TURN THIS EGG IN EVERY ere POSITION AND DRAW IT- YY x a HERE IS THE BASIS OF A GREAT MANY CARTOON HEADS.- DRAW UP AN EGG LIKE THIS AND STUDY i IT FROM ALL ANGLES-BELOW ARE VARIATIONS A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR ir, Cartoon Director, is one of the fine artists of Animation, Associated with the Disney Organization, he animated in io,” in the later he designed the hippos. Later for Fred Quimby, shorts Producer at Metro- Gels ‘Mayer, he designed ond animated the highly successful, "Red Hot Riding Hood," directed "Barney Beor” shorts, and animated in “Anchors Aweigh.” Blair is active in magazine illustration and fine rts, and is a member of the California. and ‘American Watercolor Societies. Recently when he won first prize in our Notional Print Exhibition at the Laguna Beach Art Gallery, I'met him and suggested he make this book for you. | am sure it will prove interesting and helpful to all those studying this popular cartoon medium. MORE HEADS CONSTRUCTE! Saleh ahd WITH ADD NOSE CON- Baa Ne Teen waar p UIDE LINES. SOLIDLY ON, WATCH PERSPECTIVE AND CONSTRUCT THE REMAINING: DETAILS ALL ANIMATED CARTOON CHARACTERS - STUDY THE BASIC CAN BE REDUCED TO A BASIC FORMULAE / \ FORMULAE T HAVE TiSuge Garten muda MELAS | /\.\ AV ReAS SBIERAL ARTISTS WOR ON THE SAME CHARACTER, }/ ( \ Qh NomieR Fosmons \ HERE ARE SOMEMORE TO PRACTICE ON Cd, Y BST Y CIM i ry) J A hd} | bw | Sy > We are gretetul to Fred Quim excellent cartcon characters to that have captured the hearts of ar « STRETCH AND SQUASH ON HEADS i 4 Ve GS A CARTOON HEAD CAN BE STRETCHED OR \| SQUASHED TO STRENGHTEN AN EXPRESSION. YOu a NOTICE THAT THE OVAL BODY BUILT FROM ROUNDED OR CIRCULAR FORMS = a, ee A iti “THE ANIMATED CARTOON CHARACTER ¢ we os THE CIRCLE AND. THE SKELETON FOUNDATION BUILD THE CARTOON UP FROM A ROUGH ISICELETON =~ DONT EXPECT TO GET Ane RIGHT. SKELETON THE FIRST TRY ALWAYS NOON DO THAT-- EXPERIMENT- DISCARD-MAKE SEVERAL FUEN DICK THE Best ONE <> NERS ARE THE ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS “TOM PERRY” (WHO APPEAR IN MGM. PICTURES): TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA HOW IT'S DONE,--WORK LOOSE ON CONSTRUCTION, LINE OF ACTION AN IMAGINARY LINE EXTENDING THRU THE MAIN ACTION OFTHE FIGURE |S THE LINE OFACTION”-- PLAN YOUR FIGURE AND IT’S DETAILS TO ACCENTUATE THIS LINE —@Y SO DOING YOU STRENGHTEN D HEN CON- THE DRAMATIC EFFECT --THE FIRST THING TO STRUCTING A FIGURE IS THE LINE OF ACTION--THEN BUILD OVER THAT. These are progressive steps taken by an animator in drawing @ cartoon character 1 Draw in "Line of Action" to establish general stance of figure. 2 Rounded masses for head and body are put in. 4 Now arms, legs and eyes are constructed or “anchored on” in their definite position to perspective lines. 5 Details are now fitted in or hinged into their position. 6 Character is cleaned up cround these construction lines, HERE ARE SOME IDEAS FOR, DRAWING A eee : LARGE sBOSTANTE ARE “THis LITTLE FELLOW APPEARED IN AN M.G.M, CARTOON WITH C IEY BEAR AND HE Mic A RIOT-- BELOW IS HOW. AE COMPARED S en TO GARNEY £ cy “ => THE “SCREWBALL’ TYPE — =xacorrareo Stow _ 1 ay FEATURES =~ FORE IN THIS FORMULAE . ELONGATED HEAD —»// HEAD YOU WILLRECOGNIZE NOT TOO BIG PEAR, SOME FEATURES SKINNY NECK-~—__\/ SHAPED THAT ALL THESE COCKY- WISE GUYS HAVE IN COMMON art i =m 4 2a. re ~ THE ANTICS OF sor “- > THESE BAD Boys ~~ HAVE BEEN SOME fe OF THE FUNNIEST ) } ‘ON THE SCREEN SY ez SS 5 . GOOFY CHARACTERS <-Siilittareces HERE IS THE BASIC FORMULAE FOR oa DROOPY HALF-AWAKE EYES. GOOFY TYPES THAT ACT LIKE A x SIMPLE SIMON CLOD-HOPPER: R ~~ BIG BEAK OR NOSE LONG SKINNY NECK eee E BUCK TEETH HUMP BACK- STOOP SHOULDERED—/, \\ ‘ABSOLUTELY NO CHIN /-THIS LONG DROOPY ARMS.————+/ || S$ VERY IMPORTANT. WT ee CRANES ‘| \\BOBBLING ADAMS APPLE OVER-HANGING FANNY. PANTS LOW AND LOOSE + BAGGY. ENORMOUS + CLUMSY FEET. we] \ SUNKEN CHEST ] | BiG STOMACH PORTRUDES || —— Low cROTCH IN PANTS ee oy --TRY DESIGNING A a _# CHARACTER OF YOUR OWN USING THESE POINTS. HEAVY EYEBROWS EYES CLOSE AND Ji, BEADY COMPARATIVELY HUGE CHIN SMALL CRANIUM ~ AND JOWLS LITTLE EARS HEAVY THICK NECK WHEN IT oS BIG BARREL LIKE CHEST Ny BiG LOWER a, YAP sticks our ip } DOG ON THE NEXT PAGE, cy ~ HEAD LARGE IN RELATION < 2 TO THE BODY. = \ HIGH FOREHEAD IS ja—— VERY IMPORTANT. a EYES SPACED LOW ON aM f_—- HEAD + USUALLY LARGE THE CUTE CHARACTER CUTENESS IS BASED ON THE BASIC PROPORTIONS. OF A BABY + EXPRESSIONS OF SHYNESS OR COYNESS. EARS ARE SMALL IN RELATION TO ADULT SIZE. NO NECK-HEAD JOINS ON TO Boby DIRECTLY. BODY PEAR SHAPED J AND ELONGATED. SWAY BACK-WITH THIS LINE CONTINUING UP BACK OF HEAD AND DOWN INTO FANNY. FANNY PORTRUDES-NEVER BULGES-BUT FITS INTO LEG LINES AND AND WIDE APART. \<——— NOSE + MOUTH ARE ALWAYS SMALL. yS-ARMS ARE SHORT AND NEVER SKINNY AND TAPER DOWN TO THE HAND AND TINY FINGERS TUMMY BULGES — LOOKS WELL-FED. FAT LEGS - SHORT AND TAPERING DOWN INTO SMALL FEET FOR TYPE. NOTICE HOW ABOVE POINTS, ARE USED IN THESE ANIMALS HANDS TO DRAW THE HAND FIRST START AS IF IT WERE A MITTEN AND @)— THEN PUT THE TWO MIDDLE FINGERS IN FOLLOWIN THIS SHAPE ©— THE LITTLE FINGER IS THEN PUT IN, VARVING IT IN ANY FASHION TO PREVENT MONOTONY —IT IS OFTEN A GOOD IDEA TO EXAGGERATE THE BASE OF THE THUMB. piploip © CARTOON HANDS ARE TRICKY — SO BELOW I'VE DRAWN AN AVERAGE HAND IN ALLIKINDS OF POSITIONS TO GIVE YOU SOME IDEAS, —— NOTICE THAT THE FINGERS SHOULD BE UNEVENLY PLACED TO PRE- VENT A MONOTONOUS QUALITY. FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AN ANIMATORS JOB IS THE ae AS AN ACTOR'S JOB IN LIVE ACTION PICTURES=-BOTH SHOULD BE MASTERS OF PORTRAYING SNe a ~STUDYING: YOUR OWN GRIMACES IN A MIRROR IS. rit IST.—~PICK_A CHARACTER. YOU KNO! GO THRU THE EXPRESSIONS WITH HIM,AS T HAVE HERE WITH SERey MOUSE, ) ecpcmcresaees PE THE BASIC BOUNCING BALL ACTION AS BALL FALLS-ITS SPEED INCREASES: ~-DRAWINGS ARE SPACED FURTHER APART. -- BALL AT HIGHEST Pol INT -- SLOWS UP-- AS BALL HITS ON 5+-7-12-14¢ NoTICE 7 DRAWINGS SPACED IT RECOILS~ BALL STRETCHES IN LOSER -- RESUMES. BECOMES FALLING ++ TAKING OFF, NATURAL SHAPE, SQUASHED NOMCE BALL FOLLOWS A DEFINITE PATH OF ACTION --STUDY CLOSELY THE SPACING OF BALL ALONG THIS PATH -- NOTICE THE BASIC SIMILARITY OF THIS BALL ACTION TO THE HOP AND JUMP BELOW:ALSO TO THE WALK-RUN-LEAP-SKIP-ETC. Or a8 NOTICE A-C-E ARE UKE Soa ASOUE NVAEN \ : MR.ScREWy PILGRING IGARACTER SIR-teh eSB. f GIT-PLAVER“I5 UNDER, IS LIKE RECOIL ON G-(3 AND CONTRACT WITH MEM, D IS LIKE THE NORMAL 2-10-17 t MOVEMENT OF BODY MASSES HERE ARE SOME SIMPLIFIED FIGURES IN ACTION 10 SHOW ‘I THEMAN SOO) Wastes 1S LOGRE ANIMES SUEDING THE FIGURE IN SOLIDS MAKES ANIMATION EASIER TO FEELOUT MOVEMENTS OF THE TWO LEGGED FIGURE HERE IS A COMPARISON OF THE VARIOUS TWO LEGGED FORWARD MOVEMENT CYCLES --T HAVE Cra ON ees CYCLE ,BELOW--REVERSE HANDS +FEET FOR THE OTHER HALE -THESE CYCLES CAN BE USED AS ‘REPEATS"-CTHAT IS THE DRAWINGS MAY BE REPEATED OVER +OVER IF THE FIGURE REMAINS CENTERED ON THE SCREEN AND THE BACKGROUND MOVES. MOVEMENTS OF THE FOUR LEGGED FIGURE HERE IS A COMPARISON OF THE MAIN CYCLES OF FOUR, LEGGED MOVEMENT. SOME OF THESE CYGLES ARE COMPLETE —-OTHERS ARE CYCLE ON THESE REVERSE FEET FoR THE OTHER HALE. TUBY THE DIFESRENCES IN THESE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WALK ¥ RUN @warc RUN, © FAST RUN contact drawings from (A) The Walk(B) The Run ©) he Fos! Rum. The contact drawing isthe drawing on which re nee Mey rues fa oe en act oe a ieee cea peed, size of character, ete. ofthe ation. Then the red of te action is bull around them, The poson ofthe back foot onthe contact drawing determines the speed more thon anyother single factor. Notice on (A) tho back foots dv still eontacting the ground. On(B) the back foot has lft the ground. nthe poston ofthe bck feat ssl higher. The\fron foot blsresched out futher on the walk contac! palin, the body ls Wore Upright, denoting less sped On the rua drawing the body leans forword, ond the front foo! b beck firher. On the fast Minidicwing the kedy letns away forward Rlescibog sed orale front fost B back mo ander pel bsey The cm swing conversely with the logs. The left arm swings wih the righ log and vice verse, Also the arms swing more violently in the run. In the fast run the swing on the arms would be too violent. It has been found they are more effective when held stroight out in a reach position, Compare the action of the walk with the run, and you will note that in the walk, the drawing in which the arms and legs are stretched out further is the contact drawing. On the run, however, the stretch comes when the figure is up in mid-air at the high point in the action. THE WALK = 3 Q@ LEFT FOOT CONTACTS @ SINKS INTO RIGHT FOOT LIFTS HIGH POINT INSTER. THE GROUND. ECOIL POSITION. TARTS, COMING THRU “RIGHT FOOT RAISED. TER aS ES @)RGHT LEG STIEFENS ©RECOIL POSITION’ @RABBIT UPAS LEF I SITION INTO CONTACT POSITIONS. LEGS BEND. CEs ers. es a DEOnOW so hs,

You might also like