I want to formally apologize for only drawing heads lately, but I’ve got this itch I have to scratch. I was lucky enough to attend a tribute ceremony for Ollie Johnston a few weeks ago and it was amazing. The man was truly one of the greatest animators of all times not to mention an astoundingly giving person. They showed a number of his pencil tests and rough animations. My jaw still drags on the ground in awe of what a he did.
I can easily point to the few artists or art experiences that have changed my life, and this was easily one of them.
The challenge of designing a character has always been a rough ride no matter what. So much to think about; believability, structure, comedic qualities, anatomy, color palette, pose, clarity, silhouette, line quality, composition, etc. But I started thinking about how the character would actually feel if it were brought to life. Working with characters brought to life as 3D characters all these years has made me a bit reliant on the animators doing that for me. Not good enough. I’m gonna figure it out, if for no better reason than to create better characters.
Sorry to take this out on you all, but it really itches.