Sunday, October 01, 2006

Billy and Mandy Sketch.



This sketch came out of a conversation with Mr. C.H. Greenblatt. We were talking about how much we both enjoy Aaron Springer's Billy. I was trying to remember his treatment and did this sketch. They're totally all me, but the influence of Carl's boarding and Aaron's have rubbed off on me a bit. You should really see the way Aaron draws him, it's pretty funny.

I guess I'm writing because I wanted to mention my favorite part of designing a board-driven show. (I think it may also be the hardest part for me personally.) I love getting boards that are full of great cartooning and drawings that are not necessarily "on model" but are definitely in character. Sometimes I feel like as a designer all I'm doing is totally watering down funny drawings by trying to bring them more "on model." I'm supposed to be plus-ing them, but I find that I'm walking a pretty thin line at times. Some days I wish i could just blow up board panels and just clean them up as is. Leaving in all of the oddities that are particular to a specific board artist. I think that kids will still know that Billy is Billy, even if in the first half of the show he looks like Alex's and the second half like Carl's.

I think that one of the most amazing things about animation is that artists can leave such a personal mark. A mark that on some productions is supposed to be ironed and hammered away, into whatever on model / cookie cutter standard designs exist for the show. I know that there are some exceptions. Some shows do embrace stranger drawings more than others, and some may require a more standardized look for whatever reason. I don't even know if I have a point to make, but I guess that I'm just starting to really realize how much I appreciate it when the artist isn't removed from the art.

Or maybe I'm realizing that I want to be a board artist.

I dunno. I'm tired, and miss my cintiq.

-p

feeling: like the Apple Pan did me wrong today. bad apple pan.
listening to: my tivo asking if it can change the channel. good tivo.

10 comments:

Unknown said...

Well said and put. Great drawings by the way.

burgerlog said...

yes. more drawings!

sdestefano said...

you should be a storyboard artist.
Storyboard artists are nice people, good people, well paid and respected. They have attractive girlfriends and boyfriends, eat excellent meals on the whole, and often run very quickly. Also, some of them have syphilis.

Thankfully, storyboard artists can get medication.

PotatoFarmGirl said...

To water down or not to water down, that is the eternal question. I like seeing a bit of board artist flavor in the final product. me rambling... I like ur drawrings!!

Matthew I. Jenkins said...

well then it falls on your shoulders to personally edge it as close as possible toward the extreme. They push on you and you push back! But don't get fired... cool sketch!

SHANE PRIGMORE said...

I love it dude. Super appealing . Rad stuff man.

mikecarloooyeah said...

Yo son, this post says whats on my mind, seriously it's all about funny crazy shit. Wow that sounds like a drug induced revelation.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of storyboarding ... and this is completely out of left field, nothing to do with animation, but if you write me back I'll tell you the story ... do you know how to contact Brett Varon? sbrwake@yahoo.com

NICK DOWNING said...

pretty im diggin the style of it

Allyn said...

those drawings crack me up, love billy and mandy. thanks for the comment :)