A Christmas Card

I thought I would make a quick Santa card for everyone. Maybe only 2 reindeer, I ran out of space.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Breaking Contact & Passing Position

another breaking, just pass pos. and contact again

Preston Blair - Study 3

Noted some of my first glance mess ups I could find. I think this whole page i goofed up quite a bit.






More to come!

Preston Blair - Study 2

Here is more! I am using a different kind of paper, it is a bit glossy.

Preston Blair - Study 1

So next up! I will be working on Preston Blair's book, "Advanced Animation". My plan is to do as much of the book as I can, doing many things over until I get them right.

My thoughts on Japanese Animation & American Animation

I was big into anime when I was younger. But most of it really got repetitive. Then I started studying traditional golden age animation, and anime doesn't even compete. Naruto is the only anime I still watch (subbed).

Japanese animation got popular due to the lack of great animation coming out of America. Most western cartoons being produced in 80's to now, is usually shipped over seas to India, Korea, even Japan.

I went to a Toon boom presentation with the owner, creators, programers and such, they talked so highly of India saying the cost to produce 30 min animation was only 60,000 USD. Korea was 120,000 USD. Then here in the US 300-400,000 USD. Also stated India was one of there biggest clients, bragging they are helping the demise of good western animation from being produced to our faces.

I am sure it is even cheaper to import an anime series/show, dub it with bad actors, release it on american tv, get profit. When I do watch anime it is in Japanese with Sub's. I'd rather watch it with how it was supposed to be. Once the west gets there hands on it, this happends. (Complete transformation!)

Western Terrible English Edit..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRlCO9mP4zg

Original Hilarious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dI6fLQzqFs

Anime was fresh and new in the 90's I loved it. It was better than watching what was going on American television. Stories were different alot of the time crazy, but good. You get sucked in.

Then you got today, cartoons such as Total Drama Island.. Aqua Teen Hunger Force (which has funny moments). But with little animation, all tweens.

Anime has some good animation in there theatrical movies, but suffer from very limited animation for tv except select shows (Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist etc).

Now there is a huge following of traditional animation because of people like Don Bluth, John K, Richard Williams are pulling for it better and practically every traditional animator who has online blogs. More books on traditional animation now more than ever too.

People have been growing tired with only seeing CGI movies in theaters. Also bad cartoons on tv. Wow I am turning this into a rant, lol. I want to see a return to traditional animation because,

1. Because drawn animation is the worlds greatest art medium.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85TVhInRc8w

2. I want to become a great animator. Change television, change movies. Add something new.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WApcUBcVMos

3. Be able to do this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSmtjThR8vg


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlXGzUouqjE


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9o-bYig04AI

Talking with some friends today about this, Felt like this was something I needed to get out of my system and on my blog. :)

Popeye - Cinderella Stepmother Reference

Here is a Popeye drawing, using reference from Cinderella.






I didn't color in his jacket or give him his rolled up sleeves. I also forgot his pipe too, I shouldn't of rushed it. Missing alot of construction, line of action is off.

Popeye - Study Olive Oil

Here is more Popeye drawings, drew some Olive Oil and a caricature of Popeye (not that great).

If you are wondering who the girl is in the drawing, I paused a shot on Popeye (Popeye Collection Vol 1, disc 3) where Popeye and Bluto are trying out to be a lifeguard to impress Olive Oil. So when Popeye was swimming by during the competition for the job, I saw these women behind in the background. Most of them were posed out like the models do in life drawing. It was fun to see that, so I drew one of the girls.

Popeye - Study 4

More Popeye!! Next is Olive Oil.

Popeye - John K Study (the correct way for animators to hold achainsaw)

Here is my attempt at incorporating one of John K's lessons to the cartoon i'm currently studying. POPEYE! I thought I would use Bluto, because he is no girly-man.





The link to John K's topic.

http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2009/11/correct-way-for-animators-to-hold.html

Popeye - Study 3

More Popeye! *silly Popeye laugh*

Popeye - Study 2

More Popeye!

Popeye - Study

Paused a few frames on Popeye and drew what I saw. I will do a lot more of these. :D

Just Contact & Passing Position

lol, practice makes perfect, you should give it a try

this one is just contact and passing position

Grumpy Study - Snow White

Here is some drawings I did of Grumpy. A few weeks ago I drew some Bashful drawings. Thought I would draw some of the other characters too! So far I have watched Snow White 3 times studying and learning from the animation and storytelling. If you do buy it make sure you get the Blu-ray version, so crystal clear, it's great!

Nightmare Before Christmas - Study

It is halloween time, thought I would do some Nightmare Before Christmas. Just some quick drawings.

Animating the Horse from Drawn to Life Books

In the book, "Drawn to Life" vol 1, page 16. Stanchfield talks about basic shapes and has a Disney horse on the page. I thought I would try to add a little to the character and animate her.

And yes, that is my farting/spitting noise. :D

Disney Horse - Pencil Test from Lavalle Lee on Vimeo.

Princess and the Frog - Study 4

Here are the last 2 Princess and the Frog drawings i'm going to do. The firefly was a bit off, I rushed him. Need to spend more time on future drawings. :)

Everyone make sure you see this movie in the theaters atleast 3 TIMES! If this movie does well all studios will return to 2d animation!!

Princess and the Frog - Study 3

Three new drawings from Princess and the Frog. The best out of the three is Naveen the frog. The Tiana frog drawing is all wrong. I messed up with the head, the body I think is okay. Lastly Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog, forgot his mustache, lol. More to come!

Princess and the Frog - Study 2

I think I rushed the drawing of Charlotte, too many errors. Soon I will be drawing the fun cartoony characters, I wanted to study the humans first. Human drawing is my worst subject I think.

Princess and the Frog - Study

For Princess Tiana I got her eyes wrong. When I darkened the lines, a bunch of lines messed up on her. It is hard to go over sketched lines to make them dark and perfect.





I plan on drawing many of the characters, more to come.

Breaking & Bending - Front View

Here is a front view with some breaking & bending.

Life Drawing - Open Class 9

It's been awhile since I went to an open class, starting to study some cartoons!