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Family Programs 2008 at the Telfair Museum

Winter Session Dates (4 weeks): Jan 28-Feb 22
Spring Session Dates (6 weeks): April 14-May 23

Character Design for Teens (Ages 13-16) New!
Experience the art of animation in this overview session for teens. Participants will explore the basics of animation, weight, speed, timing, etc, through the creation of flipbooks, stop-motion projects, clay character-animation, and drawing. The student will be the animator and director!

Instructor: Larry Lauria
Materials included. $80 members/$90 non-members
Limit 15 students
Thursdays 4pm-6pm

Character Design for Adults Ages 17+ New!
Based on the Jepson Center exhibition Leadership: Oliphant Cartoons and Sculpture from the Bush Years, Character Design will teach you techniques to sketch and design cartoon characters. Hailing from the Disney Institute, seasoned animator Larry Lauria will guide you through the basics of animation and cartoon character development.

Instructor: Larry Lauria
A supply list will be provided. $80 members/
$100 non-members
Limit 12 students
Wednesdays 10am-1pm

To register: Please download the online registration form after contacting studio coordinator to check class availability at stifelt@telfair.org or 790-8823.

Hello.

I just cleared out my COMMENT box and the 2000 plus spam messages- that plus the 1200 + from the Christmas Holidays and it is NO FUN!

If you have a comment please email me at lanimate@bellsouth.net and I will transfer it to my page.

Thanks…

Here is My Christmas list of My Favorite Holiday Animation….enjoy…

Peace on Earth by MGM’s Hugh Harmon and Rudolph Ising (1939) nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize

Cosmic Christmas by Nelvanna directed by Frank Nissen

A Wish for Wings that Work (1991) Universal TV Animation, director Skip Jones

How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Chuck Jones

A Peanuts Christmas by Charles Schulz Produced by Bill Melendez

Mickey’s Christmas Carol, Disney Studios,1983, directed by Burny Mattinson

Ziggy’s Gift directed by Richard Williams (1982)

A Christmas Carol, A Ghost story directed by Richard Williams, produced by Chuck Jones

Twice Upon a Christmas produced by the Disney Studios

The Box by Paul Driessen (1975)

Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer by Rankin and Bass (1964)

This the answer to an email I received today regarding the construction and design of Cute Little Girl Characters.

The request wanted a simple character that could be made into a CG character.

As always I began with 3D type construction to breakdown the character into simple forms and then “play” from there.

Besides the sketch I drew for the demo- I added a few more ideas…

Besides the sketch I drew for the demo- I added a few more ideas…

It came at a good time for me so I jumped right in and there you go…

Some more info on character design and posing

A pose with Ty B. Bear

Here’s the breakdown of the character with some tips on pushing poses!

A breakdown of the character construction with some posing suggestions

This weekend was a trip back into a time warp.

Here a sketch from a while back- after the Animation House, Inc. days

We had a wonderful visit with my old producer, Tony Ames and his wife. We met in Alexandria, Virgina - the birthplace of the Animation House, Inc. (AH).
Tony is the best producer I ever worked with- just amazing energy and vision and an all around great guy!

We had a great chat and covered every thing from the old AH days to politics to current trends and projects. We hope to work together again some day…
At one point, I drove over to the old studio on Powhattan Street and found the building (brand new when we moved in 1985) was completely demolished in favor of a new span over route 1 at the North end of Olde Towne Alexandria. Unfazed, we drove to thr original site of the AH - and, it too was demolished to make way for a new structure. The heritage of the AH was gone- except for folks like Dave Vallone, Al Rosen, Michael Lowery and myself who are still in the biz.

We had a great time at the AH- in fact, I helped intro Dave V. to his wife, Leigh - the first of 7 couples I have helped introduce through work or classes.

Well - everything changes!

Here is series of under paintings executed in acrylic.

Yes, this is the cover of a sketchbook.

Book-1-a.jpg

To give the paint a good surface to grab onto I applies a couple layers of gesso to the area to be painted.

Then I paint the areas with complimentary colors - reds for the trees and leaves and blur for the path, the hut and the character.

Book-2-a.jpg

I add some earth tones to the blue area…

Book-3-a.jpg

Book-4-a.jpg

Next the greens…and I begin to block in the character…

Book-5-a.jpg

Here is the final with added details and the character in color.

Because of the winding path I used several horizon lines.

There you have it!

This week has been dedicated to painting…and some real progress has been made with two paintings finished this week…so far.
With that said, I have been receiving a bunch emails about character design and construction.

With character design one of the most important elements is PLAY.

Ward Kimball once told me he did about 300 designs to get Jimminy Cricket…The character began very much as an insect and worked it’s way to the little dude with the tophat.

Here is a drawing with non descript characters - just playing around with some structure

Here are few fun sketches I found as I was going through some drawings…these are play sketches with no particular purpose in mind except to just play with some character ideas.

Here are a few lady characters

For me this is the most fun part of designing characters….

I had to make up a folder about online lessons and a few minutes later this guy was on my board

These kinds of drawings are usually drawn in sketchbooks while at the local cafe.

Remember to keep it fun and PLAY …do tons of drawings!!!

This recent video is a natural demo for ANTICIPATION…well not really, but it’s a cool trick my son, Matt came up with…

I added some animation and a short video of the individual drawings- just for the heck of it!

Keep in mind, ANTICIPATION accomplishes:

1. An anticipation the audience with you…

2. An anticipation prepares the audience…

3. An anticipation helps build momentum for an action or movement…

Remember: most movements should begin with an anticipation…

For more info go to:

HERE

Under LESSONS there is one titled ANTICIPATION

One of the classes I have taught in recent years is Layout and Character Design.

Sam Chi’s vertical pan

My strategy with the Layout part of the class was to give them the basics in perspective (1,2,3 point, etc.) and then to have the participants go “on location” around historic Savannah and have them just draw. The idea was to let them become comfortable with drawing, research and perspective. The first assignment would be to do 45 thumbnail drawings over the first 2 weeks adding elements along the way. 15 thumbnails each - of an animation flatview, a worm’s eye view and a bird’s eye view. After basic perspective we would talk about composition, line weights, tonal values and focal points. Again the idea was to build artistic fundamentals, confidence and skills.

Along the way, I will put up some Layout lessons - but are just a few finished examples. In some cases I have shown the line drawing with and without tonal work.

These were based on scenarios usually involving the adventures of Pirate mice circa 1775. I’m sure you have heard of the Savannah Cheese Party.

P.Hilliis-1a.jpg

P-Hillis-2a.jpg

stephen-hollis-1.jpg

Reina-Cayetano-3a.jpg

Reina-Cayetano-2a.jpg

Aaron-Kablack-2a.jpg

Aaron-Kablack-1a.jpg

Bee-7a.jpg

Bee-8a.jpg

Dae-Sup-tonal-1.jpg

B-Hodman1.jpg

Many of these folks have gone on to animation and layout careers

There’s a whole lot more where these came from, too….more later…

Okay!

As requested, I drew another character demo. This one is of a screwball character- I call him Wolfie…

I narrated my way through this clip (as requested).

As with the last demo I begin with simple forms and then keep adding and adding and adding.

Here is the finished drawing.

Here is Wolfie

Still Animated!