Style Research Part 2: Watercolour & Ink

Another style influences I have been looking into is watercolour and ink. The reason I decided this type of style is because I like how the way the images in animations morph into one another. And as my initial idea is to have paintings come alive I think that this style might be a way to go. 

My first example is a music video from French D Breakbots with his song Baby I', Yours, which uses over 2000 hand-painted watercolour images. The use of vibrant colours is why I like this  animation. 

Jeff Scher

In his animations Scher uses watercolour paintings and drawings, in which the colour varies wildly from frame to frame while the forms remain consistent, as well as the odd image from a news paper, adverts etc. Resulting in some quiet funky animations. 

L'eau Life shark ending 

Lost and Found 

Chinese Water Colour Animation 

When research, I noticed many Chinese watercolour animations and decided to look  further into this.

Feelings of Mountains and Water 

Is a Chinese animated short, originally released in 1988, and directed by Te Wei, one of China's most prominent animation directors. This film uses his distinct "brush painting" technique, which mimics traditional Chinese watercolour painting. This was the last film Te Wei made, and it has won numerous awards at film festivals around the world.

The Fight Between the Snipe and the Calm

Yu Bang Xiang Zheng 1983

The Mantis Stalks the Cicada, Unaware of the Oriole Behind 

Tang Lang Bu Chan (1988)

Le Papillon 
Antoine Antin & Jenny  Rakotomamonjy (2002)

One thing about choosing a watercolour & ink style, there might be trouble express the style with the use of 3D.  So if I was to go down this route I will need to think about how I would create my idea 3D, 2D or both, this is something to think about. 

Mudbox: First Lesson

Result of today's first Mudbox tutorial and here my first attempt .....

Style Research Part 1

As my project/animation is based on a children's book I have been researching and looking a different children books.I wanted my style choice to reflect this but at the same time finding a unique style  So the styles I have been looking in to are the types that children authors us for there images. After lots of research, I found two different styles that I would really like to use. The first  been a Illustration style, I found two animations from to different artist that I could use as influences if I choose to go this route for my style choice. 

Alberto Cerriteño 

Alberto Cerriteño is a Mexican illustrator & designer. Strongly inspired by urban vinyl toys, alternative cartoons, and the pop surrealism movement, Alberto Cerriteño has developed his own very personal technique and style, having always present a delicate hints of traditional Mexican artistic influences in his management of rich textures and decorative patterns. These contrast strikingly with the blending of desaturated colours and ink, sometimes featuring a vintage coffee finish. 

The image above is a collection of screen shots from Cerriteño animation Suicycle (2007) below. 

This short, designed to play as a never ending loop, is a look at what goes in, what goes out, and how everything we swallow gives the environment a case of indigestion. A stylised depiction of the way life, our over consuming system that destroys everything to keep itself alive. The reason this animation stood out for me was the  use of using one colour but different shades, the use of shapes and the use of multi-textures. Making this animation bold and very stylised. 

Jon Klassen 

Jon Klassen  is a children's book illustrator, whose work has gone on to be used on animations. In 2006, along with Dan Rodriguez  made an animated short called 'An Eye for Annai', Klassen has also worked on Neil Gaimans Coraline and King Fu Panda.

Animation screen shots RBC's Blue Water Project 

I really like the use of minimalistic shapes and simplistic colouring, creating a really nice effect for an  animation. 

RBC's Blue Water Project 

U2's animated video for I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight 

These animations above have gave me some nice ideas, of using simplistic shapes, bright colours and multi-textures for my own animation's style.  The other style influences is water colour and ink that will be coming in another post really soon ................