Recovering from a cold while I work on the next episode. My friend calls me out on my fundamentals..
July 14, 2011 in ART, THE SIMPSONS NEWS
THE SIMPSONS NEWS
It was difficult start to the week for me. Not because work was difficult or anything. It was because I hadn’t fully recovered from the awful cold that left me bedridden for two days straight. I didn’t stay home, because the my new assignment on the episode I was on is quite a bit of work. If I had any hope of finishing it on time, I needed all the work days I could get.
I’m back on revisions. To be honest, I don’t mind at all. I need a small break from the madness that was my last assignment. To make things even easier for me, I’m working with a director that’s really hands on with the revisions. Usually, this would bother me a bit because he would do all the fun stuff of coming up with the shots and solutions to revision problems and I would just go through the routine of making it all look pretty. I’m sooo grateful he’s like that. My brain is still recovering from last week and feeling tired and sick didn’t help at all.
He’s basically doing my job for me and I’m getting a much needed rest. This isn’t to say that I haven’t contributed to the process myself. I have. Just not as much as I usually do. Anything that makes my job easier while I recover is fine by me. My assignment is pretty big on this episode.
Speaking of my last assignment, I check up on the storyboard notes that where given to the director of show 500 and was relieved to find they we’re really minor on my section. Looks like it all turned out well. I’m very happy.
ART
So I fixed the eye on the book cover drawing I’m working on using a photo I took of my wife’s eyes. Now I officially have the shadow paterns figured out for the character on the cover:
This wasn’t the only thing I did for the cover this week. I also did a mock up of all the elements, minus the fire, for the cover as well. I was thinking of using it a the final reference for what the cover would look like. I was proud of it and and showed to my friend Paul (my drawing teacher) who was NOT impressed.
He started asking me questions about it. The main one being,
“Are these the values you’re using?” to which I answered,
“No. The drawing of the woman is just a shadow pattern study, her values are off.”
“Where’s your darkest dark? Where’s your lightest light?”
Then I realized what he was getting at. He told me to make a thumbnail value study of the piece and get it just right before really getting my hands dirty on any attempt at a final piece. He also told me I should make absolutely sure I knew exactly the colors I would use and where, before I got started.
He was completely right.
I don’t know what I was thinking. I’ve done this BEFORE. It’s not like I haven’t. If you’ve read my blog for the last year, I’ve even told YOU to do it. Suddenly I’d forgotten my fundamentals and it would have been no end of trouble down the line as I tried to finish the piece. Thank goodness Paul called me out on it. So next, that’s what I’m going to do.
I’ll also see about buying some red cloth to burn for photo reference. I still need that final element for when I actually get to the finishing phase.
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Hello again! I’m glad to hear things have gotten less intense for you. That must be nice!
I recently analysed the animation in an old episode of The Simpsons, ‘My sister my sitter’; it’s one that you worked on way back when. I’ve attempted to indentify who animated what, and I think I’ve pinpointed a couple scenes that you have done. Feel free to look it over if you like:
http://www.nohomers.net/showthread.php?95591-NHC-Weekly-Episode-Club-2.0-this-week-My-Sister-My-Sitter&p=2869444#post2869444
Wow Zartok, you’re tripping me out!
First I should say, I’ve worked on so many episodes now and done so many scenes, I’ve found, I often don’t remember which scenes I worked on anymore. That said, I DO remember working on the dream sequence in that show. I especially remember doing that shot with Hibbert and Wiggum because drawing Wiggum’s fat body while giving him a “fish eye” lens look was a HUGE pain in the neck.
As to the ones you pointed out yourself, dude, I think you nailed it. That was me. I did do those scenes of Homer and Marge on the pier. And those broken arm Bart scenes you pointed out where mine too. I also remember drawing the sprinkler scenes. Especially because the sprinklers were a pain in the neck.
Okay, I will say this though, in those days, there was the crew that worked on the animatic and then there was a left over crew that worked on the revisions after the animatic. Usually about three people from the original animatic crew stayed on and worked on revisions. Sometimes there are scenes that I worked on that weren’t originally mine that I had to fix for whatever reason. So some scenes are a combination of two animators. This is where it gets confusing to me because I remember working on a character in a scene but the rest of the sequence or scene is not mine. For example, I think I did the Bart with the mouth full of food but I think it was just a slight revision on what was already there.
Good call man. You got me.
I’ve done alot of research! I’m just glad I didn’t make a mistake. You did great work, and you should be very proud! The Frank Grimes and NewYork episodes are gems aswell.
I can show you some more breakdowns next time, if you want.