Disney Character Designer answers your questions about Concept Art, Character Design for Animation, Digital Painting & Illustration.
For over ten years, I've been reviewing character design portfolios online, at comic cons and art school Q&A sessions.
In that time, I've met many artists with charming personalities and impressive technical skills.
…but a true Character Designer is extremely hard to find.
True Character Designers get consistent work.
True Character Designers sell lots of books and prints at cons.
…and some of them create characters who will outlive us all.
Here are some of my favorite articles and interviews that will help you transcend the trends and begin to create characters with soul...
This is the transcript for the podcast episode Interview With Sarah Marino: Visual Development Artist For Nickelodeon & Reel FX (Part 1) :: ArtCast #76. To listen to the podcast click here.
Chris: Chris Oatley’s Artcast, episode 76, an interview with Sarah Marino, background painter and visual development artist for Nickelodeon, part one.
Think about your best friend.
How long did it take for you to really get to know each other?
Hopes and fears, experiences and expectations, strengths and weaknesses, victories, failures, pet peeves and passions…
Whether he or she is your spouse, partner, close family member, colleague or high school BFF, the friendship has taught you that people are unique and endlessly complex.
The job of the professional character designer is to design characters.
…unique, complex people who seem no less unique or complex than your BFF.
In more than a decade of reviewing character design portfolios at art school Q&A sessions, comic cons and online, I have met many skilled artists.
…but I almost never meet an aspiring or pre-professional character designer who actually understands the job.
Typically, these artists rush into the design without getting to know the character.
So if you feel like your characters are flat or your designs are unoriginal, here are three ways you can add depth to your character design portfolio…
“I have to be really honest with myself and I have to be open to my own critique. One rule that I live by is that when I see that my work can be better, I have to make it better.”
-Wouter Tulp
Wouter Tulp is one of the most truly versatile artists I’ve ever met.
He’s an incredible draftsman and a master of appeal.
He is also a fantastic communicator with a refreshingly healthy perspective on art education and life as a professional artist.
Oh, and he can totally wail on the saxophone too!
For some inspiring perspective on versatility, creativity, professionalism and jazz, click through and listen…
“It’s tough. You have to have to relax a little bit. You have to kind of let yourself wander and play a bit. …but then you have to have a purpose for the character.”
-Brett Bean
At age 10, Brett “2D Bean” wanted to be a rock drummer but his Mom told him to become an artist because “drawing is quiet.”
It must have been good advice because Brett is now one of the most adored character designers in the animation industry.
…and it’s not just his Mom who adores him.
Among The Oatley Academy students (and at many other art schools across the world, I’m sure), Brett is one of the most often-mentioned inspirations.
I met Brett Bean at San Diego Comic Con a few years back. The clock was ticking. I only had two hours to spend on the exhibit floor and I was rushing around to find several of my friends before everything shut down.
…despite my urgency, Brett’s work stopped me in my tracks.
I was inspired by his stellar talent and shocked by the depth of his humility.
I spent about twenty minutes talking to him and his awesome wife Julie and I knew right then that I had made friends for life.
Finally, Brett is on the ArtCast.
…and his contribution exceeded my already-high expectations.
Prepare yourselves. You might get a little choked up around the one hour mark…
Click through to listen to the interview and watch a Character Design + Digital Painting Demo by Mr. Bean…
[Read more…] about Interview With Character Designer Brett “2D Bean” :: ArtCast #62
You could power the entire Walt Disney World Resort with the passion that was captured in this podcast episode.
My plan for this episode was simple: Get these two living legends in a room and press RECORD.
And that’s all I had to do…
John Pomeroy started animating at Disney just a few years after Walt died. He worked under the three most well-known Nine Old Men: Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston and Milt Kahl and played a key role in the formation of the Don Bluth studio.
Tom Bancroft was a lead animator on Mulan and basically created the character of Mushu. Tom was part of the original creative team at Disney Florida and wrote the inventive new book Character Mentor.
I can’t begin to describe what it was like to listen to these two highly accomplished, talented animators light up with creative passion so you’ll just have to listen to the recording and experience it for yourself.
Here are just a few of the topics covered in the interview:
If you want some powerful fuel for your creative fire, click through and PRESS PLAY.