ChrisOatley.com

Disney Character Designer answers your questions about Concept Art, Character Design for Animation, Digital Painting & Illustration.

Storytelling Resources for Comics Creators, Storyboard Artists & Animators

Notecards for a Comic ScriptProfessional visual storytellers draw inspiration from art, history, their own personal experience and the experiences of others to craft meaningful, emotional stories.

But the broad scope of even the shortest stories can make the craft completely overwhelming.

Here you'll find resources for comics creators, storyboard artists and animators - designed to help you find focus and clarity in the chaos...

Character Design and The Illusion Of Life: With James Woods :: VSP #2

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A pair of James Woods Character Designs. A dark-haired woman in white, minimalist-diva attire snuggles up to the shoulder of a huge jaguar with pastel-blue fur. The two are drawn with undulating "S" curves so complementary, they almost merge together.

Is there more to you than what other people see?

Character Design is a fundamental aspect of Visual Storytelling.

…but there’s much more to Character Design than the visual aspects.

Disney Visual Development Artist James Woods – best known for his Animation Character Design work on Mary Poppins Returns – joins me for today’s lesson:

Character Design And The Illusion Of Life.

Click through to start the lesson…

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The Power Of Pictures: 4 Ways To Make Your Stories More Emotional :: VSP #1

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The Tin Man, resting in a serene forest clearing, opens his heart hatch to admire the emerald heart from The Wizard Of Oz. Illustration by Chris Oatley.“Show, don’t tell.”

It’s every Visual Storyteller’s mantra.

…but it’s easier said than done.

In today’s lesson, you’ll learn four ways to write – with pictures!

…a practice that will help you solve existing Story problems, make a Story more powerful or get started on a new project!

Brian McDonald – Visual Storytelling consultant for Pixar, Disney, Sony and ILM – one of my closest friends and my most trusted mentor – joins me for:

The Power Of Pictures: 4 Ways To Make Your Stories More Emotional.

Click through to start the lesson…

[Read more…] about The Power Of Pictures: 4 Ways To Make Your Stories More Emotional :: VSP #1

Advice For Your First Feature Film Pitch :: ArtCast #94

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Dear JJ Abrams - Star Wars Double Sunset

When Disney announced that JJ Abrams would direct Star Wars Episode VII, Prescott Harvey responded with an animated open letter called 4 Rules To Make Star Wars Great Again.

It resonated with millions of fans who were disappointed by George Lucas’ prequel trilogy and skeptical about Disney’s involvement.

The film went viral and JJ got the message.

Impressed, JJ invited Prescott to pitch a feature film concept at his company Bad Robot Productions.

Today, Prescott shares the story of how he prepared for his first feature film pitch, what he did right, what he did wrong and the new opportunities that followed…

[Read more…] about Advice For Your First Feature Film Pitch :: ArtCast #94

Interview With Claire Keane :: Paper Wings Show #33

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PWP33_ClaireKeane

Claire Keane is a brilliant illustrator and visual development artist, who has helped to develop numerous immersive worlds, including Tangled and Duet.

After leaving Disney, she released her first illustrated children’s book: Once Upon A Cloud. It’s a beautifully rendered, heartwarming story about family and following your dreams.

Join us today as we discuss humanizing your fictional characters, the versatile power of line, leaving Disney and Claire’s new artistic path…

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