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Teaching Animation Through Key Poses

Don Duga explains the evolution of ideas that culminated in his "Drawing Key Poses for Animation" class, that utilizes Animation Toolworks' LunchBox.

Every animator knows that life drawing is essential to successhowever, how many thought that life drawing can be a way to learn how to animate? Don Duga returns with sketchbook in hand to discuss the way he developed his unique class "Drawing Key Poses for Animation," which is also an homage to revered drawing teacher and mentor Don Graham. In 1958 when Don was studying with Graham at California's Chouinard Art Institute, he remembers him saying, "Animation should have begun in the Renaissance, but didn't, because the camera wasn't invented yet." Expanding upon that Duga explains, "Life drawing couldn't have moved until we had the LunchBox." Through a series of sketches, watercolors and notes, we see his thought process as he realizes how to use the LunchBox for this special endeavor.

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Don Duga is an animator, director and producer of animation. From UPA to Rankin/Bass to commercials to Sesame Street to feature films, he is an industry veteran. He has storyboarded such classics as Mr. Magoo, Underdog, The Last Unicorn, Frosty the Snow Man, Mad Monster Party, Wind in the Willows and more. He is also the co-founder of Polestar Films in New York, and has been an instructor of animation at The School of Visual Arts in New York City since 1962.