So...my animation career began as a clean-up inbetweener, and ever since then I have had trouble "loosening up" in my drawings. Even though that clean-up job ended ten years ago, I still get people saying that my drawings are too stiff, lifeless, and tight, and that I need to loosen up.
My question is always, "HOW?"
I took a break from the industry, taught animation to kids for a while, and then recently, after doing a storyboarding test for a studio, I got the note that my drawings were "stiff poses/acting."
Any suggestions? Recommendations? Any exercises you guys know of that helped you with a similar problem? I feel so silly asking this, because I even graduated from CalArts and all, but still...my signature "stiffness" haunts me (no jokes, please).
At one studio, a director turned me into a verb. He needed a great deal of detail and precision on a storyboard so he asked me to "Bruce this one up." I don't want to be known for my stiff, precise drawings any more! I'd rather have people come to me to liven up their drawings.
Help?
"Wannabe-Loose" Bruce
could you put some drawings on-line so we can see it ourself?
Because I don't quite understand what you mean with "stiffy drawings":confused:
Ugh! I know exactly what you mean as I've been told the same thing - that my drawings are too stiff. I recommend doing timed gesture drawings. 1 minute, 5 minutes, and 10 minutes. It forces you to only focus on the essentials of what you're drawing instead of getting caught up in the details. For me, drawing quickly forces me to loosen up because I don't have the time to be so precise. Then you can go back and add the details to your gesture drawings to get a good mix of lively and defined work.
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At VFS, there was an animation teacher, Peter, who would trot that out a lot-- along with about three other catch-phrases-- when "critiquing" my assignments. He would never define or explain any of them. He would just make his voice as condescending as he could, and criticize what had taken hours in a few seconds. I guess that was easier than actually doing his job. But I digress.
I had a life drawing teacher who was very helpful, and also found some outside sources of actual information. It's largely to do with attacking the basic line of action and volumes with a loose, gestural line to begin with. The Walt Stanchfield stuff is very helpful:
http://punchandbrodie.com/leo/stanchfield/
I'd also highly recommend the book Force by Michael Mattesi. That's a very complete analysis of gestural figure drawing. For simple animation keys and boarding, it can be a little bit of overkill, but it's a really inspiring book.
Both Animating the Looney Tunes Way and the Marvel comics book have good sections on using the line of action and basic forms. Of course, you want something that can be put on model, so you have to use a model sheet (or at least I do). But that's just to get the volumes. A simple swirl of the pencil for the head, ribs, hips, and joints. And getting the basic proportions.
I still struggle with stiffness in my drawings. It's generally when I'm rushing to get to the structural drawing, and final details. But then there's also the fact that animation is a malicious business. Terms like "Too tight/stiff" and the even more ambiguous "Lacks appeal" are largely a device people use to lock you out because there's too much competition already. They use the terms as if they're the most obvious, objective things in the world. But they get very evasive when it comes to defining them. And very seldom do two "industry professionals" agree on their exact definition.
I hope that's helpful.
I find it odd, that even though I'm a total newb, and I still suck in a lot of ways...I've never had trouble with being stiff with my drawings. I'm always loose and expressive with my drawings. Doodling fast all the time. I don't know what to say...just...start drawing fast. I've come to the conclusion that drawing with expressive and loose linework is incredibly intuitive. You can't force it...it just comes to you.
--Z
Put yer arm into it rather than draw with your wrist. draw pages of circles and "eights" until you feel loosened-up. When you animate or draw any figure for that matter draw gesturally, that is what the character is doing rather than what it looks like. Details later.
in the end the more you draw the looser you'll get.