Painterly Animations

For my first research assignment, I decided to look at a few different pieces of animation which are more abstract or artistic than your normal Saturday morning cartoons.

These are the artworks I looked at:

101 Dalmatians - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ulsjuiFO2J0&list=PLkw-h12KMtYl115hH9BzDeooFi2PNTwkH&index=18

“Danny and Annie” from StoryCorps - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNfvuJr9164&list=PLkw-h12KMtYl115hH9BzDeooFi2PNTwkH&index=29
Felix in Exile - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF5cngcXqSs&list=PLkw-h12KMtYl115hH9BzDeooFi2PNTwkH&index=4

The Man Who Planted Trees - http://vimeo.com/32542316

(All artwork belongs to their creators not me, no copyright infringement intended.)

Painterly animation, is one style of animating. The medium used to create the artwork is either traditional (like charcoal, pencils or paint), or it is digital media made to look like the traditional. The films I looked at all had a strong mark making aesthetic, though it was more pronounced in some than in others. There's a sort of movement that most painterly animations have, a sketchy shimmery quality caused by the handmade marks. The strokes are very important, they are each left by the artist, almost like a signature. Each mark and texture influences the entire feel of the piece, so you can get a sense of the story from the drawings themselves.

101 Dalmatians, the popular Disney movie, has a simple, minimalist style. The still backgrounds, are contrasted by the sketchy outlines of the characters that move. The hand drawn movement gives the a realistic, vivacity sensation to each character, especially the dogs. Similarly, "Danny and Annie" the StoryCorps short, have still flat painted backgrounds, and unlike the Dalmatians the characters are very crisp, differing from the background that way. Danny and Annie don't seem to quite fit into the backgrounds that create the emotional tone of each scene (this is unlike the Datamations whose backgrounds compliment the characters). The StoryCorps clip is an illustration of two interviews given by the couple, the effect of the characters being placed in a background that they don't belong, emphasizes the idea that the places in the animation were not real, but the characters themselves were.

William Kentridge's animation "Felix in Exile", takes a different approach. Each stroke is very bold, there isn't a heavy distinction between the foreground and the background, all is done in the same way. The artist used charcoal to create the film, erasing and redrawing as he went, this leaves a ghosting effect sometimes in the film. It is surrealistic, and has a somber feel, only amplified by the limited color choices and style. Instead of a scene playing through and cutting to the next, each image seems to morph into the next. "The Man Who Planted Trees" uses the same morphing effect, with a different style. Its artwork is soft and fluid. Many of the outlines are incomplete or unfinished, drawn with a loose hand. The whole film feels almost wind-swept, just like the land it is portraying, the artwork has a peaceful and calm quality like the man who plants the trees. Where Felix in Exile, is clear and hard portraying a violent event, The Man Who Planted Trees is the opposite, portraying an act of love and persistence.

The style of the animation has a great effect on the overall film. I can use this knowledge to help dictate the general feel of my story with whatever style I choose to create it in.