Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
FIG 7.4
Acting out a
sequence, particularly with
the use of props, will allow
the animator to gain a much
clearer idea about the nature
of the movement.
stick as an ersatz sword will give the animator and would-be swordsman a
good indication of swordplay, and on top of that it will probably be a lot safer
than using the real thing.
This approach to acting out an action can be very useful, providing very good
reference material, but it might not suit everyone. Some people won't feel
comfortable acting out what may seem to be rather ridiculous and foolish
actions, particularly in a studio environment, or even in private for that matter.
For those individuals there are still plenty of alternatives. One of the best of
these is life drawing.
Drawing from Life
Drawing underpins many of the graphic visual arts and a broad range of
art and design disciplines. First let's establish how drawing can be used as
a discipline in its own right—a platform for individual creative expression.
In addition, it is a vehicle for research, the exploration of subjects, and the
development of a deeper understanding of subject matter. There is overlap
between the two approaches, but it might be useful to differentiate between
the two. The former, drawing as a creative endeavor in its own right, has its
roots in the imagination and is an interpretive and responsive activity. It is
an approach that may be highly subjective; in addition to being a creative
process in its own right, it may play a vital role in the creative processes
in other art and design practices. Academic drawing, on the other hand,
presents a more objective approach to a subject, one in which drawing is
underpinned by direct observation, experience, and analysis rather than
imagination. This approach serves an entirely different function, the value
of which is to explore a subject in an objective manner, to evidence what
is
rather than what is
thought
to be as an emotional response to the subject, and
with little regard to how the artist feels about the subject.
This distinction between the two approaches is not an argument for one
form of drawing over the other; rather, it is the recognition that both
approaches may serve the artist, designer, and animator in different ways in
