Skipper Don Bluth doing what Don Bluth does best!

Hola Minions!

In part 2 of the interview, we get into the nitty gritty of 2D traditional animation. Don talks about the times he got to watch the Great Milt Kahl animate. For those that don’t know Milt was arguably the best of the best. His technique and style have been emulated but never equaled! The funny thing is that according to Don, Milt couldn’t explain to people how he animated. He could only show them.

From "An American Tail" Fievel marching.

Don also mentioned how Frank Thomas explained to him how to show weight in your characters when animating!  Light characters have more drawings in the up positions than the down positions. Light characters such as a mouse don’t have to fight with gravity as much as say a Hippo!  As we all know Hippos are Heavy characters and  are burdened by gravity. So they have less drawings at the top of movements and more drawings on the down part of a movement.

Simple huh?

Don reveals that during the production Dragon’s Lair they had no idea what they were doing!

Dragon's Lair and Space Ace arcade video game machines.

Dragon's Lair Screen Capture.

Don  suggests all animators should take some sort of acting class as well as know how to play a musical instrument. Knowing music will help animators with rhythm.

Don Bluth Dragon's Lair screen Cap. *Note the Dixon Ticonderoga #2 pencil Don is wielding! I told you guys so!

In order to help improve your drawing, Don recommends listening to good music, reading classic literature, ignore critics, overcome your fears, and most of all like yourself! If you are happy and confident,  your drawings will reflect that!

Check out Don Bluth’s online animation course!

Web Comics Diva Onezumi Hartstein and Web Developer James Harknell.

For the second segment of the Podcast I had the pleasure of interviewing webcomic creator / illustrator Onezumi Hartstein and her partner in crime, web developer James Harknell.

Onezumi  (Oni for short) lives in New Jersey, loves Heavy Metal, and Disney World.  She writes and draws the web comic Stupid and Insane Defenders Against Chaos.

Stupid and Insane Defenders Against Chaos by Onezumi Hartstein

Oni is one of the most active contributors to and supporter of the webcomics scene:

- She posts art tutorials at Drawpocalypse and makes it a priority to help everyone that she can.
- Her development  team made the Web comics Central App Service. They give free custom iPhone apps to other webcomics.
- She founded an entire webcomics and New Media convention. Intervention is a convention for fans and creators of webcomics who want to learn, have fun, or just geek out.
- She posts random art, more tutorials, and awesomeness in her personal blog Onezumiverse

Stupid and Insane Defenders Against Chaos couldn’t happen without James Harknell. He designed and manages all of Onezumi’s websites!

Intervention Con

September 10-12 2010 Hilton Washington DC/Rockville 1750 Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland 20852

After years of attending conventions to promote her webcomic, artist Onezumi Hartstein and web developer James Harknell decided to put on their own – with a decidedly different focus. They noticed that while there were sci-fi conventions, comic book conventions, and anime conventions, there was no Internet Culture convention.

James and Oni wanted to put together an event that would compliment the existing print-centric conventions.  They wanted to showcase the creators who use the Internet as their primary publishing method,  Oni said “I went to conventions for years to promote my webcomic, and was always treated well, but felt that web creators needed their own space. We’re giving them that with Intervention.”

Their goal is to bring together fans and different independent creators to party, educate, and appreciate the opportunities the Internet gives to all of us.  It is  similar to the Sci-Fi/Anime/Other fandom cons  but Intervention is focused on people who use the internet as the primary way to distribute their work.

Intervention is Your Online Life, In-Person!

How much of your day do you spend on the internet–looking at comics, watching videos, reading blogs, connecting with friends, tweeting, or just surfing?

At Intervention you can meet, talk with, learn from, and party with the people you see online everyday.

Chris Wilson a Minion of the Man vs. Art Podcast sent in a drawing he did for me to critique. I like what Chris did. Real creepy dude! But I saw a few places where he could punch it up a little. So without destroying his original idea, I went with a new layer in photoshop and drew my suggestions on top.

enjoy!

Nightmarish Psycho Freak digital art by Chris Wilson

by: Man vs.Art Minion Chris Wilson

My suggestions for where Chris can make adjustments.

Mr. Wilson's art with some Man vs. Art advice.

It’s not the right way. It’s not the Only way. This is just my way. I hope it helps.

The first is Don Corleone. Godfather of La Cosa Nostra.

Is this really necessary?

The other  is Don Bluth. Godfather of La Cosa Traditional 2D Animation

This Don is going to make you a cartoon you can't resist!

Recently I had the pleasure of speaking with the the great Don Bluth, one of animation’s most respected figures and one of my greatest  inspirations as a kid.  We had a great time and hit it off really well.  Since then, I have been eagerly anticipating the  chance to share the interview with you Minions. Like many of you, I totally realize how extremely valuable of an opportunity it is to speak with my  guest.   We both joked and laughed and  shared with each other our mutual respect and deep passion for Traditional 2D Animation.

Don “Quixote”  Bluth

We owe  Don  Bluth a big thanks for having led the revolution that saved animation from a slow painful death during the seventies.  In 1979 feeling dissatisfied with the direction things were going he boldly left Disney to make his own films with the help of fellow visionaries Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy.  Don’s departure and the resulting competition  got  Disney’s second generation  of Animators to finally get it together and make better films!

Don went on to become a  a highly prolific animation director with a vast body of work that includes some of the greatest animated films of all time like An American Tail, The Land Before Time,   Anastasia and my favorite The Secret of NIMH.

Now After 55 years in the Animation Business, Don has  gone back to teaching 2D traditional Animation! In 2009 he opened www.donbluthanimation.com. An online animation school dedicated to those eager to learn traditional techniques from a master! Don uses tutorials, streaming videos, forums, and live weekly sessions devoted to helping young animators learn the tried and true traditional principles of animation that Don and guys like me were taught at Disney.

Pantheon you say?

Don Bluth is a man of passion, talent, vision, boldness, determination, and most of all GUTS!  His hard work and sacrifice in the face of adversity is most admirable! Here is a man who really loves Animation! For that,  I hereby induct Master Don Bluth into the Man vs. Art Pantheon of Awesomeness! Right Here, Right Now! So shall it be written! So shall it be said!

A man who gets things done!

And so…..

Prepare to be inspired, motivated, and more importantly enlightened about 2D Traditional animation!   It is both and honor and a privilege to be able to introduce you to a role model of note, a man of distinction and passion for the ultimate drawing art form,  Animation Legend  Don Bluth!

Hola Minions!

I’m happy to announce that this episode marks the one year anniversary of The Man vs. Art Blog and Podcast!

Here is an awesome portrait of yours truly drawn by Minion Mike Garvey to commemorate the occasion!

It's funny because it's true!

This year has been great! Both Che and I have learned quite a bit and have made many new friends!  Man vs. Art’s success has far exceeded my expectations as the number of minions grows bigger  with each new episode!  I honestly never expected there to be  so many  MINIONS out there!  But there you are!  Bless you all!

To show my gratitude, I pulled out all the stops and put together something really EPIC!

After some leg work I was able to gather a whole bunch of short visits with my past guests, friends of the show, and  3 Prime Minions!

In today’s podcast I got to the bottom of what Man vs. Art means to each and every one of my distinguished guests!  The  how and why the podcast has become a favorite in their podcast rotations!

I ended up with  a Giant  Sized two hour Man vs. Art extravaganza consisting  of  99%  new stuff!

The short bus pulled up to The Man vs. Art Studios and out came these 8 guys on a day trip.

I give you the line up of esteemed cartoon characters on today’s “special” show!

1. Jim Lujan

Indy Animator, Comic book Artist, Cartoonist, Painter, Writer, Director

Man vs. Art Sub Commandante Lujan

2. Jose Anibal Gonzalez!

Artist, Cartoonist, Aspiring Animator!

Man vs. Art Prime Minion!

3.  Mike Garvey

Medical Illustrator, Animator, Cartoonist!

Man vs. Art Prime Minion!

4. Justin Stewart

Comic Book Creator and Cartoonist!

Man vs. Art Prime Minion

5. Kevin Cross

Comic Book Creator, Illustrator, Animator, Cartoonist, and Punker!

Man vs. Art Sub Commandante Segundo

6. Geo Braun IV

Indy Comic Creator, Illustrator, Cartoonist

Man vs. Art Capitan Primero

Geo just got back from a trip to Israel and he brought back get this, The Ark of the Covenant!

I guess a Mogwai and a beer wasn’t enough for La Cosa Nosferatu!

7. Luis Escobar

Storyboard Artist, Comic Creator, Cartoonist

Man vs. Art Capitan Primero

8. Sherm Cohen

Director, Writer, Storyboard Artist, Cartoonist, Comic Book Artist, Instructor!

Man vs. Art Generalisimo

Sherm’s Online  Storyboard class!

Alright minions! I hope you enjoy the double dose of Man vs. Art love!

I’d like to thank everyone who participated in this ultra special show!

I’d especially like to thank all of you  Minions out there for listening and spreading the word! You’ve made producing the Man vs. Art podcast a very enjoyable part of my life!

Here’s to another great year of comics, cartoon, animation and art shenanigans!

Viva Man vs. Art!

Ciao!

Raul and Che

P.S.

Lest we  forget!!!

Saturday August 21st

Those of you in the Los Angeles area are totally invited to check out my…..

Free Intro to Animation Lecture At Geeks Comics!

Free Intro To Animation Lecture!

Now I’m not saying this is the right way, or the only way to sketch the Hulk. This is just my way. The Man vs. Art way.  I am using a Wacom Graphire 3 Tablet and Autodesk Sketchbook Pro.

Again just like the last Demo, this is by no means  a finished piece.  Just a quick sketch with only the pencil tool and eraser tool. No fancy tools or filters or whatever. Just plain good old fashioned drawing and my thought process behind it. Enjoy!

Quick Wacom tablet Sketch of  Hulk.

1938 WALT DISNEY STUDIOS EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK!

I came a cross this old 18 PAGE Disney Studios Employee Handbook from 1938! It’s a brief outline of the Studio’s principal departments and an explanation to artists of its employment policies! The drawings are all  production drawings!

CLICK THE PIC FOR A PDF OF THE BOOKLET!

Get a load of the beautiful pencil sketches!  Look at the appeal and solid draftsmanship! The characters look alive and fun to draw don’t they!

I love this Mickey model! Right before they changed the proportions and eyes to look more “human”. To me this was the pinnacle of Mickey’s awesomeness!

Awesome with Awesome sauce!

This Goofy blows me away!  Everything in each drawing says dork! Look at how the hat follows the line of action!

The ultimate Goofy!

This is some very nice cartooning kids!  Inside the PDF of the booklet you’ll find mostly Snow White stuff and few pieces from their shorts and Silly Symphonies!  This is a great little collection of animation drawings from the Golden Age of Disney Animation!  I suggest you guys practice drawing these pics, and learn from them!

The last page is a flowchart that shows the pecking order at the studio and just how important Walt was to everyday operations! This is unreal!

If you’re hungry for more cartoon knowledge…..

Check out the right hand column under the blue Che’s Recommended  Books button for the official Man vs. Art must have book list! If you don’t have these books, you NEED to get them.

Ciao!

Raul