MichaelJRuocco In reply to nintendolover2010 [2014-07-13 20:36:06 +0000 UTC]

Possibly!

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nintendolover2010 In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2014-07-13 20:43:59 +0000 UTC]

Good. I always wanted to see your status on how your artwork goes.

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to SarToons [2013-02-23 17:54:22 +0000 UTC]

Awww it's wonderful! Thank you so much!

Also, forgive the lateness of my reply. I've been so busy working that I haven't checked DA in days XD

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SarToons In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-02-24 14:55:02 +0000 UTC]

no problem you're welcome.

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to nintendolover2010 [2013-02-03 23:55:09 +0000 UTC]

I am! I've just been in the process of moving these last few weeks, but once I'm settled in, I'll get back into it!

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nintendolover2010 In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-02-04 00:01:05 +0000 UTC]

Ok. Thanks for the information.

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to ManiacalDude [2013-02-01 20:52:27 +0000 UTC]

Hi! And thank you!

I studied at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York, a great art school right in the heart of New York City. And while I learned a great deal from my professors and my friends/classmates while studying there, much of what I do and study was also self-taught.

I knew a lot of people who expected their teachers and their schools to teach them EVERYTHING about drawing or animating, and were disappointed by the end of their education because they never got it. The sad fact is that colleges and schools CAN'T teach you everything, even if you pay them and attend schools for the rest of your life. It's impossible. If you really want to learn something, you have to explore and seek the answers for yourself. For example, instead of sitting around, hoping and waiting for a teacher to teach you how to draw a tree, you should go find a tree, sit in front of it and draw it, and practice like hell until you got it down pat. Don't get me wrong though, it's a wonderful and insightful experience to go to school and learn, especially for somebody not too sure on where they stand and need help finding out what to do next. It's like a springboard, kinda jumpstarting you into moving ahead. But like I said, they can give you only so much... just a small taste of what you can do. The rest is all up to you.

What I got most out of my college experience was that I was in an environment filled with fellow artists and animators just as passionate (if not more so) as myself, who were just as willing to learn the craft as I was. Just being around other artists, creative people like yourself, is enough to really get your creative juices flowing. It's like drinking from a perpetually-flowing fountain of inspiration and creativity that gives you the energy you need to create with. That's one of the reasons why I'm moving out to California (almost done, too ). You get inspiration from so many things, and most of them you don't expect. It's almost subconscious, as if you're absorbing it through the skin. And at the same time you do the same for others, like cross-pollination. You learn new techniques, discover things you never would have found on your own, are introduced to different styles and artists, and your understanding grows more and more. It's a wonderful feeling!

Animation is all about observation. Animators study and pay close attention to things people do every day but normally never really notice (in fact, I think we're the only people who do that... well... besides stalkers), and adapt what they see and understand graphically. Everything around you, even down to the smallest, barely-noticable detail is up for grabs really. EVERYTHING in art is about observation. Caricature, life drawing, still life, animation... it's life. Of course, I don't have "scrutiny-goggles" on every second of my life, it would be taxing on your brain, and probably a bit too weird to do in social situations. But there's a lot of things you pick up just by casually talking or interacting with someone. Gestures, facial expressions, little nuances that make each person either similar to others or unique. So you take those things, the raw energy, and put that down on the paper/tablet.

When I study animation, I think about a few things as I watch a scene. I notice not only the movement, but I make a character study of it too. Sure, I study the strictly-locomotive aspects of a scene, like squash and stretch, timing, follow through etc., but I also like to see how the characters perform as personalities. These are not just drawings, THEY'RE LIVING THINGS! They have feelings, feel pain and emote just like in real life, and it's just as interesting to know WHY a character operates as well as HOW they operate.

For example, in Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day, Tigger bursts into Pooh's house late at night and causes mischief. Of course, the animation (done by Milt Kahl) is practically flawless. Beautiful drawings and wonderful movement. But it's great seeing how these two characters, both completely different in personality and build, interact with each other. Tigger is filled with boundless energy, constantly moving about, has a bit of an ego ("I'm the only one!") and gets himself into little predicaments in Pooh's house, including bouncing Pooh to the ground, scaring himself in the mirror and tasting honey for the first time. Compared to Tigger, Pooh is very restrained in his movement, talks and moves slower, and while he is a "bear of very little brain", he's at least calm and collected when faced with a problem than the easily-excitable Tigger is... in other words, VERY DIFFERENT CHARACTERS.

Now think of how Tigger looks himself over in the mirror. He doesn't even realize that it's his own reflection, he thinks it's a completely separate person. He even makes fun of his outlandish appearance. And when he tries to scare his doppelägnger away, he in turn scares himself and cowers under Pooh's table. These actions are unique to Tigger, and it's how he approaches this problem that defines what kind of personality he has. Now in comparison, how would another character act when faced with the same situation? Jiminy Cricket? Stitch? Bugs Bunny? Scooby-Doo? It's these "character moments" that really express how unique the character is, and I take note of that just as much, if not more so, than the animation itself.

----

Something I benefit doing is saving films, artwork and references for myself. I have a 1TB harddrive nearly 100% filled with all kinds of things that inspire me: Films, shorts, pencil tests, demo reels, commercials, books, storyboards, illustrations, model sheets, photographs... it's like an inspiration library. I have all the videos saved as .mp4s, so I can open them in Quicktime, jump to any scene I want and study them frame by frame. I also save a lot of live-action films and nature documentaries, which is great for learning about how animals move and act and for learning about cinematography and pacing and other cinematic things from classic movies.

I also have a folder filled only with other people's artwork, from famous painters to personal friends, all labelled and organized. If there's an artist you admire out there, make a folder on your computer, search google, their blog or website, save those images and just look at them from time to time. Find out more about that artist. Why do they draw the way they do? Where did they start from? How have they grown as an artist over time? Find out who THEIR influences are, and study THOSE artists too! Compare and contrast them to other artists to see how their approaches are similar or different from each other. Whenever you're in an art block, it's a great way to get you back into the creative mindset.

-----

I kinda went a little long there, so I apologize for the ramble, but you asked for it!

I hope that helps!




And yes, Ward Kimball does indeed rule.

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ManiacalDude In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-05-17 19:01:39 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the response and advice, dude. I don't mind if it went pretty long. I want to learn all I can, especially from artists that really know their stuff. I put most of the response on a document so I can look back to it when needed. And I'll definitely keep the suggestion involving the 1TB hard drive in mind.

Sorry if I hadn't responded sooner. I was trying to think of how to respond to this. Also, I have quite a few other questions I'd like to ask you, mainly in regards to your thoughts on certain things in terms of animation, comics, or whatnot. Should I send them to your Tumblr account, despite my own lack of an account?

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to ManiacalDude [2013-05-18 18:46:43 +0000 UTC]

No problem! And yes, feel free to ask questions on my Tumblr!

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ManiacalDude In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-05-18 20:22:56 +0000 UTC]

Ok, I'll let you know which ones are mine, perhaps with a little signature or something.

Also, another question or so related to your post, about this folder containing only other people's artwork, care to tell a little more about that?

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to ManiacalDude [2013-05-19 05:58:28 +0000 UTC]

Yeah, just add your name/handle and I'll know.

Well, the thing about inspiration is that you never know where it'll come from or when, it just sort of happens. Whenever I find an artist I really dig, I'll search their blogs, websites, dA's, Tumblrs... whatever, and save all the images in a folder. This isn't technically "stealing", because I'm using it for educational and inspirational purposes. The only thing I'm profiting from it is just what I see in the pictures and learn from them, whether it be style, technique, color... you name it.

For example, just say I'm on a modern art or cubist kick and I wanna seek out Picasso's work. I go to Google or a museum site or wherever his catalog of artwork is presented and save the images. And as I'm doing so, I do research about the artist too. I read his bio and learn about what kind of person he was, so it gives me a better understanding of WHY he painted the way he did. I also find out who his influences are as well as who came after him, and if their work stands out I take those too.

It really can be anyone, not just animators or cartoonists. I have folders for people in all fields, not just limited to movie-making. For example, I have blueprints and photographs of structures built by Frank Lloyd Wright. I have handwritten music pages by Mozart or Beethoven. I have inspiration photos, and magazine illustrations. I also have a plethora of reference folders, both on a broad scope (trees and plants, animals, landscapes, food, cars, etc.) as well as ones that are oddly specific (Mascot/Disney character costumes, record players, liquor bottles, Victorian clothing, fire hydrants, etc.).

If you have the extra hard drive space, I'd say it's a good idea to do this sort of thing. It helps you grow as an artist. And now, thanks to the internet, everything is at your fingertips. There is no longer an excuse for not knowing how to draw something and/or being able to seek stuff out. You have the ability and the resources to learn ANYTHING now, so you should take full advantage of it.

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ManiacalDude In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-05-19 19:59:31 +0000 UTC]

Ok. I tried to ask you something, but I got a "Request Denied- You Do Not Have Permission To Access This Page" despite the fact that I'm asking anonymously.

Wow. Thanks for the further advice. You are a very knowledgeable person.

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to ManiacalDude [2013-05-19 20:04:59 +0000 UTC]

Hmmm, really? That's strange, I've never heard of that happening before. I wonder if that's been happening to anybody else? I'll go into my Tumblr settings and see if there's a solution. You know my personal Tumblr url, I gather?

And thank you! Remember, if you ever have a question, feel free to ask, and I'll answer to the best of my ability!

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ManiacalDude In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-05-20 15:07:42 +0000 UTC]

Personal Tumblr url? What exactly do you mean by that?

Anytime. Thanks again.

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to ManiacalDude [2013-05-20 15:40:07 +0000 UTC]

You know, like the link to my personal Tumblr. Here's the link in case you need it: [link]

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ManiacalDude In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-05-20 17:02:38 +0000 UTC]

Ok, I managed to get it sent. I guess it had something to do with using Safari as opposed to Firefox or something of the like.

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ManiacalDude In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-05-20 16:57:27 +0000 UTC]

Ohhhh, right. I know what you're referring to. Hang on, I'm going to try something out.

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ManiacalDude In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-05-17 18:58:33 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the response and advice, dude. I don't mind if it went pretty long. I want to learn all I can, especially from artists that really know their stuff. I put most of the response on a document so I can look back to it when needed. And I'll definitely keep the suggestion involving the 1TB hard drive in mind.

Sorry if I hadn't responded sooner. I was trying to think of how to respond to this. Also, I have quite a few other questions I'd like to ask you, mainly in regards to your thoughts on certain things in terms of animation, comics, or whatnot. Should I send them to your Tumblr account, despite my own lack of an account?

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astralfenrir In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-03-16 11:00:08 +0000 UTC]

Thank you for writing such a detailed response, I found it very enlightening and I'm sure it will help me!

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puresuke In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-02-01 23:57:14 +0000 UTC]

tl;dr

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to imFragrance [2013-02-01 19:33:00 +0000 UTC]

Hello again!

I work frame-by-frame usually, drawing each picture by hand. I avoid tweening as much as possible except for mechanical things or objects, and while I have done some animation using "bones", or pivot points ala shadow puppets and things in After Effects for class assignments back in college and for one or two freelance gigs, I don't prefer doing so.

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imFragrance In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-02-02 20:40:14 +0000 UTC]

Ohh i understand as a beginner myself i thought it will be easier for me to use bone feature btw i am planning to do some short animations but while i am a 'very' beginner, may i ask you for some help if i have problems ?

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to imFragrance [2013-02-03 20:07:24 +0000 UTC]

Sure thing!

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imFragrance In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-02-05 21:48:22 +0000 UTC]

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to imFragrance [2013-01-19 00:08:36 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

Most of my previous animations ("Christmas Wreath" and back) were made with Flash CS3. I'm gradually switching over to Toon Boom, which I believe is a MUCH better program.

I occasionally animate traditionally on good ol' pencil and paper, but since I don't have a scanner at the moment, I sadly can't do much with it other than flip the drawings for myself.

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imFragrance In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-01-19 14:10:31 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much for answering me. I can't wait to see your new animations created with Toon Boom

By the way, do you know any good sources for learning Flash Cs3, especially for the beginners ?

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MichaelJRuocco In reply to imFragrance [2013-01-22 06:39:31 +0000 UTC]

Thank you so much!

Oh Yes! Alex Butera has a great set of Flash tutorial videos on his Youtube channel! He's a really concise fella, and his animation is chock full of fun-type goodness! : [link]

Also, if you got Tumblr, follow him there too! : [link]

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imFragrance In reply to MichaelJRuocco [2013-01-22 12:06:20 +0000 UTC]

yay thank you so much !!!

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