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Description
Long time ago, in London UK there used to be Steven Spielberg's AMBLIMATION - A DIVISION OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES, LTD. studio where I worked as an assistant animator and storyboardman between 1991-1993. Got no overly pleasant memories of the period spent there but still there were experiences gained that no money can buy - one of them being the chance to study and learn by the side of the great Disney and Don Bluth veteran animator Jeff Varab. During several months in 1992 he shared his vast knowledge with too small number of dedicated students, including myself. I couldn't fathom how on Earth more people didn't feel compelled to come and gain practical knowledges in animating, drawing in general [yes, with live models too!] and getting an insight into one of the fertile creative minds of animation medium, willing to share his experiences with interested animators... apparently, too many artists probably thought that they already know too much..?
Beats me.
Anyway, Mr. Varab soon lost interest in working with the same small group of dedicated artists and his workshops were terminated by his own decision.

The shown drawings are from my yellowed old sketchbook where I did many excercises and homeworks for Mr. Varab - this one dealing with facial expressions and variations of the same shapes used to structurally construct different characters based on the same principles. Suffice to say, I loved those lunch-break workshops, often forgetting to eat even later, floating on the magical carpet of Mr. Varab's inspirational lectures and shown paths towards results achievable through the instructional books everywhere - yes, truesay, but NOTHING compares to the workshop or seminar atmosphere and working our way towards learning the principles of classical approach to animating, drawing and 'acting' through the manipulation of those oval shapes and proportional divisions LIVE with the exceptional mentor.

The sketchbook was the ordinary A4-sized school blank notebook without the lines, pencil was a leadholder with water NON-resistant 2mm leads I've spent during those days...

I wish it could have lasted longer.

Description
Long time ago, in London UK there used to be Steven Spielberg's AMBLIMATION - A DIVISION OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES, LTD. studio where I worked as an assistant animator and storyboardman between 1991-1993. Got no overly pleasant memories of the period spent there but still there were experiences gained that no money can buy - one of them being the chance to study and learn by the side of the great Disney and Don Bluth veteran animator Jeff Varab. During several months in 1992 he shared his vast knowledge with too small number of dedicated students, including myself. I couldn't fathom how on Earth more people didn't feel compelled to come and gain practical knowledges in animating, drawing in general [yes, with live models too!] and getting an insight into one of the fertile creative minds of animation medium, willing to share his experiences with interested animators... apparently, too many artists probably thought that they already know too much..?
Beats me.
Anyway, Mr. Varab soon lost interest in working with the same small group of dedicated artists and his workshops were terminated by his own decision.

The shown drawings are from my yellowed old sketchbook where I did many excercises and homeworks for Mr. Varab - this one dealing with facial expressions and variations of the same shapes used to structurally construct different characters based on the same principles. Suffice to say, I loved those lunch-break workshops, often forgetting to eat even later, floating on the magical carpet of Mr. Varab's inspirational lectures and shown paths towards results achievable through the instructional books everywhere - yes, truesay, but NOTHING compares to the workshop or seminar atmosphere and working our way towards learning the principles of classical approach to animating, drawing and 'acting' through the manipulation of those oval shapes and proportional divisions LIVE with the exceptional mentor.

The sketchbook was the ordinary A4-sized school blank notebook without the lines, pencil was a leadholder with water NON-resistant 2mm leads I've spent during those days...

I wish it could have lasted longer.