ADVANCED ce EL Praston (aL Pree ares LEARN HOW TO DRAW TT VAG CARTOONSCONSTRUCTION OF THE HEAD THINK OF THE HEAD AS A ROUNDED MASS, EITHER BALL SHAPED, PEAR SHAPED OREGG SHAPED AS THE CASE MAY BE—IN ANIMATION THI HEAD SHAPE MAY CHANGE” PEPSPECTIVE AND FORM. AGREAT NUMBER OF TIMES DURING A SCENE —TO SIMPLIFY MATTERS A CORRECT PERCPECTIVE FRAMEWORK SHOULD FIRST BE DRAWN, THEN THE DETAILS CONSTRUCTED OVER THIS FORM. OO © © & Ce) ar @ 33 0% (CY TAKE AN EGG- DRAW THE GUIDE CIRCLES AROUND TE-THEN PUT IN THE FACE = NOW TURN THIS EGG IN EVERY Ae CONCIEVABLE POSITION AND DRAW IT- 7 ANIMATION PRESENTS THE SAME eee HERE IS THE BASIS OF A GREAT MANY CARTOON HEADS- DRAW UP AN EGG LIKE THIS AND STUDY IT FROM ALL ANGLES-BELOW ARE VARIATIONS A NOTE ABOUT THE AUTHOR Preston Blair, Cartoon Director, iz one of the fine ortists of Animation, Associated with the Disney Orgenization, he animated in “Pinocchio,” “Bambi,” ond "Fantasia," in the later he designed the hippos. Later for Fred Quimby, shorts Producer at Matro- Goldwyn-iMayer, he designed and animated the highly successful, "Red Hot Riding Hood,” directed "Bamey Bear” shorts, and ‘onimated in "Anchors Aweigh.” Blair is active in magazine illustration and fine arts, and is a member of the Colifornia’ and ‘American Watercolor Societies. Recently when he won first prize in our National Print Exhibition at the Laguna Beach Art Gollery, | met him and suggested he make this book for you. 1am sure it will prove interesting and helpful to all those studying this popular cartoon medium. « pi tty MOL COLE ae 2MORE HEADS CONSTRUCTED CIE Y SS) BAER earpe SPEC THAT Te ai SSR Te EYES — v IDE LI SOUDLY WATCH PEI ies AND CONSTRUCT THE REMAINING DETAILS eaivge ea CARTOON CHARACTERS = / BE REDUCED TOA ats onus | a our API NS isuces UI WEN TM BE NE Ee {/ \\ - AD | CA ig Y Ae 7 STUDY THE Basic FORMULAE T. HAVE INDICATED HERE THEN bean hig Boe INGTHER POSITIONS We are grate to Fred Gumby, Shri Podsen, ot Weta qxzcllet cartoon characters fo eppear inthis book, among ‘eet that hove coptured the hears of el of Finding the Maton Piro Academy yosgig fe with Fred Quimby. Yes, our hots ore off to these fellows and M.G.M., creators of the most enlertaining ond amusing ‘cartoons in recent years! 1STRETCH AND SQUASH ON HEADS HEAD CAN BE STRETCHED OR ¥ I} CARTOON EooSneD TO STRENGHTEN AN EXPRESSION. s& “YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE OVAL ay GREATLY-MOST VARIABLE |S MOUTH AREA: heer DETAILS ALSO RE-ACT LIKE THE RGE FORM IN WHICH THEY ARE IN. CONTAINING THE EVES DOES NOT CHANGE Z=—) Ss)BODY BUILT FROM ROUNDED OR CIRCULAR FORMS &o Ae ™ igemomacras Cite Sho Ege ees = IDY Tt nr [ {\ USED DUE To SIMPLICITY \ sea RAN /] le /}/ JN Lf} FAN q LARGE = IMPORTAN. f e ‘ TWO FRONT TEETH, te 4 ¢es ice) si abyA‘ u Sy THE “SCREWBALL’ TYPE. aascezsrer "Sse IN THIS FORMULAE — ELONGATED HEAD —»_) FEATURES YOU WILL RECOGNIZE NOT TOO BIG PEAR ant SOME FEATURES SKINNY Neck~,\ SHAPED THAT ALLTHESE / \ y \\ Te COCKY- WISE GUYS | \ && ho _ 3 HAVE IN COMMON >\ Bio i py AW Oy ae Sy KIN g aes —— ZN eS Ss { ; A ba) ai SY 5 Se G THE ANTICS OF | > THESE BAD Boys 2” HAVE BEEN SOME: y wo OF THE FUNNIEST \ y)) ON THE SCREEN e aGOOFY CHARACTERS ea HEAD -HELD FORWARD HAIR HANGS OVER EYES HERE IS THE BASIC FORMULAE FOR WW pedo HALF-AWAKE EYES GOOFY TYPES THAT ACT LIKE A SIMPLE SIAON CLD HODPER: ) 52> BIG BEAK OR NOSE LONG SKINNY NECK.————_ > = BUCK TEETH HUMP BACK-STOOP SHOULDERED—/, VL ABSOLUTELY NO CHIN /-THIS LONG DROOPY ARMS. / i 15 VERY IMPORTANT. WITH BIG HANDS. { | \Qposstine ADAMS APPLE q OVER-HANGING FANNY. SAY SUNKEN CHEST , PANTS oN /\ BIG STOMACH PORTRUDES / ——— LOW CROTCH IN PANTS “<> ~ ENORMOUS + S / “Y) -=-TRY DESIGNING A NCRUMSY EEEI: A ES i CHARACTER, OF YOUR . ‘ < USING THESE POINTS.IEAVY EYEBROWS EYES CLOSE AND COMPARATIVELY, HUGE CHIN SMALL CRANIUM. N\ AND JOWLS LITTLE caRS 7, ‘ Wm iy, BEADY BIG_BARRI HEAVY THICK is NECK WHEN IT y Bic Lower LIKE CHEST SS SHOWS ‘ A\ * sf SMALL HIP. } AREA 7 ARMS LONG AND HEAVY BI@ HANDS Dna. PUGNACIOUS Ce \e) CHARACTER. cc We Ay THE HEAVY” . \ ZL =~ A ABOVE IS A FORMULAE = FA FOR THESE BAD BOYS ( , >A / FF WHICH APPLIES ALSO Co we ENS — _) To FOUR LEGGED TvPES ah ae Woe = --- AS THE BEAR. BELOW AND THE BULL- DOG ON THE NEXT PAGE. ue A 7 a) “" HEAD LARGE IN RELATION TO THE BODY. \ HIGH FOREHEAD IS VERY IMPORTANT. EYES SPACED LOW ON HEAD s+ USUALLY LARGE AND WIDE APART. THE CUTE CHARACTER CUTENESS (¢ BASED ON THE BASIC PROPORTIONS OF A BABY + EXPRESSIONS OF SHYNESS OR COYNESS. EARS ARE SMALL IN RELATION TO ADULT SIZE. NO NECK-HEAD JOINS ON TO Boby DIRECTLY. N BODY PEAR SHAPED ; AND ELONGATED. SWAY BACK-WITH THIS LINE CONTINUING UP BACK OF HEAD AND DOWN INTO FANNY. FANNY PORTRUDES-NEVER BULGES-BUT FITS INTO LEG LINES AND BASE OF ALWAYS SMALL. <§ WO YS-ARMS ARE SHORT AND NEVER SKINNY AND TAPER DOWN TO THE HAND AND TINY FINGERS TUMMY BULGES — LOOKS WELL- FED. ~~ _FAT LEGS- SHORT AND TAPERING DOWN INTO SMALL FEET FOR TYPE. NOTICE HOW ABOVE POINTS ARE USED IN THESE ANIMALSHANDS To Ree THE. HANG fie HipsT, START AS IF IT WERE A MITTEN JE TWO MIDDLE FINGERS IN FOLLOWIN: thie Shape © — THE CnTLe FINGER IS THEN PUTIN, VARVING IT IN_ANY. AEE IN TO PREVENT MONOTONY ce. Is OFTEN A GooD IDEA TO EXAGGERATE THE BASE OF THE THU! Lolvls=Le canrocey HANDS ARE wy. so wine IVE DRAWN: & AVERAGE HAND IN ALLIKINDS OF POSITIONS TO GIVE YOU SOME | Di NOTICE THAT THE FINGERS cee BE UNEVENLY PLACED TO. PRE- VENT A MONOTONOUS: ‘ey [INGFACIAL EXPRESSIONS AN ANIMATORS JOB ISTHE SAME AS AN ACTOR'S JOB IN LIVE ACTION PICTURES:-BOTH SHOULD BE MASTERS OF PORTRAYING EMOTIONS.-- YING YOUR OWN GRIMACES IN A MIRROR IS A MUST—— PICK A CHARACTER. YOU KNOW. GO THRU THE EXPREGGIONS WITH HIM,AS I HAVE HERE WITH “JERRY“MOUSE. seve 1 contiver "THE BASIC BOUNCING BALL ACTION AS BALL FALLS-ITS SBR teeaces-7 --DRAWINGS ARE SPACED FURTHER APART, -~ ON 5-7-12-14 NoTICE 7 BALL STRETCHES IN FALLING ++ TAKING OFF, BALL AT HIGHEST. POINT -- SLOWS UP-- DRAWINGS SPACED. CLOSER --RESUMES NATURAL SHAPE, AS BALL HITS iS ~“ SQUASHED NOTICE BALL FOLLOWS A DEFINITE PATH OF ACTION --STUDY CLOSELY THE SPACING OF BALL ALONG THIS PATH -- NOTICE THE BASIC SIMILARITY OF THIS BALL ACTION TO THE HOP AND JUMP BELOW; ALSO TO THE WALK-RUN-LEAP-SKIP-ETC. NOTICE A-C-E ARE LR RCTER STREICIES MS sym gene gra IS LIKE RECOIL ON 6-13 AND CONTRACT WITH MGM, D IS LIKE THE NORMAL 2-10-17 2MOVEMENT OF BODY MASSES show HERE ARE SOME SIMPLIFIED FIGURES IN ACTON TO YOU THE TWIST AND TURN AND VARIATION OF IN THE MAIN BODY MASSES AS THE FIGURE ANIMATES-- BUILDING ( THE FIGURE IN SOLIDS MAKES ANIMATION EASIER TO"FEEL'OUT. 'MOVEMENTS OF THE TWO LEGGED FIGURE NERS 15 4 COMPARISON OF THE VARIOUS TWO LEGSED FORWARD MOVEMENT CYCLEG--T HAVE DRAWN ONE-HALF OF EACH CYCLE ,BELOW--REVERSE HANDS +FEET FOR THE OTHER HA, FRAN OES ER ER UceD As "REPEATS: CUAT Ie THe BEAWINGS MAY GE REPEATED OVER. +OVER IF THE FIGURE REMAINS CENTERED ON THE SCREEN AND THE BACKGROUND MOVES.MOVEMENTS OF THE FOUR LEGGED FIGURE HERE IS A COMPARISON OF THE MAIN CYCLES OF FOUR, LEGGED MOVEMENT.—- SOME OF THESE CYCLES ARE COMPLETE ~-OTHERS ARG ONE-HALF OF THE CYCLE — ON THESE REVERSE FECT FOR THE OTHER HALE. ~-CTUBY THE DIFFERENCES IN THESE:DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WALK + RUN @wac RUN © FAST RUN ‘Above ore the contact drawings from (A) The Wolk(B) The Run ©) The Fost Run. The contact drawing isthe drawing on which sere rege es den, on DSA) rs ret walk Ot aimion wanhy Ws es once Sasa thet ore determined fst This seis the speed, ize of character, ete ofthe action. Then the res of the ction is bul oround them. The poion ofthe back fet on he contect drowing determines the speed more than ony other single facter, Notice on(A) the bock foo! is down sil contacting the ground. On(B) the back foot has left the ground. On(C) the position of the back foot is sil higher. The front foo! is sroched ou! further on the walk contact postion, the body is more upright, denoting less speed. On the run Growing the body Teens forward, end the front foot Is back further. On the fat run drawing the body lecns eway forward denoting speed, and the front fot is back now under the body. ‘The rms swing conversely with the legs. The left arm swings with the right leg and vice verso. Also the orms swing more violently in the rn. In the fast run the swing on the arms would be too violent. It has been found they are more effective when ht out in a reach position. Compere the oction of the walk with the run, ond you will note that in the walk, the drawing in which the arms and legs are siretched out further is the contact drawing. On the run, however, the stretch comes when the figure is up in mid-oir at the igh pom inthe acon. THE WALK Q@ LEFT FOOT CONTACTS @ SINKS INTO RIGHT FOOT LIFTS HIGH POINT, IN STEP. THE GROUND. ECOIL POSITION. “STARTS COMING THRU “RIGHT FOOT RAISED. TEP. RIGHT LEG STIFFENS RECOIL POSITION @'RABIT UPAS LEFT @) HIGH POSITION ny NTO CONTACT PosiTiONs “LEGS “BEND. LEGS LIFTS. Qxg FOLLOWS THIS,€ 1 { RIGHT FOOT DOWN RIGHT FOOT TAKES @)RIGHT FOOT PUSH! BODY * OF Oper ‘OF BODY @ apy ee USHES @, za = sO 4 IN CONTACT POSITION ~ u @ueer FOOT REACHES © RECOIL: Rout Foor OLEET FOOT STRETCHES @ARMS + LEGS STRETCH COMING THROM ‘NOD FOLLOWS THIS. THE FAST RUNTHE SKIP WE UNEVEN SPACING ON THESE DRAWINGS -- 12 INSTEAD OF BEING EVENLY INBETWEEN 1413 1S /a OF IME WAY-~ AND CLOSER TO [I =~ THE SAME HAPPENS WITH 24 WHICH IS Ya OF THE WAY BETWEEN 23+-1-- DRAWING 24 THUS. COMPLETES THE CYCLE. THE SIIP IS THE SAME AS THE RUN ONTHE ‘AND HANDS -“THE DIFFERENCE 1S IN THE © Foor Ware uence iG GROUND AND THEN. RAISES IN AN CONTACTS THE GROUND MSELF FIRST ---THE CROSSES ABOVE “TRACE DRAWING ONA SEPERATE SHEET OF PAPER (MAKING SURE THESE CROSSES OVERLAP)THEN FLIP THE DRAWINGS AND STUDY THE ACTON THS AY+ THESE ARE THE KEY DRAWINGS IN A G4 DRAWING SNEAK oe “MISSING NUMBERS ARE INBETWEENS.--DRAWING OI ie GB at t a at NOT ALL cncace ARE AS VIOLENT AS THIS ONE, BUT THEY ALL ARE BASED ON THE SAME PRINCIPLE. THI IS ALSO ASLOW SNEAKGLEG INBETWCENG WIL SPEED IT UD IE POSITION SLOWED UP--THIS GIVES THE ILLUSION OF STEALTH "THAT THE FEET ARE CAREFULLY PUT DOWN TO EVADE NOISE AND DETECTION 31LINE OF ACTION IN ANIMATION IN ANIMATION THE LINE OF ACTION IS THE BASIS FOR RHYTHM-SIMPLICITY + DIRECTNESS / at Vv ¢ start YOUR ANIMATION 4 WITH A LINE OF ACTION-THEN A SKELETON+DETAILSOVERLAPPING ACTION — FOLLOW THRU—SQUASH+STRETCHA’TAKE REGISTERS ACHARACTERS SUDDEN SURPRISE IN A CARTOON, “THE AVERAGE CARTOON IS FULL OF THESE --SOME ARE SUBDUED TAKES, : OTHERS ARE VIOLENT LIKE THE ONES ON THis PAGE. --THE TAKE | RLY N ALWAYS PRECEDED BY A GOOD ) ANTICIPATION DRAWING -LIKE @)BELOW, “THIS METHOD OF GOING INTO TAKE GIVES IT ASOCK, - BELOW MGM'S i OLLYWOOD WOLF @) SEES UGLY DAME WOLF SCRINGES INTO ANTICIPATION \ot 57) FUES UP INTO WILD TARE. 'DIALOGUE HERE ARE THE MAIN MOUTH EXPRESSIONS USED IN DIALOGUE. FEEL THAT THE FACE IS AN ELASTIC MASS THAT CAN BE SQUASHED OR STRETCHED TO FIT THE MOUTH EXPRESSIONS.‘ THIS GIVES A GOOD CONTRAST BETWEEN POSITIONS AND THAT HELPS YOUR ANIMATION. STUDY YOURSELE IN AMIRROR AS YOU SPEAK THE WORDS YOU ARE ANIMATING-- PRONOUNCE THE WORDS VERY DISTINCTLY ANDTHE CORRECT POSITIONS WILL BE APPARENT. THEVOWELS THE wes vow sevoy ro He p STARTED - I'VE Lis eS COMBINED A FEW ‘MOUTH POSITIONS TO MAKE WORDS HELLO CS 623 Sees HO ( 3 @ ‘ L Gomerimes Like DoRTH) voy OS a ARE ANOTHER THING TO REMEMBER IN \ax > DIALOGUE-WHEN ANIMATING A (G (eA i) SE GROUP OF WORDS, STUDY THE WAY y THE WORDS MIGHT BE QUICKLY SPOKEN a You? TAS OIG AL MOUTH BRTTEEN, AND SAA HOLD DOWN OR MODIFY INDIVIDUAL. Faw Y@ + SYLLABLES NOT IMPORTANT TOTHE WHOLE. (SOMETIMES LIKE OoRTH)Here are tho cleaned up “key” drawings from @ Scone | onimated ino M.G.M. cartoon to give you some ideas how dialogue twelve drawing "hol kill de Umpire kil LOOKS ANGRY ~ COMES DON INTO ANTICIPATION — THEN SAYS: “|look over ths action and study the orimation points! hove previously oulined os: Squesh ond stretch on heads, overlapping ‘ction, follow the, the use of the anticipation drawing, and the dialogue vowels and eonsoncnts from page 35 — olso notice the general phrosing ofthe dialogue here. How the hecklar assumes 0 general pation for © whole senfence—then changes to ‘another positon for the nex! sentence--instead of changing potlions on every word. WG@HOT ANTICIPATES. — Ke bi deh & INTO. surest? LooK SAD EXPRESSION AS HE — sy x, Be AS Se ~~~ REACHES FOR HAT hs “We ay wy HEAD BARED AS HE SLOWLY TURNS AND WATCHES CORPSE CARRIED OUT. (TRUMPET PLAYS: aes 37