Facial Expressions & Dialogue

...will be the topics of my next lecture with Virtual Animators this Saturday, March 7.

Over the years I've had the chance to animate characters with a variety of facial configurations. Each one of them required a unique approach to the way they talked. It was always fun to try and come up with new mouth shapes and expressions I hadn't used before. 

That's part of being an animator, putting your own personal stamp on your character, and doing it differently than your colleague next door would. That's the stuff I'll be talking about.

If you are interested in joining the lecture, here is the link to Virtual Animators:

http://myemail.constantcontact.com/You-re-invited-to-a-LIVE-ANIMATION-INSIGHTS-SESSION-with-Andreas-Deja.html?soid=1111314412804&aid=Cv9Wg89xh8w

Marc Davis, Fine Artist, Animator

I have written before about Marc Davis' many artistic talents. Here are a few more examples that showcase the wide scope of his skills. I just love the nude study above which goes all the way back to 1939. Marc had finished clean up animation on Snow White, and here he shows his expertise for depicting the female form. Come to think of it, that type of pose is actually quite ordinary, but loose brush strokes, gorgeous color and a semi abstract back drop make this an extraordinary image. I think Marc did about a handful of these bold, quick sketch nudes.

The confrontation of a bull with a big cat is not dated, but my guess would be the mid 1950s.
A beautiful composition in which the animals are pictured with "decorative anatomy", for lack of a better word.

At the studio Marc had no problem switching over to realistic animation. Many of you might not have known that beside his astounding portrayal of Tinker Bell in the film Peter Pan, he also animated Mary Darling.
An amazing man, who continued to experiment throughout his life as a fine artist as well as an animator.