Hi, my name is Kroatz and I need your help. I would be eternally grateful if you could answer a few questions, anyone that answers five or more questions will get a free drawing.
Here are the questions:

- What work have you done in animation? (Company names, projects you worked on, any images or links would be helpful!)

- Which books, movies, podcasts or any other kind of media do you recommend for anyknowledge on the subject of color theory, silhouettes and general graphic design?

- Which emotions, feelings and moods are associated with what colors? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RGV_color_wheel_1908.png Each one of these if possible)

- Why are those emotions associated with those colors? (Any historical significance, books where the theories are explained or quotes from famous people would help)

- What color schemes are there and for what effect can you best use them? (You don't have to mention all millions of color schemes, just a few that can easily be used or that you often use)

- Which programs or other mediums do you use to create artwork and designs? And why?

- What are the most easily recognizable parts of a human silhouette? And why?

- What techniques are there to focus attention to a certain point, and why do they work?

- What makes silhouettes from Darth Vader, Indiana Jones, Batman and other characters so instantly recognizable? (Please speculate as much as possible)

- Which colors attract attention? And why?

- When is something visually attractive? What are the criteria that make the difference between a good and a bad design? And in what way is it different for each individual? (A very big question, I know.)

- Which artists make the best use of color? (If you could give me a couple of examples. They can be from any type of media) And why?

- In what ways have you used different colors to achieve a clear result in any of your work? (If you could include an example or screenshot that would be great.)

- In what ways have you used silhouettes to achieve an interesting composition? (If you could include an example or screenshot that would be great.)

- What techniques should you go through when picking colors if trying to create a sad, angry, scary, happy or exciting piece of work.

- How do you change colors when trying to make shadows or highlights? (Besides just making them lighter or darker…)

- What creatures are there that use colors in an interesting way? (As in in it's fur or patterns on it's skin, mimicri, camouflage, anything)

- Is there anything else you might wish to tell about the subject?

- Color Effects, what effects do different colors have on people's emotions, and how can colors be used to influence others?

- Silhouettes, what techniques can be used to improve the clarity and recognizability of a character or object in silhouettes.

- Programs and Applications, What programs, techniques and applications are there for creating animations.

havin us do your homework for ya, Kroatz? hahaha!
-i havent done much animation at all. i took a class in high school, but i liked it from what i can remember. i made a few short things there but none that i still have anywhere. but on my own time since i've graduated, just for fun a made two short little snippets .
one's here, a claymationhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQlsGdQh47Uhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLloAUjPTx8and the same goes for color schemes, although i think color schemes push it to the next level. where as one color gives you a flavor, color scheme gives you a setting when it comes to what it does to your senses or your memory.
now take that same person who hates peptobismal and put them in a room that has the color scheme of that same sort of hot pink, yellow and blue. depending on how much they personally detest that color, it'll either dissapear in the color scheme and not make them sick, or it can still be so recognizable it ruins the other colors as well.
but having said that, there are certain universal schemes that remind us of common things. like for example the two i'm attracted to the most in general are somewhat beaming “toxic” looking greens, oranges, and blues which i use in my Putrid Meat comic all the time, and it's attracted alot've the same people who also like that kind of scheme because of how it represents their sub culture or music cultureor it was there alot when they grew up. and then i like oceany kinds of blues, which i think alot of other people can relate to more generally. maby more people like to see ocean schemes because there's a feeling of relaxation there or paradise. whereas the other color scheme i use for my comic book is much more busy and bright which tends to remind us of high energy. not so relaxing. so that's another way to look at that. which way would the reader's response be more willing to accept. and of corse there's a far greater range than that.
but…even an ocean type scheme can be used to convey a different sense of that environment. pair the blue with a darker greyish color and a darker blue green color or dark brown and the mood can change to something else. like saythe ocean is becoming darker and stormier in the scene. though as wordy as that all was, the process of chosing the colors you want isnt as machanical in thought as that, at least not in my experience.
i think if you take your own experiences into account first and then color to the memories you have of where those moods came from, you get the same result, if not even more natural than if you sat down and actually picked apart specific color schemes at no more value than the colors themselves.
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-when it comes to a silhouettes, body language comes even more into play than if the figure was fully lit, because you completely depend on the body language. there's no facial expression. so the most popular parts i think would be the arms and hands, legs and curvature of the spine, which means the shoulders and hips could be very effected as well. the nature of the silhouette itself is dramatic.
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-what makes many popular characters so recognizable in a silhouette is that their designs themselves are so successful, and their characterizations, it doesnt matter if you cant see who they are. which sounds kind of “duh”.
indiana jones and darth vader and batman all have such different different designs that they're distinguishable from not only eachother but other characters as well! and not just in the way they look, but the way they stand or move. (though i know batman's been handled by lots of different artists and what not, im talking about the general, recognizable perception of him the public has. though he and darth vader both have long dark capes that could hide alot've their figure in a silhouette, their body language is fundamentally different. Batman, though more dark and brooding than many heros, is still heroic. standing straight up, defiant. whereas Darth Vader as we typically see him is more about power and a sense of stoicness and that'll effect how he comes across as well. even with the big ears and what not outa the way, and left with just their somewhat similar squaty body forms, charlie brown cant easily be confused for mickey mouse because one is so much more animated and the other is so much more reserved that even downto the bare bones they're different from eachother.
but of corse, there's something to be said to for those features that make a character's design unique like say a tuff of hair or big ears or something that is another more vissually direct way ot telling these guys apart. as a matter of fact, it can be a good excersize in determining how sucessful your characterization is.
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-and creating points of interested. well comic wise, the way i use most to do this is to put an X from corner to corner of the panel and anything that falls on those lines can be a focal point and the more to the middle of the page you get ussually the stronger that is too. simple and you dont have to blow a whole lotta brain power on it. other ways are to make the focus sharper and what's less noticable more blurred or inked with thinner lines, less detailed,drabber colored. stuff like that.

picture please! :D

I'll send you something interesting soon!

And I'm not technically making you do my homework for me. It's more a kind of… I'm making you help me do my homework.

Here are the questions:
- What work have you done in animation? (Company names, projects you worked on, any images or links would be helpful!)
Just the usual school work. I had a lot of fun with it doing tanks.

- Which books, movies, podcasts or any other kind of media do you recommend for anyknowledge on the subject of color theory, silhouettes and general graphic design?
I wish I knew because I'd be reading them.

- Which emotions, feelings and moods are associated with what colors?
Red-anger, yellow-fear, blue-peace

- Why are those emotions associated with those colors? (Any historical significance, books where the theories are explained or quotes from famous people would help)
Could be as simple as red and yellow are associated with heat and fire and animals fear fire. BLue is a quiet color being the color of the sky. The sky feels empty and vast.

- What color schemes are there and for what effect can you best use them? (You don't have to mention all millions of color schemes, just a few that can easily be used or that you often use)

I never thought about it and just use whatever color I find.

- Which programs or other mediums do you use to create artwork and designs? And why?

Now I'm hooked on Photoshop 7. I can't update because I have no money. Fine line pens, and Sharpies for line work. I just can't stand the effects I get with colored pencil or marker anymore so I've gone digital.

- What are the most easily recognizable parts of a human silhouette? And why?

If a black outline, it is the chin and nose. They are the most prominent features of the human profile. The eyes aren't easily seen in profile. Next is the hairline


- What makes silhouettes from Darth Vader, Indiana Jones, Batman and other characters so instantly recognizable? (Please speculate as much as possible)

Our brain groups certain features for ready identificaiton. Been studied a lot. Usually humans go with chin, nose and hairline as I said before. Indy has his hat (hairline), Darth has his helmet, Batman has his ears. Since it says silhouettes I am going by side views. From the front each has a simple distinctive shape that the mind groups together as a simple whole it can distinguish fro others. Darth Vader is a circle and flared edges. The mind catagorizes it as either Darth Vader or a German soldier. A blank outline of Darth looks surprisingly like a soldier in a German flared edge steel helmet. Nazi=evil. Darth-evil.

- Which colors attract attention? And why?

Red and yellow. Both are bright and signal danger because of their association with fire?

- When is something visually attractive? What are the criteria that make the difference between a good and a bad design? And in what way is it different for each individual? (A very big question, I know.)

Symetry.

- How do you change colors when trying to make shadows or highlights? (Besides just making them lighter or darker…)

Mixing pigments with their complimentary colors the way they teach you in art school. There's also shading red with blue and yellow with orange. That's what I learned painting miniatures for the past 35 years. A lot of it is taught the same way they teach oil painting.
Any other questions are about things I don't think about. I just do it. I culd go on an on about how every color choice in the Robofemoids series was a conscious choice to inspire specific feelings but it's dolls and no one reads it so I'd merely be blowing hot air.
I've always been told I have good instinct for color and I score very, very high in color perception. A lot of it is breaking something into basic shapes and colors and creating a simple pattern as opposed to confusing oneself with a huge palette of jarring stuff overwhelming the visual receptors unless that's what you're trying to do.

Red makes you hungry. That is why almost all fast food resturants have red in their logo. You see it and it makes you hungry.

KROATZ!
READ the author comments on this comic pagere here:
http://www.drunkduck.com/Bricktown/5392847/

You MUST do this.

Thanks Bravo! Surprisingly you're one of the first people that noticed the direct link between Star Wars and Nazis. At least, within the confines of this research. PQ me a request for anything you might want as a drawing request. I should be having a bit more time in a few days.

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Hey Niccea, thanks! There's also something known as the Red Effect, women wearing red clothing are seen as more beautiful, in almost all cases, compared to the same people wearing blander colors such as blue or green. Men are seen as more interesting when wearing red. So, without any room for discussion, red is the best color.

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Hey Oz, I will read it when I find the time, I love the history of 2D animation. In my very early youth I did not watch a lot of television, Gertie the dinosaur actually is one of the first animations I can remember, and I was born well after the introduction of color television.

^_^ That is all the help I can give. I didn't really have any hard art classes. Just graphic design 7 years ago. We only touched on the basic principles and spent the rest of the time messing with Photoshop (or in the case of some people playing Age of Empires).

The mind catagorizes it as either Darth Vader or a German soldier. A
blank outline of Darth looks surprisingly like a soldier in a German
flared edge steel helmet. Nazi=evil. Darth-evil.

Darth Vader's helmet is modelled on the classical popular European sallet style and German WWII helmets as well as modern US helmets all come from that exact same design history. Same source material there… One because it looks cool, the other because it's a practical design.
Interesting, isn't it?
Really, your Darth Vader is much closer to the traditional Black Knight.

For Pit_Face!

Next up is Oz.

Great pic Kroatz!!!

Thanks Oz, here's your picture!





Next up is Bravo, if he sends in something he'd like me to draw.

ozoneocean wrote:

The mind catagorizes it as either Darth Vader or a German soldier. A
blank outline of Darth looks surprisingly like a soldier in a German
flared edge steel helmet. Nazi=evil. Darth-evil.

Darth Vader's helmet is modelled on the classical popular European sallet style and German WWII helmets as well as modern US helmets all come from that exact same design history. Same source material there… One because it looks cool, the other because it's a practical design.
Interesting, isn't it?
Really, your Darth Vader is much closer to the traditional Black Knight.

All the Imperial uniforms in Star Wars were consciously designed after Imperial Japanese Navy uniforms with just a touch of German Navy. John Williams used a Japanese Military march as the inspriation for the Imperial March in Empire Strikes Back. The interior of the Death Star was inspired by the interior shots of Japanese Aircraft carriers in such movies as Tora Tora Tora. It's not much of a stretch to imagine all those Imperial types seen welcoming Darth Vader throwing their hands up and yelling “Banzai!” and that was an intentional design. The Imperial Storm troopers were originally inspired to look precisely like Japanese 16th century infantry with Jingasa helmets and braided armor. Thankfully they departed from that.

The classic British tinhat was adapted from the medieval kettle helmet and the French from a the sallet and Grecian designs. French helmet design can be traced back to Neo Classical designs popular in the Age of Napoleon but converted into a simple stamping. So what is old was new again in the mad rush to give soldiers head protection at the beginning of World War I.

- What work have you done in animation? (Company names, projects you worked on, any images or links would be helpful!)
A: I cannot disclose but you saw some of my work in a movie theater.- Which books, movies, podcasts or any other kind of media do you recommend for anyknowledge on the subject of color theory, silhouettes and general graphic design?
I think if you google Itten and Tornquist a lot of website will pop up.
For movies there's a book called: if it's purple somebody is going to die. Very interesting.
Movies with very strong color coding: The Red Violin, Amelie. Any animated film (I find particularly interesting for color coding choices: the secret of Kells).- Which emotions, feelings and moods are associated with what colors? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RGV_color_wheel_1908.png Each one of these if possible)
It depends if you are dealing with the colors of the light (movies) or pigment (animation/illustration). The same colors have both negative and positive attributes.
Like blue it is both a color fo intelligence but also a color for slow reaction characters. Red is a color for passion and love, but it is also a color for violence.
So all colors, depending on the colors surrounding them, has both a negative and positive connotation.- Why are those emotions associated with those colors? (Any historical significance, books where the theories are explained or quotes from famous people would help)
These are well explained by Tornquist and Itten although historically you cannot go much back, you have to stop right after World World II as some colors changed of meaning with the years.
For example Pink was a color for man and blue for women and only catholic men devoted with the Virgin Mary would wear light blue.
Also depdends on the culture as black and white are both colors for funerals.- What color schemes are there and for what effect can you best use them? (You don't have to mention all millions of color schemes, just a few that can easily be used or that you often use)
there are many schemes but mainly: complementary colors, complementary with split, analagous schemes, analogous with split, triads and 4 colors, duotone, monochrome and quadrichromie.- Which programs or other mediums do you use to create artwork and designs? And why?
I use photoshop, illustrator, maya, toon boom for digital. I still prefer to tackle most of my design in traditional as the colors of the light are tricky while pigments are more obedient.- What are the most easily recognizable parts of a human silhouette? And why?
A humans silhouette is ricognizable as long as the post is strong and clear. It is always nice to keep the silhouette simple but to add details around the head, hands and feet. If the foot is drawn in silhouette it has unique angles and shape. But the hand is the most recognizable because it has small limbs (fingers) attached to a main limb (palm)- What techniques are there to focus attention to a certain point, and why do they work?
You can achieve a focal point by contrast, hue, and sophistication vs simplification. It usually works to usa natural focal point at the four corner of the image (but not close to the edge of the frame) because you can easily derive them using the rule of thirds and it is also the result of the golden spiral. The eye naturally goes there.
Why they work? The eye always goes for the highest contrast first, dark against light and vice versa, and some colors vibrate next to each other too so the hue is important. Sophistication vs semplification it's also a form of contrast if you want… where if you look at Sargeant paintings he has details faces and eyes (the most likeable focal point of them all) against a much simpler and highly brush stroked rest of the painting.- What makes silhouettes from Darth Vader, Indiana Jones, Batman and other characters so instantly recognizable? (Please speculate as much as possible)
They are what you call iconic images. Mickey mouse is another one of them (3 circles put together). The reason they are iconic is that they have been around for many years and people feel comfortable. When it comes to icon… a lot of it has to do with comfort and habit.
There are things with terrible design who are also pretty iconic as well but they are very well established.
One thing you might take into consideration is the overall shape. It seems like things with a rounded shape stick with people more. Circle is the most liked shape by humans, it's because it conveys a feeling of cuteness, softness and stability.
That's why Po from Kung Fu Panda is a circle.
- Which colors attract attention? And why?
Any colors with long wave length. It depends on the eyes of the viewer of cours but basically most of the people are short sighted and perceive colors with long wave lenght and frequency better. Red is the champion of the all… green is the most receiding color instead.- When is something visually attractive? What are the criteria that make the difference between a good and a bad design? And in what way is it different for each individual? (A very big question, I know.)
Balance and composition make a piece strong. But then you have to consider style and unicity.
What is unique is a personal thing, a philosophical question. But if a piece follows the rules of design is it necessarily good? Maybe not, maybe it's just correct… but logic teaches us than arguments can be valid and not necessarily true.
Reason why a lot of art pieces that are not prefectly design are the most liked by people (take Van Gogh)…beauty is in the eye of the beholder.- Which artists make the best use of color? (If you could give me a couple of examples. They can be from any type of media) And why?
I like the colors schemes used in Disney Animation Studios because they follow color theary in perfect manner, like true gentlemen.
Particularly I liked the color scheme used in Huntchback of Notre Dame because they used a jewel like color scheme (purple, red, green and blues on gold). The whole movie feels like treasure of the queen of England.- In what ways have you used different colors to achieve a clear result in any of your work? (If you could include an example or screenshot that would be great.)- In what ways have you used silhouettes to achieve an interesting composition? (If you could include an example or screenshot that would be great.)
I always use silhouette to better my composition. It's one of the principle of animation and it is the main principle for storyboard artists who want to work in animation. Not using the concept of silhouette at all only results in uncomfrotable poses, unreadable and unclear situations.
Always use strong silhouettes.- What techniques should you go through when picking colors if trying to create a sad, angry, scary, happy or exciting piece of work.
It's up to you, whatever you feel comfortable with there is no one way of doing things. the best thing is to feel the emotion yourself while you paint it, otherwise you won't be able to convey it.
An artist is also a performing artist, in animation you have to be a very good actor too.- How do you change colors when trying to make shadows or highlights? (Besides just making them lighter or darker…)
Use complementary colors for lights and shadows.- What creatures are there that use colors in an interesting way? (As in in it's fur or patterns on it's skin, mimicri, camouflage, anything)- Is there anything else you might wish to tell about the subject?- Color Effects, what effects do different colors have on people's emotions, and how can colors be used to influence others?- Silhouettes, what techniques can be used to improve the clarity and recognizability of a character or object in silhouettes.
Use a mirror and pose. Or draw something and fill it in with a black marker. If you can tell what it is … good. otherwise you need to rotate the character.- Programs and Applications, What programs, techniques and applications are there for creating animations.
I use toon boom and maya but I heard that toonz is cool too. I used Flash for a while too.

Thanks Dedasaur!

I'll try to start work on your and Bravo'simages ASAP, I only have one more week of mindnumbing schoolwork left before I can focus on more important things again.