APRIL IS ANIMATION MONTH AT CHUCK JONES CENTER FOR CREATIVITY!
Beginning April 6th, the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity will present a month of Animation tutorials on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:30 PM PDT to 3:30 PM PDT. These classes will differ from our previous format as they will be instructional with after class assignments to be presented in class the following week. As always, these classes are donation-based. To donate, please visit ChuckJonesCenter.org/take-action.
Each, 1-hour class is a “virtual lecture” where students will learn concepts and techniques that they can work on during the week, and at their own pace. These lectures will be recorded and posted to the CJCC library for their non-linear review. The students will not be working with us in an interactive fashion (in real-time) during the class. Rather, they can sketch and/or take notes on their own as the teaching artists progress through the class, but it’s at their own discretion, and it is not required.
Participants will have to register for this program in order to receive the Zoom link.
WEEK 1
Tuesday, April 6; Teaching Artist: Naylene Justis
Squash and Stretch:
Floursack: The floursack is one of the oldest tools of the trade for animation learners. We will be drawing the humble floursack in dynamic poses and exploring how it functions as a highly animate-able shape.
Wednesday, April 7; Teaching Artist: Darrell Park
Introduction to Animation | suggested reference book: The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston
"Squash & Stretch" is a great one to start with. The bouncing ball along with the traditional flour sack exercise are great exercises for slow in/out, arcs, timing, overlapping & follow through.
Thursday, April 8; Teaching Artists: Brian “Boogie” Black, Mike Funt
“Squash and Stretch,” 2 sec. Animation: Introduce and teach the basic concepts of “squash and stretch” on simple, interlocking shapes (like circles)...anticipation, exaggeration, follow-through, etc. We will subject those interlocking shapes to an external force, like gravity...falling off a ledge, impacting the floor, then bouncing up to an adjacent ledge.
Materials needed: at least 24 3” x 5” note cards, Pencil and eraser, Lightbox (or tablet set to a white background)
WEEK 2
Tuesday, April 13; Teaching Artist: Naylene Justis
Walk Cycle: Key Poses in a Walk Cycle: Learn to draw all the basic poses that make up a walk cycle.
Wednesday, April 14; Teaching Artist: Darrell Park
Bouncing Ball animation review and introduce "Flag wave” exercise
Thursday, April 15; Teaching Artists: Brian “Boogie” Black, Mike Funt
“Foreground and Background,” 12-frame Walk Cycle, 5 sec. Pan:
Take a simple, full-body character...briefly introduce students to skeletal vs. muscular armature. Create a 12-frame walk cycle...simple shapes for arms and legs, introducing the concept that walking is an act of falling.
Optional Supplies Needed (to work along side the lecture):
- 2 peg bars (bottom and top)
- Punched, 12-field bond paper (50 sheets)
- Pencil and eraser
- Lightbox (or tablet set to a white background)
WEEK 3
Tuesday, April 20; Teaching Artist: Naylene Justis
Take: Exaggerating Expression: Tired of drawing the same tired face? Learn how to “push” facial expressions for better clarity and a lot more fun.
Wednesday, April 21; Teaching Artist: Darrell Park
Flag Wave animation review; Introduce - Head turn/Double take
Thursday, April 22; Teaching Artists: Brian “Boogie” Black, Mike Funt
“A Take,” Extreme Expressions, 2-3 sec. Animation:
Working with the face of a simple character, we will explore the importance of eyes, mouth, and eyebrows in developing the “Take”
Optional Supplies Needed (to work along side the lecture):
- 1 peg bar (bottom)
- Punched, 12-field bond paper (50 sheets)
- Pencil and eraser
- Lightbox (or tablet set to a white background)
WEEK 4
Tuesday, April 27; Teaching Artist: Naylene Justis
Stop Motion: Paper Puppets: Make your OC into an articulated paper puppet with moveable arms and legs. Perfect if you want to try to make your own stop motion video.
Materials: Thick paper (cardstock, etc.), small brads, thumb tack (to poke holes), scissors
Wednesday, April 28; Teaching Artist: Darrell Park
Head turn/Double take animation review; Introduce the Walk Cycle
Materials (Suggestions): Non-photo blue pencil; flip book; 3 hole punch paper and one or two *round plastic animation peg bars; light table or glass table that a light can pass through the bottom; if student has an iPad w/latest OS; free animation software
*Round peg bars would be best as they do not need animation punched 12F paper for traditional animation discs/peg bars. One round peg bar can be used for the actual drawing, the other can be attached to a scanner for importing art into computer.
LightFoot LTD (Peg bar) - https://www.lightfootltd.com/content/round-pegbar-plastic
Thursday, April 29; Teaching Artists: Brian “Boogie” Black, Mike Funt
“Stop-Motion with Household Objects,” Rest to Motion...Motion to Rest: Using household objects, introduce the concepts of stop-motion animation.
Optional Supplies Needed (to work along side the lecture):
- 7 mechanical nuts
- String and scissors
- Blue tape
- 2 desk lamps (preferably, flexible-arm drafting lights)
- Cel phone
- Tripod
