Animation Production Questions

[lovely_20]

Hi-I want to know are the cartoons like the ones you see in the theatres and on TV always drawn to scale? Are the characters always drawn to scale? Do they ever use 3-point perspective backgrounds or do they always use 1-point and 2-point perspective backgrounds? I know sometimes they cheat when they make backgrounds-they cheat sometimes when things receed to the back.

Do they all use 3-D models of characters to help draw characters?

 

[NITHIN india]

There's not really any perspective all backgrounds use. Every BG artist does things his or her own way.

And yeah, maquettes are sometimes used for reference, especially theatrical animation, but most of the time they just use model sheets.

 

[AngelofSin]

But are all characters drawn in proportion, or is it sometimes off?

 

[b0x?]

Of course not always. Animators are only human, after all.

In fact... http://forums.rabroad.net/showthread.php?t=185242

 

[ganonx16]

I've seen that thread before and I still don't get it. Most of that stuff seems to be stylistically drawn as opposed to simply being drawn poorly.

 

[brian_zee]

I'll agree that some of them are (like the pic from one of the One Piece movies or the "in-between" frames), but others are just bad.

 

[O8SERVER IV]

I'm talking about in American cartoons.

I recall Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and in some frames he appeared bigger than he was supposed to be, and smaller in others. It was hand-drawn though.

How do they know how big to make the character in each scene?

 

[brianzubek]

American cartoons aren't really animated any differently, although there's more focus on movement than detail. If you mean in relation to other characters, they use model sheets.

 

[Lysa<33]

Are four-fingered characters necessarily easier to animate than five-fingered ones, or are characters designed with four fingers on each hand for stylistic purposes?

 

[Giancarlo S]

Your first guess.

 

[Lucifer In Tears]

Really? I always thought it was the style of the artist/cartoonist/animator behind the project to use wither four/five fingers.

 

[G. =D]

Depends it can be both, but more often than not it's just easier to animate four fingers. Although some shows go with five fingers.

 

[Name N]

Characters may be drawn to scale in a cartoon, but they are sometimes sloppy when they draw faces and features and the like.

Maybe drawing things small in an animated cartoon and trying to pay attention to detail is difficult.

 

[Sandra L]

Yes, it pretty much is unless you use a magnifying glass. :sweat:

 

[Devy D]

Drawing characters in forced perspective and overhead shots is also sometimes hard to do.

I think stylistically certain cartoon characters look better with four-fingers as opposed to five-it looks awkward IMO.

Unless it's Sonic the Hedgehog or the Super Mario Bros.