Don Mangus' "It Only Hurts When I Smirk.": September 2017

Saturday, September 30, 2017

Frank Lloyd Wright: The Wisdom of an Artistic Giant

Frank Lloyd Wright

Disney's Twelve Basic Principles of Animation

Walt Disney Studio, animation art

Disney's Twelve Basic Principles of Animation were introduced by the Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their 1981 book The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation. Johnston and Thomas in turn based their book on the work of the leading Disney animators from the 1930s onwards, and their effort to produce more realistic animations. The main purpose of the principles was to produce an illusion of characters adhering to the basic laws of physics, but they also dealt with more abstract issues, such as emotional timing and character appeal.

Squash and Stretch

The most important principle is "squash and stretch", the purpose of which is to give a sense of weight and flexibility to drawn objects. It can be applied to simple objects, like a bouncing ball, or more complex constructions, like the musculature of a human face. Taken to an extreme point, a figure stretched or squashed to an exaggerated degree can have a comical effect. In realistic animation, however, the most important aspect of this principle is the fact that an object's volume does not change when squashed or stretched. If the length of a ball is stretched vertically, its width (in three dimensions, also its depth) needs to contract correspondingly horizontally.

Anticipation

Anticipation is used to prepare the audience for an action, and to make the action appear more realistic. A dancer jumping off the floor has to bend the knees first; a golfer making a swing has to swing the club back first. The technique can also be used for less physical actions, such as a character looking off-screen to anticipate someone's arrival, or attention focusing on an object that a character is about to pick up.

Staging

This principle is akin to staging in theatre, as it is known in theatre and film. Its purpose is to direct the audience's attention, and make it clear what is of greatest importance in a scene; Johnston and Thomas defined it as "the presentation of any idea so that it is completely and unmistakably clear", whether that idea is an action, a personality, an expression, or a mood. This can be done by various means, such as the placement of a character in the frame, the use of light and shadow, or the angle and position of the camera. The essence of this principle is keeping focus on what is relevant, and avoiding unnecessary detail.

Straight Ahead Action and Pose-to-Pose

These are two different approaches to the actual drawing process. "Straight ahead action" means drawing out a scene frame by frame from beginning to end, while "pose to pose" involves starting with drawing a few key frames, and then filling in the intervals later. "Straight ahead action" creates a more fluid, dynamic illusion of movement, and is better for producing realistic action sequences. On the other hand, it is hard to maintain proportions, and to create exact, convincing poses along the way. "Pose to pose" works better for dramatic or emotional scenes, where composition and relation to the surroundings are of greater importance. A combination of the two techniques is often used.

Computer animation removes the problems of proportion related to "straight ahead action" drawing; however, "pose to pose" is still used for computer animation, because of the advantages it brings in composition. The use of computers facilitates this method, and can fill in the missing sequences in between poses automatically. It is, however, still important to oversee this process and apply the other principles discussed.

Follow Through and Overlapping Action

Follow through and overlapping action is a general heading for two closely related techniques which help to render movement more realistically, and help to give the impression that characters follow the laws of physics, including the principle of inertia.

"Follow through" means that loosely tied parts of a body should continue moving after the character has stopped and the parts should keep moving beyond the point where the character stopped only to be subsequently "pulled back" towards the center of mass and/or exhibiting various degrees of oscillation damping.

"Overlapping action" is the tendency for parts of the body to move at different rates (an arm will move on different timing of the head and so on).

A third, related technique is "drag", where a character starts to move and parts of him take a few frames to catch up. These parts can be inanimate objects like clothing or the antenna on a car, or parts of the body, such as arms or hair. On the human body, the torso is the core, with arms, legs, head and hair appendices that normally follow the torso's movement. Body parts with much tissue, such as large stomachs and breasts, or the loose skin on a dog, are more prone to independent movement than bonier body parts. Again, exaggerated use of the technique can produce a comical effect, while more realistic animation must time the actions exactly, to produce a convincing result.

The "moving hold" animates between similar key frames, even characters sitting still can display some sort of movement, such as the torso moving in and out with breathing.

Ease In and Ease Out

The movement of the human body, and most other objects, needs time to accelerate and slow down. For this reason, animation looks more realistic if it has more drawings near the beginning and end of an action, emphasizing the extreme poses, and fewer in the middle. This principle goes for characters moving between two extreme poses, such as sitting down and standing up, but also for inanimate, moving objects, like the bouncing ball in the above illustration.

Arc

Most natural action tends to follow an arched trajectory, and animation should adhere to this principle by following implied "arcs" for greater realism. This technique can be applied to a moving limb by rotating a joint, or a thrown object moving along a parabolic trajectory. The exception is mechanical movement, which typically moves in straight lines.

As an object's speed or momentum increases, arcs tend to flatten out in moving ahead and broaden in turns. In baseball, a fastball would tend to move in a straighter line than other pitches; while a figure skater moving at top speed would be unable to turn as sharply as a slower skater, and would need to cover more ground to complete the turn.

An object in motion that moves out of its natural arc for no apparent reason will appear erratic rather than fluid. For example, when animating a pointing finger, the animator should be certain that in all drawings in between the two extreme poses, the fingertip follows a logical arc from one extreme to the next. Traditional animators tend to draw the arc in lightly on the paper for reference, to be erased later.

Secondary Action

Secondary Action: as the horse runs, its mane and tail follow the movement of the body.

Adding secondary actions to the main action gives a scene more life, and can help to support the main action. A person walking can simultaneously swing their arms or keep them in their pockets, speak or whistle, or express emotions through facial expressions. The important thing about secondary actions is that they emphasize, rather than take attention away from the main action. If the latter is the case, those actions are better left out. For example, during a dramatic movement, facial expressions will often go unnoticed. In these cases it is better to include them at the beginning and the end of the movement, rather than during.

Timing

Timing refers to the number of drawings or frames for a given action, which translates to the speed of the action on film. On a purely physical level, correct timing makes objects appear to obey the laws of physics; for instance, an object's weight determines how it reacts to an impetus, like a push. Timing is critical for establishing a character's mood, emotion, and reaction. It can also be a device to communicate aspects of a character's personality.

Exaggeration

Exaggeration is an effect especially useful for animation, as animated motions that strive for a perfect imitation of reality can look static and dull. The level of exaggeration depends on whether one seeks realism or a particular style, like a caricature or the style of a specific artist. The classical definition of exaggeration, employed by Disney, was to remain true to reality, just presenting it in a wilder, more extreme form. Other forms of exaggeration can involve the supernatural or surreal, alterations in the physical features of a character; or elements in the storyline itself. It is important to employ a certain level of restraint when using exaggeration. If a scene contains several elements, there should be a balance in how those elements are exaggerated in relation to each other, to avoid confusing or overawing the viewer.

Solid drawing

The principle of solid drawing means taking into account forms in three-dimensional space, or giving them volume and weight. The animator needs to be a skilled artist and has to understand the basics of three-dimensional shapes, anatomy, weight, balance, light and shadow, etc. For the classical animator, this involved taking art classes and doing sketches from life. One thing in particular that Johnston and Thomas warned against was creating "twins": characters whose left and right sides mirrored each other, and looked lifeless]. Modern-day computer animators draw less because of the facilities computers give them,yet their work benefits greatly from a basic understanding of animation principles, and their additions to basic computer animation.

Appeal

Appeal in a cartoon character corresponds to what would be called charisma in an actor. A character who is appealing is not necessarily sympathetic -- villains or monsters can also be appealing -- the important thing is that the viewer feels the character is real and interesting. There are several tricks for making a character connect better with the audience; for likable characters a symmetrical or particularly baby-like face tends to be effective. A complicated or hard to read face will lack appeal, it may more accurately be described as 'captivation' in the composition of the pose, or the character design.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Charles Eames: Vintage Radio Designs

Charles Eames

A line of radio enclosures was among the postwar offspring of the Eameses' plywood-molding process. Charles and Ray Eames developed techniques for mass-producing plywood enclosures in significant numbers. They designed cabinet forms for manufacturers such as Bendix Corporation, Emerson Radio, Farnsworth Company, Hamilton Radio Corporation, Zenith Corporation, and many others.

In addition to the molded cases, which were made of birch and ash, the Eameses made cabinet fronts formed with a “dimpled” surface -- a pattern initially used in the Case Goods storage system and then later in the Eames Storage Units. There was a functional purpose for doing this -- the compound surface strengthened the panels and prevented them from warping.

Charles and Ray Eames fabricated a wide variety of approximately 200,000 radio cabinets from 1946 until 1952.

Frank Lloyd Wright: Unity and Repose

Frank Lloyd Wright, The Hoffman House aka Falling Water

My current penchant for the hyper-focused study of Frank Lloyd Wright continues. I hope I don't burn out on enjoying the masterworks of the greatest American artist. However, I do believe he's deep enough to withstand my obsessive attention. Take for instance, this fantastic insight for any artist -- the relationship of the concept of repose to the concept of artistic unity:

"Out of unity comes a great repose always. Repose, in any sense anywhere, is due to unity of sometime, somewhere, and somehow. So out of unity comes repose and out of repose comes your enjoyment of the environment, of your home, as you live in it." -- Frank Lloyd Wright

Sunday, September 24, 2017

Frank Lloyd Wright: Organic Architecture

Frank Lloyd Wright, selected by Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer

Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer became Frank Lloyd Wright’s apprentice at the Taliesin Fellowship in 1949. In 1957, he attended the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris, returning in 1958 to continue his apprenticeship with Wright until his death in 1959. He remains at Taliesin to this day, as director of the Frank Lloyd Wright Archives, a vice-president of the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and author of numerous publications on Wright's life and work.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

Frank Lloyd Wright: Organic Design

Frank Lloyd Wright

A collected look, a mashup of cultural influences, a global mix -- all are phrases used to describe yet another idea influencing today's interiors that can trace its roots through Frank Lloyd Wright's work. Highly influenced by time spent in Japan, he embraced tenets of Japanese and Chinese design, including reverence for natural materials and an inherent simplicity and lack of clutter.

It's something that I feel is really resonant right now. We live in in a world where we can buy anything and get it delivered tomorrow. But we can recognize the humbleness and simplicity and purity of really thinking about everything that we bring into our homes. That was something Wright thought about as an architect, but it's an idea that can really benefit every homeowner -- just slowing down and taking time to choose and enjoy the things you have in your home. Decorating is a word that we use to describe how things can improve our quality of life, and it's not really about more things -- it's about, maybe, the right things or even fewer things.

Though he championed a uniquely American style of architecture, Wright's own homes and those of his clients gained richness and depth from a few treasured pieces of rough-hewn Japanese pottery, a handmade textile from Africa, or beautiful Mexican paintings. His display of handmade objects from around the world in the context of Modern interiors added a layer of educated elegance to his rooms.

The lesson? The world is big and there is much to gain from that.

Wright fathered a new kind of architecture and kept on evolving from there -- but more than a century later, it's the timelessness of his ideas that make his influence so enduring.

When you look at his work today and it doesn't look all that strange or new --that's because what he was doing has been incorporated into our daily life. We can relate to what he was doing because it has permeated the way we live today. He was trying to change the way we live and do something different -- to break through to that next thing -- and he succeeded.

Berndt Friberg: Swedish Ceramics Master

Berndt Friberg

Swedish artist Berndt Friberg had a few nicknames in his time but he was usually called “Hand of God” amongst other potters and his circle of friends. He was known for being a perfectionist and did not keep pieces which were not to his satisfaction.

Friberg was born to a family of potters and started his career at a young age, it was pretty much written in stone that he would follow the same path. He spent his early stages working at Höganäs pottery, situated in a small mill town where the clay is perfect for stoneware making and pottery. From 1944 onwards he was employed as a thrower to Wilhelm Kåge and Stig Lindberg at Gustavsberg’s pottery, both of these artists had a massive impact on Swedish ceramics and its future. This specific workshop was created by Wilhelm as a platform for artists to independently create unique ceramic art ware, a perfect place for Berndt Friberg to set up shop and make objects freely.

What’s notable about Berndt is that he never let anyone else to throw his pieces -- he did it all by hand one at a time and refused that anyone else would do it under his name. He was particularly inspired by traditional Chinese and Japanese works. The glazes were where Friberg ended up excelling, he painstakingly applied these finishes to achieve great structure and depth.

When you view his pieces, you’re struck by the detail and the simplicity of the items, that very much serve a function but are also beautiful to the eye.

I would also recommend checking out the Berndt Friberg’s "miniatures" -- they’re really something special and are some of the best works in this category.

Saturday, September 16, 2017

Movie Soundtrack Composer Elmer Bernstein

Elmer Bernstein

The great Elmer Bernstein.

Elmer Bernstein was born in New York City, the son of Selma (née Feinstein, 1901-1991), from Ukraine, and Edward Bernstein (1896-1968), from Austria-Hungary. He was not related to the celebrated composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein -- but the two men were friends, and even shared a certain physical similarity. Within the world of professional music, they were distinguished from each other by the use of the nicknames "Bernstein West" (Elmer) and "Bernstein East" (Leonard). They pronounced their last names differently -- Elmer pronounced his (BERN-steen), and Leonard's was (BERN-stine).

During his childhood, Bernstein performed professionally as a dancer and an actor, in the latter case playing the part of Caliban in "The Tempest" on Broadway, and he also won several prizes for his painting. He attended Manhattan's progressive Walden School and gravitated toward music at the age of twelve, at which time he was given a scholarship in piano by Henriette Michelson, a Juilliard teacher who guided him throughout his entire career as a pianist. She took him to play some of his improvisations for composer Aaron Copland, who was encouraging and selected Israel Citkowitz as a teacher for the young boy. Bernstein's music has some stylistic similarities to Copland's music, most notably in his Western scores, particularly sections of "Big Jake," in the Gregory Peck film "Amazing Grace and Chuck," and in his spirited score for the 1958 film adaptation of Erskine Caldwell's novel "God's Little Acre."

Throughout his life, Bernstein demonstrated an enthusiasm for an even wider spectrum of the arts than his childhood interests would imply and, in 1959, when he was scoring "The Story on Page One," he considered becoming a novelist and asked the film's screenwriter, Clifford Odets, to give him lessons in writing fiction.