What makes a drawing appealing?? - 何がドローイングを魅力的にする？

Above: Glen Keane

上：グレン・キーン

"The word is often misinterpreted to suggest cuddly bunnies and soft kittens.  To us, it meant anything that a person likes to see, a quality of charm, pleasing design, simplicity, communication and magnetism."

「魅力的」という言葉は、可愛らしいウサギや、ふわふわの子猫だけのものではありません。私たちにとっては、愛嬌、気持ちの良いデザイン、シンプルさ、コミュニケーション、引き付ける力といった、目を楽しませるものはすべて「魅力的」です。

-  Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas, The Illusion of Life
オリー・ジョンストン、フランク・トーマス『The Illusion of Life』（生命を吹き込む魔法）より


Everyone at one time has experienced making a drawing and for some reason, nothing interesting is happening on the page.  The drawing is dead or boring despite  following all the drawing rules of anatomy or perspective.

「ドローイングを描いたけれど、何も面白味がない」という経験は、誰もがいつかはしていることでしょう。アナトミーやパースといったドローイングの規則にはしたがっているのに、生気がなく、ドローイングが味気ないのです。

Some seem to have a natural ability to make a drawing that immediately attracts people.  Why?  Yes, some people are just gifted in this way , however,  fortunately there are tools that can help us make more appealing designs in our drawings.

描けばすべてのドローイングがたちまち魅力的になる、そんな能力が自然に備わっている人がいるように思えます。なぜでしょう？　そのような力が生まれつき備わっている人は確かにいるようです。しかし、ドローイングのデザインをもっと魅力的にできるツールがあります。


1- OBSERVE!  Take time to observe your subject.  Don't just look,  but really observe who or what you are drawing. What is different, contrasting or unique about your subject?  Are they skinny?  Heroic?  What is attractive or unattractive about them? Suggest that in your drawing!

1. 観察する！　対象をじっくり見ましょう。ただ見るだけではありません。描いているのは誰で、描きたいのは何でしょうか。対象は、何が他とは違い、際立ち、独特なのでしょうか？　やせ型ですか？　ヒーローのようですか？　引き付けられるまたは引き付けられない理由は何でしょう？　こうしたことをドローイングで示しましょう。

Above:  Pencil studies by Milt Kahl for Horace and Jasper from 101 Dalmatians.  Both characters have the same face but their body designs are quite different and possibly communicate something about their character.  Jasper (the smart one) is long legged and always hunting like a spider.  Horace (the dumb one) is short, fat and is quite clumsy. 

上：ミルト・カールによる「101匹わんちゃん」のホ－レスとジャスパーの鉛筆によるスタディ。両方のキャラクターが同じ顔で描かれていますが、体形は全く異なります。彼らの性格がある程度伝わりますね。ジャスパー（やせ型）は、脚が長く、まるでクモのように獲物を狙っています。ホーレス（おバカキャラクター）は背が低く、太って、ぎこちない動きです。

Horace and Jasper don't have Brad Pitt's or George Clooney's good looks BUT there there is something interesting and entertaining when we look at them.  This is appeal. 

ホーレスもジャスパーも、ブラッド・ピットやジョージ・クルーニーのようなルックスではありません。それでも見る者を引き付け、楽しい気持ちにさせます。これが「魅力」です。

When drawing the model stay present and in utter awe!  When he or she takes a stand, it is as if they are a god or goddess present to us.   - Mike Mattesi Drawing Force

モデルを前にドローイングするときには、しっかりと意識を集中し、畏敬の念を持ちましょう。神または女神が私たちの前に立っているようなものです。

－マイケル・マテジ　「Drawing Force, Dynamic Life Drawing for Animators」（リズムとフォース）より

2- MAKE JUDGMENTS  Don't be afraid to make a judgment about what you see in the model.  It's not rude.  It is your job as a designer to see what is interesting in the model and and exaggerate it!  There is a big difference between exaggeration and 'distortion'.  Exaggeration is making a truth bigger.  Distortion is lying.

2. 判断をする　モデルから見て取ったことに対して、遠慮なく判断をしましょう。モデルの何が興味を引き付けるのかを見て取るのは、デザイナーであるあなたの仕事です。それを誇張しましょう。誇張と「ゆがめること」とは違います。誇張とは、真実を大きくするだけです。

What abstract ideas or images come to mind when you look at them?  Gentle? Expressive?  Deer-like?  Snake-like?  Spider-like? Write it down on your paper before you draw.

モデルを見て、どんなアイデアが浮かびましたか？　優しい？　表情豊か？　鹿のよう？　蛇のよう？　クモのよう？　描く前に、モデルを表す抽象的な言葉を書いておきましょう。

Yes, it is difficult to capture so much 'character' when we only have a few minutes (or less!) when  drawing people in public....or in a Ki Creative Studio Drawing Workshop.  Regardless, this is part of our challenge to observe more and make quicker judgments!

大勢の人がいる中で、Ki Creative Studioワークショップで、数分（時にはもっと短い時間）で性質を読み取るのは、確かに簡単なことではありません。しかし、よく観察し、早く判断を下すのは、私たちに課されている課題の1つです。

For those of you who are still beginners at capturing the figure, here are a few drawing tips that might be helpful when putting masses and forces down on the paper.  Notice I used the words "masses" and "forces" - NOT simply lines.

人体を描き始めてまだ日が浅い人のために、マッスやフォースを描きとめるためのヒントをいくつか書いておきましょう。いいですか、ラインを引くのではなく、マッス（ボリューム）やフォース（エネルギー）をとらえるのです。

A.  Straights and parallel lines are a guaranteed way to kill any illusion of dimension or organic life.  Avoid this...unless you are making a graphic statement.  

A. 直線や平行線は、奥行きや生命を持つ有機物だという幻想を確実に損ないます。グラフィックステートメント（形状でメッセージを伝えること）をするのではない限り、使いません。

B.  Bending your straights creates an illusion of change but it's two-dimensional and is purely graphic.  No life...

B. 直線を曲げると、方向が変化しているという幻想は生まれます。しかし、これでは2次元的で形状しか示せません。生命がこもらないのです。

C.  Adding curves or round organic qualities does give a sense of volume however it is lacking context or application.  The eye simply just stops and is not compelled to move...

C. 曲線や丸みは、有機的な性質を表し、ボリュームも感じさせます。しかし、これでは状態や何を表しているかが伝わりません。見る人の目はとどまったまま、動きません。

D.  NOW, a  offsetting curved lines rhythmically suddenly makes the eye travel in a fluid manner.  Good composition and design will always have some form of contrast. Though all forms below D.  are asymmetrical, there is an appealing balance in all the forms. There is movement, flow and with the use of overlap, dimension.  

D. このドローイングは、曲線の位置をずらし、リズムを与えています。こうなると、目は流れるようにラインを追います。良い構図やデザインには常に、コントラストがあります。下の3つのフォームはすべて、非対称です。また、バランスが取れた面白味のあるフォームです。オーバーラップと奥行による、動き、流れがあります。

Applying some of these tools or concepts might help give your drawings a boost.  Good luck!!

これらのツールやコンセプトを適用すると、作品を向上させるのに役立ちます。 がんばって！！

Animation School in the Palm of Your Hand

So...what ever happened to the Animation Podcast??

What is The Animation Podcast you ask? That's a question I wouldn't be surprised to hear from a person who would be a layman to animation. If I mentioned Glen Keane, Andreas Deja or James Baxter and you didn't as so much flinch, you'd be forgiven. If I said "Nine Old Men" and your Jeopardy answer was, "FDR's Nine Supreme Court Justices", you'd be forgiven.

But if you were an animator who worked for a major American animation studio and asked me "What's the Animation Podcast?" I'd be shocked. Because that's the very same question I was asked when I had the opportunity to hang out with an animator who's credits to me were quite impressive. Are there actually animators in the industry who actually do not know what The Animation Podcast is??

The Animation Podcast is a free (key word is FREE, folks!) podcast available on iTunes run by animator Clay Kaytis. His credits include most recently animation supervisor of "Rhino" from Disney's "Bolt". ( An impressive piece of dynamic animation for a character whose design is essentially a palm sized beanbag....trapped inside a plastic ball no less.)

The Animation Podcast features interviews with some of the animation industry's most respected animators like the ones mentioned above. People who were literally responsible for breathing life (and yes, magic) into iconic film characters of Oscar nominated films as The Beast in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast", Scar of "The Lion King" and The Genie from "Aladdin".

I believe in his first podcast Clay said, "So much of what I know about animation is from handouts, lecture notes and interviews of great animators of the past. It's always a rush for me to find some new clip or audio file that gives you an insight into who they were and what is was like when they were creating such amazing work."

The Animation Podcast is a priceless wealth of information, not just about animation (and quite frequently Disney history) but also filmmaking and production in general. Listen to a couple of podcasts and you'll learn a great deal not only about what about what goes into animating a character, but also what goes into developing a film concept from start to finish. Did I mention the podcast was free?

Clay published thirty (count 'em, 30!) free podcasts featuring interviews and audio recordings of animators such as the aforementioned above and film legends Ron Clements and John Musker, Milt Kahl, Burny Mattinson and Ray Harryhausen. About a year ago The Animation Podcast culminated to an interview with Eric Goldberg (animator of The Genie in "Aladdin")... and I was like this podcast is REALLY getting good. "What's next for the Animation Podcast?"

The answer to that was, "silence".

For almost a year there have been no podcasts, no teases not a single audible peep from The Animation Podcast. Which brings me back to my original question, "What happened to The Animation Podcast?"

The main website, http://www.animationpodcast.com/ is still up and functioning, and Clay did make a post to make a plug for Walt Stanchfeld's new "Drawn to Life" books. But no updates. I'd like to think well, if Clay isn't around making podcasts, hopefully he's animating.

I don't know what goes into publishing a podcast, but I am sure it's a LOT of work. Clay Kaytis is obviously very passionate about animation and loves the medium intensely. I can't think of any other reason why he would produce for free, such excellent work that many interested people would certainly pay money for. Work that without a doubt will be included in lists of reputable material pertaining to Disney history and animation history in general.

I am confident that Clay and The Animation Podcast will return at some point, most likely with a podcast that will do more than please but inform and inspire.

...by the way just to note how generous Clay Kaytis is, you can find him on Twitter under www.twitter.com/animpodcast. Doing what? Giving tips and advice on animation....yes, for free.

I can be found on Twitter now too. www.twitter.com/ki_innis.