Another very special event coming up in July 2007 that animators from all over the world will travel to attend is Comic-Con International, a convention for comic book lovers that will be held from July 26th – 29th, 2007, also at the San Diego Convention Center. 

In honor of Comic-Con, we have spoken with two of the authors who will be there and have highlighted their work in this issue.  The first writer and illustrator is Bobby Chiu, founder of Imaginism Studios:

Animation Mentor:
Please tell us about yourself and your studio.  Is Imaginism Studios your full time job or are you an artist professionally?  

Bobby Chiu:
I got my first professional art job over ten years ago when I was seventeen, designing Disney, Warner Bros., and Star Wars toys at Thinkway Toys in Toronto (Canada). As I improved, I started winning awards for my independent work, including a Master Award in EXPOSÉ 3. I presently work in illustration, concept design, and character design, but I’ve most recently been focusing more of my energy on my other love, teaching. Imaginism Studios is my full time job.

Animation Mentor:
How was Imaginism Studios started? What is the main objective of the studio? 

Bobby Chiu:
I started Imaginism Studios with my brother Ben a little under 2 years ago. Imaginism Studios is all about making independent art, books, and paintings. We take on freelance work as well, of course, but because we’ve fortunately experienced a healthy demand for our work, we are able to be selective about the jobs we take on. This is ultimately the objective of the studio: to not just produce art but to offer us freedom in doing so.

Animation Mentor:
Imaginism Studios offer different kinds of sketchbooks, ranging from guy sketches, cats and dog sketches to ancient Japanese sketches. Could you explain what our readers can find in your different sketchbooks?

Bobby Chiu:
Our “Sketches” series of books are geared towards artists, so we try to put in all the things that we’d like to see in a sketchbook. Inside every book are tons and tons of sketches, drawings and paintings in all sorts of different styles and designs and all based on one topic, such as guys, cats and dogs, ancient Japan, etc. This way, if someone wanted some inspiration about cats, they can just refer to the "Cats & Dogs Sketches" book; if they like creatures they can pick up the "Creature Sketches" book.  It’s all meant to be nicely organized for your reference library. I'm also a digital painting instructor so we have instructional articles in every book about the different aspects of art that I teach.

Animation Mentor:
Do you have a favorite sketchbook?

Bobby Chiu:
I like all the sketchbooks but at this moment, I guess I’d have to say my favorite is either "Creature Sketches" or our newest book, "Ancient Japan Sketches". I pick these two in particular because of my own personal fascinations: I've always loved drawing and painting weird and funny fictional creatures and I've always been a fan of Japanese culture—sumo wrestlers, samurais, geishas, etc.

Animation Mentor:
Do you have artists other than yourself contributing to the sketchbooks?

Bobby Chiu:
Absolutely. We’re very selective about whom we invite to show their work in our Guest Artist Gallery, so it’s always a great honor when they accept. Our Guest Artist Gallery adds even more designs and styles to each book. Some of our past guest artists have included Sergio Aragones, Stephen Silver, Alberto Ruiz, Kevin Dart, Linda Bergkvist, Jason Chan, Robin Mitchell and Kei Acedera. (Kei has since become our art director; we now make the books together).

Animation Mentor:
What are your steps in creating your sketches? Do you draw it out first? Do you do any work on the computer? How many hours do you put into each sketch?

Bobby Chiu:
I don’t have one specific answer here because I like variety. Therefore, I draw some sketches traditionally, in which case my favorite mediums are col-erase pencils or ball point pens. Other times, I draw straight into the computer, in which case my favorite programs to start off in are Sketchbook Pro or Photoshop.  I like working with combinations of software although I’ve focused more on Photoshop lately. If you'd like to see some free painting videos, I have a bunch on YouTube, which you can find at http://www.imaginismstudios.com/youtube.html.

Animation Mentor:
Do you have any additional tips to share with our readers?

Bobby Chiu:
In this new age of technology, I feel there will be more and more artists like me in the future – independent artists who can work from anywhere in the world because they get most of their work through the internet. Therefore, if you can have even a drop of recognition globally as an artist, you will do just fine. Just draw and paint with passion, then put yourself out where people will see you, and success will surely follow.

Animation Mentor:
Will Imaginism be attending any conferences this year? If so, when and where?

Bobby Chiu:
July 26-29 - San Diego Comicon International; August 9-12 - Wizard World Chicago Comicon; August 24-26 - Toronto Fan Expo.

Animation Mentor:
Where can readers buy your sketchbooks? Any other websites you may have?

Bobby Chiu:
You can buy the sketchbooks online at http://www.imaginismstudios.com. I also teach digital painting techniques available online at http://www.schoolism.com.

The second author, David Colman, wrote The Art Of Animal Character Design, and has written an artistic statement that he’d like to share with you:

DAVID COLMAN         Statement from the Artist

From the very start of my formal training, I have been in love with the fundamentals of drawing – shapes, figures, life studies, light sources – they have become the very foundation of my infinite interest in my craft.

Fundamentals are crucial skills for an artist in any field that requires believable subjects. As creative and interpretive as illustration and animation art can be, it must all be based on reality, so anatomy, form and technique must be mastered in order to achieve authenticity, which can then be highlighted by the artist’s expression.

My passion for animal illustration developed early on when I took my first animal drawing class. Instructor Joe Weatherly inspired my enthusiasm.  He patiently responded to my perpetual questions, which lead me to devote all my outside time to observing, sketching, experimenting and refining until I began to achieve an expertise in illustrating animals. 

I became employed in the animation field, and to continue developing my skills and exploration, I accepted occasional teaching opportunities at local colleges and animation schools. It was then that I began to notice how many artists in the industry lacked skills in designing believable animal characters. Animation is an art form that frequently utilizes animal characters as if they were human, so there must first be a realistic portrayal of the “animal-ness,” then human qualities and personas become an added feature of the character.  This is the basis of animal character design.

So why do so many professionals lack in this area? This is not to say they are missing necessary knowledge within their skill set, but a majority can not excel in this category because there are few classes and instructional materials available. There is a multitude of animal drawing classes and books out there but none that teach how to employ that fundamental knowledge to the development of animal characters. This led me to the creation of The Art of Animal Character Design.

The Art of Animal Character Design takes the artist beyond traditional studies from life and real world environments - the zoo, equestrian center, dog park, etc - and encourages use of knowledge and instincts to design and develop work that transcends literal translation of the subject.

Sample from David's Book

The book is not a tutorial - it is a presentation of methods and philosophies behind the art of animal design as its own discipline. I share my trade secrets, from the basics of animal study exercises, to the mechanics of embarking on a new animal character design. The advantage of a strong background in animal drawing, anatomy, and functional structure is that you can fluctuate between realistic and hyper-realistic (exaggerated cartoon style) without skipping a beat. To know where to push the shapes and traits of a raccoon or a parrot to the furthest extent without losing the integrity of the animal requires serious mastery and knowing how and when to apply imagination.

The intention of The Art of Animal Character Design is to educate and inspire all artists, from the amateur who wants to advance his skills, to the hobbyist looking for new approaches and heightened enjoyment of his craft, to the professional who wants to refine his ideas and methods in working with animal characters. It’s an ideal instructional tool for college-level coursework and art/trade schools, as well as a reference for industry professionals. And my ultimate hope is that this book will contribute to the growth of the talent pool for this exciting area of illustration and animation.

Contact David:
818.512.6255
dcolman27@hotmail.com

View Artwork:
davidsdoodles.com
davidcolman.blogspot.com

REVIEW of The Art of Animal Character Design by Shawn Kelly:

If you're a fan of animation, of design, or of beautiful art in general, then listen up, because this book is for you. There are a million books out there, collecting and presenting the art of a million flavors. If you're like me, you've taken countless art books off the shelf, opened them up, and found disappointment that the interior artwork is no match for the beautiful cover that lured you in the first place. Or the artist loudly publicized on the cover turns out to have only a small portion of the book dedicated to his or her work. Or the book turned out to be a seemingly random mishmash of images, devoid of any instructional or explanatory text.

But every once in a while, you find a book that you crack open, and within the first couple pages you know without a doubt that you'll be bringing that book home with you. For me, David Colman's The Art of Animal Character Design was one of those rare books. Unlike the disappointment I've so often found in other books, here is a book jam-packed with beautiful designs, sparkling with character and personality. Here is a book focused on a single strong artist flexing his artistic muscles in a variety of design styles. And best of all, here is a book that isn't afraid to not only present these incredible drawings to us, but to actually take the time to teach us the "why" and the "how" of what he's doing.

David clearly likes to draw, and he clearly likes to teach, and if you can bring this book home and spend some time with it, you'll find that he's clearly terrific at both.

-Shawn Kelly
Co-Founder of Animation Mentor