"Crayon Dragon" - a genuine work of art

My Youtube account makes viewing recommendations for me based on my viewing habits and, probably more often than not, it does a pretty decent job of guessing what I'd like to see. This gem was a treat, so I'm recommending it. It's called "Crayon Dragon" and was done by Toniko Pantoja.

An animation of my own

Here's an animation I'd done in 2011 in my final year at Lindenwood University. It's a story rooted in Greek mythology and can be followed (intermittently) at my other blog The Prince of Banes.

(C) Copyright 2011 Wes Murrell.

The Color Script

I recently watched pieces of Dreamworks' Kung Fu Panda 2 (a personal favorite) with my niece and nephew and, as usual, I quite enjoyed it. One of the things I enjoy about KFP2 is its art direction and color palette. Note the dominant red in the following image:
I enjoy the marriage of warm reds with cool blues and greens, throughout this film. If you've never noticed a film's color tones, pay attention to an animated feature's palette, the next time you watch one. Some are less subtle than others, but they all create a tone for the picture as a whole. Good examples of films might be Kung Fu Panda 2 or Finding Nemo. In animation, someone who creates a film's color tone creates what's called a "color script." Below is a color script from Pixar's The Incredibles, written and directed by Brad Bird. If you've never created a color script and are still in the early stages of working up a new animated project, I might recommend giving the color script a go. It's a visual guide for maintaining a project's tone and it can help keep you on track with your vision. I'd like to take a look at Pixar's color script book The Art of Pixar: 25th Anniversary; and if you're interested in color scripting, you might should too.

Animation test by Disney legend Glen Keane

Lately, I've been studying animation more closely, looking at illustrators and animators like Tony Fucile, Brad Bird, and Don Bluth, etc. -- all of whom continue to inspire and motivate me. I thought I'd share this animation test for Disney's Treasure Planet, by cartoon legend Glen Keane, as I continue to cook up a new animation of my own.