Happy Birthday, Dave Smith!

I just found out yesterday that today is the birthday of Dave Smith, the originator and longtime curator of the Disney Archives, who recently retired from that post after having been with Disney for 40 years. Before Dave came along, Disney did not have an archives to protect and record their studio history. But Dave, who had originally approached the company to compile a bibliography on Walt Disney, was pretty much able to write his own job ticket and proceeded to create The Disney Archives from the ground up, building it over the years into an integral part of The Disney Company.

I was lucky enough to meet Dave back in 1980, several years before I started my own Disney career in Disney's Canadian merchandising division. My friend, Russell Schroeder, whom I'd known for a number of years from when he worked as a character artist at Walt Disney World, had put me in touch with Dave when I had planned my first trip to L.A. so I could see the Disney studio. Dave was a gracious host, showing me and my buddy, Chris, around not only the Archives, but taking us on a tour of the studio backlot and the Animation Building, which was then still the REAL Animation Building before it got booted off the main lot. It was also on this first visit that I presented as a thank you gift to Dave, the painted caricature that you see at the top of this post. From what I gather, Dave has had it up on his office wall ever since then, so I am very honoured by that. I was also rather flattered that the image of just Dave with the Donald Duck doll was used to accompany a regular column called Ask Dave in the long-running Disney Magazine.

I'd visited a number of times with Dave over the years, but my favourite memory was when I went out to see him on a subsequent trip and he told me he'd phoned Ollie Johnston, whom I'd first met on my initial visit to the studio and had corresponded with since, to let him know I was in town. Well, Ollie said he'd be happy to drop by to see me, so I got a wonderful surprise when Ollie showed up and Dave was gracious enough to let us have his office for awhile so we could visit and chat for about a half hour or so. I always thought that was so kind of Dave to do that, and that visit remains my most cherished Disney memory.

Once I started working at Walt Disney World's Marketing Art department in 1990, I got to see Dave several more times in his visits out to Florida and my visits to L.A. Unfortunately, I haven't been out there in the 16 years that have passed since I left Disney, but I sure would enjoy seeing ol' Dave again. So, Happy Birthday, Dave - and I hope you're enjoying your well deserved retirement after serving Disney, its fans, and all who utilized the Disney Archives over those many years since you first established it!

Here's a great interview where Dave explains how the Archives first came about:

Krystal and Belle

Here's some caricatures I drew of a couple of nice girls, sisters Krystal and Belle, who were attending Visual Arts Brampton last week. Every Tuesday evening from 7:00 to 9:30 we have an open Life Drawing session. No requirement to sign up for anything, just pay as you go, any week you want to join us. For those in the Brampton area, just click on the above link to see more info. I hope to see you there!

Toronto Votes!

All right, Toronto, municipal election day is coming up in just a couple more weeks on Monday, October 25th, so it's time to make that big decision. Will you choose Captain Smitherman to chart your course into Toronto's future, or are you content to let "Hoss" Ford herd you all back to the wild 'n' wooly past? Not that I'm trying to influence your decision, of course... :)

Sketching Character Reference

I put this post together to tie in with what I'll be starting to cover in my Character Design classes at Sheridan College this week. The topic is "Character Types", and these are a few samples I just sketched yesterday to illustrate what I'll be stressing in this subject. I'm a firm believer that an animated or illustrated character should aspire to be distinct as an individual - the visual design suggesting a certain personality through the physical face and body type. The character designer on an animated film should serve the same role as a casting director on a live-action production. Just as a casting director tries to cast an actor or actress who has a believable "look" for a particular role, so should the character designer be trying to create a character that visually suggests the personality to be portrayed in the film.

There is a tendency for the novice to simply design a character off the top of his head, without considering what physical aspects and personality traits seem to work well in combination together to communicate a clear visual statement to the audience. My view is that, before an artist can have any knowledgeable output, one must first have some informed input. Therefore, I strongly recommend sketching people in the world around you, either from life or, as is my preference, from studying various character types on video in order to build up a library from which to draw upon when designing a specific character. I prefer the latter way of working, as video provides a way of studying the subject in a completely controlled manner, allowing one to study the subject at one's leisure. It helps to see the subject in motion, which makes it easier to see the physical "design" of the face and body type in order to then exaggerate and abstract it. Additionally, seeing the subject in motion and displaying physical nuances through body language, expressions, vocal mannerisms, etc. makes the resulting sketches far more successful in capturing personality and inner life than one would likely achieve by working from a still photo image.

Anyway, here are some samples sketched from YouTube that hopefully will illustrate what I'm saying more clearly. It should be noted, however, that the goal of the sketches is not to come up with a perfect likeness of the subject, but rather to make an honest attempt at seeing a unique design in the face and body type and using that as a springboard for abstraction and caricature:


Here are the links to the YouTube videos I sketched these from:
Character #1 Character #2
Character #3 Character #4


Here are the links to these videos:
Character #1 Character #2
Character #3 Character #4

Ironically, the "tough guy" character I've sketched from the YouTube clip is an imagined personality suggested by the physical type, as the fellow in the video really comes across as a very friendly and gentle sort. But in animation and cartooning, perception can carry more weight than being literal to the subject. Remember, you're trying to put forward a visual impression that your audience will understand at a quick glance. When required, more subtlety can be developed though story and animated characterization as your film progresses.

Blecchh! - The Sequel

So, do you think I'll get in trouble again with the animation community if I say that this poster image looks like a man vomiting up a bird? :)

Fan Expo 2010 (pt.2)

Even more than the exhibits and stuff for sale, I think the real fun of Fan Expo is seeing all of the fans who turn up in costume. Here's a sampling of what we saw at this year's event:

Here's Sheridan instructor Apollo Okamura with students, Vanessa Stefaniuk and Nicole Gagnon, as well as Vanessa's brother Robert.

Vanessa strikes an action pose.

Iain Lew Kee as She-Ra poses with He-Man.



Just what the HECK is this thing?!!

Some Star Wars characters.




HOLY HOOD ORNAMENT, BATMAN!!!






Hey, that's no Boy Wonder!

Baskin' Robin, perhaps?

Arrrrh, girls, let me have a Pikachu!

It's those wacky anime kids!

Whatever it is you're delivering, I'll be more than happy to sign for it!

Yes, there are lots of cute girls at Fan Expo, all happy to pose for photos!





I hope this girl heals up okay. Maybe I'll hang around while they remove her bandages, just to make sure she's all right.

This girl had everyone's head turning. I found out later that she's Kat Curtis, "The Naked Nerd" from The Naked News show. I'll have to tune in sometime to see what she uncovers.

This poor alien creature is obviously pooped out from breathing in the earth's atmosphere all day. It must be time to gather up the swag and head back to the home planet.

"Sayonara, people of planet earth!"

Fan Expo 2010 (pt. 1)

On Saturday, August 28th I went to Toronto's Fan Expo at the Toronto Convention Centre down on Front St. Here's the first selection of pics I took that day at the event. I'll post up all of the costumed fans in a second installment.

"Welcome to Fan Expo 2010, foolish mortals".

Some neat Batman sculpts.

More DC Comics figurines.

Holy Dynamic Duo! It's Adam West and Burt Ward from TV's Batman!

Here's the (now autographed) caricature I drew of Julie Newmar, who played Catwoman on Batman and "Stupefyin' Jones" from the movie version of Li'l Abner, among other roles.

Here I am with the still stupefyin' Julie Newmar herself!

Here's legendary actor, Ernest Borgnine, who was the main reason for me wanting to attend Fan Expo this year. Ernie was just wonderful, greeting all of his fans with a big friendly handshake and happy to chat with them.

Ernie was thrilled with the caricature I gave him, and autographed the second copy for me. Though a lot of years have passed since he starred in McHale's Navy, he still has that great big gap-toothed smile and a real twinkle in his eyes. Just a really sweet guy!

This is my pal, Ken Steacy, comic artist extraordinaire.

Here's the always fun Lar DeSouza, a great cartoonist and a fellow member of the International Society of Caricature Artists (ISCA).

Coincidentally, only a week before Fan Expo I had stumbled upon the website of Jason Edmiston. This guy is just a brilliant talent, shown here with one of his original acrylic paintings.

Here are Bobby Chiu and Kei Acedera, Sheridan grads and founders of the very successful Schoolism online art courses. They also were responsible for many of the character design concepts for Tim Burton's recent Alice in Wonderland.
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Sheridan grads, Jen Tisdale and Braden Poirier sell their wares.

Sheridan grads, Damian Czerniakiewicz and Christina Deljanov, with some of Chris's great art prints on display.

Sheridan grad, Perry Osuna. He was in the year before I started teaching, so I didn't have the pleasure of having him in my class. Very talented cartoonist!

Sheridan grads, Ogi Grujic and Brian Paquette ham it up for the camera.

Recent grads, Ben Thomas and Wayne-Michael Lee ponder what life will now be like after Sheridan College. If animation doesn't work out, they could always become masked crime fighters like Batman.

I'll continue in the next post with all of the fun costumed fans!....