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More from @Lowtwait

Steve ✦ Lowtwait

@Lowtwait

Mar 15, 2022

Let's discuss pushing the boundaries of distortion and style for cinematic and emotional impact.

An environment design thread:

Spoiler alert. We have this #BigCityGreens episode called Big Trouble where Tilly "goes bad" and wrestles with her internal demons.

That emotional conflict is what this thread is about.

@Hug_bees

There's this shot in the storyboard (by @Hug_bees) where Tilly faces her guilt over some bad decisions.

The background is drawn in a distorted manner to reflect the turbulent emotional struggle within her.

How do I push that feeling in the final background design?

Read 13 tweets

Steve ✦ Lowtwait

@Lowtwait

Mar 9, 2022

Designing a TV animation background of a biker bar, and how to add snow.

A step-by-step thread:

Here I start with the storyboard panel. It's quite rough and basic, a simple box building with a funny name.

This allows for a lot of creative freedom but I like that it's somewhat plain and windowless.

I rough the design over the storyboard making most of my creative choices.

Thinking about lighting in color, I add the pole on the left for an off-screen light source.

The type I hand drew for a specific style.

The motorcycles I backed in because bikers often do that.

Read 14 tweets

Steve ✦ Lowtwait

@Lowtwait

Oct 13, 2020

From storyboard to background design.

Drawing a pirate ship dinner theater. Heck yeah!

A TV animation step-by-step thread:

First, define perspective.

I lay some pre-made grids over the storyboard panel and adjust them with Photoshop's perspective tool. I eyeball it this time instead of using vanishing points.

The horizon line (dark blue) is near the top of the frame so we look down into the room.

Then using the storyboard as a guide, I rough in the architecture and major elements.

Though I used reference for the pirate ship, it's a theater stage, not a seafaring vessel, so I cheated a lot of the logistics of a ship.

That's fine. It's a cartoon.

Read 11 tweets

Steve ✦ Lowtwait

@Lowtwait

Oct 1, 2020

Let's combine 2 drawing tricks I recently covered:

- Drawing half a scene for symmetrical design.
- Applying dynamic perspective in Photoshop.

Another step-by-step thread:

Since it's October, I chose this shot of a Halloween superstore from #BigCityGreens.

I drew a vertical line through the exact center of the canvas as a guide.

Placing my vanishing point low in the scene will create the perspective of looking upward.

Because this is a symmetrical scene, I only needed to draw half the rough up to my vertical centerline.

This is my first trick.

Even the pumpkin with its clever infinity symbol eyes are symmetrical.

Read 15 tweets

Steve ✦ Lowtwait

@Lowtwait

Sep 29, 2020

Let's study this masterful scene from Bambi to learn about framing characters using foreground elements.

What looks like random branches is carefully planned out to work for multiple character actions.

A breakdown thread:

The scene opens with Bambi's mother fully in frame behind some foliage.

A character's face is the most important feature audiences connect with.

So even in this brief action of a single step forward, her eyes and nose are visible, framed by branches.

Designing multiple "windows" between the branches (negative space) helps control the audience's focus.

As Mother stops and pulls back, her face now obscured, we are directed toward Bambi entering into his own window.

Read 13 tweets

Steve ✦ Lowtwait

@Lowtwait

Sep 28, 2020

My rule of thumb for #CharacterDesign is that you should be able to recognize your characters by their silhouettes.

This boils down to shape.

For human characters, hair is a defining facet of shape.

A step-by-step thread of how I use shape:

I start out with bald heads.

In this case, it's my own character. In the story, there's a reason for her to have several different hairstyles.

Her bald head is like a blank canvas, a template to draw upon.

I draw various simplified shapes, even if they're weird, like (B).

I decided she'll have wavy hair so that's my base. What can I do with that?

The character style here isn't too outrageous so I don't go crazy.

Read 9 tweets

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