Sketching--A Lost Art Form in Animation
Sketched Animation
The beauty of sketching animated characters is that you can continually refine your work as you draw. These simple line drawings are commonly referred to as the pencil test. As the rough sketches are altered and excess lines are removed, specific motions and images are achieved. In the mid-1910's, animation was often completed using acetate cels (sheets of celluloid). This process is currently known as the traditional cel process. Once cleaned-up drawn images were traced onto a cel by an inker, a painter applied vinyl paint colors onto the back of the cel. Starting in the 1960's, to save both time and money, many large studios used a photocopy process, rather than hand inking, to transfer lines from the original hand-drawn image to the acetate cel.
Sketching Career Choices
Because productions vary in size and budget, there are practically limitless sketching opportunities to embark upon in your animation career. As an animator, you may decide to work as an:
- Inspirational sketch artist--you can develop the original characters.
- Colorist or background artist--you can influence the look of the cartoon through a different perspective.
- Independent animator--you can take on all of these sketching roles in this career.
In any case, your career in animation will only be limited by your imagination. With computer-generated animation models overtaking the industry, there exist very few qualified, talented individuals who have the ability to hand draw and sketch multiple images and figures. It may just be the artistic career that you've desired.
