Sunday 10 July 2011

Silly old bears...


While I was doodling for my Sasquatch illustration I revisited some pages from my sketchbook for ideas on tree designs which I'd played around with for a screen print idea last year about bears doing their business in the woods. I'd still like to do something with this but, for now, I hate sketches to go to waste, and I was very happy with my bear designs, so here they are. With keeping a sketchbook, and with every different illustration you draw it's always good to know that, should a grizzly bear illustration brief come my way, I've at least filled the 'dreaded first empty sheet of paper' with ideas on how I might go about things.

Apropos of nothing, I finally got round to watching The Illusionist, Sylvain Chomet's (him of the wonderful Belleville Rendez-Vous) latest animated film. He based his screenplay on an unfilmed script by Jacques Tati and I must admit to never having seen any of Tati's films, although I understand many sing their praises. Maybe because of that the story left me a little luke warm in parts, perhaps because I wasn't as invested in the main Tati character as I could have been. Why mention the film then... because it's one of the most beautifully realised animated films I've ever seen! Story aside the production design and quality of animation are simply jaw dropping. I expected great things after seeing the equally staggering Belleville Rendez-Vous and I wasn't disappointed. For sheer quality of film making you have to go along way, in my opinion... for what it's worth, to equal The Iron Giant, Disney's 1961 101 Dalmations, Disney's Jungle Book, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Wrong Trousers, pretty much all of Pixar's output... I could go on...and on... The Illusionist has to be up there with the greats for revealing just what animated films are capable of delivering. I can say no more...see it for yourselves!

1 comment:

Jon Davis said...

Really good bears. I've been doing a lot of bears recently, so it's v interesting to see someone else's approach.