James Baxter on the “Process”
- the more you get to the place where you have a pretty good idea of what it looks like without testing it, the better.
Process wise- the ability to project ahead. When you time out your keys in the lunchbox, determine which drawing is really gonna be there. You got to commit and write the number down on the piece of paper. If it works, then you’ve learn something. You get a better idea of what it’s going to look like in the end.
It’s all about analyzing what you’re doing. Trying to break down the little things in what you’re doing. He structures his scenes not only around the extremes of what’s happening but also structuring in terms of what’s happening in the torso.
Structuring a scene - deciding which drawings are going to be on which frames and committing to them. “Tent poles” - where everything comes together to a solid structure.
On perspective runs - just plan out the perspective on one sheet of paper by drawing indictors for where the heads are.
On a woman running with dress - draw what’s going on underneath the legs first and then overlay the dress.
Animating tension/acting in a scene. - takes some acting chops, actor’s ability. To come up with the right acting choices to sell the idea. Da Vinci’s quote, “Drawings should be done in such a way so that there is no confusion as to what’s going on.” Honesty. *
Q: What do you think about video reference?
JB: Could be good and bad. Just realize the pitfall. The character will be doing what you’re doing. The character might not be you. Just keep that in the back of the mind. He never acts in the mirror because it assures that the character will end up looking like him too much. It’ll be his mouth shape, not the character.
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