SEQUENTIAL MOVEMENT

With the advent of photographic technologies, there was a revolution in the way we see movement, especially movement at great speed. The artist accustomed to creating the singular images of a moment and displaying them on painted canvas now had access to an portion of time outside of normal perception- the movement the occurs faster than the eye can register  (let alone draw or paint.) Artist and scientists now had access to the ability to slow down or stretch a quick moment for further study. The following two photographers led the change. Notice the different approach to displaying the information.

Eadweard Muybridge

Etienne- Jules Marey

In turn, these studies of movement influenced many artists in painting and sculpture-Duchamp, Bacon, down to animators such as Walt Disney, etc.

Francis Bacon

Marcel Duchamp

In time this knowledge of sequential movement came to appear in animation, and developed into is own language for better communication. Using exaggerations, curves, dynamic balance, etc., animators were able to imbue their creations with more personality and distinction. Using the concept closer to Muybridge's approach (individual cells with one distinct portion of an action) they were able to reproduce this sequence and put it to greater speed. Essentially slowing down the motion to study and draw it to speeding it up to display the activity closer to our expectations. 

Examples from  animation resources 

(a great site for animation know- how!)

In recent years, there has been a revival of animation fine arts world in the form of palimpsest style drawings. The concept is exemplified by William Kentridge. He essentially keeps erasing and redrawing a portion of the movement on the same paper, photographing it each time. This differs from the cel- shaded animation in which each frame is a separate drawing. His process archives the drawings underneath and builds upon them, leaving behind ghost images and marks from the previous. This effect creates a history, sense of memory and time passage through out the work. Another artist using this approach is Blu, although the scale and location of his projects are quite different!

William Kentridge "Pain & Sympathy"

Blu- "Muto"

For our project, you will choose a subject to study its basic movement and create a palimpsest style animation. It is best to find video reference or multiple images of the movement to draw from. Once chosen it is important to make a basic storyboard for the major changes- markers in the movement we can organize around. The drawing is to be done on 18 x 24 in.  paper in vine charcoal, photo'd, and erase and redrawn. This will be then be edited in Premiere to create a 10 second animation. For next class, bring your paper, drawing materials, camera, tripod, references and basic storyboard. If you plan on standing up to draw on the wall, which is encouraged, bring tape and tacks. I will try and have tacks as well.  The drawing must be completed and photographed (loaded on computer) for Monday's class.

Upon completion of the animation project, upload the animation to your blog and please write a post that compares the two processes of time at work in the project- The drawing (Palimpsest) vs. the video (Documentation).