(in)Spiration Blog

mikelaughead: From Anthony Holden! anthonyholden: What are...

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:36:52 -0700

From Anthony Holden!

anthonyholden:

What are studios looking for? How can I get into a good animation school? What should I be studying?

I get a lot of these types of questions now and again, and I never know how to answer them. I can’t be sure of what studios are looking for, I don’t control admissions policies to schools, and I have little idea what makes for a current and relevant curriculum. There are a lot of variables in your bid for a career in animation, and it’s kind of impossible to control most of them. You must be crazy to want this job!

I find it helpful to focus on the things I can control. Among those things are your study habits and how you spend your personal time. It’s good to work hard and have goals—without them we would get nowhere. Study hard and make decisive strides towards achieving your art goals. But in the heat of that pursuit, don’t forget to go out and live your life!

If you spend any amount of time looking at artists online, you’ve probably figured out by now that there are about a million dudes and dudettes in internetville who draw better than you (I relive this realization daily). Once your have done your best to rise to their level, the only tool you have to compete with these crazy talents is your background, your personal character—is you!

Consider developing your whole self with the same raw focus and intensity that you develop a particular skill set. Get focused. Go out, have adventures. Run, jump, skin your knee, fall in love, root loudly for the away team at a baseball game, barely escape a crash of stampeding rhinos, live to see another day. Experience things big and small. Go for a walk. The world is full of wonders.

I know this advice is not particularly animation-specific, but maybe that’s for the best. At any rate, it is something I feel strongly about. Animation is great, and there are few things that I enjoy doing more than drawing and storytelling. But in order to have stories to tell, first you have to live them.

Be good, and see you soon!

PS, if you were looking for advice on draftsmanship you should probably be reading this.

This is the best advice for any student or hopeful student. Having lived your life watching cartoons and drawing in your room won’t help you to make stories that involve doing much. I’m a total homebody, but doing things that force you to experience life in different ways is key. So just go to a new place, talk to the weird guy on the street, try a new food, whatever. It will enrich your life and the stories you tell.

oh wow.

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:26:05 -0700

oh wow.

sailorpizza: smallnightbird: smallnightbird: New species of...

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:53:36 -0700

sailorpizza:

smallnightbird:

smallnightbird:

New species of bat found, Niumbaha superba, and it’s adorable.

Oh wow! I’m glad people are as excited about animals as I am. Here’s some additional photos. Fun fact: this bat is so different from others that a new genus was created!

gimme

YES. The world needs more bats.

basically proto-lulu

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:24:27 -0700

basically proto-lulu

me n m’ boyz

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:07:49 -0700

me n m’ boyz

Photo

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 22:31:17 -0700

kevinwada: Cowboy Bebop commission Wanted to Wada-fy the...

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:04:17 -0700

kevinwada:

Cowboy Bebop commission

Wanted to Wada-fy the characters a bit, stay true to their outfits but try to give them some more personality physically. It’s always fun translating anime faces into something a bit more realistic. Let me know what you think!

Oh wow ein wow

Photo

Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:01:31 -0700

kateoplis: Pittsburg before smoke control I think i want my...

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 10:30:13 -0700

kateoplis:

Pittsburg before smoke control

I think i want my show to look something like this. with more modern signage, though…

samwolfeconnelly: ‘Above My Floorboards’ Sam Wolfe...

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 10:44:39 -0800

samwolfeconnelly:

‘Above My Floorboards’

Sam Wolfe Connelly

ohhhhwow

Let’s get physical. Physical.

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:26:05 -0800

Let’s get physical. Physical.

mineralists: Very unique specimen of Calcite and...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:21:06 -0800

mineralists:

Very unique specimen of Calcite and Mottramite!

looks like a chunk of ice cubes and wasabi.

thesciencealliance: HEY GUYZ I MADE A POKEMON COMIC Oh my god,...

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 16:33:19 -0800

thesciencealliance:

HEY GUYZ I MADE A POKEMON COMIC

Oh my god, it’s a pokemon comic.

Photo

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 14:40:52 -0800

I really like this composition.

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:01:35 -0800

I really like this composition.

magnoliapearl: scienceandeggs: Cartoon Network has unveiled a...

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 13:32:42 -0800

magnoliapearl:

scienceandeggs:

Cartoon Network has unveiled a poster for Steven Universe, the new animated series by Rebecca Sugar:

Slated to debut in 2013, Steven Universe is a coming-of-age story told from the perspective of Steven, the youngest member of a team of magical Guardians of the Universe. The animated series was conceived as part of the shorts development initiative at Cartoon Network Studios, and is created by Emmy and Annie Award-nominated writer and storyboard artist Rebecca Sugar (Adventure Time). Sugar is Cartoon Network’s first solo female show creator.

THIS LooKS AMAZINGLY GooD

Those are some badass shoes.

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 01:02:53 -0800

Those are some badass shoes.

I wanna be one of Hunx’s punxes.

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 00:55:07 -0800

I wanna be one of Hunx’s punxes.

drummin’ on a streetlight. one little voice keeps...

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:56:52 -0800

drummin’ on a streetlight. one little voice keeps callin’ me callin’ me.

Photo

Mon, 21 Jan 2013 21:33:19 -0800