Study by Raphael Sanzio. It’s now known that many of the drawings done by the great Renaissance artists were done from imagination rather than by mere copying of the model(s). Their knowledge of human anatomy and the forces within it was so great, it allowed them to create the most convincing of compositions.
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.” — Albert Einstein
Being an artist is most often attributed to being imaginative and creative, working from within, exploring our passion and testing boundaries. That said, the well of creativity where we draw inspiration from has to come from somewhere — a source material that contains some form of knowledge, something tangible or historical.
Therefore, it’s not a question of whether reference is more important than imagination or vice versa, but the fact that we need both. Using one without the other garners at best, an unoriginal outcome.
Here are some ways to get the best of both worlds:
SOURCES OF REFERENCE
Nature (Life):
One painter painting another. Tonko House co-founder and former Pixar Art Director Dice Tsutsumi is a master painter and colorist. To access the actual light and texture of one’s object of interest means to be in its presence.
There is no greater source of inspiration and knowledge than nature. The natural world that surrounds us, although diminishing each day with the dominance of man and his industrial consumerism, gives us constant feedback in terms of the cyclical nature of life. Filled with color, form, movement, smell and sound, it’s the most comprehensive library of information we can possibly have. It’s also far less inconvenient to access than we make it out to be. Everywhere there are people, animals, structures and vegetation. The light and movement of the sky alone can lift emotions and illuminate visions. Try painting in the rain or sketching in a bustling café; the atmosphere will stimulate you. If you’re animating a cat, touch a cat, don’t just watch how it moves. Feel its musculature and how it carries its weight around. To study and engage in nature does wonders for the development of one’s creative powers of sight and feeling.
Video/Photography:
Eadweard Muybridge’s photostats were one of the first great sources of breaking down movement into still images. Today, there are countless videos available of frame by frame analysis of human and animal movement, but Muybridge’s work might still be the best and most comprehensive.
The most commonly used source of reference for our digital internet age, video/photography is always a great and easy-access source of material for the modern creator. When used properly as a form of research and inspiration, the photographic image is excellent, providing controlled precise data while being available from a plethora of varied sources. When used haphazardly, without awareness of its drawbacks, it becomes easy for the artist to forget that all that comes from the photo image has been filtered through the camera — an experience mechanically interpreted and scaled down from the original live experience. It is, at best, a recording. And if that source or technique of that recording is poor, we’ll be getting an inferior interpretation of the data. A good example is drawing/painting from photos versus the live model or object. It’s the difference between watching the sunset versus looking at a photo of one. If we use photographic sources, remember to look beneath the surface and around the object as if in true 3D space.
Art:
From Disney’s Robin Hood. The animation artistry of Milt Kahl is well worth studying for any aspiring animator. I firmly believe that when all is said and done, his work still holds up better than anyone else’s in animation history.
Studying the work of other artists has historically proven to not only be useful, but incredibly informative. Upon copying the work of notable artists, especially those who inspire us personally, we can gain amazing insight into their process of creation. Following the footsteps of great artists reveals, via experience, what may have gone on during the original discovery — it comes from starting where they started, not where they ended. Furthermore, using their work can serve as jumping off points for discovery and expansion of previously formed ideas. I know of no serious artist who hasn’t at one point or another done his/her share of copying artists they admire.
SOURCES OF IMAGINATION
Mind-mapping:
Although that’s never the reason to do them, sometimes mind-maps can become pieces of art themselves.
I love the process of mind-mapping. It’s such a dynamic way of by-passing the critical mind. Like an internet search, once started, the mind-mapping process naturally creates a living force for idea generation. Using either words or imagery, each spontaneous idea generates further springboards to newer ideas. The web-like formation churns out items that branch and deviate, bringing things out of our skulls onto paper where they can be seen and later interpreted. I personally use this for both goal setting and my own art. It’s a boundless way to work and because it’s so unserious, the process is fun and liberating. It’s a great way to get us thinking outside of the box. Even dreams and the subconscious can be lured into existence.
Quick-sketching:
Pluto sketches by Shamus Culhane, a master sketcher and huge proponent of the quick sketch. The practice of gestural drawing encourages the imagination and results in lively forms otherwise difficult to attain.
I’ve been doing quick sketching for years, ever since I read up on becoming an animator. Not only does it raise our drawing skills, but engaging in hi-speed drawing forces us to draw very quickly from imagination without conscious interruption and self-judgement. Any sketching under 60 seconds (or any arbitrarily-short deadline) forces the artists to draw whatever comes to mind — an emotion, action or a vision. To make this a practice, set up a recurring timer to ring/beep at preset intervals and do as many “imagination” sketches as possible. Before long, making quick doodles of anything that comes to mind becomes easier, so that when the time comes for planning our own work, making thumbnail/prelimary sketches just becomes second nature.
Improvisation:
Bill Irwin, Bobby McFerrin and Robin Williams star in McFerrin’s famous music video “Don’t Worry Be Happy.” Tony Award-winning actor, clown and comedian Bill Irwin is a master of character creation. Watching and listening to him talk about character exploration was an incredibly educational and inspiring personal experience.
Most actors spend at least some time studying the Meisner style of acting — a technique of dramatic performance that relies heavily on the emotional impulses of the moment. Actors who engage in improvisation end up digging deeply into their own psyche and personal history. For animators, a practice or study of this form of acting will help them feel more and become far more spontaneous in their performances. We are, at the most basic level, the ultimate source of information and emotion. If we want to create work that engages, we must become the character, object or story and the best story is usually the one within us. Furthermore, we can only find this through direct experimentation and engagement that draws out our inner emotions. It’s why many actors (including Method actors) spend many months to create a character so well that they become the characters they imagine such that when they go on stage or behind camera, there is greater hope that this new self responds in a way that’s most true and convincing. Although animators don’t have the time to create such deep characters, the practice of spontaneous dramatic action opens up one’s creativity. I highly recommend animators to take up an improvisational acting class should the opportunity present itself.
SUMMARY:
Don’t ever rely on one source of reference or one technique alone. Art is a complex and engaging process. It requires careful study, engaging play and deep personal experience. After all, we’re all either trying to capture a moment in life or create one that lives.
One of my favorite artists, Egon Schiele’s artistry is a great culmination of observed life, imagination and deep personal feeling.
“Everything you can imagine is real.” — Pablo Picasso
