Ralph McQuarrie

Ralph McQuarrie  (June 13, 1929 - March 3, 2012) Undeniably a true visionary, brilliant concept artist, and an inspiration to so many.

1950's and 1960's Animation Background Influences

Recently I've been laid up and recovering from surgery (sleeping a lot and watching films).  I revisited a couple of animated films I hadn't seen in years.  As a kid I was heavily influenced by Disney animation (still am).  Two films that I find absolutely stunning visually also came out consecutively.  Sleeping Beauty (1959) and 101 Dalmatians (1961) stand out for many reasons.  Both films are stylistically unique compared to every film prior to that.  Sleeping Beauty was in production from 1953-1958 and was the last Disney film to use hand inked cells.  The film was made to look like a Pre-Renaissance, Gothic illustrated book with sophisticated, elaborate and highly detailed environments and they also did away with the softer, more rounded look of previous films in favor of a more angular and stylized look.  Production manager Ken Anderson orchestrated the films overall look along with chief background designer and colorist Eyvind Earle.  He was given a significant amount of freedom in designing the settings, selecting colors and hand painted the majority of the exquisite and ornate backgrounds.  Today the film is still hailed as being one of the greatest and most innovative animated features ever made.  To view some of the stunning backgrounds for this film and many other animated films click here.

Similarities of the angular and more graphic style of the film Sleeping Beauty are also found in 101 Dalmatians and most subsequent films.  Dalmatians ushered in the new Xerox process in which the animators pencil drawings were transferred directly to the cells.  This is a very contemporary film with a contemporary London setting and is heavily influenced by Picasso's cubist movement and graphic design of the 1950's.  To view some of the stunning backgrounds for this film and many other animated films click here.

If this animation background website is of interest to you, I also highly recommend checking out the book Layout & Background from Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Archive Series.  This book is a treasure trove of stunning environment renderings from their earliest films to the most recent releases.  

Out Of Commission This Week

My youth and adult drawing classes at the NWA Community Creative Center / Walton Art Center that were scheduled to begin this Friday have been rescheduled to start next Friday, March 2.  I've been out of commission lately dealing with a painful hernia and hernia surgery (ugh).  Should be back on my feet and drawing again soon (I hope).  

Walton Art Center / NWA Community Creative Center Spring Classes

Starting next Friday I’ll be teaching an after school Basic Drawing class for Kids and an evening Basic Drawing class for adults (Fridays, Feb., 24-March 9).

Staring in April I’ll be teaching an after school Basic Acrylic painting class for Kids and an evening Basic Acrylic painting class for adults (Fridays, April 6-27).

Kids classes spring 2012

Drawing Basics For Kids
Instructor Sean Fitzgibbons
Ages 9- 15, 4 weeks, $65
Friday, 4-6
Feb., 24-March 9
This class will explore basic fundamentals of drawing through a series of fun and informative drawing exercises. All supplies provides except a: personal sketch book (9x12)

For registration information visit them on the web at

http://www.waltonartscenter.org/calendar/view.aspx?id=7058

Fabulous Acrylic Painting for Kids
Instructor: Sean Fitzgibbon
Ages 9-15, 4 weeks, $65
Friday, 4-6
April 6-April 27
Acrylic paintings. Sean will work with kids to give basic instruction in the use of acrylics: how to start, organize the image and put on the finishing touches.

For registration information visit them on the web at

http://www.waltonartscenter.org/calendar/view.aspx?id=7061

Adult classes 2012 spring

Basic Drawing and more
Instructor: Sean Fitzgibbon
4 weeks, $75, all supplies included
Fridays, 7-9pm
Feb. 24-March 18
Students will develop proficiency with a variety of materials and methods and gain a fuller understanding of the basic fundamentals of drawing through a series of activities.

For registration information visit them on the web at

http://www.waltonartscenter.org/calendar/view.aspx?id=6996

Basic Acrylic painting
Instructor; Sean Fitzgibbon
4 weeks, $65
Fridays, 7-9
April 6-27, 
Acrylic paintings can ranges from intense color to light washes. Ease of clean-up and fast drying times make this medium one of the most popular to work with. Sean will work with beginners and intermediates to give basic instruction in the use of acrylics: how to start, organize the image and put on the finishing touches.

For registration information visit them on the web at

http://www.waltonartscenter.org/calendar/view.aspx?id=6999

Narrative Art Drawing At ESSA

The 2012 calendar is filling up fast!  I'll be teaching a five day Narrative Art course August 6-10 for all levels ages 18 and up at ESSA (Eureka Springs School of the Arts).  I'm posting this extremely early because those who register before March 2 receive a $50 discount on this 5 day workshop.  

This week long class is designed to give an overview of basic drawing and the narrative art medium. We will work in industry sizes and specs, covering a wide variety of narrative approaches from documentary to slice of life stories. Students will work in a variety of media as well. Set-ups, timing, props, choice of shot, and character development are all emphasized.


5-Day Workshop (9am-4pm) / Tuition: $275 / Material List will be provided.
For more information call: 479.253.5384 / info@ESSA-ART.com
For a PDF of 2012 workshops at ESSA click here.  

CONCEPT ART

It's been an extremely busy week and I thought I'd take a little break from my work and share a couple more resources available for fellow artists and illustrators.  One resource I highly recommend is ConceptArt.org.  This site posts forums, galleries of artists work, events, schools, workshop info, chat rooms and industry job info.  Another great resource is CGHub.com.  This site is a social network for professionals in Animation, Film, Visual Effects, Games, Illustration, Concept Art and more.  One more I'd like to mention is ConceptArtWorld.  This site also features artists work as well as different studios, news, training info and books available. 
These are a few of the fantastic resources available and I recommend checking them out!

PSU Gallery Lecture and Reception

Thanks to everyone who made it to my gallery talk and reception on Thursday, January 19 at Pittsburg State University.  I was amazed it was a fantastic turn out with standing room only!  Special thanks to S. Portico Bowman (Gallery Director, Associate Professor), Rhona E. Shand (Chair, Associate Professor), Dr. Lin-Lin Tseng (Art History Assistant Professor), Alexandra Anger, Kenzi Jordan, and everyone else that this such a great and memorable event.