Decepticons

So, after rereading the syllabus I've broken some rules on my blog.  No regional/local artists.  Whoops!  So here's to researching 52 artists to make up for my boo-boos!

So here we go again, I'm going to start simple.  I feel really cliche choosing these artists below but these guys will always serve as my biggest inspiration.

23. Tim Burton

He has a book and a show going on at the MoMA!  He's better known as a director, producer, and a writer but I enjoy him much more as an artist.  He grew up in California and lived a pretty average life in the suburbs.  He went to the California Institute of the Arts and studied character design.  Then his short film "Stalk of the Celery Monster" he created after college gained the attention of Walt Disney and he became and apprentice animator.  He's known for his popular films like Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas (my personal fav).

I am a fan of his art because, well, it's weird!  His art is really quirky and colorful.  Some of it is so soft and somber while others are bright an bold.  It never really makes sense and it always involves monsters or his own little silly created characters.  Look at his snazzy art!

 

24. Hayao Miyazaki

This Japanese artist was born in Tokyo and started pursuing a career in art in 1963.  He is categorized as a manga artist because he is well known for his anime films.  He had a really hard early life being born in 1941 during World War II.  His mother was very sick and unable to be at home and he was switched from school to school because of the war.  His father made parts for fighter planes, so he spent a lot of his childhood fascinated by aviation and drew planes.

Reading about his animation process was really interesting.  He tries to do a lot of it himself, but now in his old age it is getting a lot harder for him.  I pulled this quote he said:  "it's very important for me to retain the right ratio between working by hand and computer. I have learnt that balance now, how to use both and still be able to call my films 2D."

I love that each of his films have the same themes such as childhood transition and there is always some form of flight (those fighter planes really influenced him as a child!).  I grew up watching his stuff on the Disney Channel.  Here are some of my personal favorites:

Kiki's Delivery Service

Ponyo

Howl's Moving Castle