Arts workshops

The Animated Debate project workshops were subjected to the idea of the computer use exclusively as a tool of creative performance in a specific picture animation form. One of the most important goals of the project, concerning direct participants, was providing the conditions for learning the efficient group work and learning new forms of creative expression. This target was to be achieved not only thanks to the work with computer, but also through the workshops devoted to the history of film and photography, or, as described below, arts workshops.
Computer animation is the area of art which grew out of the combination of photography, film, and graphics elements. Arts workshops were one of the most important phases while preparing the animations in the Animated Debate project. It was work with art resources only, without the use of computers.
There is a rule amongst the artists who professionally deal with computer animation which says, "Before you do anything on the computer, just draw with a pencil things you want to animate. Only when you have a character and its story on a regular piece of paper, you can start the work with computer".
Pencils, paints, and paper - this is the beginning of work on every film, not only animated (see the chapter "Work on the film adaptation - the storyboard").
Arts work, using the traditional arts techniques, their development, learning about the features of light and colours, these were the subjects raised during the initial phase of the workshops. These concepts are of very much importance for the preparation of animation work. Every animated film has its beginning in the arts workroom.
After merely several project arts workshops, one could observe significant progress in participants' works. These are some characteristic features of arts works, of creativity development and artistic utterance.

purposeful use of a line,

purposeful use of contrast,

very important ideas and conceptions,

skilful "filling" a sheet of paper and space

While preparing a handout and conducting arts workshops in the context of animation work, one should be reaching to the situation where a pupil can:

clearly mark human body parts, parts of animals and plants in the drawing, name shapes, proportions, and colours

distinguish a moment when the use of line is wanted and when the use of a spot

notice rhythms in the surrounding, in the pictures, and recreate it in their drawings

present verbal descriptions artistically

moreover, a pupil should know primary and secondary colours, hot and cold colours.

We suggest using three arts workshops conducted during the Animated Debate project.

The first one is drawing a rainbow, using crayons and paints:
Knowledge of colours, distinction between cold and hot colours, as well as the use of contrast, these all are extremely useful skills in animation work. As we know, the range of colours we use everyday, is a visible component of sunlight, known as spectrum in physics. A rainbow is an optical phenomenon where this spectrum is visible thanks to refraction of sun rays. The rainbow, thanks to its spectacularity, charm, and a magical atmosphere created by legends, is perfect resource which can be used when teaching children basic information about colours. During the workshops it can be difficult to use a real photo of a rainbow, or only its memory, therefore we recommend using the picture of a spectrum, taken from any physics course book. It is also necessary to give some information what colour is and why we see these and not other colours. One should also teach about primary and secondary colours, and how the latter are created.
The participants" task seems to be simple because it consists in drawing or painting the rainbow. However, they have to follow some rules - all space of the piece of paper should be filled, the colours must go not in the free order, but the one appearing in the nature, and the transitions between subsequent colours must be smooth. In the workshops there can be a few arts techniques used. It is different to work with wax crayons than paints. rainbow - cryon

There is an interesting technique of painting with poster paints on a damp piece of paper (it should be moistened with a sponge or a soft rag and painted before it gets dry) - transitions between the colours are smooth and vivid, colours are usually more clear, and at the same time it is hard to "keep down" the colours, because they keep mixing with each other.
This simple workshop gives us important skills, necessary in animation work:

teaches what colour is and what human colour perception consists in
teaches how to use colours. It facilities the understanding of reasons why we say that two colours do not match. This knowledge was particularly useful when creating the design of sets and dresses of characters
teaches how to use different artistic techniques and various tools
encourage to act even these pupils for whom art work causes difficulties
rainbow - paints

To continue this exercise, one can make a rainbow in a graphic vector programme Paint. Using this example, it is easy to prove the differences between classical and computer techniques. One can show similarities and differences, as well advantages and disadvantages of compared techniques. rainbow - computer

Still life and the limited range of colours:
One more essential skill, useful in animator's work, regardless of selected animation technique, is as faithful as possible, copying the reality. The bet exercise for this skill seems to be still life drawing. This exercise teaches careful observation of objects, which are to be transferred on paper, as well as paying attention to shapes, arrangement, light, shadows, proportions, and all tiny details. The workshop participants were seated in front of the collection of different objects, arranged purposefully, brightly lit (one can use any additional light, even a desk lamp). Everybody was seated directly in front of drawn objects, so that nobody blocked out anything. The task was to carefully observe the objects and draw them, using a pencil. Why a pencil? Well, in this exercise the observation and recreation of details was the most important. Using paints of crayons would only distract attention for selecting the colours, changing the paints, etc. At the same time, copying details being out of practice in using paints, would be very difficult. Pencil limits tools to a minimum and although such a drawing does not show colours, it as well shows details, shadows, and proportions. In practice, the experience coming from still life drawing was used while storyboards making, when not colour, but significant details mattered. still life - pencil

Painting and drawing with crayons and pencil one's own composition, influenced by the film music, which is listened to while working
The next arts workshop we suggest is an experiment, thanks to which, workshop participants learn the power of music illustration and film music. The participants listen to film music (characteristic themes) from the film they have not seen. Their task is to paint or draw a composition which came to their minds while listening to music. The content of a picture is completely free, but it must be inspired by music. The exercise consists in reversing the natural process of illustrating the film with music - a composer know the script, and he writes music watching particular scenes. In pour exercise, scenes proposals are created under the influence of music.
Works created this way should be discussed. One can also choose how close they are to the authentics film where the music came from. It happened often that although the author of the picture did not know the film, his or her picture was similar in its character or some details to the picture the composer was inspired with. The workshop should be closed with a discussion about the role of the music in films.
drawings made with music