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About Art Monk
Expertise
1- I can answer the technical questions regarding the planning, directing, drawing, digital inking and coloring (in the Adobe Photoshop CS series) of a comic page. 2- I can give you pointers and critiques to improve your work or the work to be done. 3- I can answer the technical questions of "how to do this effect or that effect on this character of that move" using the Adobe Photoshop. 4- To some moderate extent i can answer the questions regarding plotting for the story, making twists and turns, how to hook and reader. However, the question of; how to imitate the coloring, inking or drawing like this artist or that artist is - NOT - something i can help you with.

Experience
I've been drawing, inking, coloring comics since i was 18. learning the hard way by hitting every bump along that road. I used the traditional media and the digital media. been through the hard way and the easy way of doing things. So i guess a person that been through so many mistakes to learn, would know a great deal about what NOT to do, to be better. I guess am still walking that road of learning and trying to do better. I think joining all experts would help be improve by helping people to do so.

Publications
http://ali-shubbar.deviantart.com/

Education/Credentials
currently doing my master's degree in distant learning.

You are here: Experts > Arts/Humanities > Visual Arts > Drawing/Calligraphy/Cartooning > How well do i have to draw? Apps are coming up and idk if i'm ready?

Cartooning - How well do i have to draw? Apps are coming up and idk if i'm ready?

Expert: Art Monk - 10/22/2009

Question
QUESTION:
i'm a senior year and i'm 17 and i'm in ap art> i'm an ok drawer but i'm not like woah you have talent you know. i'm really scared. I want to go into character design in animation but idk how well i have to draw. I want to go into an art institute. I know i have to send a portfolio but if it sucks, then they can deny me right. not take me serious. Animation is something i want to do. Its my passion i'm a nerd when it comes to characters. I want to be somewhat similiar to walt disney. Can anyone give me some information about art institutes and drawing what to do what to expect? etc.

ANSWER: hello Paul
dude, i see that you have some major points in your question.

1- you want to join an art institution.
2- you want to do character design.
3- you want to be an animator.

am sure that you are aware that a character designer need different skills form that of an animator. okay, they share the basic thing about drawing skills, but they differ in application. for an example; a dentist is a doctor and an orthopedic surgeon is a doctor, yea, they both share the general knowledge of medicine, yet both work in completely different ways.
character designing invoke the skills and creativity of a concept artist.
and an animator is more about the skill and feel of the dynamic movement of a body, the center of gravity and momentum.
of coarse you can do both, but you can only excel at one of these fields. because every one of these fields applies art differently from the other, each trade with a different aspect of thinking.

my point is, which exactly interests you the most? character designing or animation?

sorry that am not familiar in art institutes for animation or character designing, however, most likely that each one of them has its own criteria.
decide the institutes that interest you and seek their rules, you can always train yourself in the aspect that you want to excel at. the internet is full of videoed and PDF tutorials.
after all, the more you practice, the more you get skillful, the more chance you get to be accepted at whatever institute you want.

please further me with anything you want to inquire about, if i didn't get your point exactly please DO follow up with another email.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I wouldn't mind going into character design. I'm still confused about it though, would i draw them and animate them or just draw them? If i just draw them then i might as well go into animation right?

Answer
Hi Paul
sorry am late to answer, been buried under loads of work.
anyways
you can always combine any two fields of art, but then you'll have to consider the two different aspects of both fields, for example

the things that a character designer must consider before launching into his work:
1: Research and evaluate
2: Design and plan
3: Who is it aimed at?
4: Visual impact
5: Line qualities and styles
6: Exaggerated characteristics
7: The right Colors
8: Adding accessories
9: The third dimension (Drawing it in a convincing way, like it has its own mass)
10: Conveying personality
11: Expression and the range of emotions.
12: Goals and dreams and the driving force of this character.
13: Building back stories
...etc
the rest of the tip's u'd find on http://www.computerarts.co.uk/in_depth/features/20_character_design_tips

what must the animator consider?
1- movement.
2- the mass of the character.
3- how the personality dictates the movement.
4- the timing of the frame per second. FPS
5- timing of the words and the mouth movement.
....etc
along these lines.

Its not a matter of (hey! if i can draw the character, might as well move it!)
for you to do both, you have to juggle two very different balls, each with its own different mass and weight.
if you believe you can master both requirements of both fields, then go for it!
you can always experience what you like the most, then findout if you want to stick to one of these two, or do them both

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