Flatten The Curve

Hello, all!
Yesterday during the crit, Shaun shared a really unique piece of animation which features work from numerous animators across the globe. The direction and concept are credited to Studio Desk, Kathrin Steinbacher & Emily Downe . It encourages us in our current situation and it is titled Flatten The Curve [1].

I really like this because the message it brings is empowering. It highlights positivity in such uncertain times. Moreover, the fact that it features many animators across the globe – it brings a sense of unity in the animation community. This joint effort to create art is truly effective, especially when we often see divisive behaviour on the news. It makes me proud to be in this field!

Here are a few of my favourite shots in this series.

It was so cool to see so many different styles come together to create something so relevant the current climate.

What I like about Figure 1 and Figure 2 is the way the artist meshed two styles and gave birth to a whole new style altogether. In Figure 1, the coloured blocked person layered over the black and white illustrations really help make the character stand out and keep our eyes at the right place.

Figure 1. Animation & Sound: Iulia Voitova [1].
Figure 2. Animation & Sound: Iulia Voitova [1].

What I like about the following animators’ styles in figures 3, 4 and 5 is the texting of the brush strokes. It creates something really smooth similar to that of an oil pastel. The colour palette paired with the brush strokes creates a scene that is easy on the eyes.

Figure 3. Animation & Sound: Lewis Heriz [1].
Figure 4. Animation & Sound: Jenny Jokela [1].
Figure 5. Animation & Sound: Angela Stempel [1].

The following two shots in Figure 6 and 7 have a style that I’d like to explore. It’s a style that I can only describe as the perfect creative balance between fine detail and rough. The drawings are not filled in to a clean solid colour, giving the drawings a unique texture. I’d love to explore this style sometime soon!

Figure 6. Animation: Elisabetta Bosco / Sound: Francesco Maccario [1].
Figure 7 Animation & Sound: Louisa Kohlhoff [1].

Lastly, I love this shot (figure 8)! It’s what I would describe as minimal but effective. The shapes and sizes of each body part are an aesthetic of its own. The solid colours and line drawings compliment eachother – it’s something that I’d imagine being animated in After Effects.

Figure 8. Animation: Magali Garcia [1].

These are all great inspirations for trying out different styles. Overall, it’s a great insight into what other animators are up to during these strange times. Let me know what you think!

Until next time,
Katie


References:
[1] Studio Desk, 2020. #Flattenthecurve – 1/3. [ Video ] Available at: <https://vimeo.com/414349909> [Accessed 8 May 2020].

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