Thursday, February 05, 2009

Preview of Pete Emslie's Theory of Generic VS Specific

This Disney style is the culmination of their search for perfect mathematical design balance and inoffensive cuteness. Once they found this balance, they stuck with it until it eventually deteriorated with the passage of time. - JK
These Snow White Deer are early attempts in the search - not quite there yet.

Pete sent me this email and his theory: (I added the headings)

Hi John,

JOHN THINKS "SPECIFIC" MEANS UNGAINLY IN DESIGN
I have a theory. (See, not only Eddie has them.) The more I read of your thoughts on "Specific" vs. "Generic" characters and the examples you use to illustrate each type, it seems like there's a pattern developing here. Most of the characters that you seem to respond to more viscerally as "Specific" types in terms of both personality and visual design, also tend to be rather ungainly in their design (with some notable exceptions.)


....more to come...