You can see the excellent construction and hierarchy in this close up of Tom and the mice. The whole pose reads well, the characters are solid and all the details wrap around the forms.http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2009/01/head-mechanics-and-hierarchy.html
In a wider shot of the characters, they have less detail in the faces and the larger forms become even more important. The quantity of lines in a drawing have nothing to do with the quality of the drawing. Where the lines go and how well they describe a form and pose takes much more thought and skill. Eisenberg is a master of using a very few lines to create dynamic and descriptive attitudes that register in our minds instantly - and that's what is most important in animation images.
Milt gross uses clear staging and posing. The characters' poses are not the same as each other; they are "opposing" - balanced and contrasted against each other.Make the poses balance against each other to create beautiful art, as well as tell the story
Gross differs from Eisenberg in the small details-fingers, patterns on pants etc. Those aren't strictly "constructed" 3 dimensionally. He uses some license, but it isn't anarchy. The most important part of the picture is well thought out. There is logic and planning to it - and some construction, but he's harder to analyze than a classic animation cartoonist like Eisenberg.
Nevertheless, some of my star students have attempted it:
PAUL ANALYZES MILT GROSS
I like very much the characters of Milt Gross, they are very appealing and visually interesting. It reminds me the drawings from another genius cartoonist, Guillermo Divito.
Verbal Analysis:
-All flows through line of action.
- BIG Head!
- Short legs
- Little body
- Little eyes
-Eyes have slightly diferent directions
-There's lots of space inside the head
- The smile is higher than the eyes.
- Big collar and straight, in contrast to the curved shapes
- BIG Tie
- Little hat with a complex and very interesting shape
- The features that sticks out make and interesting silhouette
- Defined Line of Action- Big Head
- Big Chest
- Skinny legs
Head:
- eyes occupy a small portion within the head
- One eye is slightly bigger than the other and they don't follow the direction of the head (this is very subtle)
- broad forehead
- Big nose
- Big chin
- The ear doesn't have the tipical cartoony ear shape.
- Some features sticks out making an interesting silhouette.
- LOTS of negative space inside the head.
I think next I will try some of my characters using the things I've learned here. Sometimes I have "happy accidents" in which I'm close to achieving the appealing of Milt Gross characters and I think doing these studies, I realize that these characters have things in common that make them look like this.
My comments:
split the heads into two shapes
skull/jaw
(or 3) and neck if it's there
I just noticed you have the man leaning forward slightly but Gross has him leaning back slightly
the back of his skull should be west of the back of his foot.
Thanks to those who have contributed and I hope you find some help here:
THE WORLD'S CHEAPEST CARTOON SCHOOL
