X-Studio: Action Animation: Time-Based Drawing

PSAM 3703, CRN 3304

Drawing, as a medium between process and realization, can be applied to recounting, mapping, processing, and problem-solving abstract concepts. In this class we will ask what types of conversations are instigated when a third entity, time, is introduced to a Drawing? As Norman McLaren stated “Animation is not the art of drawings that move but the art of movements that are drawn.”

This course will explore drawing through various innovative 2D animation techniques including lightning animation, pixilation, stop action animation, cutout animation, cell animation, collage animation, erasure animation and still animation. We will combine tactile analog and ephemeral digital media practices with an emphasis on process and experimentation. Software including Adobe Premier, Dragonframe and Photoshop will be covered. Pioneering and contemporary works of 2D animation will be viewed and discussed, including, Edward Muybridge, Walter Ruttmann, Ferdinand Leger, Amy Lockhart, William Kentridge, Matt Bollinger, Lauren Gregory, Tala Madani and Massinissa Selmani.

Through thematic prompts leading up to a final project, this class welcomes work relevant to each student’s subject of interest. It will encourage spontaneity, risk taking exploration, playfulness and skill building, providing students with tools that can be applied to a range of platforms beyond classroom practices.

Prerequisite: Core Studio 1: 2D, 3D, 4D or a 2000 level studio course