Thursday, August 2, 2007

Chuck Amuck. A spoonful of inspirato.


My sketchy attempt at Monsieur Chuck Jones. Gotta love the staple bowtie!

I spent my bday down at Wpg Beach last week - how better to spend it than by the lake?? One of the lovely things I did, besides lotsa swimming, eating, and air guitar, was reading. Lotsa reading. Reading these days is gravely underrated!!

So as per my Chuck Jones up there, I finally finished his animated autobiography, and it was SUCH a great read! Perhaps it had a lot to do with my intense admiration for such a man as this, and it may have also doubly interested me due to my animated studies... but I recommend it for any reader! His life was so interesting, and his writing style is of high regard.

There were so, so, sooooo many gems in this book I wish I could remember, but here's one that stands out. I agree whole-heartedly.

"You must remember always that only man, of all creatures, can blush, or needs to; that only man can laugh, or needs to; and that if you are in that trade of helping others to laugh and to survive by laughter, then you are privileged indeed." ~CJ


I give it 5 out of 5 Marvin Martian Acme Disintegrating Pistols!

4 comments:

Pete Emslie said...

Hi Stacey,

That's a great drawing of Chuck - I recognized him right away! His book, "Chuck Amuck" is an awfully good read, isn't it? Of course, now you'll want to read his follow-up book, "Chuck Reducks", which I believe goes into even more depth regarding his art and animation.

There's an anecdote in there he tells that I always keep in mind. He's describing a frustrating time he's having in a life drawing class instructed by Don Graham, where he's struggling to draw the leg of the model that is aimed straight toward him. When he explains to Don his trouble in drawing the leg in that extremely foreshortened view, Don replies, "Chuck, can you imagine any time, anywhere, whatever you are illustrating, when you might have occasion to draw a head-on view of a leg in that position? You are movable and the leg is movable. Never learn to draw anything that you have no reason to need to draw."

I think the above is an excellent point, and one which should be taken. As artists, we all make choices on what to include, what to leave out and, in this situation, what to adjust so that it reads more clearly and therefore makes a stronger communication to the viewer. As animators, this discerning piece of advice will enable you to stage your characters in such a way as to result in a clearly staged silhouette.

Stacey Chomiak said...

Thanks again Pete! I always enjoy your crits [and advice] muchos!

I love that little anecdote you mentioned from the "Chucks Reducks" book. Man, I WILL have to get that one now! [As if I don't spend all my moula at the book sale already.]

That is so true though - why kill yourself trying to draw something you won't even need to draw in the end anyway? It's all about the silhouettes!

the upper room said...

When I first saw the picture of Chuck, I thought...so this is what the love child of David Suzuki and Colonel Sanders would look like. You are oozing with talent Stace.
Peace to you,
Scott

Stacey Chomiak said...

Scott! Thanks for the props, homes! :)

Ya know, those are the EXACT same two people I kept muttering to myself that he looked like when I was drawing him.

A love child of theirs, yikes!