FREE LEARNING
T he highlight of The Bigger Picture day for me was the time spent with animator and cartoonist, Al Scarfe. As we entered the art block I could already sense that there was going to be so much to do. The studio had a table that was fully laid out with books and pencils and other stationery. There were also prints of some of Al’s work, which he had done for the Full English satirical Channel 4 show. Our brief was to create a character in Al Scarfe’s style. I was drawn to one of his works that interested me a lot: Queen Elizabeth II. The manner in which she was portrayed brought out her regal character and stern manner. However, I wanted my character to be a quirky mix and match of different people, so I decided on Queen Elizabeth, The Samurai Warrior! It would have her face, but the body of a Samurai Warrior. We were then instructed to research and find out some interesting things about our chosen character and to further develop our ideas. This took me to the Wodehouse Library, where I found a book, The History of Japan , which would help me with my research. Until this point I had thought that my character was complete, but then l saw the multitude of pages of Samurai armour, each more intricate and so beautifully constructed. Back at the studio we were told to create the front, side and back view of our character. I found this process to be unlike any regular sketching I had done before; we were learning new skills and experiencing a different way of looking at an image. It was during this phase that I was privileged enough to interview Al Scarfe. I began by asking what made him interested in art. Mr Scarfe told me how his father was also a cartoonist and that he was surrounded by art at home. His father encouraged him as he thought that Mr Scarfe had good artistic ability. His hard work resulted in him being awarded an art scholarship at Dulwich College. I asked him what were his favourite cartoons when he was a child. He told me that he enjoyed reading comic books and Mad Magazine, which contained caricatures of celebrities. He also enjoyed The Simpsons . I asked him about his memories of being a student at Dulwich College and in particular as an art scholar. Mr Scarfe said that he has a clear memory of his teacher, Mr Maycock, who was himself a painter. He said Mr Maycock pushed him to really ‘look at what he was painting’ so as to create an accurate depiction. Mr Scarfe added that his teacher also taught him to most of all ‘enjoy the paint’. I asked Mr Scarfe which medium he prefers, and whether it has changed over the years. He explained that he has
It is exciting to collaborate with other animators and to try to convey your ideas in a style which is uniquely your own
always loved drawing, which features in the background of all his work. He also enjoyed creating sculptures in his post- graduate work. I asked his opinion on art in Dulwich College today, and whether it was very different from what he had experienced as a student. Mr Scarfe said that the standard of art was very good when he was a student but commented that compared to today, it was more focused on painting. He said he feels that today there is greater freedom to use different materials and methods, to experiment and to express your ideas through art. Mr Scarfe spoke passionately about his work in animation. He said that whilst it is undeniably hard work, it is exciting to collaborate with other animators and to try to convey your ideas in a style which is uniquely your own. We briefly talked about the work he did for the Full English. He told me that he really enjoyed working on the characters and his favourite was the father. He also loved the imaginary friend character because he was ‘crazy and weird’ and allowed the audience to use their imagination. By the end of the day I had not only had fun but also came out having learnt new techniques and a style of drawing that I would never have previously attempted. The day provided a fantastic opportunity to see how a 2D drawing can come to life through animation and take on a 3D form. Jai Singh Yao
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