Ronald G. Hiscock: Classical Animation

Ronald Graham Hiscock

Artist and Animator

Classical Animation

From very early on in my study of classical animation at Sheridan College (Oakville, ON), I realised that my strengths lay not in the actual process of animating, but in creating backgrounds. I also discovered that I had a talent for layout, the technique of placing characters within a field.

These are a few samples of my background and layout work.

For a larger view of the picture (if available), click on the image.

This is an example of layout. The characters from the children's television show Arthur are all grouped around a table. (You can't see a table; it isn't in this picture. It's considered a prop, and it will be added in another step by another artist. Animation is made up of layers of drawings: the background is the base layer, then the characters and props are placed in front of it. Whatever is closest to the viewer -- in this case, the table -- is placed on top.)

This is a background, drawn for the children's animated television series Country Mouse City Mouse.

This is another example of layout, or how the characters appear in relation to the background. This is one of the characters from the children's animated television series Country Mouse City Mouse. Again, there will be a background behind her in the final animation.

This is a background designed for the feature film Heavy Metal: FAKK2. It's affectionately known as "The Tube Room," the place where the villain extracts life force from his victims. To show you how much area a camera has to cover, the size of this original is about three feet across by a foot high.

Animation is all about motion, of course. As the camera moves, if the perspective of the backgrounds isn't forced, the background will look wrong. This picture is a forced perspective of a pan from the far right, moving left across the background and deep into the left center of the Tube Room of Heavy Metal FAKK 2. This pan is about five feet long.

Here's another pan into the background of the Tube Room of Heavy Metal FAKK 2.

When designing, animators create what is known as a "rotation" in order for other artists to know what the props or characters look like from all sides. This is a rotation of a tube unit from the Heavy Metal FAKK 2.

For samples of the following art styles, please click on the appropriate link:

Classical Animation Work

Computer Animation

Concept Art and World Development

Illustration

People and Characters

Life Drawing

Logo Design

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All images and content © Ronald G. Hiscock 1995 to 2006. Please do not copy, alter or distribute any material from this website without written permission.

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