Ch 8 Summary: The Human Form

The human form is one of the most complex thing to render in a natural appearing way.  Therefore, when storyboarding, concentrate on only some of the fundamentals of the form.  This is important as the shapes are often represented in a 3"X5" frame.  Often the artist will only have overheads and shot descriptions to visualize the frames.  The author finds a 12" mannequin with movable limbs helped her learn to draw different positions and perspectives.  She stresses play and experimentation without being overly critical in the beginning stages.  Some guidelines about to remember:  gesture before detail, 3-D figure in space, and simple animation of facial expressions.  After the stick figure, the skeleton is a good rendition to practice.  After this, create forms with simple cylinders and cubes.  You may only refer to movement in these drawings rather than exactly reproduce them.  Keep in mind that the face is the "window to the soul" and are important to show as they are ofter a counterpoint to our words. The shape is a basic egg (pointy side making the chin).   Again, the author how you design a storyboard should be based on their audience and purpose.