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MORE LILO & STITCH

28 comments
I feel so guilty, I haven't posted since January! Sorry about that everyone.

I drew this one way back when I was working for Disney's Lilo & Stitch back in 1999. I did several drawings for the project where I just took my pencil and my imagination, and wandered around Lilo's town trying to imagine the world from her point of view. I did a aerial shot of her town with a gas station at the entrance. So, this drawing represented Lilo's perspective on the gas station.

I figured she would have the town all scoped out from her sense of priorities. Here, the gumball machine and drinking fountain were the subject of focus. Each one framed in shadow, with the lighted areas blown out. Look at the graphic shape of the light against the counter, notice how I was able to isolate both props, while directing the eye on both items at the same time. I let the light touch the foot of the gumball machine and the corner of the water fountain to hold our focus.

I think it also helped that my dad used to run an auto bodyshop. I used to work there during the summers -- and carried the scent of motor oil in my hair and skin, even after I showered. Even today, when I smell an auto shop, it immediately takes me back. I didn't come from an art family, and THIS was my background growing up.

28 comments :

Henry Elmo Bawden said...

Awesome Marcelo,

I still love your concept environments everytime I see them. This one is beautifull. As I have been working on props and environments for video games now, I am learning more and more about how important the details are. You can do a street scene and get it painstakingly accurate in shape and form, but until you throw that little bit of mold growing in the gutter and some of the weeds showing up through the concrete, it has no life. You do an amazing job and this is just another piece of art that proves it. Great stuff.

-Henry

craig said...

wonderful lighting! Really like how you blew out the highlights. Great stuff

Martin Wittig said...

Marcelo...Amazing!!! --It's always interesting what we remeber from our younger years, and how we can use those thoughts in our work:) Great piece, Thanks for sharing.

Marcos Mateu said...

Very good lighting Moe. Nice piece!

Shuku said...

Marcelo, that is -lovely-. You're so right - when I was a little girl I LOVED gumball machines. I was never allowed to HAVE any gum, but that is exactly how I'd have pictured the scene from priorities. It's absolutely beautiful and takes me back...28 years.

--Shuku

Sam Nielson said...

As always, great control over your values and composition. I wish I could be you.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful - the range of values from the car outside to the fire extinguisher inside are masterfully controlled .Draftsmanship is of exceptional quality (as usual ).
Very inspiring .

Unknown said...

It's always inspiring to see your concept arts!!

Jo Bling said...

Still one of my favourite films of recent years by Disney, that AND Atlantis. Top work Mr V!

Hey, btw, do you know Tony West and Dan Lund, the guys who made Dream On Silly Dreamer? It was the controversial documentary about how Disney let this huge number of talented guys and gals go. They're chums of mine, top chaps.

C

Piotr said...

beautiful work, i like this blog! very inspirational stuff, thanks for posting!

Kyle Marshall said...

That lighting is incredible. This is one hellova sketch.

Mark McDonnell said...

Nice Marcelo. What a great sense of lighting and graphical seperation at the same time. Nice, very nice.

MAC

Maxi Muñoz said...

You always amaze me!...great work!!
:)
Saludos!

C.Deboda said...

Great work as usual, Marcelo. And a very educational post on your approach! Maybe you should consider giving us a live workshop as well. ;)

Philip Dimitriadis said...

Thanks for sharing your awesome work...really inspiring. Your such a talented guy!!!

Marcelo Vignali said...

Thanks everybody! I really do appreciate all your comments.

This blogging thing is strange and wonderful at the same time. Before blogs, this type of artwork would never been seen by anyone unless it made it to some making-of book. And, for those of you that aren’t aware, a lot of the making-of books can be extremely involved in office politics, and unfortunately some really great artwork falls between the cracks and never makes it to the books.

Add that to the secretive nature of preproduction artwork, and some really great artwork never sees the light of day (aside from the two weeks it was pinned on a board at some studio). Now, I can’t post anything on the blogs that might be sensitive to the projects I’m currently working on, but blogging does create a forum for some of this older artwork that might never be seen otherwise.

Marcelo Vignali said...

You’re right Shuku, y. You have to allow yourself to drift back to a time when you felt a certain way, or the way you felt about a certain subject, and pour that into the drawing.

Jo, I don’t know Tony and Dan. I was working for Disney as a freelancer, so I wasn’t at the studio when the wheels fell off the cart. Also, I haven’t seen that particular documentary, but I did see “Sweatbox.”

Mark, yes, the graphic separation is vitally important. All good drawings must work in 2D as well as 3D. Most art schools think that 2D compositions only apply to abstract art, but they are very mistaken. The skeleton of a good 3D design is a good 2D structure. But schools can’t teach what they don’t know.

cdeboda, thanks again. I have toyed with the idea of doing some teaching, but my kids are still little and I try to dedicate as much time to them as possible. When they are tire of dad, I’ll definitely consider filling my free time with lots of teaching. I really do enjoy sharing what I’ve been able to learn. I’m also very passionate about keeping drawing alive.

David Colman said...

Love the light in the garage ......a nice warm feeling w/o being outside...

SILVER KNIGHT said...

beautiful lighting! and truly inspiring work!

Unknown said...

Man, that explination was like graphic design 101. Yeah, you know your stuff. It's beautiful.

JeN said...

woah. the amount of detail is mind-boggling. the soft value and the atmosphere of this piece really communicates exactly what you wanted. and i love how you put such a personal touch to it. oh yeah if you decide to ever teach..i will be sure to enroll. I learn so much just looking at your blog. :)

Jacobo said...

Great tonal!!! Wonderful the effect of the light reflected of the soil, it gives many intensity to the natural light of the sun from the windows.

Marcelo Vignali said...

Thanks everyone for your comments. They are really appreciated.

Unknown said...

simply amazing!

Anonymous said...

softly stright at the point

Mark McDonnell said...

Hey Marcelo,

HAPPY EASTER to you and your family. I hope you are well and it is flowing like wine.

I have a quick question. Do you sketch most/some/all/none of your layout sketches in a linear fashion then do exploratory tonal passes until you find the right one? And if so, I would love to see some of your "finding the way" sketches if this is how you accomplish some of your pieces, pushing composition and shapes as you go.

I hope all is well,

MAC

Marcelo Vignali said...

Interesting comment. I used to do my line work first, but realized it was hard to light a bad composition. So, I started doing a small value drawing first, and then the linework.

Nowadays, I do the linework first, because I already know in my mind where the final result will end up.

I'll see what I can find in terms of early rough compositions.

Anonymous said...

beautifull.



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