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Introduction
What is Claymation?
History of Claymation
Preparations
- Groups
& Ideas
- Storyboarding
- Tips
- How
we did it!
Claymations from 2003
Claymations from 2002
Comments
from Students
18 June, 2003
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 Claymation is the art of making clay figures
move, talk, sing, dance or whatever your imagination wants it to do!
Sometimes called plasticine, figures and
props are molded from clay and are then used to tell a story. Using stop
motion photography or like we did, a series of still pictures taken with a
digital camera, the frames are then run together to produce an animation.
First off we should look at what animation
is and some common terms that are used:
CEL
A broad term that encompasses most types of
animation art. In its strictest interpretation, a cel is the plastic
sheet, either cellulose acetate or cellulose nitrate, that animated
characters are painted on. In practice, the term cel has come to mean that
plastic sheet in combination with the outline and coloring of a character,
object, and/or special effect. Outlines can be either hand-inked or
Xerographically transferred to the sheet of plastic. Those outlines are
then filled with color, either by hand-painting or a serigraphic process,
to complete the cel.
12 or 16 Field
These terms are used to describe the size
of a particular cel. They come from the size of the "field" of view of the
camera photographing the artwork. For rough use, consider a twelve-field
cel roughly 10"x12", and a sixteen-field cel approximately 14"x16". The
actual framed size may differ.
ORIGINAL PRODUCTION CEL
These are the cels actually used in the
production of a cartoon. They can have either Xerographed or hand-inked
outlines, and are hand-painted at the studio. These cels are one-of-a-kind
pieces of art, and their rarity makes them highly sought after by
collectors. Because these cels were created to make an actual cartoon,
each cel is a component part of a larger movement. Different cels from the
same scene may be more or less desirable depending on a variety of
factors: size, profile and expression of the character, any damage to
inking or paint, and overall visual appeal.
LIMITED EDITION CEL
As with production cels, limiteds can have
either hand-inked or xerographic outlines, and are also hand-painted. The
major difference, as its name implies, is that the limited editions are
created in limited quantities, generally in runs of 250 to 500 cels.
Because of these small edition sizes, limiteds can also be very
collectible. Some limiteds are exact reproductions of the frames of the
film they represent. Others are based on contemporary interpretations of
classic characters or scenes by their animators- Chuck Jones limiteds, for
instance. Limited editions are always hand-numbered on the cel, and many
are signed by the artists.
SERICELS
Sometimes called serigraph cels. The
serigraphy process involves silk-screening each individual color to the
cel, one at a time. Every distinct shade is a separate screen, and a
separate pass in the procedure. As a result of this fine art operation,
each color is flawlessly reproduced. Sericels are also created in limited
quantities, typically 2500 to 5000 pieces. Because of their larger edition
size, sericels are the most affordable type of animation art, ideal for
the beginning collector.
If you would like to learn more about how
sericels are made, we invite you to drop by our online
Creating a
Limited Edition Sericel presentation.
PUBLICITY CEL
A cel, usually hand-painted, not actually
used in a film or created for collectors, but made for publicity or
promotional purposes.
CEL SET-UP
A combination of cels presented together.
If the combination of cels match exactly, it is referred to as a KEY
SET-UP.
ANIMATION DRAWING
These are the original, one-of-a-kind
drawings, penciled by the animator, that cels are eventually made from.
Drawings can be rough, or the more refined CLEAN-UP drawings. Sometimes,
set-ups are available with matching drawings and the cel that was made
from it.
STORYBOARD DRAWING
A drawing or story sketch made for the
storyboard, which conveys visually the plot and action of a scene or shot.
The storyboard serves as a preliminary guide for the artists.
MODEL SHEETS
Drawings, or studio reproductions of a
character in a variety of actions used as reference by the animators
during production.
BACKGROUNDS
Boy, is this a can of worms. We will try to
cover the major types of Backgrounds you are likely to encounter, and what
they mean.
Original Production Background
This covers a wide range of backgrounds
that are original paintings, and were used in the production of a
cartoon. It is important to note that it does not necessarily mean it is
the same production that the cel is from. It may not even be from
the same studio as the cel. If you see this term used, you will
want to know what production the background is from.
Key Master Set-Up
This is the ultimate set-up, and the most
rare. A key master set-up combines the original cel, or a key set-up of
cels, with the background they were originally photographed over.
When framed, this will look exactly as it did in the actual film or
short.
Presentation or Hand-Painted Background
This type of background was specially
prepared to complement the cel by an independent artist. Generally, it
will be in the style of the original. Although it may enhance the visual
appeal of the set-up, it adds little value or collectibility to the cel
(unless the artist is famous in his or her own right).
Reproduction Background
This is the most common type of
background. It is, as the name implies, a copy of a background. The
reproduction can be by color Xerox, lithography, serigraphy or
photography. In many cases, it is a reproduction of the original
background.
LITHOGRAPHS/LITHOGRAPHY
Lithography owes it existence to the
chemical principal that oil and water do not mix. The artist draws the
image to be printed on a flat slab of limestone, metal, or plastic using
a greasy crayon. The surface is then chemically fixed and wet with
water, which does not adhere to the greasy image areas. When the surface
is inked with a roller, ink adheres only to the greasy areas and not the
wet area. Paper is then positioned over the plate and the press is
manually operated to produce one impression. The process must be
repeated for each color. It is not unusual for fine lithographs to be
printed from 15 or more plates.
GICLÉE PRINTS
Creating Giclée fine art prints requires
the utmost care and attention to detail. Harvest Productions, LTD.,
who produce all of the Giclée's for Linda Jones Enterprises,
customize the color settings for each image so that each print is truly
what the artist had in mind. The French term "Giclée", literally meaning
"spray of ink," is used to describe these prints. Four precision nozzles
spray up to a million microscopic droplets per second on to fine art
paper. Then, each piece of paper is individually hand-mounted.
Displaying a full color spectrum, the prints are lush and velvety,
capturing the subtle nuances of the original artwork.
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Claymation is the art of making clay figures
move, talk, sing, dance or whatever your imagination wants it to do!
