The Noble Approach: Maurice Noble and the Zen of Animation Design - Preface By Chuck Jones
This extraordinary volume examines the life and animation philosophy of Maurice Noble, the noted American animation background artist and layout designer whose contributions to the industry span more than 60 years and include such cartoon classics as Duck Dodgers in the 24 ½th Century, What's Opera, Doc?, and The Road Runner Show. Revered throughout the animation world, his work serves as a foundation and reference point for the current generation of animators, story artists, and designers. Written by Noble's longtime friend and colleague Tod Polson and based on the draft manuscript Noble worked on in the years before his death, this illuminating book passes on his approach to animation design from concept to final frame, illustrated with sketches and stunning original artwork spanning the full breadth of his career.
The Chuck Jones unit worked with much of the large stable of Warners characters: Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Road Runner & Coyote. Noble's wide-open desert landscapes gave the Road Runner cartoons their characteristic spaciousness. The memorable cartoons Noble designed at Warners include What's Opera, Doc? (1957), a Bugs Bunny sendup of Wagner's Ring Cycle that has been inducted into the National Film Registry. Noble's futuristic settings enhance Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953). Other cartoons included the Academy Award nominees From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (1954), High Note (1960), Beep Prepared (1961), Nelly's Folly (1961), and Now Hear This (1962).
Selected filmography
As Background and Layout Artist
The Old Mill (1937) Oscar nominee; Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937); Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century (1953); From A to Z-Z-Z-Z (1953); Sheep Ahoy (1954); Two Scent's Worth (1955); What's Opera, Doc? (1957); Ali Baba Bunny (1957); Hare-Way to the Stars (1958); Robin Hood Daffy (1958); Rabbit Seasoning (1952); Duck Amuck (1952); Hopalong Casualty (1960); High Note (1960) - Oscar nominee.
Animation and Production designer
The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964); Gateways to the Mind (1958); How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966); The Phantom Tollbooth (1970);
Director and co director
Beep Prepared (1961)- Oscar nominee; Now Hear This (1962) - Oscar nominee; Martian Through Georgia (1962); A Sheep in the Deep (1962); Transylvania 6-5000 (1963); The Iceman Ducketh (1964); The Dot and the Line (1965)- Oscar winner; The Bear That Wasn't (1967); Timber Wolf (2001); The Pumpkin of Nyefar (2004).
As Art Director:
Horton Hears a Who! (1970); The Cat in the Hat (1971); The Lorax (1972); Dr. Seuss on the Loose (1973); You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; Chariots of Fur (1994); Pullet Surprise (1997)
Maurice Noble IMDB and Wikipedia:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0633637/]http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0633637/[/url]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Noble]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Noble[/url]
*** Book contents and index: ***
Getting Started
Working within your limitations
Working as a team
Story
Visual storytelling
Breaking down the elements
Story beats
Story elements
Research and inspiration
Using reference
Design
Thumbnails
Working in the correct aspect ratio
Supporting the characters
Sweaty fun
Thumbnails to working drawings
Value
Testing value
Stacking value
Framing with light
Contrast
Simplifying elements
Color
The basics
Color personality
The palette
Simplifying the palette
Color themes
Color for quick cuts
Color chords
Color chords as themes
Character color
Visual hierarchy
Color reflecting personality
Analogous and split-complementary character colors
Complementary character colors
Designing character color in modern times
Saturation
Dull colors against bright
Painting with spit
Color sketches and color keys
Lighting tests
Layout
Grids and composition
Grid elements
Horizontal and vertical lines
Diagonals
Rhythm and spacing
Counter-rhythms
Compositional theories
The rule of thirds and rabatment
About the rule of thirds
About rabatment
Pans
Parallax
Framing with elements
Depth
Perspective
Multipoint perspective
Distorted perspective
Final film
Conclusion
176 pages
Publisher: Chronicle Books (October 1, 2013)
Language: English
