Saturday, October 6, 2012

Animated Energy


These animation roughs by Milt Kahl are from The Martins and the Coys section in the feature "Make Mine Music'" from 1946.
I find the exuberance and vitality in these dance poses infectious, when I look at them.
The characters are Grace Martin and Henry Coy, and they are in the middle of their spirited wedding barn-dance.
(You won't find this section on the edited DVD, released years ago.)

The animation is not based on live action here, the characters' cartoony design didn't require it.
And yet there is an elegance and clarity even at this first pass rough stage. 
The sheets are not numbered, which indicates that they haven't been timed out. The final animation probably differs a little from these exploratory sketches.
Pure joy !








In a different scene wedding guests join in the folk dance.
Look at how the two main characters make eye contact in the second sketch!



The hilarious square-dance caller as a rough and as a clean up drawing.
I love the fact that at times his head almost disappears in his oversized collar.




You can see on this cel that during these fast dance moves the inking wasn't always spot on. Watched in motion though everything looks terrific !