Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1521473
SUMMER 2024 15 O N T H E J O B the Unikitty! TV series. I've always loved animation, and although I had no previous show experience, the Art Director trusted my color sense. I learned a lot from that role and have been doing background painting alongside illustration ever since. HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOB? My role is to paint the scenes drawn by our Layout and Background Designers. I work closely with the Art Director to find the right moods and color palettes for each location, often doing color scripts for song sequences as well. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF YOUR JOB? Taking certain scenes and asking, "How can we make this feel different from what's been done before?" On Baby Shark's Big Show! we've got at least three kelp forests alone—at day, sunset, and night. Our characters are very colorful, too, so we need to avoid them potentially clashing with any background colors. WHAT ARE THE BEST PARTS ABOUT BEING A BACKGROUND PAINTER? Having a "color breakthrough" after being stuck on a scene, seeing the amalgamation of everyone's hard work come together in a completed episode, and at the end of the day, being part of a team that brings joy to kids. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING BACKGROUND PAINTERS? Have a range of pieces in your portfolio that convey style and mood at different times of day. When you are learning, look at artwork and shows you're drawn to with an analytical eye and study how color harmony, value, lighting, and composition are all working together. Don't be afraid to take relevant classes and ask questions on areas you struggle with. VIVIEN WU Baby Shark's Big Show!, Nickelodeon TELL US BRIEFLY ABOUT YOUR ANIMATION CAREER. I went to ArtCenter College of Design for Illustration with a minor in Entertainment Arts. After graduating, I was illustrating children's books when I received a test for HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR JOB? As a Background Painter, I am tasked with painting backgrounds after they have been designed. I have the immense responsibility to paint the final look of what the audience will see. It's a daunting task, but it pushes me to be better with each background. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES OF YOUR JOB? Grasping the style is a pretty hard challenge for me. Sometimes when I'm in the zone I might get a bit lost and miss a few key style details. What helps to overcome this in my experience is asking your co-workers for a second look before submitting to your Art Director. I know it is hard with remote work to share progress with co-workers who are not physically sitting right next to you. Regardless, hit them up on socials or work chats. I have even created group chats to foster a bit of a community with fellow painters so that we can share with each other our progress. DAVEY CUMMINGS Unannounced New Series, ShadowMachine TELL US BRIEFLY ABOUT YOUR ANIMATION CAREER. I started about two-and-a-half years ago working on Velma. From that first gig, I have gone back and forth between Warner Bros. and ShadowMachine as a Background Painter, working on Velma seasons one and two for WB and Praise Petey and another adult animated series for ShadowMachine. WHAT ARE THE BEST PARTS ABOUT BEING A BACKGROUND PAINTER? The best parts are the mindset variations. Each background presents myriad considerations: time of day, indoor or outdoor setting, lighting sources, textures, and more. With each question and answer, our brains have to hop around while also remembering all of these things at the same time. This constant engagement keeps my mind stimulated, and I love it. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVICE FOR ASPIRING BACKGROUND PAINTERS? Try to retain as much shortcut information as you can. We work in an industry where studios want quality, but they also want you to be efficient with your time. Also, adjust to grabbing and placing things, instead of painting from scratch. For shows I've worked on, if we already have certain assets like clouds and roads that fit the style, it's a lot easier and more efficient to grab those assets from previous backgrounds in the show's production library and put them in a new scene and modify them to fit the setting.