The Visual Storytelling Podcast

“Find something that’s big. Find a big, cultural phenomenon and say something about it in a beautiful way. I think that’s part of the reason for [our film’s] success.” -Prescott Harvey Soon after Disney announced that JJ Abrams would direct the next Star Wars trilogy, the clever creatives at Sincerely Truman responded with a beautifully-directed film called 4 […] The post Dear, JJ Abrams: How An Animated ‘Star Wars’ Fan Film Renewed Hope For The Franchise :: ArtCast #70 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

Paper Wings is back! Marvel Animation storyboard artist Justin Copeland joins the team as the newest co-host of the Paper Wings Show. In this podcast episode, Justin explains the necessary steps to creating a professional storyboard portfolio and responds to some great listener questions. Lora‘s “Lofty Thought” segment offers a healthier way to compare your work to others […] The post Creating A Professional Storyboard Portfolio :: Paper Wings Show #27 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

“If there’s truth behind the art, it will resonate.” -Chris Campbell Most professional artists have been drawing since they first picked up a crayon. As a kid, Chris Campbell drew the occasional doodle but he never took his art seriously. …not until his late twenties, anyway. Abandoning his career as a journalist, Chris enrolled in […] The post Breaking In At Riot Games & How To Get A Concept Artist Internship: Interview With Chris Campbell :: ArtCast #69 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

Making a living as an artist has never been easy but Patreon will be, for many of you, a total financial game-changer. Jack Conte and Tyler Palmer join me for an empowering conversation about their innovative new approach to crowdfunding for artists… Listen To The Podcast: “I didn’t need a Kick-start. I needed a salary.” […] The post Ongoing Crowdfunding For Artists: Interview With The Team From Patreon.com :: ArtCast #68 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

“I have to be really honest with myself and I have to be open to my own critique. One rule that I live by is that when I see that my work can be better, I have to make it better.” -Wouter Tulp Wouter Tulp is one of the most truly versatile artists I’ve ever […] The post Interview With Wouter Tulp – Illustrator, Character Designer & Caricature Artist: ArtCast #67 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

I’m going to ask you a question and I need you to be honest with me… Don’t hold back. Whatever the answer is, I can take it… Am I good enough? Do I have what it takes to succeed as a professional artist? Artists ask me this all the time. …and not just young, aspiring […] The post Are You Good Enough? Tough Truths For True Artists: With Will Terry :: ArtCast #66 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

Adobe Photoshop is the standard digital painting software in the animation, games and publishing industries. In most studios, big or small, digital painting in Photoshop is considered a basic, entry-level skill for concept artists. If you’re a professional digital painter of any specialty, it is very likely that you use Photoshop for digital painting. Needless […] The post Should Digital Painters Upgrade To Photoshop CC? Guest: Matt Kohr of Ctrl+Paint :: ArtCast #64 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

“It’s tough. You have to have to relax a little bit. You have to kind of let yourself wander and play a bit. …but then you have to have a purpose for the character.” -Brett Bean At age 10, Brett “2D Bean” wanted to be a rock drummer but his Mom told him to become […] The post Interview With Character Designer Brett “2D Bean” :: ArtCast #62 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

You could power the entire Walt Disney World Resort with the passion that was captured in this podcast episode. My plan for this episode was simple: Get these two living legends in a room and press RECORD. And that’s all I had to do… John Pomeroy started animating at Disney just a few years after Walt died.  He […] The post Characters & Competition: Interview With Animation Legends John Pomeroy & Tom Bancroft (Part 1) :: ArtCast #61 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

It’s never been easy to become a professional artist, but most young artists make it way more difficult on themselves than it has to be. Yesterday, I was a guest on Noah Bradley‘s Livestream and we covered what seemed like every hot topic that professional and pre-professional artists are facing today. Is a traditional, brick-and-mortar […] The post There Are Easier Ways To Become A Professional Artist: Live Q&A With Noah Bradley :: ArtCast #60 appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

A perceptive (and talented) art student by the name of Chris Campbell recently asked me this impressive question: “What do the animation industry pros say about us when we’re not around?” He elaborated… “Have they noticed any common mistakes or bad habits in current student portfolios?” “What do most pros think we need to work on?” Obviously, […] The post The Technique Trap appeared first on ChrisOatley.com :: Disney Character Designer Answers Your Questions About Concept Art & Illustration..

I always say that the two secrets to success in animation are “Do great work and be great to work with.” Sometimes, artists just get mad when I say that. But more often, they ask thoughtful follow-up questions. …questions like “How, if I’m not already working in the industry, do I prove that I’m great to […]

When Robert Zemeckis decided to do the movie version of The Polar Express in hyper-real mo-cap, he boarded a doomed vessel. He was so focused on achieving “perfection” in realism that he made a nigh-unwatchable movie featuring awkward, zombie-eyed characters with oversized pores. The Polar Express never became the timeless, holiday classic it might have […]

The painters of The Hudson River School used tons of Texture but they kept it under control. [Painting: 'Among The Sierra Nevada Mountains', 1868 by Albert Bierstadt] [click here to see the hi-res version] The Texture Monster Is On The Hunt. We all must remain watchful for no painting is completely safe. When The Texture [...]

People are always asking me how to pitch their ideas for animated TV shows. Although it’s not 100% necessary depending on your reputation as a content creator, for those starting out it is absolutely vital to have a GREAT animation pitch bible. So I have compiled the best content from all across the web and [...]