笔飞错舞 = Perception and delusion

• Main Authors: Ng, Woon Lam, Low, Don Chee Mun
• Other Authors: School of Art, Design and Media
• Format: Book
• Language: Chinese
• Published: Ng Woon Lam 2020
• Subjects: Visual arts and music::Visual arts; Painting; Ink Painting
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/137013
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

The animation industry today has moved to increasingly rely on computer generated animation for its less time consuming processes and cost effectiveness. As a result, many animation productions have lost the visual freedom and aesthetics that classical 2-Dimensional (2D) hand drawn animations once possessed during the heyday of animation. Potentially, there are a couple of benefits with using Computer Graphics (CG) in the animation making process. Firstly, it involves computer technology that allows a certain level of realism to be achieved in an animated film through the use of texture rendering, CG lighting and modeling. The result is a more sophisticated visual presentation with enhanced texture, mood and lighting. Secondly, a 3D model could be re-used, whether it is a model for a character or a particular background, thus allowing the animation process to be less time consuming than traditional, repeat hand drawings executed in 2D animations. Assumably, this would be more cost effective from the business point of view. However, in reality, more often than not, many blockbuster animated films ended up involving more manpower and resources than projected in order that quality effects are achieved under tight timelines for film productions. In 2D animation making, because of its less re-usable nature, the directing artist has to work towards effective simplification of images made. The enhanced results then is produced by simplification of visual images rather than the duplication of purely realistic objects or texture surfaces. This approach of simplification in design to achieve a greater visual impact is similar to my approach in watercolor painting for many years. Therefore, I am inspired to experiment using traditional brushworks adapted from Chinese ink painting methodology within the 2D animation creating process. Over the years, while working with watercolor and oil painting, my calligraphy brushwork concept regularly serves as an important part of my development as an artist. When I started teaching in tertiary institutions, first at Temasek Polytechnic, then Nanyang Technological University, I realized that students were overly dependent on digital functions, like the ‘UNDO’ step and availability of photographic references. This working direction somehow breaches their willingness to train themselves with brush skills in painting. Hand skills become even harder when the students cannot reproduce artwork in parallel with what they perceive. It reduces their sense of aesthetics and their ability to develop themselves as artists. I hope I can use my rough experimental results and discussions here to inspire our younger generation to explore the beauty of calligraphy simplification and abstraction. Last but not least, I would like to explain that in this paper, as a practitioner in Western painting, I would be sharing my personal brush application experiences. As for Chinese ink brushworks, I am no expert and can only share my study of the concepts of a few contemporary Chinese ink masters. I sincerely invite readers and experts in this area to correct me if my point of view deviates from the actual concept of Chinese ink brushwork.