conceptualizing backgrounds/backdrops...

[rpc9943]

hey there

I found i can definitely do character design. no problem. now the problem is backgrounds... i am pretty much unsure where i should go from here. Anyone have links on conceptualizing backgrounds??? I was thinking I could just sketch in artrage and then import that into AS and vectorize it or just flesh it all out in raster....

any ideas would really help

RonC

[Magnatude]

What kind of stuff are you going to create? Sci-fi? Modern? Prehistoric?
I would start there with the concept and then check out how other Animations of the similar genre create their backgrounds.

Cartoon watching and note taking.

[slowtiger]

Do a search for "animation backgrounds", this should led you to the sites of Hans Perk, Hans Bacher and others.

[knunk]

The best thing for me is to take a walk outside. Not being funny with you. But thats always the best start. Take a sketchbook and camera phone. Its the only true way to learn about light and colour. Two hugely important storytelling ingredients. Yes BGs tell your story too. Don't just slap characters on a bg stage your shot.

Look at http://sevencamels.blogspot.com/

Marks a top fellow. Search through the archives. Theres lots of notes about composition and staging. I'd look into that before you even think about drawing BGs.

Also heres a really cool site...

http://ghosttowngallery.com/

[rpc9943]

thank you guys.

RonC

[Patmals]

I really like PD Pro for natural-looking digital painting and it also includes animation tools for frame by frame and stroke animation. And so, i was wondering something:

Because PD Pro also uses LUA scripts, maybe one of the skillfully scripters could create some soft of connectivity script for importing or something between the programs?