Notes from the John Byrne Art Seminar - Creation Con Boston - March 5, 1983 (PART 6 of 8)

John Byrne Drawing Art Seminar Class Notes, 1983

(PART 6)

note: these notes are recopied c.1983 notes from my messy notes in class (added blue in photoshop here to help see facts better)
See originals and Creation Con materials from JB Art Seminar in Additional Images area.


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Covered in notes:

• DRAWING “THE THING”

• UNDERNEATH SHOT (LOW ANGLE SHOT)

• MOVEMENT RULE




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DRAWING THE THING'S HEAD - - -

Basic Configuration of the Thing's head — John drew a guide of how he breaks up the rock formations on the Thing's head from the Fantastic Four. This is replicated from his drawing topography on the class board showing us how he maps out the Thing's rock formations on the head.

Think he meant to show to keep the Thing's rock topography worked out beforehand and not just redrawing them in different formations as you go. Its a better for you and viewer to try to keep them as consistent as you can, easier too.

Basically have a reference on how the Thing's rocks work on the head & also the body before you start. Then refer to that as your guide.


UNDERNEATH SHOT - - -

Don't remember this too well, Maybe showing shot as another viewpoint, below eye-level. Believe this is the "low angle shot" meant to have viewer looking up at character, conveying superhero power

Low-angle shot (definition from Wikipedia)
In cinematography, a low-angle shot, is a shot from a camera angle positioned low on the vertical axis, anywhere below the eye line, looking up.Sometimes, it is even directly below the subject's feet. Psychologically, the effect of the low-angle shot is that it makes the subject look strong and powerful.


MOVEMENT RULE - - -

When running or walking, shoulder & hips go opposite one another.




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ABOUT THE CLASS NOTES & JOHN BYRNE ART SEMINAR

My class notes from master comic artist and storyteller John Byrne. maybe his only art seminar that I know of.

Recall that most people in my class were pretty young. It was from an 1 or 2 hour class that John gave in the Park Plaza hotel or Parker House Hotel (it's a while back) after that day's Creation Con. I was in high school and saved up for weeks from my newspaper delivery job to take this. This was a result of the meticulous and recopied notes habit that I used in high school to pass my classes to make up for my lack of natural smarts.

So I'm glad that I can share the benefits & timing of that process here on CAF (instead of Tumblr where they were before for many years) John was at his absolute peak as an artist during this time (Fantastic Four, Alpha Flight) and he shared some of his secrets, process & influences with us aspiring artists.