In the Disney Art of Hercules book there’s a chapter about how New Yorker editorial cartoonist Gerald Scarfe was brought in to “shake up” the Art Department. It helped Hercules have a look that was unique for a Disney film.
For the last several years I’ve struggled to process some comments Scott Clark made before his passing- something he said about my work. He mentioned that my work was too traditional or retro. That my style didn’t stand out very much. He suggested that I try and move in a more modern direction. And I will be honest the more I try to be modern the more I loose myself. I’ve come to realize that’s not who I am when I draw. I love more classical styles. I love things that are more expressive. So I’ve decided to move in a more expressive & classical direction. It looks very Bruce Timm (Batman: the Animated Series) but there’s a bit more to it than that. I’m embracing my love of artists like Mike Wieringo, Alex Nino, and Mike Parobeck. It’s leading me into some new directions and giving me new ideas.
Some people will see this new style stuff and think it’s too “cartoony”. To be honest I don’t know if there will be much call for this look freelancing but it’s definitely more me. At the end of the day this is what’s getting me excited to spend time at the drawing board. I have more traditional inks sitting all over the studio than I have in years. It just feels good. It started with Red Skirts but I’m going to take a long approach and apply this to other projects as well. So I hope you will join me on this journey.