Kirsty E. Smithson
Animation & Illustration
Artist Biography
It’s great because animation contains two of my favourite things: drawing and film. Even with today’s technology and the use of CGI animation (Computer generated images), the pre-production process still involves a lot of drawing for the film’s development.
My childhood was filled with Walt Disney classics; favourites being ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (1937),’Beauty and the Beast’ (1991) and ‘Mulan’ (1998). I’m very much inspired by them. I also grew up with Aardmans ‘Wallace and Gromit’, which was my first encounter of a stop motion animation. It’s amazing how Nick Park has created two iconic (and loveable) characters from plasticine. I much prefer the traditional side of animation, hand drawn and stop-motion. However, I also like the use of mixing traditional with digital cut-out animation; for exaple, creating backgrounds and characters traditionally and then digitally animating them on a computer programme (such as Adobe After Effects).
Kirsty E. Smithson
Snow White, Sketch 'Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' (1937) is one of my favourie animations. My favourite scene is when she (Snow White) runs away from the huntsmen into the dark forest. You may have noticed how much I love drawing trees and enchanted forests!
Set Design
I created this woodland backdrop and set for a stop motion animation.
I love designing the sets to build a whole new world, whether it’s based on a real place or something from my imagination!
I also really love creating the concept art which is used for the visual development of the film before it’s completed. It’s what you imagine the final product will look like, even before it’s made into an animation. (This is to help the animators get the mood right for the final product).
The process of post-production (the final stage of the animation) is also enjoyable; editing the film together and putting the images with sound to create the finished product. It’s amazing what you can do with just a pen, paper and a camera!
I’m hoping to create some more animations in the near future so keep posted!
I studied animation and design at the University of Sunderland; I really enjoyed it and made some life long friends there. I have since returned to my hometown in Lincolnshire. Although at the moment my main focus is my illustrations, I would love to get back into animation given the opportunity. Whether it is the pre-production side (character design, backgrounds, concept art, storyboarding etc.) or the animating itself!
Skills and Materials · Watercolour Painting · Fineliner Graphic Pens · Adobe Photoshop · Animation · Storyboarding · Drawing · Concept Art · Background Design · Traditional and Digital Painting · Adobe After Affects · Adobe Premiere · Mixed Media · Character Design · Illustration · Video Editing · Pre Production · Post Production · Stop Motion Animation · Prop Making · Sculpting · Paverpol · Clay · Art · Charcoal Pencils · Watercolour Pencils · Acrylic Painting · Digital Cut-out Animation · Logo Design · Poster Design · Adobe Illustrator · Adobe Flash · Card Making · Felt Making ·