Animation: 10 Artists and Animation Studios to Follow

Animation has always intrigued me. I was often glued to the television set, admittedly when I was supposed to be doing more constructive things, but the allure of well drawn artwork, as well as a good story, always had the power to keep my attention when nothing else would. In fact, I still find myself drawn to animation, no pun intended, even as an adult.

Animation has changed over the years with the rise of computer generated animation, but the intrigue is still there. Regardless of the medium, many viewers young and old line up at theaters across the country to see the next blockbuster animated film time and again. We’ve seen the quality of writing and visual appeal increase as star studded teams are assembled on big budget projects, along with independent artist with not so generous budgets. The playing field is wide open, and the level of skilled animators showcasing their creations makes the end results breathtaking.

One of the reasons skilled animators have been successful is because new platforms have become accessible thanks to web communities that are able to sustain a fan base. You Tube and Vimeo for example, have made big changes in animation, making it possible for animators big and small to generate buzz around their projects. A simple search on this generation’s TV set will return several unique animations from all across the globe. Give it a try. You may be surprised at what you’ll find. Here are a few animators you may want to include in your list of favorites, as well as a few videos to keep you entertained on your coffee break.

10 Animators and Animation Studios to Follow

1. DreamWorks Studios has been producing the highest quality animation since 1994. By 2004, the studio was often producing CGI films at a rate of two feature films a year. Some of my personal favorites are Shrek and Kung Fu Panda. Below you’ll find a video of another DreamWorks film, “Rise of the Guardians,” due for release November 21st.

2. Homestar Runner The quirky characters in this online web series will keep you laughing for hours, making web based shows the new rising stars. My favorite segment is Strongbad Email, where the unabashedly, strange character known as Strongbad, wearing his signature wrestling mask and boxing gloves, manages to answer the emails of his legions of fans while typing with boxing gloves on. This animation series uses Macromedia Flash animation, another terrific medium for cartoons in the digital age. You can follow one of the creators of this cartoon, Matt Chapman, on Twitter.

Here’s a clip from Strongbad’s Email segment entitled Trevor the Vampire. Enjoy!

3. Shamoozal Follow artist Philip Summers as he updates his Nerdlog, as he refers to it, which includes a series of blog posts with pencil drawn time lapse videos and flash animation. Philip is smart and an avid gamer, which is not surprisingly the primary subject matter of the site. His video logs are intelligent, his posts are well written, and his videos are entertaining, even educational. You can also follow him on Twitter @shamoozal where he shares his thoughts on art and tweets his most recent content. He is also the creator of Read Only Memory. Watch a short clip from the series below.

4. Ryan Woodward Fellow pencileer Ryan Woodward creates amazing 2D artwork, and his YouTube channel is absolutely breathtaking. He even did a music video for a band I consider pretty darn good, The Weepies. Here’s a penciled version of that video, “Thought of You.” I also enjoyed the video below, because it reminded me of a story that my son might tell me. It’s a creative and adorable little tale of aliens and robots. Hope you enjoy it.

5. Flash Cartoon Studios The next video comes from flash animator Lavalle Lee, self described as, “White collar by day, flash animator by night.” The following clip, “Vinnie “the chik” Costello,” is almost like Good Fellas meets the barnyard.

6. James Lee Animation The next artist describes this video as, “an epic animated short film about explosions and robots.” I couldn’t have given it a better synopsis myself. You’ll enjoy the story of Tarboy, narrated by one creepy grandfather, who shares this frightening bedtime story with little Billy.

7. Lauren Faust is an artist with well over a decade of experience as an animator.What animation list would be complete without her inclusion? Lauren has achieved great and well-deserved distinction in her field. She’s known most notably for her work with My little Pony: Friendship is Magic and Powerpuff Girls.

My Little Pony has also has also been known for the movement known as bronies, or adult and teen males who are avid fans of the show. Rumor has it that even former Marines watch the show with their five year old sons.

Enjoy the clip below, and let’s hope that Lauren will continue creating great work in animation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhCh1q8_vAg

8. Disney/Pixar Pixar has always been a favorite of mine, and I have watched them grow over the years. It was hard not to be sad at the end of Toy Story 3. I’m man enough to admit it. They’re well known for their great story lines as well as their attention to detail, visually.

Pixar is undoubtedly one of the premiere CGI animation studios, one that continues to bring family favorites to the big screen each year. Keep watching and enjoy this classic clip. Party on Partysaurus!

9. Ryan Hayford, is an artist based in the Bay Area, he has a YouTube channel called Top Notch Animation. This video brings together three of my favorite things: Music, Comic Books, and Rock and Roll. The video is for the band Maldroid. It enjoyed a great deal of viral success, garnering well over 1.5 million views!

10. Carlos Lascano A creative minded man with many talents, Carlos writes, does photography, and enjoys animation. His pencil work is amazing, and it’s his creative vision that stands out most. The story told here in such a short time, shows the power of superb, narrative and images coming together at once.

Who are some of your favorite animators? Tell us in the comments section below. Also, why not submit your own videos to us here at Pencils.com? Maybe your content will find it’s way onto Studio 602.