Nov 13, 2019
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*Lays sexily in front of 3 Calarts faces*
This is simultaneously the worst and somehow best drawing of myself. It hurt me to make and now it’s going to hurt you to look at.
Computer still broked, phone camera is the best I’ve got, sorry
so do we actually have a timeline on when CalArts Face stopped meaning Glen Keane style with DreamWorks eyebrows and started to mean bean smile with slit nostrils? because I thought CalArts Face still meant the former until literally about four months ago, when I mentioned having to work on distinguishing how I draw faces from that mold, and people assumed I meant the latter and I was faintly mortified.
fucking calarts face :/
calarts face posts also totally disregard how the actual ANIMATION of the shows they compare, as well as the backgrounds and pallets, are usually very distinct
theres more to give a show an identity than a main characters goddamn smile
So, here’s me weighing in on the whole CalArts style thing. First of all, I feel like the association is misleading, as lots of people using that style have nothing to do with CalArts, and lots of people going to CalArts don’t favor that style. But that aside…
I do feel like there are a lot of stylistic elements that many cartoons today share. I used to think that it was just the face shape (which has been around since the 1940s, so it’s not exactly a new trend), but a friend of mine pointed out that the “bean shaped mouth” is an essential part of it, which I think is a good observation. So I understand why people consider it a style.
That said, not all versions of this style are the same. If you see a screenshot of a person from Gravity Falls, you’re going to know what series it’s from. You’re not going to turn on Star vs. The Forces of Evil and think that you’re watching Clarence. And as for The Amazing World of Gumball, that whole show is a multimedia experience the likes of which I’ve never seen before.
Which brings me to my next point. Supposedly one of the big problems with using trendy styles is that they make everything look the same, right? And yet, much of the media that uses this style has a diverse array of character designs. Look at all the different body types represented in Steven Universe. Look at all the different varieties of creatures in Undertale. Look at all the different forms of animation used in The Amazing World of Gumball. Just because some characters adhere to popular artistic trends don’t mean that all the characters around them do.
Of course, the fact that this style can be creative and diverse doesn’t mean you have to like it. I mean, if a lot of modern cartoons took on the Ren & Stimpy/Rocko’s Modern Life/Courage the Cowardly Dog style again, that wouldn’t exactly be my cup of tea – not because that style lacks creativity and diversity in character designs (the designs are incredibly creative and diverse) but because I just personally don’t like the way it looks.
In any case, it’s not like having a popular, frequently-emulated style in animation is something new. There have always been trends, and I believe the conventions of today will give way to the next. The original Powerpuff Girls was done in a style that was previously trendy, the reboot will be done in a style that’s trendy today, the anime version is done in a style that’s popular in another country, and perhaps there will be lots of other incarnations of this show that adhere to future trends.
So, yeah, to sum up:
1. CalArts is not strictly this style and this style is not strictly CalArts.
2. There are enough similarities to consider it a style of sorts.
3. Despite these similarities, there are many different, distinctive versions of this style.
4. Shows that use this style for some characters can still have a diverse range of character designs.
5. It’s okay not to like it for whatever reason.
6. This isn’t the first animation trend and it won’t be the last.