This week we were introduced to an artist called Genndy Tartakovsky. We were given a classwork activity by our lecturer to do some research on this man. I found out more than I thought about this creator there was so many shows that he did the art style for that I didn’t even know he was apart of such as Hotel Transylvania, Power puff girls. He was also in various animated television series on cartoon network and adult swim!. Including Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack which I didn’t know existed. Star wars: Clone Wars, Symbiotic Titan, Primal and Unicorn: Warriors Eternal. I looked at some of his art work throughout his productions and they are phenomenal. I love how he made every individual character with their own personality. Even the Power puff girls ( Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup) look nearly the same but they all have their different quirks that give them so much life weather if that’s adding different props to the character or colours) that makes the audience so intrigued in the shows and series they are watching.
A bit of Genndy himself and his art style-
Born-
Gennady Borisovich (Genndy) Tartakovosky was born 17th January 1970
Family-
Genndy has Jewish parent his father worked as a dentist and was a very strict old fashioned man but they had a close relationship. His mother, Miriam was an assistant principal at a school. He also has a brother called Alexander who is to years older and he is a computer consultant in Chicago. Before coming to the United States him and his family moved to Italy which was where he first drawn to art he was inspired by a neighbours daughter. It is sayed online that he later commented saying “I remember I was horrible at it. For the life of me I couldn’t draw a circle”.
Education-
Genndy went to Chicago’s Eugine Field Elemtrary scolli the third grade. He found school difficult because he was seen as a foreigner. He then went on to attend Chicago’s prestigious Lane Tech College Prep High School and said he did not fit in until his sophomore year. When he was 16 his father sadly died of a heart attack. So afterwards Genndy and his family then moved to government- funding housing, and he began working while stil attendning High School. To make his family happy which were encoutaging him to become a buinessman Genndy tried to take an advertising class. But signed up late and tereby had little choice over his calsses. He was assigned to take an animation class and this then led him to study at the California Insitite of Arts. He studies there with his friend Rob Rensetti and met Craig McCracken. After 2 years at Calarts Genndy got a job at Lapiz Azul Productions in spain and worked on the animated batman series. He learned the trials of tv animation. While he was away in spain his mother sadly died of cancer.
Genndy Tartakovsky’s art style-
Genndy art style is well known for his distinctive visual style that features exaggerated anatomy, thick, blocky shapes with sharp angular outlines, and characters drawn in a flat, graphic style. His style is one of the most instantly recognisable pieces.
Here are some drawings of his art work below-
I’ve noticed in his art style that the characters have a blocky looking style to them, as you can see in the photos above he makes his characters jaw lines sharp and pointy (angular). In this photo below which I’ve show above. I’ve realised that this character and the character Johnny from Hotel Transylvania (which is the one to the right of the one below) have a simular body style they are both slender and have droopy shoulders and arms, their legs and shoes are also the same.
Lets break down some of the photos-
Like I said before this character from Samurai Jack has a blocky but sharp jawline and chin (angular), his eyes are also boxy looking as does his hair. His shoulders are broad which most male characters do have as males anatomy usually do have broader shoulders that woman. This is because males have more muscle up in this areas than females do. This is great to have in an art style as this helps the audience even young ones to understand and to know that this character is a male as male characters are more buff looking to show that they are big and strong. Samurai Jack does start with a blocky looking head, to broad shoulders to then a small waist, then bringing out the box look again at the bottom to show of his robes.
This one really caught my eye. He has made the characters jawlines are angular which could indicate that the character is evil. He has also made the eyes look dark and baggy , with the characters nose also angular which gives of an unsettling look.
Although that’s not always the case as this character Dracula from Hotel Transylvania also have an angular chin, jawline, is slender is one of the nicest characters. But since in this film Dracula s a protective father and also the owner of the hotel the style is fitting as it shows that he is in charge and he isn’t one to mess with. It later down the story we start to see that Dracula is a kind loving father but this style still fits him very well as since he is a vampire this is how you would imagine a vampire. Tall, skinny, broad in the shoulders. Genndy kept the angular look throughout Dracula’s style as in his cloak the collar of it is pointy and sharp, with his ears and fangs.
Overall Genndy’s art style is amazing! The way he does his style with all of his characters really brings them to life that makes the audience fall in love and feel and bond with the characters. With the facial expressions and the body attitude it makes the audience laugh, feels sympathy and relate to the characters. His style also helps the audience to remember the certain movie or character too!. With his lifestyle and growing up I cant help but sympathise for him since he was a foreigner and going to schools and finding it difficult must of been really tuff on him and losing his father at a young age while still in school, then to lose his mother while away in another country its heart breaking. But he has worked very hard to get to where he has come, to think from him nit being able to draw a circle to award winning movies and series is astonishing. He really is a talented man.