Drawing…its good for doodlers of all ages.

Drawing,…its good for doodlers of all ages.

If you were to ask a Cast Member at the Disneyland Resort what the most popular guest attractions are, you are probably going to hear them recite the four mountains; Space, Splash, Thunder, and Matterhorn.  Though they come as no surprise, the four are not only some of the oldest attractions at the park they themselves have also become representatives of each land within the park and a symbol of Disneyland itself. While most guests at Disneyland and Disney ‘s California Adventure will tell you their favorite attractions are one of the mountains, Indy, Small World, Soarin’ over California, and and Pirates of the Caribbean, I would have to say that my favorite ride isn’t one of these (and it’s not because I am an attractions host, don’t worry). In fact, my favorite attraction isn’t even a roller coaster or even have a moving vehicle. It’s inside a building that is often overlooked in the Hollywood section of Disney’s California Adventure. Do you recognize it?

It’s called Animation Academy, and it’s located inside of the Disney Animation Building in Disney’s California Adventure park. If you haven’t been on the attraction, it is definitely a must see the next time you journey to the park. The Animation Academy “provides a step by step instruction on how to draw some of your favorite Disney characters as well as learn tricks and techniques on how to draw some of your favorite Disney characters.” I completely adore the attraction, not just from an animation-lover standpoint, but also for what it’s main purpose is for; to educate and teach guests the fundamentals of drawing, the basis for all animation. I love going there and watching guests being exposed to the world of animation and seeing them so proud of the work they accomplish in that short, short drawing class.

We all learn to crawl before we walk, to learn our ABCs before we spell our name, and to think before we speak (well, some of the time). Just like the basic fundamentals of learning, the same thing happens for artists. Drawing serves as the fundamental for all you do. Having never been classically trained in the arts until arrival to college, I was always skeptical of the way art was “taught” in art books I had bought previously. However, I can safely say that now I have been able to essentially see the light in regards to the importance of drawing fundamentals.

When you take any form of drawing class, you go way back in time to your infancy. Drawing is all about the shapes. It’s about the simple circle, oval, square, rectangle, and triangle. When you are learning to draw, these shapes become the most important foundation for anything that you do.  For instance, in the Animation Academy at DCA the animator always starts off explaining the rules of “animating”

1. There is no eraser, so draw lightly
2. Draw simple shapes

These simple shapes you keep building and building off of until you get something like this: a character.

In fact, drawing is all around us. We use drawing and its fundamentals for literally everything we do. Architects use rectangles to build houses, animators use circles to build faces, the list goes on and on. The necessity for drawing is something that is ne
ver going to go away. Drawing allows us to quickly and efficiently express our thoughts and feelings. These quick renderings can also be used to quickly tell an audience a story point in the story process of animation.  All directional maps, posters, signs, logos, and Da Vinci paintings all started with drawing.

It is important to mention that drawing doesn’t necessarily mean drawing with a pencil. Any way you look at it, drawing is drawing. It is an art form that will never truly disappear just as long as humans are as creative as they have been for centuries. I have forced my friends to wait in line with me in the animation building for their academy for over an hour before. I have found that each time someone new goes with me they present that they cannot draw to try and justify their final product before they even begin the class. Though, without fail, each and everytime I have gone with a new guest to the attraction they have left that ride queue grinning from ear to ear, treasuring their masterpiece.

It is because of this that I believe everyone can draw. Anyone can learn the fundamental basics of drawing, and with enough practice (and a lot of Disney Animation Classes) drawing can get easier. Drawing has always become before the computer, and I believe that it is art’s greatest gift to the world.

Do you think that drawing is an important part of the digital arts? Is it necessary to be able to draw even without a career in art?