tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post1264951826001362389..comments2024-03-18T07:23:32.809-04:00Comments on Gurney Journey: Part 5. Fire & Ice: Living inside PaintingsJames Gurneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-816375417421008282014-12-23T09:46:44.124-05:002014-12-23T09:46:44.124-05:00It is a real shame that the making of film is lost...It is a real shame that the making of film is lost in the faults or salt mines (like they discovered for Elvis films). But hopefully they will find the making of in all it completeness. It's a time capsule.Henry HLFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01129761944771995609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-6140190571740345042011-10-03T04:57:47.252-04:002011-10-03T04:57:47.252-04:00This has been fantastic, this movie was our first ...This has been fantastic, this movie was our first introduction to you and Kinkade and a lot of us in the animation industry have been curious about your experiences on it. Thanks.Nathan Fowkeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07655333943075965232noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-21756016810660737922011-10-02T19:08:59.806-04:002011-10-02T19:08:59.806-04:00Really entertaining and informative post, Sir!Really entertaining and informative post, Sir!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-73526045096398254172011-10-02T13:27:43.243-04:002011-10-02T13:27:43.243-04:00Thanks for the behind the scenes look... I live fo...Thanks for the behind the scenes look... I live for that kind of stuff.<br />I always use it to inspire myself to keep working when I hit a slump. ;)Claire Vrabelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05475943576588415523noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-49964362246026325682011-10-02T05:37:01.054-04:002011-10-02T05:37:01.054-04:00I really love "Fire and Ice" and have wa...I really love "Fire and Ice" and have watched it for several times. What I especially like is the atmosphere of the movie, which is really special. There are only very few movies at all which deals with this kind of "Low Fantasy", and "Fire and Ice" is probably unique in managing to create a real feeling for the world. The wonderful background paintings are one of the main reasons for this special atmosphere. All those vast jungles and swamps full of dangers and wonders, prehistoric beasts and arcane denizens. Even despite the fact that the story or characters of the movie are not directly based on any story or characters of Robert E. Howard, you can still feel its influence, not only because Frank Frazetta painted many famous covers for his stories (for example for many "Conan" stories), but because it was mainly Howard who imagined this fantastic world of the Hypborean Age. I have to admit that I have still not read that much of his work, but he had an incredible talent to write in a very powerful and epic style, and there is wonderful onomatopoeia in his writings. There are a lot of really trashy illustrations of his stories, but Frazetta was perhaps the first one who really managed to visualize Howard´s visions. To see a whole movie which is made in this way, is just great. <br />Had you also any involvment at the designs for the monsters and critters?Markus Bühlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06516990754952015532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-91214618342920365882011-10-02T00:24:27.263-04:002011-10-02T00:24:27.263-04:00Great series. I saw this in the theatre as a kid....Great series. I saw this in the theatre as a kid. At the time I didn't know who did it or what was really going on but I was mesmerized by the look and the main character with his cool mask. When the DVD came out I bought it right away and really enjoyed the included dvd on frazetta. <br /><br />This movie along with Bakshi's LOTR really left an impression on me and surely contributed to me becoming a professional artist. I have an original Bakshi LOTR poster hanging in my house :) Thanks for sharing, James. Really great reading.Ted Terranovahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12437857789946145168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-45547943719778460602011-10-02T00:04:20.169-04:002011-10-02T00:04:20.169-04:00Want to add my thanks for this series, too! Now I ...Want to add my thanks for this series, too! Now I need to get out my Frazetta books, which I haven't looked at for too long.sfoxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14641207520270872175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-46598829612460583272011-10-01T23:51:26.418-04:002011-10-01T23:51:26.418-04:00James, not Dan! Sorry...had just seen the name Dan...James, not Dan! Sorry...had just seen the name Dan Gurney a few minutes before. My apologies!hakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08896324510960012602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-2536276197750220262011-10-01T20:58:42.515-04:002011-10-01T20:58:42.515-04:00James,
Thank you for taking the time to remember ...James, <br />Thank you for taking the time to remember this experience. I have always loved behind-the-scenes stories and the insights they bring about the creative process. I always underestimate the role that simply having fun plays.Chris Jouanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08064029633068399561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-35098284901480147762011-10-01T19:58:36.178-04:002011-10-01T19:58:36.178-04:00such a wonderful series of posts on this film. i&...such a wonderful series of posts on this film. i'm really happy you took the time to do this posting right! <br /><br />so much wonderful infomation and stories. insight into working with frazetta, hilarious fake thumb story with photo, and a to top it off a photo of thomas kinkade when he was in middle school, haha!<br /><br />awesome!Super Villainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15464419328369980879noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-29438289991612358272011-10-01T18:14:49.141-04:002011-10-01T18:14:49.141-04:00This has been really interesting! Can't help b...This has been really interesting! Can't help but think Disney would have earned a great artist, but that some of the great things you've created independently might not have turned out the way they did! Things happen for a reason, they say. <br /><br />So here's to you having the chance of participating in movies again! I guess we would enjoy that final outcome too.Andrés Carrandihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07309619764987871456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-43819683607526964722011-10-01T15:56:08.012-04:002011-10-01T15:56:08.012-04:00Dan, thanks for sharing these. My brother was one ...Dan, thanks for sharing these. My brother was one of the animators on the film and I've shared these posts with him. Looking at some of the work he shared with us inspired me to try rotoscoping with a super 8 camera when I was a freshman in college. It didn't take long to realize it was a ton of work for one person and the project got put on the back burner to go chase girls!hakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08896324510960012602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-12416477792435903272011-10-01T15:24:20.961-04:002011-10-01T15:24:20.961-04:00These are some fantastic stories! Thanks for shari...These are some fantastic stories! Thanks for sharing them.Eric Haddadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06823963476013177890noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-61537594072486920052011-10-01T14:41:15.431-04:002011-10-01T14:41:15.431-04:00PT Waugh: You're right--Frank didn't talk ...PT Waugh: You're right--Frank didn't talk much about technique, and I think he mostly figured out how to paint the same way--just looking at paintings you like and figuring how to replicate it.<br /><br />William, Thanks for the kind words. <br /><br />Daroo, yes, I wish Bakshi had made more high fantasy and action animated films. It was always a challenge in the days when animation equaled kiddie films in most peoples' minds. <br /><br />I liked your perceptive comments yesterday about the annoying look that rotoscoping sometimes gets when it's not done well. The same thing happens with photo reference for illustrators (I've been guilty of it), and with motion capture when it takes us into that uncanny-valley feeling that we're looking at a mask of something, not a real thing. Artistry wins out with any technique.<br /><br />And no, we didn't do any other maquettes that I can think of--the time was just too tight.<br /><br />Diane, Yes, cel vinyl is very opaque and kind of creamy. It comes in bottles with spout tops. It comes in many colors that you choose from a color chart, rather than by pigment name as I recall. It works great either for painting with flat colors or for gradated passages, which is what we were doing.James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-69793286246680035752011-10-01T14:27:06.681-04:002011-10-01T14:27:06.681-04:00I've really enjoyed these posts, and wondered ...I've really enjoyed these posts, and wondered about the paint you used for the backgrounds. I have just heard about cel-vinyl acrylics, and I wonder if you used them and how they compare to regular liquid acrylics. I know you mostly work in oils, now, but I've been looking for some really opaque liquid acrylics and wondered if these might be good. Can they be used to render images, like the backgrounds you did, or are they really only good for flat colors like on traditional animation cels?Diane Dawson Hearnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02230481088873517242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-81951705111607141222011-10-01T11:59:23.421-04:002011-10-01T11:59:23.421-04:00Great series -- and very poetic entry. I'm goi...Great series -- and very poetic entry. I'm going to have to re watch Fire and Ice and give the BGs a closer look.<br /><br />With all the live action reference he shot for this, I'm surprised he didn't include any model work a la the old Fleischer method of painted backdrops and models on a big lazy susan. My understanding was that he was a big Fleischer fan. <br /><br />Did you guys use any other maquettes as reference besides your awesome but temperature challenged throne?<br /><br />I wish Bakshi had gotten to make more films. Animated action films might be a bigger, more successful genre.Daroohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02269629297022511462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-77436218307231298292011-10-01T11:06:01.210-04:002011-10-01T11:06:01.210-04:00"When it’s all over, there’s nothing left but..."When it’s all over, there’s nothing left but the shadows." Well James the actual art may be gone, but that's a small price isn't it, for all the artist who were inspired by it. I was only 1 when Fire and Ice came out (wow where do the years go), so I was to young to remember it. I was old enough though at 10 to remember when Dinotopia came out, and I still consider it one of the biggest influences in my pursuing a career in art, and I'm sure I'm just one of thousands of similar stories. As always, thank you for your work.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16565022224645774512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-71000668098745956482011-10-01T10:15:40.002-04:002011-10-01T10:15:40.002-04:00I'm really liking this series of posts. I watc...I'm really liking this series of posts. I watched Fire & Ice online last winter. I like the movie because it marks an intersection in several artist's careers. While Frazetta's career was winding down, James' was just taking off. <br /><br />I got a documentary called Painting with Fire last Christmas. It covers a lot about Frazetta's life, but never really touches on his techniques. I found that the only way to discover how he painted is by staring at his work for hours on end.P.T. Waughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09501504337118894010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-63973516153849625332011-10-01T08:55:58.125-04:002011-10-01T08:55:58.125-04:00Armand, after Fire and Ice, Disney studios called ...Armand, after Fire and Ice, Disney studios called me up and offered me a job in their background department. But by then Jeanette and I had committed to moving to New York and freelancing, so we made the same kind of move you did.James Gurneyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870848001990898499noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-57630693367959773932011-10-01T08:37:33.801-04:002011-10-01T08:37:33.801-04:00Jim,
Given your comment about how much you enjoye...Jim,<br /><br />Given your comment about how much you enjoyed seeing your work come alive on the screen. Did you pursue more movie jobs after that or did you decide you would rather be an illustrator?armandcabrerahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01772142818316748471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2999230124118604245.post-87677885336206344902011-10-01T08:04:04.345-04:002011-10-01T08:04:04.345-04:00Living inside your paintings? I love it!Living inside your paintings? I love it!MrCachethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17380421021822593083noreply@blogger.com