colour blocking

 noun

Definition of colour blocking 

: the use of usually bold and bright blocks of colour in clothing design (Merriam-Webster, 2018)

The term colour blocking is best known from fashion and design, however it can also be applied to many other arts and in this case, animation.

The idea of the colour blocking background is especially of interest to me, as this gives the characters a chance to stand out. One of the examples I have seen that inspires me is the background colourisation of the American cartoon Ed, Edd & Eddy (1999-2009), in which often unrealistic colours are used to fill the background, but where the line work is allowed to be more detailed. 

The idea of having one colour and variations on that colour being the background will help the characters stand out. As I am still in the process of deciding what colours I want to give the characters, this idea of colour blocking might not be feasible. 

Another cartoon which is greatly inspiring to me is Gaston (2009) created by Normaal in France. This series is based on the comic by André Franquin, created in 1957, and one of which I read the Dutch translations when I was younger.

The animated show created base don the cartoon uses a painterly watercolour background, with strong black ink lines. The paper texture is consistent throughout the cartoon, giving the handmade feel to it. 

Within these interiors there is also a sense of colour blocking, with two colour or three colours making up the full backgrounds. The use of limited colours and no gradients helps to keep the characters separate from the background. However, as the characters in these works all have black lines around them to distinguish them, I will need to experiment with these design features. 

Bibliography: 

Merriam-Webster (2018) Colour Blocking. Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/color%20blocking (Accessed: 28 October 2018)

Ed, Edd & Eddy (1999-2009) Created by: Danny Antonucci. USA, Canada: Cartoon Network.

Gaston (2009) Created by: Alexis Lavillat. France: Normaal Animation, MarsuPro.