Why is the color in cartoons.......?

Question

Why is the color in cartoons of the objects that move different from the color of the background? Like a door or a cupboard that opens, for example, they have a different shade of color from the rest of the background, why can't they just match it? I can't believe they still do this with the newer cartoons.

Answer 1

Matching colors takes time. Time is money. Kids don't care.

Some animators take great pains to match color. Take a good look at Disney's Pinocchio when you get a chance. Not only are the colors matched perfectly, the cells were drawn not only with black lines, but also with blue, brown and white edges. Figaro, the cat, has airbrushed whiskers, one cell at a time.

Can't really paint all the animators with the same brush - those who do it for love of the art match things so well that you don't even pay attention to it.

Answer 2

Well, here's my speculation on it:

Let's take that example you use above..say a cupboard door. Okay, as we all know, the background (like, the rest of the cupboard) has been done by a background artist; because this part of the animation does not have to move, it is usually drawn with details such as texture, shadow. It is a *set* component. Meanwhile, the door that has to actually *move*, and the object of the animator(s) is to do so in a way where the door itself looks consistent for all of the shots.

If the door were to to be textured (like the grain of the wood), that texture would have to be correctly rendered for Every Angle, all of the (be)tween positions that the cupboard door will be seen in. Just to animate this object and it's shape changes for this simple movement in a way that is smooth, logical and fluid is difficult enough in itself without the extra burden of drawing/painting in the texture to properly for each successive frames. I've actually *never* seen it done perfectly even when it was attempted.

This is also why if you pay attention to a characters outfits, they're most usually dressed in clothing with all in solid, consistent colors that are laid out in primative shapes instead of complicated patterns; characters faces (most obviously in anime) are done with the least amount of lines/details possible.

Which is probably what has been leaning animation towards 3D: instead of drawing a character endless times from countless positions, all an animator has to do is build the character *once* and from then on pose/move the character with full freedom knowing that the computer is going to do the rest of the work. Along with new opportunities, the technology has introduced new challenges, as CGI animation still lacks the warmth and fluidity of line drawn animation; a lot of animators are gradually becoming preferrential to using the best of both worlds, like quite a few Japanese animators who choose to make stuff like buildings and mecha rendered with 3D modeling but continuing to continue character animation in line.

Oh well.. I'm babbling.. but that's just my take on it.

Answer 3

Actually anything computer done these days is likely to not have any difference, but anything done in traditional 2D that is hand colored may often have the difference because the moving part is used in multiple frames and may be hard to keep perfectly matched each frame. There may be more then one person who does the color of that segment. On top of that, and probably the biggest factor, the industry has people, the main animators, who do the "key frames," the main actions, and the in-betweeners who do all the frames in between the main actions (i.e. key framers animate character throwing an object, in-betweeners do the walk sequence of the character to go pick it up), and are different people working on the same segment of animation frames, possibly many. It's even possible the color difference may be done on purpose because of that, just to make it easier.

Answer 4

While I agree with you that the very first static frame or "cel" of the door could have been drawn more complex and matched with the background over which it is superimposed, I guess the animators consider the jump from "drawn-out door" to "cartoonish door" the moment it starts moving more noticeable than a door that is cartoonish to begin with. Or it could be that drawings on the cels, which are sheets of transparent plastic, are done with different tools than backgrounds, which are painted with acrylics, and therefore can't be matched exactly. I think the modern computer-animated cartoons don't have that "he's going to pick up the third cup from the left!" feeling any more.

Answer 5

The difference in color comes from the process used to animate cartoons.

The scene is separated into to parts:

1. The 'dynamic' (moving) objects, (characters, weapons or tools, and anything the characters might use, such as doors, window, trunks)

2. The 'static' (still) portions (walls, windows trees, horizon).

If you watch a cartoon by the WB (especially Tom & Jerry) you can see this, also Scooby Doo is a great example.

This comes from the fact that if it is the same in one or more frames do you really want to redraw it twice? (The answer: NO).

Answer 6

hey i noticed that too, i didnt think anyone esle ever did. yeah it was funny i could always predict what was going to move.