Dan Helle

If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted? (Email, Webpage)

www.crylic.blogspot.com .

What type of tools or media do you use?

I keep it real, Col-erase pencil and paper. I occasionally will clean
up and color in Flash. I've also been known to pull out a brush pen
now and again, but I've still got a lot to learn with it.

Where is the place you would like to work or be an Intern if you had a choice?

Well the obvious choice would be Pixar, everyone says that but only
because it's true. It truly is where everyone wants to be (that I
know.) With so much talent and inspiration there why would you want
to be anywhere else. So yeah, Pixar, 'nuff said.

Who do you think are the top character designers out there?

Well I gather the most inspiration from those that have a unique
handle on there craft, that aren't doing what everyone else is doing
and really pushing design. That said, my top's right now are Chris
George, Joel Trussell, Robin Mitchell, Matt Williames, Jamie Hewlett,
Sergio Pablos, Jared Chapman, Gene Blakefield, Willie Real, Scott
Morse...the list goes on but that's definitley my top ten in no
particular order.

What are some of your favorite character designs which you have seen?

Well again, the guys in my top ten are consistently pushing the
envelope for what makes a great appealing design. Chris George's
Sheena and Lucas are a heavy source of inspiration, as are Robin
Mitchell's girls...he uses the most pushed shapes and poses and I love
how you can see all the groundwork that's been laid down before he
finally settle's on a drawing. It's so hard to pick cause I see so
much new and fantastic stuff everyday. Doppler from Treasure Planet
is definitley up there, as is Lupin the Third. My range of influence
is so wide that it really is impossible to choose, haha.

What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why?

I really enjoy drawing the ladie's. Big, short, tall, skinny, it
doesn't matter. I like playing with the shapes and seeing what new
and crazy chick's I can come up with. The majority of the girl's I
draw have a backstory, I like playing with there personality and
really developing them before I lay pencil to paper.

What inspired you to become an Artist?

My main inspiration was cartoons, ever since I was a kid Saturday
morning cartoon's pretty much ruled my life. I knew early on in life
that making cartoon's is what I wanted to do. As I got older and my
taste's matured to more quality driven stuff like Disney, it was
simply a choice of finding a good school and applying. Animation is
my life, followed closely by comic's and toy's, I still get up early
every Saturday for the good stuff like Avatar, Billy and Mandy, and
Spongebob.

What are some of your favorite website links that would be relevant to this Blog?

Well I have a ton of link's on my blog of which I keep regular tab's
on and ya'll should too, and the list is constantly being updated. My
fave's though are www.drawn.ca and www.cartoonbrew.com. I'm there
like every half hour checkin' for new stuff, it's a wonder I get
anything done at all






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