Intentional Research
A few months ago, I had a college assignment to create a piece of artwork in the style of an artist of my choice. I chose the Disney watercolour artist, Mary Blair. Famous for her watercolour paintings in Disney movies such as Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella, as well as the Disney theme park ride 'Small World'.
As part of my intentional research, I researched several sources. I watched the ‘Imagineers’ documentary on Disney Plus, read several books and journal posts such as ‘Magic Color Flair: The World of Mary Blair’. Beyond just examining her art, I intentionally researched the context of her work in the mid-20th century, exploring the design and animation trends that she was both a part of and reacted against.
Accidental Research
My passion for watching anime enables a lot of accidental research. Without actively studying it, I can absorb information from the shows I love. I have built an internal library of how different artists use dynamic camera angles to heighten action scenes, how minimalist backgrounds can emphasise a character’s emotional state, and how specific colour palettes can define a mood. It wasn’t until I started sketching for a new project that I realised this wealth of visual data was influencing my choices.