How to use this Page

A little journey through a forest full of creatures looking for a snack.

The post ‘Casse-croûte’ by Burcu Sankur and Geoffrey Godet appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Franck Dion talks about the making of his poetic film "The Head Vanishes."

The post Franck Dion On The Journey Making The Oscar-Shortlisted ‘The Head Vanishes’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

In a year full of remarkable animated features, one of the most sublime and original ones is about to launch.

The post The One-Man Masterpiece ‘The Girl Without Hands’ Will Debut in French Theaters Next Week appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The French animated feature is debuting in the United States on the Steam game distribution platform.

The post French Feature ‘Dofus—Book 1: Julith’ Goes Straight To Steam in the U.S. appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Hugo's mother came back home. The next day, when Hugo wakes up, he finds black feathers scattered all over the house.

The post ‘Chez Moi’ by Phuong Mai Nguyen appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

An artistic improvisation carried out from day-to-day between September 15 and November 15, 2015.

The post ‘Journal animé’ by Donato Sansone appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A video about unsatisfying situations.

The post ‘Unsatisfying’ by Parallel Studio appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A feature film is being planned for 2018.

The post Watch The Teaser Trailer For This Gritty Brazilian Take On ‘Heart of Darkness’ appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

This week, more than 7,000 girls and young women will be infected with HIV.

The post ‘A Question of Circumstance’ by Manach & Bienvenu appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Oscar-hopeful "Long Way North," a hand-drawn adventure film from France, is headed to U.S. cinemas.

The post Watch The New English Trailer For ‘Long Way North,’ Debuting Next Month In U.S. Cinemas appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The sound of paddling pools, ice-cream vans, and sizzling barbecues means but one thing: summer is finally here. We caught up with four of Oxford University Press' most seasoned travelers to see which books they recommend for trips to Thailand, Cambodia, Germany, India, and France.

The post A summer reading list appeared first on OUPblog.

Immersed in the cacophonous routine of work, a man manages to escape by composing his music everyday.

The post ‘Métronome’ by Anna Leterq appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Almost 80,000 people in France showed up for the first week of Michael Dudok de Wit's "The Red Turtle," made in collaboration with Studio Ghibli.

The post ‘The Red Turtle’ Brings In Nearly Half-Million Dollars In First Week in France appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

The producers of the French hit "Intouchables" are aiming for their first animation success.

The post ‘Ballerina’ Teaser Released; Weinstein Co. Will Distribute In The U.S. appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

If you want a preview of the TV shows that European animation companies will be producing over the next few years, Cartoon Forum is the place to be.

The post 80 Animated Series Will Be Presented At Cartoon Forum in September appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

In a plastic world, a man wants to fix his stomach, but perhaps the problem lies elsewhere.

The post ‘3/4 Oz.’ by Romain Peyronnet and Pierre Grillère appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Cartoon Brew presents the Internet world premiere of "Symphony of Two Minds," a CG short unlike any you've seen before.

The post ‘Symphony of Two Minds’ by Valere Amirault (Exclusive Premiere) appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

It's the first European film that Japan's legendary Studio Ghibli has co-produced.

The post Watch the Trailer for Michael Dudok de Wit’s ‘The Red Turtle,’ Debuting At Cannes appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A short experimental piece around the idea of peace.

The post ‘Peace Starts With Me’ by Magali Charrier appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Paris might just be one of the most photographed and filmed cities in the world. But you’ve never seen it like this.

The post ‘Ghost Cell’ Uses Cutting-Edge CG Tech To Reveal A New Side Of Paris appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

A trip abroad =  the perfect opportunity to go book shopping!  While in Paris I spent an afternoon at a bookstore called “Chantelivre,” perusing their delightful collection of picture books and comics/graphic novels. (The latter category, “Bande Dessinée,” are hugely popular in France, for all ages.)

Picture Books on display at Chantelivre

The same titles and names seem to dominate the shelves at my book stores at home, but in France I found lots of new treasures to discover. (There were a couple familiar faces: Mike Curato’s Little Elliot and Oliver Jeffers’ crayon books, and some classics like Max et les Maximonstres, a.k.a. Where the Wild Things Are. )

I was dazzled by this pop-up book by Anouck Boisrobert and Louis Rigaud, Dans la Foret du Paresseaux (In the Forest of the Sloth.)

There's something magical about opening a pop-up book.

The complexity of the pop-up engineering was nicely balanced by the simple geometry of the illustrations. With just a few words, the text made me anxious for the plight of the sloth, who we watch napping as danger nears. The book shows the ravages of deforestation, but it is not without hope.

The saleswoman asked me the age of the child I was shopping for. I explained (slightly sheepishly) that I was just buying books for my own collection. She introduced me to a few French classics, including Gabrielle Vincent’s Ernest et Célestine series:

In this volume, Ernest and Célestine lose Siméon (the stuffed penguin) in the snow.

…And she also pointed out Benjamin Chaud’s Poupoupiadours, which combined whimsical and detailed illustrations with creative use of die cutting. Children could read this book again and again and see new things every time. There are several books in this series and they’re all pretty delightful.

Holy detail, Batman!

I couldn’t resist Franz, Dora, La Petite Fille et sa Poupée by Didier Lévy and Tiziana Romanin for the charming story and elegant illustrations of Berlin in the 1920’s. Franz is none other than Franz Kafka, and the book tells the story of how a chance encounter in the park with a little girl who lost her doll brings a smile back to the girl’s face and helps the disillusioned writer rediscover the joy of creating.

I enjoyed the expressive lines and restraint in the illustrations.

Then there was Le Merveilleux Dodu-Velu-Petit, by Beatrice Alemagna, which was like stepping directly into the weird and wacky imagination of our plucky little protagonist. What is a “Dodu-Velu-Petit,” you say? Why, it’s this pink creature (obviously!) It is described as, among other things, “hairy, inedible and extremely rare.” The creature’s many uses are shown on the page at right. (They translate as follows: pillow, scarf, decorative plant, personal masseur, incredible hat, treasure-collector, domestic help, living sculpture, and paintbrush.) I think this is actually an Italian book translated into French.

My favorite page, showing the many uses of the Dodu-Velu-Petit.

Then there's this fold-out page, where the butcher threatens the little girl with a bloody knife.

Among the Bande Dessinée, I particularly enjoyed Les Carnets de Cerise By Joris Chamblain and Aurélie Neyret for the way that the story alternated between standard comic book cells showing action and scrapbook-like pages showing the protagonist’s journal and sketches. The series follows the eponymous 11-year old, a curious aspiring novelist, on her various adventures. Digital illustrations can sometimes feel a little cold, but in this case the artist did a great job of adding detail and texture to bring the art to life.

I think these books would be a lot of fun for kids in the 8-12 range.

The only problem was finding enough space in the luggage to bring them all home.

When I travel I love to write and sketch during the trip. It takes a bit of effort (and the co-operation of any fellow travelers, who are stuck for 20 minutes while I work) but the sketches capture details that the photographs miss, and the process forces me to take the time to genuinely observe the environment instead of rushing off to the next attraction.

Marée au Mont Saint Michel

Sketching the above scene of the tide coming in at Mont Saint Michel (just before it started to rain.)

These images are from a recent trip to France. Drawing outdoors poses exciting challenges, including distracting crowds of gawking tourists, unpredictable weather conditions, and constantly changing light. It started to rain part way through the above sketch of Mont Saint Michel, and I was forced to quit and finish it later. (I was also afraid I’d drop something off the cliff. It’s hard to tell from the photo  but that ledge is actually convex, so things kept wanting to roll off toward the ocean.)

One easy place to sketch is from your hotel window. Here’s my morning view of rooftops in the medieval heart of Blois, France:

Some artists have portable supplies like folding stools or lightweight easels so they can easily and comfortably paint anywhere. Maybe someday I’ll get my own fancy plein air equipment. For now, it looks like this:  (Notice how I am precariously balancing the palette on my knee. It’s a delicate setup.)

Sketching the Chateau de Chambord. Photo by my patient husband, Jonathan.

My sketch of Chambord. I'm not sure that roof line could get any more complicated.

I’m consistently amazed at the difference in color between my sketches and photographs of the same subject. The photographs tend toward gray, with all color completely lost in the shadowy areas.

Les Faux de Verzy: weird, genetic mutant trees in Champagne.

Incredibly, this is the same tree as above. Maybe I just have an overly colorful imagination?

I noticed so many details while I sketched: birds singing, bumblebees crawling into holes, clouds drifting by, the murmurings of conversations around me. Sometimes I was greeted by a stray cat or had a chat with a local or tourist who also had an interest in art. The sketches don’t always turn out as perfectly as paintings made in a studio, but they’re so much more interesting.

Do you sketch and paint while you travel? Share any tips you have in the comments!

St Malo. The tide changed drastically while I painted this.

Painting the walled city of St Malo.

A student film by Max Litvinov made with gouache and markers.

The post ‘L’Hydre d’Or’ by Max Litvinov appeared first on Cartoon Brew.

Bastien Dubois talks to Cartoon Brew about the challenges of transitioning from an indie filmmaker to a TV series creator.

The post How Bastien Dubois Turned An Award-Winning Short Into A TV Series appeared first on Cartoon Brew.