LJHT Final Major Project: John Watkiss

John Watkiss has worked on a number of films as a concept artist developing art for films such as Disney’s Tarzan, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow and his latest project Sherlock Holmes. His aim is to capture the essence of the world of the subject from characters, environments and props, in the form of concept art creating the foundation for production artists and film directors to work from. As Watkiss himself puts it, he gets paid to ‘dream, imagine and inspire’.

I had the honour to meet John Watkiss in person during a lecture here at the university, where he made a presentation of his work for Disney’s Tarzan. The lecture was most inspiring seeing many of his works which are not available on the internet, as well as hearing advice on techniques and the industry. He presents the idea that the human figure is the perfect design icon and inspiration, turning a complex form such as an ear on its side to form the basis of composition to work with. Although, I also found that Disney retains the rights of the work that Watkiss, or any other artist, produced which is stored in an archive for as long as Disney please. Thus, over a hundred paintings by Watkiss produced for Tarzan will most likely never see the light of day again for quite some time. Producing artwork that you will never be able to see again seems a rather dispiriting process.

Contrary to today’s technological emphasis, Watkiss preference in medium is acrylic paints mostly likely due to quick drying time of acrylics to complete many works, as well as the great range of colours it can achieve. Most notably, Watkiss adopts a wide angle composition for his pieces enhancing the drama and focus of his characters.

In this piece in particular of Tarzan swinging through the trees, the composition heightens the sense of movement contributing to a dynamic shot.

Alternatively, Watkiss invites us to see the powerful primeval figure of Tarzan engulfed in the jungle, to the delicate and civilised Jane Porter in the foreground. Individuals from two completely different worlds, the contrast is striking making for dramatic scene filled with tension despite the lack of action.

Overall, I find Watkiss greatly inspiring being foremost in compositing capturing the mood and essence any given scene. I hope to achieve a similar level of depth with my own concept designs, improving my skills in digital media and as an artist myself.

Watkiss also features in two videos on Youtube.com. One advertising Levi jeans while taking the chance to ‘express’ his content for Marcel Duchamp’s ‘Fountain’, and the other presenting his alter ego known as 'Brother Vendi' who reviews some of his previous work. He may seem a bit out of his mind but he speaks some truth, while adding some great humour to his paintings. A bit of fun never hurts anyone.