You and I

During my childhood I was fascinated by animation. Not only was animation the deciding factor in what inspired me to become an artist, but it was also a great source of enjoyment. And like many I waited eagerly for Saturday so I can watch my favorite shows. While not many animations surpassed my obsession with Dragon Ball Z, a couple have remained all-time favorites. The Lion King, and Tarzan.

I liked The Lion King because it is part of my most earliest of memories. When I was very young, my mom would take me to see my Aunt, a lover of animals who happened to have a kitten called Saber. Saber was a bright orange, long haired, feisty little cat who I got to play with every visit. This cat reminded me a bit of a lion because of his long hair. And when my Aunt introduced me to this movie that also had this bright orange cat that was also a Lion, I was instantly hooked. It became a movie that on every visit, Saber and I watched.

Tarzan is a movie that I was introduced to as an older boy. It was one of the animations to help inspire me to become an artist because of how life-like and impressive the animation was. Specifically, I liked how Tarzan moved through this beautifully painted jungle in such dynamism.

I almost didn't enter this contest as I was having a hard time getting an idea that I liked. Luckily though, I thought of these two movies in bed. My entry contains references from a single scene in both movies. For the Lion King, I was inspired by the scene where Simba gazes into the water and sees the reflection of his father. This scene had significance because it is where Simba realizes that his passing father lives in him. Even though they are not connected physically, they remain in each others hearts. For my picture, I wanted to have a similar scene, but instead of seeing his father, Spot sees Arlo. The inspiration I gained from Tarzan is where Tarzan first meets Jane and discovered that she is just like him. This scene is powerful because it invokes a strong sense of realization and self discovery. Specifically, I drew reference from the way Tarzan looks at Jane. The way Glen Keane animated the eyes were so powerful, that I tried to capture that in Arlo's eyes.