tips on drawing in the Bruce Timm style

[FonzHom]

does anybody have tips on drawing in the bruce timm style? as of now i can only draw the "new look" Batman but i want to be able to draw the others both robins, superman, joker, supergirl etc. does anybody have tips?

[James]

I'm not one who has really been a model sheet drawer. I like to get a hint of Timm when I do the DKA work, but I don't analyse his characters to death. So far as the cartoon goes, the DC Cartoon Archive (find it in the hosted sites at the top right of your screen) has loads of model sheets to help you grasp the characters.

Large torso for men, narrow torso for the women. Heavy eyeliner for the ladies, simplistic eyes for the men. Angular qualities and minimalistic details are also themes there.

I would reckon better than tips, go and study the work. His ink work is very different from the simple line of the cartoon cel, worth a look though if you want to learn more.

Some cool artists here who study Timm's work who can offer you something more specific. Salvor, Reverend are two names that spring to mind..

[FonzHom]

do the books, "learn to draw superman" or "learn to draw batman" help or are they gonna tell me things i already know such as proportion?

[screw on head]

do the books, "learn to draw superman" or "learn to draw batman" help or are they gonna tell me things i already know such as proportion?
Having a grasp of proportion is a great thing to have when looking at those books because they really don't help you so much on anatomy. These books do a nice job of breaking the figures down, but they don't necessarily help you on drawing each character's unique anatomy right. Honestly, you can learn just as much looking at Timm pictures from online.

Anatomy can really make or break a drawing drawn in Timm style. If your faces are lumpy or your bodies are disproportionate, drawings in Timm style can look pretty amateurish, so do pay more attention to correct proportions than worrying about getting the curve in the arm just right (first). Draw the skeleton, make sure you're sturdy there, and then start laying in the body and later smoothing it all off to Timm style.

I can't stress that enough, draw your rough skeleton stuff, or in the case of drawing faces, make sure you draw an oval to build the face on. I don't recommend starting with drawing the brows and drawing the nose, and then drawing the curve of the side of his face or doing any of that right off the bat. First draw your rough stuff, and then lightly etch in your lines and feel your way to drawing the figures. I recommend that process to be done a thousand times and then when you've done that, do itanother thousand times :D.

I've found Timm's style to be practice, practice, practice, and infintately more practice. Worry more about getting your rough anatomy right, because drawing his figures right isn't the same as drawing regular anatomy right. It takes a lot of practice to get a feel for all his characters' anatomies. When you start getting your foundation of rough anatomy right, then the curves in the arms, getting the legs right, all of that comes after you work that unique anatomy of his style out...at least that's what I've found and continue to...

[James]

... Screw On Head is another name that springs to mind too now..

I think what he says is all very true. No real short cuts - unless you just want to copy model sheets. Observing, practising and observing.

[FonzHom]

i already know proportion and all that stuff, but what i cant get used to is his way of drawing bodies with all the angular features, and the square jaws.

[Salvor]

Having a grasp of proportion is a great thing to have when looking at those books because they really don't help you so much on anatomy. These books do a nice job of breaking the figures down, but they don't necessarily help you on drawing each character's unique anatomy right. Honestly, you can learn just as much looking at Timm pictures from online.

Anatomy can really make or break a drawing drawn in Timm style. If your faces are lumpy or your bodies are disproportionate, drawings in Timm style can look pretty amateurish, so do pay more attention to correct proportions than worrying about getting the curve in the arm just right (first). Draw the skeleton, make sure you're sturdy there, and then start laying in the body and later smoothing it all off to Timm style.

I can't stress that enough, draw your rough skeleton stuff, or in the case of drawing faces, make sure you draw an oval to build the face on. I don't recommend starting with drawing the brows and drawing the nose, and then drawing the curve of the side of his face or doing any of that right off the bat. First draw your rough stuff, and then lightly etch in your lines and feel your way to drawing the figures. I recommend that process to be done a thousand times and then when you've done that, do itanother thousand times :D.

I've found Timm's style to be practice, practice, practice, and infintately more practice. Worry more about getting your rough anatomy right, because drawing his figures right isn't the same as drawing regular anatomy right. It takes a lot of practice to get a feel for all his characters' anatomies. When you start getting your foundation of rough anatomy right, then the curves in the arms, getting the legs right, all of that comes after you work that unique anatomy of his style out...at least that's what I've found and continue to...Well I couldn't have put it better myself. One of the dangers behind the BT animated style is that it seems so easy at first... I remember, back when I started drawing Batman animated stuff a few years ago, I looked at the animated books and I thought "hey this line work is so simple and clean, I CAN do that"... silly me! I've been practicing this style for years and there's only one rule that applies to it: forget about Bruce Timm. If you don't, you'll use shortcuts, awkward inspirations from his work and forget the very essence of the style. It's all about dynamics, streamlining, making your action and figure drawings as efficient as you can... to do that, you MUST endeavour to go back to the basics, anatomy, perspective etc, draft your figure work with your OWN knowledge of art (and this takes a lot more practice than learning the Bruce Timm style per se), and then streamline it using the Bruce Timm "foundations"... as soh put it, your BT animated drawing will only look good if you already have a good sense of proportions and anatomy. If you don't it WILL show.