Researching Pieces of animation that have used multi-media techniques like Hayao Miyazaki.

Studio Ghibli often blends traditional hand-drawn animation with subtle mixed-media techniques, incorporating watercolour backgrounds, painterly textures, in a way that feels seamless. Films like The Tale of the Princess Kaguya push this further with expressive, sketch-like brushstrokes, creating a raw, textured feel that enhances the storytelling. Seeing how Ghibli uses multimedia so effortlessly is what originally inspired my idea. I love how their use of texture and hand-crafted elements makes their worlds feel so rich and alive.

Father and Daughter By Michael Dudok.

Father and Daughter is such a beautifully simple yet powerful film. The way Michael Dudok de Wit uses soft charcoal shading gives it this dreamlike, almost nostalgic atmosphere that perfectly matches the story’s themes of time, love, and loss. The animation flows so effortlessly, there’s no harshness, just smooth, natural transitions that feel like memories unfolding. Without any dialogue, everything is told through movement, light, and shifting landscapes, which makes it even more emotional.

I think part of why I connect with this film so much is because I to be quite skilled with charcoal (a long long time ago), and seeing how it’s used here makes me want to explore it again. There’s something about the softness of the medium that allows for such expressive movement. I love how the textures in Father and Daughter aren’t overly controlled—they shift and evolve in a way that feels organic, adding to the film’s emotion rather than just acting as a backdrop. I’d love to bring that kind of fluidity into my own work, using charcoal’s natural smudging and erasure to create motion.

I’m still figuring out whether I want to go fully traditional or experiment with digital charcoal brushes, but either way, I think this is the perfect chance to revisit a medium I used to love and see how it translates into animation.

Link to the film: https://youtu.be/wTIkvwwC23A

Ryan By Chris Landreth.

This Oscar-winning short blends realistic 3D with a painterly, scratchy texture that gives it a hand-drawn, charcoal-like quality. The mix of digital and traditional elements makes the animation feel expressive.

What really stands out to me is this particular section where mixed media is used to create constantly shifting, evolving characters. The way designs smoothly transition into one another feels so fluid and effortless, making each change feel natural rather than abrupt. I love how the movement isn’t just about motion but transformation.

I want to explore a similar approach in my animation, especially when transitioning between different mediums. Finding a way to make these shifts feel organic, rather than like hard cuts, is something I’d love to experiment with—using texture and movement to guide the viewer through each change.

ScreenRecording_02-17-2025 2-17-48 pm_1.mov

Link to the film: https://youtu.be/nbkBjZKBLHQ