Solid Drawing

Term from Animation Storyboarding industry explained for recruiters

Solid Drawing is one of the fundamental principles of animation that shows an artist's ability to create characters and objects that appear three-dimensional on a flat screen. It's like making drawings that look like you could reach out and touch them, even though they're just 2D images. This skill helps make animated characters feel more real and believable. When looking at resumes, you might see it referred to as "volumetric drawing" or "dimensional drawing." It's considered a crucial skill for animators and storyboard artists because it helps them create convincing characters from any angle.

Examples in Resumes

Applied Solid Drawing principles to create dynamic character poses for animated series

Trained junior artists in Solid Drawing and Volumetric Drawing techniques

Utilized Solid Drawing skills to develop storyboards that effectively conveyed depth and dimension

Typical job title: "Animation Artists"

Also try searching for:

Character Designer Storyboard Artist Animation Artist 2D Animator Layout Artist Background Artist Visual Development Artist

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you approach teaching solid drawing principles to junior artists?

Expected Answer: A senior artist should explain their mentoring approach, including breaking down complex forms into simple shapes, demonstrating perspective techniques, and providing constructive feedback methods.

Q: How do you ensure consistent solid drawing quality across a team's work?

Expected Answer: They should discuss creating style guides, review processes, and maintaining quality standards while managing different artistic styles within the team.

Mid Level Questions

Q: How do you use solid drawing principles in storyboarding?

Expected Answer: Should explain how they maintain character consistency, create clear staging, and show depth in their panel drawings to help convey the story.

Q: Can you explain how you approach drawing a character from multiple angles?

Expected Answer: Should describe their process of understanding basic forms, using construction lines, and maintaining character proportions from different viewpoints.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What are the basic principles of solid drawing?

Expected Answer: Should mention understanding basic shapes, form, perspective, and how to create the illusion of weight and volume in drawings.

Q: How do you practice improving your solid drawing skills?

Expected Answer: Should discuss regular sketching practices, life drawing, studying form and perspective, and using reference materials.

Experience Level Indicators

Junior (0-2 years)

  • Basic understanding of form and perspective
  • Simple character construction
  • Basic understanding of light and shadow
  • Ability to draw basic shapes in perspective

Mid (2-5 years)

  • Strong character construction from multiple angles
  • Accurate perspective in complex scenes
  • Consistent character proportions
  • Dynamic pose creation

Senior (5+ years)

  • Advanced character and environment construction
  • Teaching and mentoring abilities
  • Complex scene composition
  • Style adaptation and maintenance

Red Flags to Watch For

  • Unable to draw basic shapes in perspective
  • Inconsistent character proportions
  • No life drawing experience
  • No understanding of form and volume
  • Cannot maintain character consistency across different poses