Promoting Good Animation
An animation I’m promoting is Brush: A Fox Tale, which is a short film by Willi Anton and Faustina Arriola. I really love this animation for its adorable character designs and its use of textures. The story is of two foxes who are neighbors, one being a painter and the other being a baker, the painter having a crush on the baker. In his lovesick state he paints a portrait of his neighbor and makes every attempt to hide his art from her.
An element in particular that I found interesting was the use of mixed animation techniques within the video. While most of it is standard CGI, the film also includes elements of 2D techniques, brought in at 0:53, when the spirits of the fox’s paintings come to life.


The interaction between the two mediums flows together very seamlessly, especially at 1:17 as the flame lifts off the painting and the light reflects from the 2D flame onto the CG background.

These creatures represent the painter fox’s internal struggle between whether or not he should reveal his feelings to the baker fox. He puts his heart into his work and so his heart is pulling him towards his neighbor, while his insecure self is the one holding him back.
This interaction also ties into the animation’s use of textures. Despite being a toony style, all the fur, grass, and different materials have a very realistic appearance to them, which serves to give the story more life and add a feeling of warmth to the environment. In turn, this places more of an emphasis on the visuals of the narrative, so the lack of dialogue between the characters does not detract from the video.

By the end of the video, the painter swallows his insecurities and shows the baker his portrait of her. In return, she holds out a plate of cookies in the shape of hearts, revealing she reciprocates his feelings.
Overall the animation remains wholesome throughout the entire viewing. It has a good message about not being ashamed of your feelings and an art style that creates distinct characters that the audience can relate to, as everyone has once battled with their own thoughts.

