Linde Faas

Spring is starting to rear it's little head outside, and since it is such a mild, pleasant day I thought I might share an animation that so wonderfully captures the essence of nature in all its precarious ways.

Please enjoy, Volgens de Vogels (2007) by the young Netherland-born animator, Linde Faas.

It truly is art in motion isn't it? I love the look and feel of the sketchy pencil lines, and the movement of the animals which is so subtle and lifelike. Linde must have carefully studied the various flight patterns of different birds to achieve that effect; even the perspective of their bodies as they fly under and away from the camera is skillfully executed.

I think because it is spring I wish everything were more colorful (even though it seems to be set during late autumn). Despite the monochromatic palette, everything feels light and weightless as seeds and leaves float softly through the air, and silhouetted birds fade into a misty fog.

I like the slow pans. I like the way each delicate tree branch and blade of grass is contrasted sharply against a stark white sky. And I love the lingering moments of stillness suddenly interrupted by a drop of water sliding sinuously down a twig.

Born in Zeist, The Netherlands in 1985, this young animator, Linde Faas, graduated "Cum Laude" with a Bachelor of Design Degree from the Art Academy in Breda in 2008. She is currently working as an Animator, Designer, and occasional Illustrator of children's books (images below).

She has a wonderfully whimsical and atmospheric style; sketchy, dreamy, splattered, and drippy, almost like a Stephen Gammell illustration, but not so disturbing.

Check out Ms. Faas' YouTube page to see more of her creative animations and screen tests. It's obvious she is an extremely talented artist and animator and I hope her work will continue to flourish and receive the exposure it deserves. In the meantime, we may continue to enjoy the lovely detail and nuance she captures in each frame.

~S