Quote:
Originally Posted by Triple_R
Honestly, I think that the similarities between the two pictures speak for themselves.
Since you want specifics, though, I'll list some now:
1. The way smiles are drawn are very similar.
2. The way hair is drawn is almost identical.
3. The way eyebrows are drawn are very similar.
4. The way profile shots are handled is almost identical (the very sharp slope on the nose is true for both True Tears characters, as well as Haruhi; Kyon's face-forward nose has a long, solid line too).
5. Foreheads seem somewhat pronounced to me in both pictures.
6. Both use similar lighting and shading affects on hair and clothes and skin.
7. Both have good, solid line work.
8. Both have pretty realistic anatomy and body proportions (other than the eyes of course)
Not every anime puts this sort of detail into their artistic work. Many animes don't aim for realistic anatomy or body proportions at all. These two animes do, in my assessment of them. That shows, in my view, that there are similarities in the overall approach and style of the two animation studios under discussion here.
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while character design forms part of what is perceived as an art style, it does not encompass all that is to know about the artwork. At least in the two pictures, there are differences in color palette, composition and balance, which are far more distinctive and easier to draw comparisons from.
2. not really, the presence of shadow shapes, at the least in the screenshots, is minimal in True Tears; whereas it occupies 3/4 of Haruhi's hair. I cannot remember if that was the case for the rest of the series, but I think it was. That should count for a difference, too.
6. not really, I think it's pretty obvious that the first one follows a light logic: the spotlight on the lower right indicates that light moves to the left. The clothing and the skin address this light logic---shadows to the left, light to the right---and this is further accentuated by the gradation and the strong dark on the left. In the second picture, however, it's not very clear where the light is coming from, and thus, light logic is missing. I think it counts for a major difference about how light and shadows are handled in the two pictures.
7. which does not necessarily apply only to these works.
8. I'm not sure if you can tell whether or not they have "realistic" body proportions if you can only see the upper half of the body, or just the faces... =_= (just saying)
I'm not sure if we can speak of a comparison or similarity taking those details into account, they are not precisely distinctively similar in my view.
and so, the point you are trying to make is that Kyoani and PA Works address "realistic proportions", and that's why they are similar in approach and style. I don't really agree with it, when it comes to the artwork and character designs there's a lot more involved in their creation. Kyoani's style is very distinctive and interpretative when it comes to the visual presentation of the characters; there's a certain emphasis on addressing the gesture of the movement through shapes and lines. I have never thought of the figures as stiff; you can sort of feel the dynamics of their bodies, how the limbs twist in space. This I believe is part of their style, which sincerely speaking, I haven't quite seen in PA Works. The closest may be Yamakan's Kannagi, but even that has its differences as well.
On the other hand, if I have to say something about Kyoani's artistic style is the way they address light and create a mood in the process, which has been a constant trait in all their works. By this I mean how they depict a particular scene: the time of the day, the lighting (fireplace, artificial, sunlight, moonlight, etc) the season they are in; and whether it's indoor or exterior, there's a great level of detail put into the background, but not only that, they develop a mood, an atmosphere as well, which is very difficult to achieve. Episode 18 of Kanon comes to mind, how, during the fountain scene, the lighting constantly changes to reflect the emotions of the characters; or how the moonlight seeps into the corridors of the school, creating a mysterious place where Mai is waiting for the main character. if we take an example of their most recent work, I think it's interesting to see how they continue to perfect this style, how they can create a warm afternoon in the K-on clubroom, again, playing with the lighting to create a soothing atmosphere.