Illustrator and animator Rune Fisker creates messy, dynamic scenes that are full of color and movement. Based in Copenhagen, where he runs his own animation company, Benny Box, alongside his brother Esben, he has collaborated with giants like Apple, Google, The New Yorker, and the New York Times.
Explaining the difference between animation and illustration, Fisker says that with the former, a lot more preparation is required. “First of all you have to plan what parts of the illustration you want to move, and keep in mind that it has to loop,” he explained in an interview with The Association of Illustrators. “All of this has to be thought out in the sketch phase so you don’t end up with an illustration that looks good as a still but doesn’t work as a moving piece.”
On the other end, when you make a traditionally still illustration you can “have a super big mess of digital layers without it being a problem.” It all boils down to the movement itself. “With an animated illustration, there’s one more step after you have made illustration: making it move, so it’s important to have all the elements divided into a neat layer structure which you can then bring into After Effects,” Fisker explains.
Still, judging by his portfolio, movement seems to be the driving force throughout his work, be it still illustration or animation. His creations invite the viewer inside, calling his attention to the invisible movement that seems to takes place within his colorful landscapes.
Take a look for yourself.
