Risograph Animation

I have always loved animation, and that interest has driven my work in motion graphics and video editing. At the same time, I have been painting watercolor urban landscapes since I graduated from college. A few years ago I decided to explore Risography, and in the process discovered a way to unite these design obsessions.

My process begins by exploring the fascinating landscape of NYC, and in particular, the borough of Queens. I choose locations and paint on site, creating plein air watercolors of the street scenes around me. I scan the paintings, then deconstruct and rebuild them, pulling characters out of the background and animating them in the scene. I render the animation frames, and assemble them in contact sheets.

Next comes printing: I separate the contact sheets into custom Risograph ink colors, then print them at the fantastic facilities of the School of Visual Arts’ RisoLAB. Then I scan the print, re-sequence them in After Effects, and make a final render of the animation.

I have lots of landscape scenes to work on, and there are more to come! I want to make my watercolor paintings accessible beyond gallery walls, bringing them them to life for wide public dissemination.