Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Woman who gives colour to ‘Fancy Nancy Clancy’
When you love what you do, like animation colour stylist Carol Berke, every day at the office is a fun adventure
CAROL Berke is a colour stylist on Disney Junior’s new animation series, Fancy
Nancy Clancy. Want to know what goes into the making of an animated television show? We follow the Disney artist through a day to find out…
MEET FANCY NANCY!
“Fancy Nancy Clancy is an animated series about the adventures of a little girl with big dreams,”says Carol.
“She’s 6 years old and she loves to use her imagination. She loves everything fancy, including fancy words. She’s always saying fun French phrases like ‘ooh-la-la’ and ‘voilà’.”
WELCOME TO WORK!
“I usually walk into work at 9.25am,” confides Carol. “I’m a colour stylist so it’s my job to colour in all the characters and their clothes, as well as any props you see on screen. Each episode is like a huge colouring book and it’s my job to colour in everything!” DISNEY DELIGHTS!
“It’s a dream come true to work at Disney,” explains Carol. “I love the classics like The Lion King and The Little
Mermaid, so it’s the perfect place to work for me.
“My work day officially starts at 9.30am. As soon as I sit down at my desk, I check my emails and I figure out what I’ve got to do for the day.”
READ ON!
“By 10am, I’m busy working on Fancy
Nancy Clancy,” says Carol. “If we’re starting a new episode, the first thing I do is read through the script. I flag anything that mentions a colour.
“For example, the script might mention that Nancy is going to use some glittery fuchsia glue.
CRAZY FOR COLOUR!
“I love the stories and often feel emotional after reading a script. At that point, I can’t wait to colour in Nancy and make what I just read a reality.
“I’m given black-and-white drawings to colour in using my computer.
“It usually takes about two hours to complete a picture.
GRUB’S UP!
“It’s time for lunch at 1pm,” says Carol. “I love our office because it’s so low-key and casual. There are lots of different areas where you can sit down and relax.
“Usually, I’ll bring in a salad from home – or I’ll head to the cereal bar for a snack. It’s great!
BACK TO WORK!
“At 2pm, I head back to work. I love to surround myself with inspirations, which is why I have pictures of Fancy Nancy Clancy and a Nancy doll at my desk. I like to keep it dark at my desk because that helps me with the colours of the show. If it’s too bright, I can’t see the colours clearly, so I close the big curtains that surround my desk.
PROP IT UP!
“We have to create and colour in everything you see on screen. This includes every single prop. The wall is covered in examples of the props in the show, everything from a bouncing ball, or a cute cuddly toy. I’ll often go online to research the colour of a prop. If I’m asked to colour in an old watering can, I’ll look up a picture of a weathered old watering can for inspiration. I’ll look at the rust and how it’s aged.
ART ATTACK!
“My working day usually finishes around 6pm, but I often work later because I’m having so much fun,” admits Carol.
CAROL’S TOP ART TIP!
If you want to mprove your art skills, Carol says: “If you have an artistic bone in your body and want to improve, just keep on drawing. Keep doodling. Never stop! If you’re interested in painting, grab a paintbrush and see what you can do. Look at what colours go well with other colours. Go wild and experiment, and have fun with it.” – Supplied