Artist Portfolio: Sam Nassour
The Syrian artist tells Gary Evans why it’s important to learn the art rules, then break those rules and find your own voice
The Syrian artist tells us why it’s important to learn the art rules, then break those rules and find your own voice.
Sam Nassour always wanted to work in animation, but Syria didn’t have any good animation schools, so he studied architecture. Sam learned the rules of perspective and the principles of universal design – he liked how architecture combined the laws of science and the basics of art.
As a student, Sam worked in a graphic design studio, and the studio owner taught him Photoshop. Sam learned the dos and don’ts of creating advertising graphics on a computer before he actually owned a computer. His studies took him to Rome, where architecture played by different rules, had different principles, a city in which architecture really felt inseparable from art.
Sam continued working on his own character designs and story ideas, but was no closer finding work in animation. He got his big chance in the United Arab Emirates: opportunity finally came knocking… and it found the artist in his beach shorts.
Sam is speaking to us from Finland. Earlier this year, he joined Rovio Entertainment, the Finnish company behind Angry Birds. He was in London before this, and Dubai before that. It’s been an eventful career, in which Sam seems to have diligently learned the rules of his various artistic pursuits, just so he can break them.
SAM’S FIRST CRITICAL VOICE
Sam’s dad had been an art critic. So, growing up, Sam received a lot of good, constructive advice on how to improve his doodles. It was seeing The Lion King (1994) that him hooked on animation. Sam was into animals, but not for the usual reasons kid are into animals. He was interested in the challenge posed by the huge variety of shapes and colours: “I remember getting frustrated after failing to draw
a tiger I saw in a magazine, so I got one of those blue carbon sheets that my mum used for sewing dresses, and traced the tiger onto it. It felt nice being able to capture something I liked in my own way.”
Sam grew up in Latakia in Syria (“which was a much different and better place to live back then”). Early on, he developed an artist’s curiosity for the world around him, felt the need to draw everything, draw everywhere. He drew on paper, and he drew on the walls of the house: “I’m lucky to have very supportive parents who nurtured my interest in drawing.”
It felt nice being able to capture something I liked in my own way
Darkwing Duck was his favourite animated series, then he got into Asterix. He liked “exaggerated character designs.” Albert Uderzo, Asterix’s illustrator, seemed to push what was possible with the rules of shape, but did it with careful, skilful lines: “I didn’t want to copy that style, but learn from it,” Says Sam. “I felt naturally gravitated towards simplifying shapes and designs. The right level of appeal, the importance of drawing with flow and gesture, straights versus curves: those drawing principles started to make sense.”
CARTOON NETWORK
Sam broke all the rules of professional etiquette to get his big break in animation. He’d decided to move – without a job – to Dubai, one of the most expensive cities in the world. He was at the beach with friends and saw a comic con taking place nearby. He went alone. Cartoon Network had a booth there – it had opened a studio in the United Arab Emirates and needed artists. Sam really wanted to talk to them, but didn’t have his portfolio, so he approached the booth in his shorts, took out his phone, and swiped through pictures of his art posted on Facebook. By his own admission, it wasn’t the best way to apply for a job. But the art itself made a good impression. Sam went home and sent a “more professional email,” and things went from there.
Sam has two main roles in animation: visual development artist and art director. As a visual development artist, you’re typically working on projects where “the style and artistic vision” has already been established. The script for a TV show or a feature film or a mobile game is done: it’s your job to come up with character designs, concept ideas and colour keys that work in that specific world. To do that, you need to spend time really getting to know the story.
He’s just finished working (remotely) on visual development for
Sometimes you have to let go of perfectionism and be okay sharing rough ideas to get the ball rolling
an unannounced Netflix animated feature film. He came in at the beginning of the project so there was a rough script, but no art for the characters or the world itself. This “exploration stage” is Sam’s favourite: “The challenge is staying on track and submitting designs on time. Sometimes you have to let go of perfectionism and be okay sharing rough ideas for the purpose of getting the ball rolling. I wouldn’t say
there’s pressure when working on those kinds of titles – well, maybe a little bit – but it’s more of an excitement, and also feeling grateful to have those opportunities, which keeps me motivated.”
MORE THAN JUST MANAGEMENT
Sam worked as art director at Cartoon Network in the United Arab Emirates, and also at Blue Zoo in London, working on the Paddington TV series. As an art director, you lead the look of the show or movie. You talk directly to the director, and supervise the 2D designs from the art team and the 3D production assets.
However, Sam is a hands-on art director. He still likes to contribute designs for characters, locations and colour keys, but in a rough state, which he then passes on to the art team. He sees art direction as not just “management kind of work,” but something more collaborative. He looks for similar qualities when hiring – the art and the artists have to have “approachability and appeal.”
Sam explains: “As an art director, I definitely first look for portfolios of artists who do similar type of work that fits the movie or game I’m working on. Generally, it has to have a good understanding of appeal, clarity, excellent colour and light, and a variety of interesting visual ideas. I like to see personal artwork that feels as if it could easily be animated or be in either a movie or a TV show.
“In both roles – visual development artist and art director – I think what takes it to the next level is working with enthusiasm, having good focus and attention to detail, but more importantly also being able to see the bigger picture of the art and project clearly.”
ANIMATION DESIGN
Sam describes his work as “animation design” – meaning art that can be animated, but also art that has a fun, animation look. He’s excellent at
I like to see personal artwork that feels as if it could easily be animated or be in either a movie or a TV show
facial expression, and depicting little moments that look like the punchline to a visual joke. His works seems to move, even when it doesn’t. This is art with a real voice, and it’s warm and it’s witty and it’s just a little bit anarchic.
For personal pieces, Sam doesn’t have one single approach to developing ideas. An idea might come from a photo he’s seen or an article he’s read. It could even be a doodle
he’s done in a meeting. He recently developed an image based on the ampersand (‘&’). The key point is not to force it: “I leave the opportunity to explore wide open, playing around with shapes, colour and composition as I go, instead of having a solid stepby-step approach.”
CREATING ART WITH CLARITY
Sam does rough sketches in Procreate on his ipad (“a digital sketchbook of sorts”) but doesn’t like too much detail, not even in more developed pieces. He wants to keep the original sketch’s “energy and looseness.” So he works quickly – nothing should take more than a couple of days to complete. Then he leaves it alone, looks at it again the next day with fresh eyes: “It becomes easier to spot any problems. The issue is often in ‘clarity’ – how easy is it for a viewer to get the point of the artwork, and relate to the characters or scene.”
Sam plans to continue working on games, TV shows and movies, but he’s also working on a concept for a graphic novel, which gives him the chance to focus on a larger, connected project, instead of lots of smaller, separate ideas.
The ‘voice’ is a key ingredient in finding your own unique style. It’s like an extension of your own personality
Learning the rules, and breaking them: the two things that seemed to have defined Sam’s success as an artist. Study the rules of perspective and the principles of universal design, but don’t let them get in the way of drawing a good character, of telling a good story. The working artist must have approachability and appeal – same as the art they make – even when the one is presenting the other to a major studio while wearing just a pair of shorts. Learn the rules, break the rules, find your own voice…
“I think getting a taste and understanding of those ‘rules’ is important, but then it also allows you to push them – or break them – and make something your own way. Something simpler, or more complex – it doesn’t matter. But it’s built on that simple foundation. The ‘voice’ is something that depends on personal taste: likes and dislikes, the subject matter you feel more interested in. It’s a key ingredient in finding your own unique style. It’s like an extension of your own personality.”