Nancy Ulene
Color Designer, Bugs Bunny Builders and Merry Little Batman
When Nancy Ulene got her start in animation in the 1980s, she worked various jobs with traditional tools doing inking, painting, airbrushing, rotoscoping, and inbetweening. In 1991, she joined Disney TVA as what was then called a Color Stylist. Along with the rest of the industry, she transitioned from hybrid techniques to all digital. She was thankful for the opportunity to train on the job, and she then trained others. Although leaving Disney TVA full-time (but still freelancing) in late 2014, she has continued to work as a Color Designer/Art Director at many studios including Netflix TVA, Warner Bros. TVA, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, and Splash Entertainment. She also teaches and mentors regularly.
How would you describe your job?
I add color to the black-and-white line art of any characters, props, or effects that animate in the show. It sounds so simple, but it is a puzzle of color. Depending on the style of the show, it can be flat local color with black lines or flat local color with added highlights, shadows, and self-color ink lines. The latter takes a great deal of time and thought to make the model look like it lives in the colored environment painted for the scene.
What does your work day look like?
I get my assignments on a new show and gather the elements needed for the episode so I can color models. Using the Background Color Keys, I add them behind the line art of my scanned models in Photoshop, and then I create a palette from scratch that works in the environment that was painted. Many versions may be necessary to get to the final approved model, but that is part of the process. This is repeated for all characters, props, and effects until each of the models is complete. It is very tedious work and takes a great deal of time to make sure all the pieces work together in a color setup.
What is the biggest work challenge you’ve faced?
My biggest challenge has been finding work as the jobs now are on shorter terms, and technology is constantly changing. Contacts are the main way I find work. My experience has helped as I can adapt to many styles and know the pipeline well. Although I used Toon Boom OPUS and Harmony for years at Disney, staying on Photoshop and getting more efficient and knowledgeable has really helped me stay employed.
What is your favorite part of your job?
My favorite parts are the crew and creating a finished product. It is rewarding to work in a pipeline that is so talented and diverse. I am always learning new things and meeting new people. To stay in this business for so long has been something I will never take for granted. Every time I start a new job, it always feels like my first day in the animation business.
Eric Omega
Visual Development Artist including Color Design, Good Times
After being mentored by Lead Background Designer Derek Hunter, Eric Omega’s first job in animation was doing freelance Background Design for Adventure Time and Regular Show. Shortly after, he landed his first full-time job at Rick and Morty with the title of Color Key. Since then, he’s worked in Color Design for Marvel Animation, Disney TVA, DreamWorks TV, Nickelodeon, and Netflix.
How would you describe your job?
My job is to use color and light to establish color palettes for characters, props, and effects. It’s important that it fits the show’s mood, and that it is cohesive, distinct, and readable against other assets and the painted background.
What does your work day look like?
I start by watching the animatic and referencing the route sheets while keeping in mind which assets appear and in what type of lighting. When needed, I apply special lighting using blending modes, then add shines, texture, or anything that can plus the design. Depending on the show, I’ll indicate opacity or what blending mode is used for anything transparent like windows or water. All the while, I composite them with any other colored assets they interact with, as it if were the completed scene. That way, in review, we can see how everything would look against each other.
What is the biggest work challenge you’ve faced?
The biggest work challenge I’ve faced was color designing in Harmony and having to ship all my assets to the overseas studios. As a result of taking on multiple, time-consuming, non-art responsibilities, I started to lose my identity as an artist. Having tight schedules and being among the least-paid crafts also made for a rough experience. However, I can say I learned a lot!
What is your favorite part of your job?
It is seeing all the skillful work from the entire design and story team, and utilizing it to directly influence my color choices. Color Designers often work closely with the Art Director to make sure everything looks good and makes sense. So, seeing our hard work come together is essential to doing my job, and I’m grateful I get to experience that every day.
Amber Spillman
Color Designer, Beavis and Butt-Head
Working in production, Amber Spillman discovered the job of Color Designer and fell in love with its role in the animation pipeline. In 2020, after expressing interest, she was given a test and offered her first Color Design job at Bless the Harts. Since then, she has worked mainly for Titmouse while also freelancing for Nickelodeon and Disney.
How would you describe your job?
[It’s] my dream job! As stressful as it can be at times, I love the fact that Color Design is one of the last steps in the design process. I love being able to really give life to amazing linework via color. Strong color theory is definitely a must in this job, and I always find myself seeking inspiration for work by consuming as much media as I can.
What does your work day look like?
I’ll check my emails for any new assignments and check FileMaker to see what hasn’t been approved yet. After any meetings I will usually receive notes a bit later in the day and make any changes to files as requested. If I’m starting work on a new episode, I’ll watch the animatic to familiarize myself and make note of any specifics. Once I have a new list of assets to color, I’ll grab completed backgrounds to place the asset against, as well as grab references if needed. When that’s all done, then I start the actual process of coloring.
What is the biggest work challenge you’ve faced?
I first transitioned from being a Production Coordinator to a Color Designer right when COVID hit and our entire team was sent home. I had no prior experience at the time as a Color Designer, so trying to figure out a workflow on my own was a bit daunting. I would mainly get notes via email or chat, and it felt a bit isolating starting out. I’ve worked on other shows since then, and I’ve grown to appreciate and even thrive while working from home.
What is your favorite part of your job?
As much as I enjoy the actual process of choosing colors and applying them to models, I think my favorite part might be seeing everything come alive in the end! It’s so satisfying and still surreal, even after three years, seeing what I’ve colored move on a screen. I love that animation is such a collaborative effort. I’m very proud to be a Color Designer and can’t imagine myself doing anything else!
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