This has, of course, directly affected the amount and quality of representation for Black audiences.
There’s still lots of room for improvement.
But what does a mathematical algorithm have to do with animation?
Source image: Courtesy of A.M. Darke and Theodore Kim
A lot, it turns out.
This is the new by hand.
In other words, It’s the spongy Afro layer close to the scalp.
Courtesy of A.M. Darke and Theodore Kim
Period skipping simulates what Darke refers to as the frizz factor.
Switchbacks represent a curls sudden change in direction.
Different from period skipping, switchbacks are not stray curlstheyre overall shifts in a curls direction.
Courtesy of A.M. Darke and Theodore Kim
My favorite reaction so far is folks saying,NowI know what that’s called!
These nuances are whats missing from textured hair in even some of the most evolved animations.
There’s stuff that even the best artists can’t achieve, Kim says.
The tools simply didn’t support them during creation.
This lack of cultural literacy is only furthered by a lack of Black representation among art and animation industries.
Maybe hair is not a piece of spaghetti.
Maybe hair is actually a very curly helix instead.
The system, however, is fairly quick once this is sorted.
But its worth the wait, if you ask me.
Afro-textured hair simulation, done responsibly and with care, is culture-shifting.
And it doesnt hurt the confidence of 37-year-old women who still geek out on Disney, either.
