Pinned thread Art Style analysis in Spongebob and various other shows

[EM.]

Bubble Buddy has a unique art style that isn't seen anywhere else in the show, and out of every episode in season 2, this episode is the closest looking thing to season 1:

View attachment 11898

Although it's electronically colored, it maintains that homemade healthy organic look. Neptune knows what kind of primitive machinery was used to color these episodes. I like the subdued look of the earlier seasons. But modern episodes, especially post 2nd movie have a a genetically modified look, with cancerous bright colors. I for one, hate the new post sequel art style, episodes are so wacky and off-model nowadays to the point that the show no longer has a definitive art style:


View attachment 11899

Off model animation does not work in the age of crisp animation. This is when Spongebob is not making wacky faces, and it still looks weird and disproportionate. I would much prefer if they stuck with the art style that they had in the first half of season 9.

It also feels like they lowered the frame rate too.

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

It also feels like they lowered the frame rate too.

It feels like season 2/3 have a lower frame rate than the rest of the show. Is it me or does the old animation make the pre-movie episodes funnier. Something about the animation and sound effects in those seasons convey the humor so well.

 

[EM.]

Interesting, Spongebob's eyebrows did make an appearance in season 1

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

Season 2 has the most art styles and designs out of any other season in the series. This is why I find season 2's animation the most interesting out of any other season in the series:

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

Let's cover one of the later seasons in this analysis, anyone notice how the first half of season 7 looks like season 6, but the later episodes look exactly the same as season eight.

I Heart Dancing Looks like a season 6 episode:



But Krusty Dogs looks exactly like season 8:




The seasons animation switched over to season eight's artwork starting in Legends of Bikini Bottom.

 

[SpongeyMind]

Yeah, and every episode of Family Guy since season 9 looks exactly the same, to the point where I can no longer tell what season an episode is in anymore. As for season 8, it could only be distingushed, because it's the only modern FG season that's not in HD. Ever notice how SpongeBob has been the same shade of yellow since season 5, despite the show switching to HD in season 9. (Although there were a few palebob episodes in season six). Other than that, spongebob's shade of yellow doesn't change anymore, like it did in seasons 2-4. In Season 1, his color doesn't change either, but that's due to cel animation.

And sometimes people crop season 8 to 16:9 so that makes it even harder to tell

 

[SpongeyMind]

Yeah, and every episode of Family Guy since season 9 looks exactly the same, to the point where I can no longer tell what season an episode is in anymore. As for season 8, it could only be distingushed, because it's the only modern FG season that's not in HD. Ever notice how SpongeBob has been the same shade of yellow since season 5, despite the show switching to HD in season 9. (Although there were a few palebob episodes in season six). Other than that, spongebob's shade of yellow doesn't change anymore, like it did in seasons 2-4. In Season 1, his color doesn't change either, but that's due to cel animation.

ditchin was palebob, i think palebob episodes no longer exist now that new episodes are the exact same animation style

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

ditchin was palebob, i think palebob episodes no longer exist now that new episodes are the exact same animation style

That's an issue with a lot of modern shows, once the show clicks and finds a new art style, the show's animation stays the same for the rest of the show, or changes very little. Every episode of Gumball since season 2 looks exactly the same, Every Family Guy episode made in the past 10 years looks the same, Regular Show's animation changed very little since Butt Dial. Adventure Time also has far more episodes with the newer style, than the old one. Something I've noticed is that most long running shows have more modern episodes than classic ones.

 

[SpongeyMind]

That's an issue with a lot of modern shows, once the show clicks and finds a new art style, the show's animation stays the same for the rest of the show, or changes very little. Every episode of Gumball since season 2 looks exactly the same, Every Family Guy episode made in the past 10 years looks the same, Regular Show's animation changed very little since Butt Dial. Adventure Time also has far more episodes with the newer style, than the old one. Something I've noticed is that most long running shows have more modern episodes than classic ones.

at least they still use markerbob backgrounds

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

View attachment 11906
at least they still use markerbob backgrounds

I can't really tell the difference between normal Spongebob backgrounds and markerbob backgrounds. I know that the markebob backgrounds more detailed and have more vibrant color.

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

I prefer season 3 markerbob over season 2 markerbob. Season 3 markerbob looks more put together.

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

I've noticed that modern Spongebob has thicker lines than markerbob does.



However, markerbob still looks like it was drawn with markers, which is why I gave it the name.

 

[SpongeyMind]

I can't really tell the difference between normal Spongebob backgrounds and markerbob backgrounds. I know that the markebob backgrounds more detailed and have more vibrant color.

Here's markerbob background (notice how the stripes are visible)

And Here's normal backgrounds (sorry if the image is small) (it looks so much more dull)

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

Here's markerbob background (notice how the stripes are visible)
View attachment 11909
And Here's normal backgrounds (sorry if the image is small) (it looks so much more dull)
View attachment 11910

I see the difference now, but I'm still better with characters

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

I got a new nickname for this art style. I'll call it noodlebob, since Spongebob's arms are lanky and noodle-like in these episodes:

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

I've noticed that Patrick's head is bent backward in the noodlebob episodes, but in markerbob, it rarely bends, and is shaped like a cone.

Noodlebob Patrick (left), Markerbob Patrick (right):



Noodlebob Patrick has a thinner body, his dots are smaller, Markerbob Patrick's eyebrows are bushier, his head is pointer, noodlebob Patrick's head is more round and toe-like. Markerbob patrick is a darker shade of pink, and his outline is bold and red. Noodlebob Patrick's outline is thick and red

 

[Original Raw and Uncut]

In Shell of a Man, Spongebob switches from moviebob to noodlebob:




It looks weird how unusually pale Spongebob is in the early part of season 4.

 

[EM.]

Oh in Have You Seen my Snail Spongebob switches about three-four times, from the season 5 look, to the movie look, to the main season 4 look

 

[EmployeeAMillion]

In Shell of a Man, Spongebob switches from moviebob to noodlebob

Glad to see he got poor taste out of his system.

 

[SpongeyMind]

In Shell of a Man, Spongebob switches from moviebob to noodlebob:


View attachment 11914 View attachment 11915

It looks weird how unusually pale Spongebob is in the early part of season 4.

As a kid, i could always tell if a spongebob episode is post or pre movie even during the theme song, in my country post movie episodes are high pitched and pre movie isn't