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arriving in my mind, was a tiny drawing
that Tim had made. One look at that drawing
was all I needed to understand what
Edward was about. It has been exactly the
same ever since.”
His Inspirations
People have often compared Burton’s
style to the gothic. The use of black, the
darkness of some of his drawings, the
heavy make-up, the paleness of the skins,
monsters and other ghostly creatures recall
Gothic literature and paintings but
also German Expressionism. The theme
of death is omnipresent in Burton’s art
often combined with poetry and derision.
The macabre becomes comic and poetic.
He finds inspiration in the authors he loves
like Edgar Allan Poe and Roald Dahl. He
admires them for the unconventionality of
their stories and the complexity of their
worlds far from being just black and white.
They are both funny and dark and close to
Burton’s own style.
True film buff, Burton’s inspiration
can also be linked to the films he used to
watch, mainly thrillers, low- budget films,
satires, science fiction movies and cartoons.
He identifies with Frankenstein and other
monsters who are both feared and rejected.
At the time he discovered those films, his
universe started to expand and his creativity
to grow. Watching Technicolor films
helped him develop his use of colour in his
drawings but also in his short films and
he influence can be observed in Edward
Scissorhands, with the profusion of pastel
colours. He also loved punk music which
expressed at the time his desire for rebellion
against conventions.
His art is truly representative of his
vision of the world and he also finds inspiration
in the people who surround
him. His drawings are often filled with
social commentaries. He reveals the absurdity
of our consumerist society and
its hierarchical organisation. In one drawing
he portrays the company Disney as
a powerful dehumanizing machine which
crushes any sense of singularity. He caricatures
people and their behaviour from
girls too obsessed by their physical appearance
to a perverse man undressing
a woman with his eyes, or a man covered
in blood going in a gun shop and asking
for more bullets. The suburbs he lived
in also inspired him a lot and are at the
heart of his film Edward Scissorhands.
His Aesthetic and Message
Tim Burton refuses to become a label or
a brand and doesn’t categorize his art
although others did it for him. His style
is very recognizable, full of whirlwinds,
stripes, seams, asymmetrical figures,
winding staircases, monsters with sad
eyes and weird hair. In terms of colours,
he often uses black, white, purple,
red and sometimes bright colours
too. Through his drawings he captures
feelings more quickly and efficiently
than through words. He bases his style
on simplicity, clarity, economy and
rapidity. Here is how Ian Mackinnon,
puppet creator and designer for Mars
Attacks!, has described Burton’s style:
“The real strength in Tim’s artwork is his
appreciation of form with strong shapes and
exaggerated proportions. Within a few seemingly
simple pen lines, he creates bold silhou-
ettes […] You would be mistaken for thinking
that some of Tim’s rough sketches are rudimentary,
loose or naïve, for they hold vital information,
demonstrate a great delicacy, sensitivity,
consistent keen eye, and a stunning vision.’
Tim Burton’s imaginary world has now
become a familiar one, a world everyone is
drawn to. A world which is welcoming and
heart-warming, filled with strange-looking
people and sad clowns more frightened than
frightening. His message is clear: people
are not defined by their appearances. To be
different does not mean to be excluded and
differences should be cultivated along with
singularity and creativity. His universe is
more appealing than scary even though it
is full of outcast characters. Their tragedy
inspires more pity than fear and monsters
become charming. He shows life as both
kind and tragic, beautiful and cruel, funny
and disturbing. The horrible becomes tender
and poignant and it is the beautiful that
becomes scary.
by Rachel Elfassy Bitoun
Original Tim Burton hand-drawn ink
storyboard for Vincent (top).
Concept for “Edward Scissorhands”,
1990 (left).
Photos: Tim Burton