Ferguson Winston on the craft behind his 'Luther III' fan animation

Ferguson Winston is an artist who works in animation, storyboards and design, with retake animation credits on Solar Opposites and Rick and Morty, as well as being the producer and director of the indie pilot for Project BackGuard. Ferguson recently shared a personal project, a fan adaptation of Luther (portrayed by Idris Elba) drawn in the style of Monkey Punch's Lupin the Third using Toon Boom Harmony. 

We invited Ferguson onto our livestream this past fall to discuss the Luther III scene, as well as his career in animation. This article was adapted from a transcript of the original broadcast, which you can watch on Toon Boom Animation’s YouTube channel.

What is your origin story and your path to your current role in animation?

Ferguson: My name is Ferguson Winston. My origin story is that I graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, in about 2008 with a major in animation. In 2010, I got an internship in Atlanta and started working on kids’ and adult animated cartoons. I did that from 2010 to about 2015 or 2016. 

I just kept doing decent work, making friends, and having those friends speak up for me to help me get hired at different places. Around 2016 or 2017, a friend in Los Angeles brought me onto some projects with them, and I eventually moved to LA. I ended up working on Rick and Morty around 2019, stayed there for a few years. I eventually transitioned to Solar Opposites, where I still work today as a retake animator.

Do you have any advice for networking? Did you find most of your peers through animation school or previous jobs?

Ferguson: Both. My start came from college. During my internship in Atlanta, a friend, Adam Taves, who I didn’t really hang out with in school but admired his work, spoke up for me, which helped me land my first job. After that, I hung out with people at the studio I interned at. 

We’d go to the movies or meet up with other animators, and one of them, Joanna David, mentioned that her studio, Primal Screen, was hiring. I applied and got the job. Friends from Primal ended up going to another studio, Floyd County. 

After my time at Primal, I applied to Floyd County, and they vouched for me. Every job I’ve had has been through someone bringing me on board. Networking, for me, wasn’t about handing out business cards — it was about forming friendships. The best networking is often about genuine connections. 

What is a typical day like in the life of a retake animator? And what’s something about your role that someone outside the industry might not know?

Ferguson: My day starts with rolling out of bed and sitting at my computer. Since the pandemic, I’ve made it a point to get up, shower, and dress like I’m going to a studio to avoid falling into bad habits while working from home.

Once I’m ready, I clock in, check in with my team or directors, and go over deadlines. Afterward, we use a Google Doc where my director assigns specific shots to each artist. I download my files and start working on my shots, completing them as quickly as I can. I take a lunch break, come back, and repeat until the end of my eight-hour day.

Can you tell us a little about your fan project Luther III?

Ferguson: This project had been bouncing around in my head for a while. It started last year when I was rewatching Luther, one of my favorite shows starring Idris Elba. Around the same time, I was watching the Netflix show Lupin, and I noticed the Lupin logo was very similar to the Luther logo. I thought, “What if they did a crossover?” 

That idea stuck with me. I’ve also always loved Lupin the Third, so I thought, “What if I drew Luther in that style?” The idea wouldn’t leave me alone. When I finally had some free time, I decided to make it happen. I wanted to create frame-by-frame, hand-drawn animation for my portfolio, and this project was the perfect opportunity.

Can you walk us through how you approached adapting the character into the Lupin the Third style?

Ferguson: For me, it’s kind of automatic, but I’ll try to explain it. I focused on the movement first. Idris Elba’s walk as Luther is so distinct. He throws his weight around, and his shoulders and arms move a lot. I wanted to capture that iconic stride. 

Once I had the walk figured out, I pulled up reference images of Lupin the Third for inspiration. I looked at Idris Elba as well, trying to merge the styles. I emphasized thin wrists, big hands, flared-out pants, and pointed shoes, which are trademarks of Lupin designs. After sketching the basics, I jumped straight into animating. I didn’t even worry about the face until the body animation was done.

Luther wears two coats — a suit jacket and a longer trench coat. It was tricky to animate both coats moving in a loop while keeping the frames manageable. I wanted overlapping animation to make it feel alive without overcomplicating it. It was a fun challenge, though.

How many frames are in the loop, and what was the biggest challenge?

Ferguson: It’s 352 frames, primarily animated on fours. The biggest challenge was getting back into frame-by-frame drawing. As a retake animator, I mostly work with rigs, so I’m not drawing much. This project was an opportunity to return to the kind of animation that inspired me in the first place. I wanted to prove to myself that I could still do it and create something polished for my portfolio. 

Another challenge was figuring out the compositing, as I’d never done it to this extent before. I studied anime reference images and taught myself how to replicate that look in Harmony with help from a friend.

Speaking of compositing, can you walk us through your process?

Ferguson: Absolutely. I started by separating the line art and colour art into different layers. This allowed me to create subtle gradients and soft outlines. For lighting, I used highlights and gradients to add depth and make the character pop. I also incorporated a rim light, which is a simple yet effective way to add drama. Most of the compositing was done in Harmony, with a few finishing touches in After Effects.

The background is incredible too. Did you animate it in Toon Boom Harmony?

Ferguson: Yes, I wanted an abstract background inspired by Luther’s opening sequence, with reds, blacks, and shapes. I used Harmony’s ink brushes for a bloody vignette effect and animated dripping blood to create texture. Then, I added a pixelation node to give it a gritty, artifact-like quality. It was a fun experiment.

This project is such a great showcase of your versatility. What motivated you to take on every aspect of production?

Ferguson: I want to be an independent filmmaker and creator. To do that, I need to understand every step of the process. This project was a way to practice and refine those skills. I also believe a strong portfolio should showcase polished, finished pieces. I have many other projects in the works, and this was a stepping stone to ensure I can bring them to completion.

Are there any tools in Harmony that more traditional animators should know about?

Ferguson: Organization is key. I separate line art and colour art to keep things clean and make compositing easier. For cleanup, I use the pencil tool, which allows me to adjust line thickness later. The stroke tool is great for closing gaps or creating invisible lines for colouring. I also use pegs to save time by reusing elements like the head and arms. Combining traditional and rig-style techniques can speed up the process while maintaining a hand drawn look.

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• Interested in seeing more of Ferguson Winston’s work? Be sure to visit his website, FergusonWinston.com and follow him on Instagram and YouTube.
• Ready to animate your own mashup of two iconic characters? Artists can download a 14-day trial of Toon Boom Harmony.