Illustrator Steve Lowtwait, who worked on Nickelodeon shows such as SpongeBob SquarePants, Rugrats, Hey Arnold! and CatDog, as well as the network's upcoming Baby Shark's Big Show!, has announced that he is giving away his iconic Classic Nickelodeon animation desk to one young artist!
"My first animation job was on Hey Arnold at the start of season 1 production in 1996. Rocko’s Modern Life had been winding down so desks and supplies were transferred to the Hey Arnold crew. As a background designer, this was my desk on the show," said Lowtwait.
"In 1998, Nickelodeon opened a newly remodeled Animation Studio complete with modern animation desks. The old ones were offered to the artists to purchase. I think I paid $50 for it. It had been against a wall the whole time and I’d never seen the back. So when it came time to move the desk home, I discovered the painting of Ren and learned about its origins on Ren and Stimpy. What a great surprise! Nobody else’s desk had massive artwork on it. (The desk was built new in 1993 when Nickelodeon took over show production from Spumco.)
"It became my art desk at home in Pasadena. I moved it with me to Colorado where I used it as a freelance illustrator for 13 years. I moved it back to Los Angeles when I returned to the animation industry in 2014. It was my work-at-home desk for the first half of the 2020 quarantine.
"I’ve created thousands of pieces of art on this desk. Your turn."
The desk features a painting of Ren Hoek, the bad-tempered chihuahua from The Ren & Stimpy Show:
"He’s really special," added Lowtwait. "The entire back of the desk features a giant, original, hand-painted in acrylic character portrait of Ren from The Ren and Stimpy Show. Ren’s crazy eyes and conniving grin capture him well.
"I wish I knew who painted it but it obviously was done by a Ren and Stimpy show artist. I tried several times across the years to track down a name. I’ve communicated with people from the crew who suggested who might have done it, but nothing conclusive. My notes on that were lost when a storage shed I had was robbed. Maybe social media can help track down the artist.
"I usually had Ren facing a wall and only got to see him when I moved. So he’s always been well preserved. Through several moves, he’s gotten a few scratches, so I’ve touched him up. He’s still not perfect, but he never was. "
The desk also features some unique pencil drawings from staff who worked on some of Nickelodeon's biggest shows.
"Underneath the plexi on the wood are some pencil drawings. Near the bottom is an amphibian like character in a top hat. There’s also a word ballon that reads, 'All I vant ess da fame' pointing to nobody. I don’t know its meaning. And in one corner are a couple of crude doodles, what looks like a middle finger up and a - you figure it out yourself. I just always left what was there as it stayed hidden beneath the white plexiglass."
The desk is "sturdy as hell", made of plywood, and built to last. The desk, which comes with its own drawer and lightbox, is is 48” wide and 29.5” deep. It’s 57.25” high and the desktop height when laid flat is 28.5” high.
How to Win the Desk:
This desk is a one-of-a-kind piece of Nickelodeon history. To be in with the chance of being its next custodian:
- You have to be a young artist, meaning 18 to 29 years old. Lowtwait is doing this because he wants to support youth and let the desk become part of someone else’s career for decades to come. You don’t need to prove your age, just be honest.
- You have to share Lowtwait's giveaway on your social media of choice. The artist is mostly Twitter based so you can retweet this tweet if you’d like.
(If Lowtwait works with you, you’re out. Sorry. Choosing you would seem unfair to others.)
How to Enter:
Simply Lowtwait to me about why you’re the best candidate for this desk and how you will use it. You can be an amateur artist, a student, or already working in the animation industry. Tell him about yourself, your art, and your creative dreams. Make your case. He's going to choose based on your personal story and your vision for the desk.
Submit your entry through December 1st.
Visit http://stevelowtwait.com/desk for details on how to enter and to find out more information about the desk! Good luck!
