Regret

I've been told that sometimes when I do a sketch off of a reference photo or image, I'm too derivative. It's too obviously a copy. I've been told that I need to take the ref image as a starting point and do my own thing with it, tweak it and add more of myself into it. But usually if I pick a ref image there is something about it that speaks to me, an emotion, lighting, color that moves me to enjoy looking at it. And it is that that makes me want to replicate it. I want to capture for myself that which inspired me in the first place. So here it was her back. The long line if spine curving into the blackness of her dress. But I moved her. Twisted the shoulders, rotated the head, gave her an emotion that wasn't part of the original photograph. The emotion that I felt was best for her was regret. Sadness. A loss of something we as a viewer don't know, but can hopefully feel from her...

Maybe it works and maybe it doesn't. But I need to move on with my art, and though mimicry can help, it only helps to a point. I need to go beyond that. I need to find that well of unstopable images I had as a younger artist but with the skills the years have given me. Here's to hoping that that is what I am doing.

Enjoy.

Now in Technicolor

So I promised a while ago that I would color her and post her up. Well I didn't then, but I'm doing it now. Took me a while to remember how to color in Photoshop (especially since we have a newer version than before), but I think I did ok. Hadn't really given any thought on the overall color scheme, but I feel she worked out well. The umbrella is still off, which upsets me a bit more now, but I am happy with the hands and feet. And I really feel like my coloring really gives her more dimension than my line work alone did. I've been told I need to work on that, can't rely solely on color for depth and dimension, but I gotta start somewhere right? I'll scan a couple more preliminary sketches of the skulls soon so that you can see what a couple of hours of Google Imaging various mammalian skulls can do to my concept of 3 Dimensionality as it relates to skulls.

Hope you like this and all that is to come.

Flickr and then some

So I've been looking into getting myself a new camera. Mostly for Stop Motion, but also for regular photographs. I have a friend who has been quite encouraging with said goal, to the point of lending me his (quite out of my price range, but only if I DON'T win the lotto) camera. With that and my old one I have been putting up a lot of pictures up on Flickr. I had actually opened that account a while ago, but now I'm finally putting it to good use. I'm not sure if I want to use it to showcase my other art, that's why so far it's just my photographs. The good news about all this is that it's been helping my eye in framing. I feel like now I can get a better idea of framing any of my shorts so that they don't look too much like a stage play with wireless puppets and more like an engaging narration. That, I think, is sometimes the hardest thing to learn. The camera is a narration tool, and using it wisely can make or break your story. With that in mind I'm also taking a course in Maya (finally right!), which I know is like going over to the dark side for stop-mo. But basically I want to be able to use my skills in the widest range of mediums to better the animation. Ultimately that is what we all want right? To be better animators or artist or whatever it is that you do and want to be good at. I guess I just take a more wholistic approach which also usually means a longer more round about road. Now without further ado here is a sample of my photos as well as the link to see my Flickr gallery.

The 72 hour script...

About 2 weeks ago i gave myself an ultimatum....

Well actually it was an idea i got from watching TV. I was watching some really bad horror movie on the Chiller network (which by the way i didn't even know i had) and realized that they had a budget of about a buck twenty, and a weekend to film it on a school campus. This was low budget filmmaking to a "T". And as i saw this, and thought of my armchair critic friends, with their "I could make a better film with my left pinky... if only i actually had the will to move from this chair...", i said to myself: I can do this! I will do this!

And so an IDEA was born. This was a late Friday night, after a long day at work, with 2 more to come. I said i will give myself until monday morning to write a script. Whatever i am left with at that time i will storyboard, design, create and animate in the weeks to come. I knew i would be working on this late at night, working 12 hour days and finishing it in a rush. But in a way that was the point. Don't give yourself time to over think, over design, or procrastinate. By the time i could get bored/distracted with writing it'd be finished. Like the nike ads always said: JUST DO IT!

And so i did. the script is done. I wish i had more time to tweek things here or there. Maybe had more time to embellish or flesh out a couple more scenes. but it is done. The first stage of SB are done. I need to finish designing my characters, so that i can better draw the second draft of the SB. I have most of their personality down, but i am still plugging away. Maybe in a week, i can show you the boards. But for now i have taken to the habit of skating to my local park. Listening to kids play, and i draw the life of these characters, that you will soon one day see.

I encourage you to do the same. Create your own buck twenty mini movie. Don't think big. don't think it can't be done. And even if its animation (which makes people think that it requires massive amounts of time and effort), don't think that we can't make low budget horror/action/love/dramas over a weekend.

In Ireland Drinking Tea!

Just a quick note that i am currently in Ireland. I have been doing both quick sketches as well as designing a puppet that i will be making soon. Hopefully, now that i found a WIFI spot i will be posting those up, as well as pictures of the beautiful rolling irish countryside. Hope all is well back home. Enjoy the holidays!!!

Of things cute and rolling

Liam and I were talking last night and we (it seems like always) were thinking up titles for as yet not made B-movies. Though he came up with some awesome ones that I wish I could take credit for, I fell in live with this series:

VAMPIRE BUNNIES FROM MARS!!! Movies 1-5. 

And now i have to make the poster for these. It will be fun, bright, have bunnies, and scantily clad women. If you can help me think of some tag lines for them, i will be more than happy to incorporate them into the design.

Another thing that keeps popping into my mind is my former team/members. It seems that even though I may not always have been happy with my league, the experiences I had with my teammates and the whole rollerderby experience will always stay with me. I just have to figure out a way to use it. That sounds weird, but I mean if people, places, and events keep running through your mind, you have to expunge them. I tried doing a rollerderby drawing, but that wasn't enough. Maybe another movie poster? Maybe I just need to skate more? Who knows. If you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. If you want to go skating around the city, also let me know. I would love the company.