Feels Like the First Time

I was working with the Vectren team tonight, when I tried to describe for them how good my collaborator, the Illustration Brothel, is. I go to the blog and see that many of the pages I drew are in gorgeous color. I mean, I can only say I was... in awe. The reason I work with the "Brothel" so much is that I actually feel compelled to better myself. I feel lazy, and I immediately crack open my sketchbook and dig my pen tip in.

There's been so much going on. Since March, I've finished drawing the book that you can see (in much more impressive display) over at the Brothel. Here's my contribution:


I like this page because of the interaction of the girls. They're doing the kinds of things my sisters used to do to me, messing in my stuff and generally interrupting my nerd buzz. I love them.


This one took some thought - the most important being the sleeping bags, then the wide-open area. I know this will sound pretentious, but I did think of Hitchcock. The largest object having the most story importance. I also got a lot of inspiration from James Joyce's "Ulysses". Not!


I'm really proud of this one. I really tried to send home a sense of doom - albeit a humorous one. The Brothel followed up with color choices exceeding these decisions.


This one I'm happy with the expressions and body language of the girls, but the foreground stuff was rushed in at the last moment. It was a... well, it was all about the flashlight.


On the Vectren front, the electricity game hero had to be developed. They had an older character design already,

that simply needed a little adaptation. So it wasn't like I was starting from scratch.

Volt, or "Plughead" as we like to call him, has to be happy. I mean, he is dealing with electricity! And he has to be a good example to his son,

which, depending on which one we pick could be named "Volt Jr." or "Lil Volt". Our Project Lead, Jennifer Stewart really seemed to like Lil Volt. We'll see what happens.
Anyways, the expressions are the Lil Volt Happy Meter. Everytime Volt successfully disarms an electric hazard, lil Volt gets happier until he's about to explode in a prozaic-ridden ecstasy.


Finally, I just started on this space background for the Node World game (which you've been seeing sketches of below). Here, the ship (based on a propane tank; Our main character, Thermy, is emitted by a bunson-burner-style-pilot's seat)

floats in front of this space vista which takes too much memory to move, so we had to find something that made sense being stationary. A galaxy seemed good enough.

I've been working on other projects as well. But they're not as visually interesting as the stuff I showed you. Nevertheless, enjoy this parting shot:

If Only.

It's been a most harrowing semester - and it's just 2 weeks short of being over. I just got finished grading some projects not too long ago, and I'm in a bit of a bad mood from seeing all the "not-trying". Another wasted moment in their college life. They should cry.
I've got big plans for the summer (not telling just now) and the hope is that I'll improve my digital painting skills. Something else I'd really like to do, but not sure if I will, is guitar lessons. We'll see.

Many Thanks

...to the folks keeping me real on this blog. When I finish some concept work, I want it to stand up to public flogging, and if that flogging is complimentary - well, then I'm workin' it right.

More Vectren. But You Knew It was Coming.

Lots of medical problems for my family, and my wife's family. Amongst all this, there's so much work to be done. I'm doing a third mouse book (which I legally can't post on this blog; only the rejected stuff), the Vectren game which includes the images above, and possibly further character design for Steampunk if I can squeeze it in.

Sometimes a drawing makes my future feel brighter.

Overloaded!

It is nice to be busy. It is also nice to relax once in a while! I've been working on Vectren, which you're sure to hear about for the next few months. This is Gaustin, our Gas-flame Astronaut, traveling the Galaxy in search of... Gas Leaks. Insert flatulence.
I also did a more heroic version - but I like the one above much more.

My Current Top 10.

Yep, it's always changing.
But my top 10 movies of all time
currently stand like this:

1) The Iron Giant
2) All About Eve
3) Amelie
4) The Passion of the Christ
5) V for Vendetta
6) The Fifth Element
7) The Incredibles
8) Gattaca
9) Casablanca
10)Unbreakable

Now, there's a lot of other movies I could put on there that are nothing less than brilliant: Notorious, Munich, Spiderman 2, Ironman, Kung Fu Panda, Ratatoille, The Third Man, Terminator 2, Anything from Pixar, Saving Private Ryan, Bladerunner, The Good The Bad and the Ugly, the list goes on. I placed these movies here because of their repeat watchability, their worldview, and their stance against time. "V for Vendetta" I just put on there 2 weekends ago, because since it's release in 2005 I've watched it 5 times. It remains potent. My suspension of disbelief is solid through it. That's just my way of doing things. I loved "Schindler's List", but it tore me up inside to watch it. So it may be awesome, but it's hard to watch more than a couple of times.

7 Days in 3 Photos

I've been cranking like crazy for the holidays. The first image is the ship from our "Broken" animation, as yet unharmed (I have to create further conceptuals of the damage it takes). It sports folding wings and a visible "arc reactor" ala Dr. Frankenstein's lab. The idea is that this is the first ship in space - and it is based on what an Earth-bound human already understands - birds and fish.


Next is our astronaut, our "Robinson Crusoe" if you will. I employed greek-inspired decoration for his suit. It just made him feel more mythical. I really dig this Steampunk stuff. It's fun to draw, it requires a lot of thought I wouldn't normally employ, and it takes a lot of time.


And lastly here's an image of what I do when I'm not working on this or Vectren:

Yep. Imagine straightening up your house during a tornado. Time has no meaning. The minutes warp by as if on crack, and you've no choice but to continue straightening. That's what tending to the pups is like. Except it's a little more funner than that.

Steampunk, "Broken"

Just 3 weeks ago, I asked a couple of people if they wanted to enter CGtalk's Steampunk: Myths and Legends Contest. I came up with an idea that seemed to be a good starting point, and Clint came up with a great title: Broken. I assembled an animatic in between all the other things I have to do, and we've been working from it ever since. Some students at the school are joining us in our quest for CG glory, and with only 7 weeks to produce the thing - well, we've got our work cut out for us.
I have to work on Steampunk at night; my Vectren stuff during the day if ADD doesn't take me down some crazy path.

A Worm with a Thought

I created these tiny web Animations for Mediasauce and then-art director Bryan Phillips (now with the Basement) a year ago. The idea was to engage viewers with a mascot personality using randomly loaded sequences. They created the Mediasauce worm, which would sit in the lower left-hand corner, below the main menu occupying itself. Though they only finished the first sequence, I felt the key/breakdown animation sans tweens showed the promise of a fun personality. At some point during the job, they kind of forgot I was working on this, and I didn't receive any communication from them. So I started messing with them at the end. Yes, aren't I a rascal?

Whatta Painter!

You must totally check out the Illustration Brothel, where my colorless scratches are converted to objects of real value.

Pictured above are my initial concepts for a kid's game with Vectren Natural Gas Company. Hold the fart jokes! Anyway, Professor Matt Powers enthusiastically envisioned a floating "Node World" which I was very skeptical about in the beginning - but now I'm sold. If we can pull this game off, we'll seek kudos from other gaming afficionados... problem is, we have another less impressive game that Vectren will probably go for - a real snoozefest of crossword puzzles and fill-in-the-blank that they probably experimented with in 1950. We can hope!

This page, finally tightened, is the first of many. Below, you can see the page in its layout stage following many incarnations (which I won't bore you with here).

Drawing is unappreciated these days, the alchemy of observation and vision. As much as I love animation, and as much as I enjoyed Animation Mentor, I missed the tenderness shared between my pencil and paper. Granted, it's digital paper, but it's no less magical. I also enjoy the problem-solving that goes into storytelling with a camera. I'm no Brad Bird - hell naw - but the puzzles of character against events and the camera that bears witness brings no end of fascination. I trade the machinations of medium for the tinkering of virtual dolls - but not with dismissal, only with favor.

Another children's book.

I'm am sure at some point you will see these popping up on the olde Illustration Brothel, but here's the first round of editing in what I hope to finish in 10 days or less. I busted the layouts out in just under 3 days, but the drawing isn't as impressive as I could've executed. Hopefully, on the second pass (where I really have to visually commit) I'll nail down some good work.

My New Doghouse

One day, my humans started takin all dey stuff outta da place which I rules - until it was empty and big enough to run around for real. I thoughts, "nice call, I like this betta". But then, we's come home to a differen place - where the stairs BE INSIDE. And guess what - I gets to run up and down dem! And by "run up and down dem", I means "all de time".

As it turns out: This is my HOUSE. The King has a HOUSE.

It has its own grass. Grass which I burns with my mazin speed. It has carpet, which burns my feets with my mazin speed. It has many windows - windows the King feels warm under. It has a neighborhood - which I keep out with my barks. It has many crannies - where I hides in ambush. It has a large park - where I unleash my charisma on many ladies (what can dey do? I's powerful). It has a new bed - which I claim underneath as my crib. Don't you doubt my power!
My humans can stay as long as I am well fed the way I likes.

Yet Another All-Nighter

I love the mess I'm in! That's not a facetious statement; I really mean it! Though I've pulled a string of all-nighters in the last 3 months I love the stuff I'm doing. It's back to the drawing board... er, tablet. As much as I enjoyed Animation Mentor I missed the steady scratching sounds of drawing. I'm a planner, thinker, and overall observer - not just motion, but the aesthetic sense of all that expresses narrative. I'm not really sure where I'll end up, but I hope it's a good place.

The Home Stretch

It's rather appropriate that "Slim" is running in this last pencil. I've got just a few more pages to go in this project, and it seems possible that another one is on the way. Iz is still bored with me.

Iz hates it when I work.

I saw Iz laying in front of the door, waiting for something - anything - to happen to give him a reason to get excited, bark, or generally jump around. So far, he's only been presented the opportunity to stay still. So I drew him, in an effort to capture the natural appeal his lines create.

I Rule On Vacation

My Humans took me on a long trip to the... um, "Beach". In my search for the perfect place to eliminates, I had my choice of the Eastern Unitey States during the drive. Not bad. Wherever we stops, I eliminates. My scent be on de whole half o de nation. Schnauzers bow to me!

We stop at a hotel, and my humans think I sleep in da bed wit dem, but dat's where I use my keen Schnauzer Noize Skillz. I hears a noize, I barks. I hears humans outside talkin I barks. I hears a cricket burp, and I barks. I'm bouncin da bed I's barkin' so loud! Den my humans put me in my comfy kennel - I likes it in dere, but I's not an effective Noize-Maker dere. I make sure I gets some deep growlin' in - jus to be sure them crickets keeps dere ground.

When we gets to our desty-nation, my Humans drop me off at this big kennel-type place - At first, I was mad, and I barks loud. Den, I sees I'm in de company of some righteous doggies. First we runs around like crazy and no one stop us. Den, we goes to our room which has a "toddler bed" - methinks it's a bed for righteous doggies. I has a TV, I has my own toys. Rocks.

My humans pick me up on day 3 and take me to dis place what has a lot of sand and a huge freakin' pool that taste nasty - like salt. I din like it. Then, they take me to meet all dees people. They seem cool enough, but not for dis awesome Schnauzer. I got my Righteous Doggies waitin fo me.

When I returns to de "toddler bed" place, we get da party started again. But this time, I gots 3 other Schnauzers joinin me. Two hot ladies, and a righteous whitey Schnauz! I laid down de "wild" like Lassie laid down the goody-goody. Wasn't pretty, which made it awesome. We had a howlin contest and nobody could stop us. Then we raise cain in the pen, then on the floor, then in the yard, then all over! Barkin and howlin and clawin and bitin. One dog started yelling, "Tear up our beds! Tear up our beds!!! Now!!!" I toe up my bed till de springs was showin. Dere are many tings I regret. Dere are many tings I plan to do again - namely the tings I regret. Humans bow to me!

When my humans pick me up, I pretend to be sane. They did looks at me funny when de naive man handed dem a yellow paper (remember to tear up later). Dey know nothin.
Now we home, and everythin like normal. Sucks. So I makin a plan to escape and run to this "Beach". Dere, my Righteous Doggies wait for me. Next time, we gon desecrate the reputation of Lassie like never be-foe.

Lata, Human. Move along!

Keep on Rolling.

I think I'll leave the design on the blog alone for a while. This will do until the day I have time to kick it in design gear.

Curse you Illustration Brothel!

The diligence of the Illustration Brothel is putting to shame the lax posting of the Zealot. Here's my attempt to catch up!

Sappy Alert

I'm tightening today's drawing,

and I end up taking a break and talking to an old friend from college - with whom I worked for about 3 years in a little town called Tifton. It was truly a magical time; I was drawing and writing 4 hours a night. I was improving by leaps and bounds! But best of all, I had great friends.

Matt was the very picture of the meticulous craftsman, specializing in mediums like pencil that work in tiny areas and build up in layers:

We often got together to play computer games and the like, or catch a movie, and we lifted weights until I moved from there.

Richard got Matt the job above, because he was a regular with Beckett magazine for a while:


Richard was meticulous like Matt, but his personality was easy, slow, and understated, which made him hilarious as hell. We all worked at a billboard company called Tri-State Systems, in an art department during the early 90s recession. I felt inspired to draw and get better. The fact that Richard shared his regular gig with Matt was so cool - I was offered, too but I wasn't a huge football fanatic like him and I didn't have a lot of confidence in my illustration skill then.

I am slowly getting back to that lifestyle of drawing, and I'm more driven and happier. I loved Animation Mentor, such classic knowledge and such advanced technique with the most cutting-edge of software. I think I enjoy the drawing more, though.

This is an older set, but I've taken to drawing our dog Izzy (who sometimes writes in this blog, paws-to-keys) as a character:

This Layout Sucks.

Okay, my blog has a new look. But not for long!
I committed a design sin: I designed on the computer with no sketching or planning to back it up. Now I'm reaping the rewards of that sin: A crappy-looking blog. I just went in willy-nilly and screwed with my promotional website docs. Re-workings are already on order. (the layout you see up on the blog now is not what I'm talking about).

On the bright side, here's a little illo project I'm working on with Mr. Baldwin (The Illustration Brothel) : a Japanese children's book that teaches English. Talk about having clear storytelling! It's got to be spot-on! Here's my first layout:


That's a fun one. Lots of fun perspective distortion and everything.
Please refrain from looking at the blog - but look at the drawings as much as you like. Here's the female mouse character Martha:

Animation Mentor, Session 2

Well, it was a hair-raising quarter in session 2. I started off with a really horrible 180º turnaround, then got a little better, and a little better. There was only 4 days between the end of Winter, and the beginning of Spring. 3 days before Winter session ended, I got really sick. I was sore all over, and even talking on the phone made me take a nap afterwords. I was coughing horrendously, too - a freaking, coughing, movie-watching, nap-taking zombie. By Sunday (day before Animation mentor Spring Session 3) my condition was worse. I went to the doctor on Monday cause I ached all over. Bronchitis/Sinusitis. 6 days strict bedrest.

This led to a horrible decision: I had to take a leave of absence for session 3, which I now take in the summer. Man, I hated having to do that, but knowing how much I fight to keep up (and by 'keep up' I mean 'figure out why the rig is behaving this way'), it just seemed sane. Now, all my buds are a class ahead of me - which I'm happy for them, but it makes me feel a little left out.

Best Time to Play.

There be 1 time of day that be best for playing and gen'ral frolic'in: Now.

Now My Turn.

I mayz be a pup. But I knows a blogger when I sees one. I don't sees one.
I like this picture. Two words: "Wrapped" and "Little Pinkie". That's MY chair. I chose it, sure as I choose the spot where I eliminates.

Now, sometimes my Humans leave. And dat is when the freegin party begins. There is stuff on the floor, big stuff, don't know why I didn't notice it before. Point is I do now. And nothing feels betta on my teeth than the stuff I ain't noticed before. I cut through it like butta. I eat it like butta. But I don't swallow it - I display it on the floor. And though the stuff is tiny, it cover a big space. By "big", I mean it gets a rise out of my Humans. And that what the display be all about.

My humans tried somethin new on me. They make me pee in a box. Now, I no smart, but I knows a dumb idea when I sees it. And I saw it. It was that pee box. So I say to myself, "Iz - how long before they know I won't pee in the box.?" Three days. This dumb on my part, cause I held it so long I was feelin puny. But when I throwed up, that was the end of the box. Then it not seem so dumb. It seem smart. End of box.

I am king. I rule here. Move to da next blog, human.

I'm posting a Good One

Now this is me getting serious. There is so much in my skillset that I want to be better, but this represents a "satisfying session of conception". There's a lot of investigation that went into caricaturing the body and face (this image was prepared specifically to show the progression; it's not this way in my sketchbook). There's nothing in it from my iconic cartoon memory. Very satisfying. Now, some of my Animation Mentor buds want to start posting sketches, so I think I'll post this one even though it's older. Then I'm really going to pour in the investment and start some daily drawing that matters. Click on the image to see it at 100%.

I'm Posting A Bad One.

I'm posting this drawing because it was virtually a waste of time. Of course, I learned a lesson from it, but it's bad for so many reasons. One, It's a little face based on all my iconic cartoon library images - stuff I don't think about. I also didn't try to make it dimensional at all. Next time, I'll post some stuff I'm REALLY trying to get right. Sorry to waste your time. Don't even read this freakin' thing. Skip it.

First Semester Finshed

at Animation mentor. My progress reel is here:


The largest hurdles I have to climb are technological. It's one thing to know how to sculpt a good key pose, it's quite another to have it connect properly to the others! There's many a young whippersnapper in these classes, plus a lot of film experience. Just some crazy-mad Maya folk. I love meeting the people and seeing great work and working my brain analyzing it all, but bottom line is, I want to be better. Let's see if I've any gusto left in my worn-out soul to do it.

I Rule. But confused about things.

I am Cute. There no splanation fo it. Just am. And I get things wi my Cute. But there are many thing I don't get. It a puzzal to me. Me can't spell good or talk good, but I give happenings to describe:

When I eliminates, there be a perfect place it should go. I know that perfect place. When I finds it. It takes a time, but I will finds it. My Human doesn't think so, but that not make it NOT SO! Yet, My Human gets impatient when I search for my perfect place for eliminates. I sacrifice greatly for my chosey spot. I holds, holds, holds, quiver, and holds - Then I goes. But olly when it ih perfect.
I thoughts my Human impatient, but now there snow on de ground, and I takes MUCH longer to find my perfect place, and he tuggin and grumpin and complainin. But me standards non-nee-gosh-able. And so it go. I still find time to eats my eliminates, but olly indoors.

When I pee, no perfect place there. Just go! There be a compromise here. I hope he see dat.

My tooths hurt. But when I sinks dem into things - anythings - they feels good. Like a body rub. I likes doin it. My Human give me things, things be "Okay for Tooth-Sinkin", and I sometimes comply. And sometimes I don't. A lot. A LOT of times I sometimes don't. I find things, things ready and 'vailable. The edge of de carpet. The corner wood on de wall (mash!). Flesh. That's my fave. It mash real good and easy to get cause they alway tryin-da pets me! He dangle that fleshy flesh flesh a nail's length from my tooths without my neck out, then I sticks my neck out. And I sinks my tooths. My tooths stop hurtin fo 1 second, then he scream like little mouse. My pup mates bit back, but my Human does not. Good deal.

Just got my jewels removed. Look at me! Why not make more oh me? But dey's gone. Foh-eva. My Human tell me he LOVES me. So what gives? He got lots ah friends - but none of they's jewels come off. They there, cause I stick my nose there - they there. Does he LOVE, or does he LIE? I think de answer be written in the plastic cone round my neck that makes me hear bettah.

I tell you mo. Latuh.

Busy Bakson. Busy. Bak son.

My animation mentor education is so much fun, and you get crazy views like this:



I created this keyframe animation, all on hold-frames, and now that's the only way it looks right. Many AMer's are quite web-savvy, which I am not, and they know how put images like this in their messages to one another. I'm slowly figuring it out.

We also have a new member of the family: Izzy.



Between him, my job, my job, and my education, life is getting pretty interesting. Like a Michael Moore documentary.