Surprise!

I never post anything any more. And it saddens me. It's mainly due to forgetfulness when there's so many other things to think about and secondly... nah. Just forgetfulness. And a hope that maybe, just maybe I'll have the chance to do something that's not actually project work... *laughs self out of room*

So on that note. I'm going to post stuff. And the stuff I'm going to post is some work I've done for my NEW PROJECT *gasp* because my other one crashed and burned under the weight of it's own ambition. But alas, it is not forgotten. Sushi WILL be made. Even if not for May.

So yes. Gander at some eye-treats from (working title) Baumhaus.

Main Character (Riley) Turnaround

Some prop sheets - getting an idea of the style of the film

A (not quite complete) colourscript

And a cheeky wee first render of the film

I guess my next post will likely be the finished film...

See you all in May

I'll also get that header sorted. Sometime. I have plans...

Modelling: Check

Woah, how is it just so easy to forget to blog.

Well, I promised you something productive, and something productive you're going to get. I've finished the environment for Birte's film: Sandmen. Huzzah! Kinda blitzed it in two days of intensive Maya-ing which is kind of concerning... It's probably riddled with mistakes. Ach well. Here it is for you as it stands at the moment:

And that's my first piece of degree work done... Hmm... I'm not sure how I feel about that...

Another Week Missed...

Another midnight deadline missed...

But I had a reason! I was have a peek around the amazing MacKinnon and Saunders puppet and stop mo studio. It was so cool seeing the place in action and the stuff that they've produced over the past years not to mention the wonderful hospitality and invaluable advice I was given. It's just gone and rekindled my love for stop-motion - the thing that got me into the animation biz in the first place. So. Got some life re-assessment to do, but got to focus on my final year first.

I've spent most of my time recently putting together a wee portfolio for some potential business, so because of that I don't really have any work to show you. I only got back up and running on Monday and have started a mishmash of various projects:

1. Some environments for a friend's future comic (s'gonna be huge)

2. Started a new 3D 11 second club (I WILL submit this one)

3. Started painting up my first Sushi background.

So I promise you something from one of these next week.

So to appease you for now, NUDITY!

2 Min Gesture sketches. Trying to improve my accuracy and getting a line down correctly first time, so these were all done with a brush pen on some scrap animation paper I found.

Hmm... I wonder how many times I can continue to use the "nudity" get out to distract you from the fact I'm getting nothing done...

When I was little like you...

Finally managed to finish this damn 3D animation. The graph editor is one of the most whoreish things out there. But it does the job. Watch it and see if I done a good.

CLICK HERE BECAUSE YOUTUBE CONTINUES TO DISAPPOINT. 

Aiming to get a 2D test done this week. Considering the face that I'm going to be spending all of next year doing 2D animation, I really should start to get back to it... Because I have done none this semester. Hmm...

Uhhhm. I don't think I really have much else to say to you. Just a short one this time you'll glad/emotionally destroyed to hear.

G'day.

Operation: Upgrade

Yes. I know. I was vacant last week. I understand that I broke many hearts and dreams, but I have a reason.

After 4 years of faithful use, I decided it was time for a new computer. My trusty Vaio has served me well, but Photoshop Elements 7 and a 15" screen were starting to feel a bit restricting...

So, I have squandered away my savings into a shiny new desktop with Maya that works and access to Photoshop CS6, and others I'm yet to delve into... I have so much SPACE now and so many TOOLS, I just don't know what to do with myself...

But I'm more than sure I'll work something out. So here, I introduce you to my new and old computers, sitting comfortably together, like brothers.

Also a sneak peek into my "studio" (desk). Compact.

So not really much to post tonight really as I've just been playing around with stuff as opposed to doing work (except from working on the "stars" 3D lipsync test which I'll hopefully upload next week once finished...) But I couldn't not do something with all this new technology at my disposal...

So what to do?

Why, draw naked people of course!

A selection of 2 minute studies, just getting a feel for stuff. Normally I'd have hidden this away to the dusty depths of my hard drive, but for some reason I feel kinda happy to show this, despite its lack of accuracy. It seems to have more character, which is something I've really been trying to work on.

Just gotta reel it in a tad...

Peut-être...

Cured Through Divine Intervention...

Of Penicillin.

First off, I must apologise for my lack of a post last week. I thought I could let it slide by, but my girlfriend, Aimée, pulled me up on it... It appears I cannot get away with slacking any more. My fans deserve better.

(She's not actually like this. She normally has something sharp to jab me with.)

But yeah, it was the last week before assessment and I had a print deadline to hit and then a Lit Review to produce and then on top off all of that, I managed to catch myself a nice bout of Tonsillitis. Not being able to eat, sleep or speak actually does wonders for productivity.

But I do not wish for it ever again.

So that's me all handed in. Don't really have anything new and personal to show you as all my efforts went into my course work which has been submitted already... So here. Have some of the observational work I did this semester that I managed to scan before submitting.

I'm really pleased with this last piece. Aimée had the great idea of taking her laptop into a café and using her tablet to draw people as it was less conspicuous. So I copied her.

Definitely going to do this is again. Nero has mint milkshakes after all.

The best type.

REVISION: Apparently if you promise the internet rabbits - even in a drawing - you must come up with the goods. So:

Stars

Just a wee one this time around... Things are rushing up quickly to the deadline so finding time to do fun, unrelated things is near-on impossible to come by. But, one of the things I have recently finished is a quick 3D lipsync (emphasis on quick). I just got the inspiration to have a go at an 11 second club whilst I was in a Maya mood, so this happened. Never done it before. It's rather trickeh. But, I feel this was a first good attempt (minus the crazy eyebrows).

I'll maybe get the other 7 seconds complete once semester's over...

For more interesting stuff, check out SUSHI. It's where most of my work's going at the moment anyhow...

No More Nudity

Today marked the last life-drawing lesson of my third year here at Duncan of Jordanstone... *sniff*

I make it sound a lot grander than it was. It was a normal day and not really that big a deal.

And this also lies on the presumption that I actually pass this year...

But yes. I've come back to life-draws again. A few scribbles I like from the latter half of our life drawing sessions this semester.

Mrs Green finds it simply preposterous how Madame Orange parades about on a warm summer's day, but Madame Orange could not give a damn.

I really need to start getting some character into the expressions of these drawings. I really struggle to caricature stuff - anything really. I think these last two ladies are a step in the right direction.

We had a really long pose one session, and I got bored and thought I'd try a turnaround. Quick 5 minute continuous line studies that I shaded in and animated into a GIF in photoshop. It's not the greatest, but I think it's certainly not too bad an effort.

In SUSHI related news, buildings, buildings, buildings...

Meet Dave

I've been sitting tinkering away at some 3D stuff over the past wee while. Feeling pretty deflated with my films at the moment, so it's been a well received break whilst still being productive.

Using 3D to unwind... Who could have predicted?

I've spent the class modelling and rigging this chap with a fantastic nose and now he's finally able to animate. We started with a wee walk cycle and now we're onto tackling a past 11 second club sound-clip. I'm working with Birte for this and she's doing the other character, so you can only see mine at the moment. It's just in the rough key section at the moment, with a blank gap in the middle in order to play off Birte's animation but I think it's looking rather nice for a first attempt. Take a look:

I can already spot some things I need to change - subtle movements and more natural poses etc, but yes. Thoughts are always welcome. I just wish I'd rigged and skinned it better. Immature impatience.

I got bored one night so modelled a wee fruit stall for the animation:

I do rather enjoy modelling.

How my principles have changed...

Floating

Both a metaphor and an artwork description. Been sort of floating about recently. Airily dipping half-heartedly into one project and then into another and so on... Which of course doesn't do much for either morale or motivation...

However, I don't know what's happened, but I feel kinda re-inspired. Probably something to do with the purchase of this:

Mock me all you wish, but until you use one for yourself, you will never understand... Never understand... So yes. Hopefully things will start to come together now. Only a few teaching weeks left, so gotta get my life back together before I'm stranded in the wilderness...

Let's wrap up. I'll bring you to the second reason for this title. Started doodling. Finished doodling.

I was going to go and add shading/coloured pencil into this, but decided I'd give digitising it a go first. My first attempt made me sad. I really need to improve my digital work beyond flat cell shading. Hopefully get the coloured version to you one day... One day...

6 Weeks In

... and time for some life drawing.

It always feels like a cop-out using uni work as blog material - but then again, it's all work, and I'm pretty pleased with each of these pieces in their own way.

I don't really feel I've got much to say really... SUSHI peer review went well, and resultantly has put this blog into the shadows... Got a few things to think about - hopefully can start to get some stuff tightened up now. It feels weird... Things are falling into place too quickly. I feel like it should be considerably more difficult than it is. There must be something I'm missing...

But yes. I digress. For the 2 of you that probably actually read these ramblings, I appologise. For those that are here for the pretty pictures, then here you go.

Poses of varying length and medium. Long poses seem to be my downfall. I get less done than in short ones. Why?

Film Making: Making Films

Again, this blog has fallen disappointingly quiet for a period... But there is a reason! I was going upload some stuff from last semester in order to fill the silence, but it makes more sense to advertise what I've been up to, and hopefully encourage some of you across.

I'm making a film. Mon film de fin d'études, en effet...

So, you should follow it here:

SUSHI 2014

or else, the main character, Liam, may never release me from this head lock...

Tree Inhabitants

As promised.

Some personal work.

I've recently become completely star-struck by the work of Chris Sanders, so thought I'd try injecting a bit of his style into a drawing... My original idea was to just practise drawing a few scribbles...

...But then, as usual, I got carried away and ended up here.

Life Drawing: Drawing Life

Just thought I'd drop off a wee bit more life drawing I've been doing over the holidays... The portraits were 10 minutes each, and the rest were 15 minutes each.

Done using a trusty red pencil and a standard ballpoint pen.

I really like the way the ballpoints turned out - definitely going to be making more use of that over the next semester. It also reminds me that I want to take an etching plate into a life drawing class at one point... New Years Resolution #2