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...

Youths

I've been back home for Easter weekend, getting a break from Dundee and playing with puppies. It's been awesome. Whilst I was home, I discovered an old sketchbook I'd had when I was in first year high school (about 8 years ago?) and remembered a couple of characters I'd drawn in it that I recall being incredibly proud of when I drew them:

I think they were created as a frustrated statement against how my sister used to watch "Sailor Moon" and how annoyed I was at how girly it was...

I never used to draw cartoons as I never knew what I wanted to do until the end of high school - I've only really been working on drawing from my imagination properly for the past couple of years. These two are examples of the very rare instances that I dared to draw from my mind.

Anyway, as a break from SUSHI work, I decided to try redrawing these now - 8 years later - as a gift to my former self. They're soo far from the kind of theme of stuff I draw now, but they were fun to do. I tried to keep it as close to the original drawings as possible - I don't think younger Andrew would have been impressed if I'd changed them...

Who knows... Maybe in another 8 years I'll come back to them again, hopefully having improved a bit more...

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...