well, what the heck is this?

 

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I have been pretty busy here. Not much to show…yet…but here’s an older quick sketch for FrankenBunny!

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More Igor

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Here are two more rough pages from my Igor book. The first is a sketch of him visiting a cemetery. I figure he still does that, even after he gives up his old life and works as a baker. How he get to Duluth? I can’t tell you that! That’s the story!

The second is a list he made. He gets very into making lists and trying to control his life via logical thinking. He goes so far as to set-up time each morning, each afternoon and every night to make his lists of activities and then check them off to see how he is doing.

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Art Update

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Here’s a new page from the ever-editing collection of stories I am working on. This is Bradly, spending time at his grandpas old house. And in the study, plenty of old magazines with travels to exotic places. Let your imagination run wild.

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Animation shorts

To make up for the previous not-on-topic posting – here is fine little animated video/short by Ryan Quincy. Enjoy.

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Zombies

I really don’t want to link to videos that have nothing to do with illustration or animation or art…or…but I gotta say – this made me laugh. Good timing and editing.

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Red Dog and Green Cat

 

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Yeah, I know, not very original names for a red dog and a green cat. I will be starting a pretty involved animation project in the coming weeks. I will try and post a pencil test or two and some of the layout art. It’s a traditionally animated one minute segment in a documentary. It feels great to do traditional animation. So much energy and freedom seems possible compared to using Flash or doing collage style animation in After Effects. But it takes a lot more work too. Also I am thinking about posting a short story I wrote and did some drawings for. Perhaps in chapters. By the way, some amazing, beautiful amazing, grand, super-beautiful words-fail-me art on this blog, mainly background animation samples here.

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the pets are painted and hung

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From my camera phone, the pets are finally hanging on the wall. Originally I was going to do small framed pieces, but I ended up painting them about 15 x 15 inches. I had them output on canvas and I stretched them on wooden frames. I had the time, with my wifes help, to get them on the wall in my daughters room. Each pet caricature includes their name and nicknames.

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Many projects, too few me

The art above…from a project I am working on. It’s ‘in progress’. Boy is it ever and the progress better pick-up!
As a freelancer and stay at home dad right now, it is amazing how much you can get down when you are really, really organized and need to get it done. When I am working on two or three projects it is usually tough to sit down and concentrate long enough on each one to get anthing done. Ignore the emails, the phone, the bills that need to be paid, the blogs to read, the blogs to update, more emails, a call from a friend and a new blog with cool art…soon the whole afternoon is gone and I have accomplished nothing. What has helped me is knowing, without a doubt, that I have exactly 8 hours to get my work done. Period, end of story. Work efficinetly or I pay a high price by being up late, and having my daughter wake me up at 5:00am..ouch.

I’ve never been one of those folks who LOVE freelancing. It is easily three times the work of a ‘regular’ job. And often you have less control over your hours and how much you work. But the projects are intersting and it tests a lot of diferent skills. At this point ion my career this challenge is the most intriguing. And the ability to work form home, see my daughter all day and interact with her gives me another point of reference and experience in my life that I wouldn’t have punching a time-card and dropping her in day care. Good enough.

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2 page spread

This isn’t that old, but the less said about it the better. It’s one of THOSE projects. You know, a project that sort-of-kind-of doesn’t quite turn into what you thought and where you never hear back and it kind of blows away into dust. What I can say: This is a two page spread (that is a drawing that covers 2 pages, often used in a picture book). I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. It’s not done, this was a well worked rough. Maybe a little too well worked for a rough. Yeah, that’s it!

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1 of 7

This is a sample from a project I completed a few weeks ago. I’m just now getting to archive the files and moving them off my computer. This is one of 7, I think, from what was basically corporate work, but for a good cause. I worked with a great agency based here in Portland, Oregon called Circle Triangle Square. Their art direction was clear, they had a very developed vision for what they wanted. This made the job of producing the illustrations much more fun, more efficient, and I spend more time on details and less trying to find a POV. I created them digitally, from very rough pencil sketches. This made altering colors or slight changes in expression much quicker. I really like the fact that digital work is easy to alter. I work rather spontaneously, and it is a good fit. Funny I am at that point as I did mostly etching in undergrad art school. Etching demands more advanced planning and less opportunity to alter things mid-point. It definitely makes you select a vision and stick with it.

Next up, some more animation work for a very interesting documentary. I get to produce a minute or so of animation that looks and feels like 1930′s style Fleischer Bros. work. I’m looking forward to it!

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