Nothing like a bit of creativity

So amongst my freelance work and job hunting, I've managed to have some down time in France. It's been my mums birthday so I did her a quick ipad drawing of her Rhodesian Rigdeback Benji, he's getting to be an old man now.

Also as it was Halloween and I hadn't been very creative for a few days I decided to carve my first pumpkin. It's definitely been a few years in fact I don't think I've done it since hitting double figures.

I don't think it's too bad for my first time go as an adult. I might start having a go at whittling.

 

Rough scene setup

It starts....

 

ATRG Advert with Music

So made the music to the animation last night, using Garageband. I think I like it, in my eyes this is now done I can now just tweak and play with it as much as I want to before the deadline, its a good feeling. Now today onwards I can concentrate on conquering my real weakness writing.

This is my ATRG Advert (with no tweaks):


Eventually I will add little ATRG signs everywhere, like in the sands of egypt, the cave paintings and Punk graffiti, but for now I have to just be done with it.

ATRG Update

Halfway through the backgroudn now, just have Georgian/Colonial to Modern day left to do. Still not hundred percent how I plan to finish it, but as long as I get the bulk of it done I'm happy.

I'm drawing a lot of it on the iPad using procreate and just transferring it over via dropbox to Photoshop, its so much easier to draw I find and then I can just tweak it and make it fit when I need to.

Daily Sketch: Self portrait

Jeebus... How hard was that!? Never realised how hard self portraits are, spent ages trying to figure out where my eyes were on my own head!! I'm done staring at myself, not the most vain person as it is, can be occasionally but fed up of it today. Anyway realised the more I challenge myself with different facial features and characters the better I become.

 

This one has been quite difficult, I knew My main features like the button nose and huge lips and big eyes, did not know how out of proportion it ll made it though!

Anyway it came together better when I started looking at it as a whole, with the hair and ears neck and shoulders. Also a big challenge was the 3/4 view not done that in ages and ages! I'm really getting into owning an iPad especially to draw with, best alternative I've got to one of those fancy big computer ones, once I've got a job and money then I'll start doing more fancy things

Daily sketch Le Chef

So my other half is doing a patisserie course this year, and every Tuesday keeps bringing home lots of fattening goodies, then we eat them while watching The Great British Bake Off. Well I was a little inspired to draw my very of a chef.

Here is the outline, and then I did a coloured version on my iPad using the Procreate app.

Only annoying thing about my daily sketch is his stupid squinty eye! I've forgotten how to draw them, will keep at it though! I like it apart from that I think, I like my little random daily sketches thing I've got going on though.

Daily Sketch: Beethoven

Just practicing my drawing skills, practice makes perfect. Anyway thought I'd have a go at a caricature and chose to do the famous Beethoven. Did not realise how big his forehead and hair was till I studied his pictures. Anyway here's my version of him done on iPad using Procreate and a Alupen.

not bad for a first time go, anyway I might add more detail later, just kept it simple with block colours and basic shadows. His hair could do with being a bit more fly away and messy though I reckon, anyway daily sketch done!

 

Bearded Man update

So I'm going to call it a night on this drawing, come back to it in the morning with fresh eyes. Not sure what more I should do, but that's why I'm going to leave it a while, refresh my brain. Don't think I'm doing too badly with my first go at a background!

Also client project going really well. Got a logo and design can now just play with colours! Will begin that this week, going to be ready for my September 16th deadline!

 

Background painting

So I am getting there, my first real go with a background and scenery painting, something I always seem to avoid for some reason. Its taken me forever to get just to this point since yesterday!

Hopefully it's starting to get a little more depth to it

 

 

Ok bit naughty but... He's got a BEARD!

Ok I know I've got like a billion and one different projects going on, but this idea struck me and theres nothing else out there like it. I have started my essay, and getting all my research together, to be honest I've got the answer and what I want to study in my final year, but it's how to best word the question, so I get to add all the things I want to study into it. Also my client project is coming on, but uni systems are being updated so I can't use them at the minute so it will have to wait.

Oh my chicken animation has come to a stand still BUT... Yesterday someone contacted me asking if it was possible to use it, a video company wanted to use it in a wedding video they were doing. How good is that?? So later today I'm going to get back on it, especially if someone thinks it good enough just from the 6second walk cycle.

Anyway back to the present this bearded fellow, just started the background, something I still haven't got my head around taking me an entire day to get the courage and begin drawing it. I didn't know how to start it what setting would best suit him, I was thinking indoors but then lighting became an issue. Then I thought about him on water almost meditating like, but that too became a bit too complex. I'm only a little beginner so that I'd start a little easier and do it in a forest setting. So here is the base, I might change the colouring, I'm going to add little light orbs around him, make it more mystical. Just have a play. Hopefully the base is a good enough start for me to get my head around scenery painting.

Practice makes perfect!

 

Chickens Walk Cycle

So I've begun my first ever hand drawn animation, just in time for the iAnimate competition. It's still a bit rough, but day by day I'm getting better and better, it's steadily being tidied up bit by bit. Considering I had no idea on how a chicken walks (my chickens must be fed up of my staring at them!) and had never successfully made a flip book or hand drawn animation of any kind, I don't think I've done too badly. I'm using the Animation Desk app on my iPad to create it, it's a bit fiddly at times and mid way through they updated the software and changed everything, Just as I was getting used to it! But with the mini set backs I think I'm getting the hang of it. I've only animated 72 frames at the minute, and at 12 frames a second that's only just 6seconds long. I'm planning to start animating the background, and have lots of things happening, like buildings being built, wars, aliens, chaos that kind of thing, life in general. Yet have the chicken causally strolling along, un fazed by the turmoil and chaos around it. It the lays an egg, and the end slogan will be "Life goes on"

That's exactly what happens, life goes on regardless of what occurs, or problems faced, life will always carry on in some way or another. I think it'll be quite interesting to watch, and if I can make the background elements interesting enough, I think it could be quite a good animation.

 

Tell you what, France is doing me a world of good!

 

I ain't no Chicken

Well since I've started blogging again, I've actually drawn something, rather than sat there thinking about it! It was a good idea to start again, and in France I have complete peace of mind. Anyway I've been drawing away on the Procreate app and have come up with these 6 designs:

After asking others opinions, number 3 was clearly out of the running, it was also my least favourite of the bunch, but it was my first attempt at a chicken, as I designed the others I got better and better until I finally finished with number 4 /5, my favourite is number 4 with four and 2 being a close 2nd and 3rd. Although he only reason why others liked number 2 was for the beak so I might transfer that over to number 4. I liked number 5 until someone said it looked too much like a cockerel, which is true, a fat one at that.

I think number four is the one I'm definitely going for, it's a cartoon without being too over the top, but there is still some humour there in the design. It also resembles the Magic flute (my real chicken). I'm going to start animating it today, just the walk cycle see if I can get the hang of their walk.

It won't be in colour in the actual animation, I'm keeping it simple!

Long time Avoiding

So while I've been on holiday, I seem to have lost motivation, or more likely I burnt myself out , especially towards the end of term. I think I needed a good break from it give my mind a bit of a reboot, so I can come back to it refreshed. Although that's not saying I haven't been thinking creatively I think I'm ready to get back on it, ideas and the to do list is getting bigger and bigger each week. So I think i shall begin again. I've set up my iPad so I can blog regularly so no more excuses. I'm using an app called Blogsy, really good interface, just figured out how to upload photos as well which is going to be useful. Plus I can upload videos so all my hand drawn animations which i'll be creating using Animation Desk (awesome app by the way).

I think it's this photo I took of a giant carpenter bee that may have sprung me back into action, along with my mums chickens. I never realised how funny a chickens walk is, so I've begun designing my own chicken and will be animating its walk cycle. Then I'm hoping to make little animations based upon this chicken using Animation Desk. I've got some ideas of how my chicken should look, I'm hoping this little exercise will help understand and appreciate the animation style of Tex Avery. As that is what my enter next years essay and project is on. Although Andy emailed me just to tweak the question a little as I've managed to make it a little difficult for myself, AGAIN!!

Currently I am in France, it's the one place where my mind is completely at ease, I think it's because my mum and dad take control and I don't have to be an adult or responsible for a few weeks. Well that's the conclusion I've come to. Oh these are the chickens that have inspired me, they're Sussex chickens or something I'm not quite sure, anyway here they are. They make the most oddest noise, and when they run I find it hilarious, so hopefully I can figure out how it's legs actually move, as the knee is bent opposite to ours and the balance of things I Think is off.

Once I have figured out the mechanics of the creatures I can then animate it correctly, I've video them, watched them and still can't figure it out. So I think I'm going to have to watch Chicken Run and some YouTube videos just to help grasp how they move. I will be uploading some designs of my chicken today and maybe even a outline walk through too.

We have a chubbier chicken and a more stream line one, I think I'm going to be basing my ideas on the fatter one as she genuinely has more personality and we have nicknamed her the Magic Flute as she never shuts up and makes the most bizarre noise, our chickens don't cluck and they have no fear either, well until you suddenly move and the leap away.

Anyway here she is, hopefully I can d her some justice in my designs as it is all down to her that I've wanted to start animating again. I think my mojo is coming back, my mind is more relaxed, France has taken off the pressure. I'll be here a few more weeks, so hopefully I'll have something worth while.

Also today I'll upload some videos I've taken of them walking around and just doing chicken things, like scratching the floor, pecking at insects and flapping their wings.

Wish me luck on my quest for motivation and getting back on the animation trail.

Posted with Blogsy

The Rhino Warrior

Update... Witch Hagatha and the New iPad

So my Silent Comedy story has had some radical changes due to time, body limitations, need for a better animation, and me being ill (Hence the reason for not updating sooner). Anyway I just wanted to share with you what I've created so far, I am literally now finishing up on the last scene, so I might hang on a little while before I actually show that, no point in showing half finished work when I'm sooo close to being done.
The story has been changed about 5 times now, I have three written up and two different storyboards, so you can see I've actually tried to work on some of them in my actual animation and decided no its not working. To be honest had I not changed it I might be finished by now, I've had a sneak preview of a few others and they havent concentrated on the story as much as me, its just about the animation, which is really good as that's all really Andy wants. I just can't be satisfied with that, I have to do every tiny bit, in fact there is a scene right at the beginning of my animation that I'm not quite happy with, and already thinking about re doing it all. Its very frustrating, but I havent got the time to dally, the longer I spend animating the more Roma's project, the Hansel and Gretel one, suffers.There is such a battle going on in my head, but I think I've made a decision because next teh area I'm choosing to do an in depth study in is Animation, its really important for me to get as much under my belt now.
Unfornately my poor little laptop couldnt take anymore, the powerful programs I'd been using like Mudbox, 3ds Max and Photoshop finally took its toll. So My grandparents and other family relatives have helped me invest in a new 32gb iPad 3 (birthday coming up), I know its not a great subsitute for a new laptop, but I am saving up to be able to build my own computer, so I'll be able to update it when ever needed, meaning that it'll never go out of date and will be a lasting thing. I feel there is definitely no point in buying a new laptop as after a few years they just can't cope. Which brings me to the reason why I have become an Apple Slave.
I can not afford a fancy flash imortal desktop computer just yet, but I do really need something for the summer while the Univesity computers are closed. It's ridiculous to not be able to do anything digitally creative for for 5 months. So after a good few months researching, and plenty of in depth conversations with my fiancee and family, I gave in. I'll use the iPad as a portable sketchbook, using "Apps" like Sketchbook Pro and Brushes, Autodesk 123d Sculpt, Moodboard Pro or Adobe Ideas,  Animation Desk and of course probably GarageBand or some kind of music creating app for my animations. I've aslo invested in the same stylus pen as David Hockney the Alupen, plus a hard case (don't want to damage something that costs more then my Bills). I hope this does help and change the way I work, which is very slow due to the process of transferring a rough sketch into a piece of digital Art work. I'll be able to create on the move which is the ideal thing, I understand there is a lack of pressure sensitivity but looking back I've struggled with that in my normal graphics tablet anyway.
Anyway I get it tomorrow, and hopefully I can hook it up to blogger and show some doodles or something, will also create some music for my animation. By the end of this week, we'll find out if it was a good investment or will it end up on ebay as part of a packaged with pen and case.