Happy Halloween!!

This week's assignment for my Animation Layout class.  The focus is on silhouette with flat lighting.

click on picture for larger view

Sandcastle for the Sun - Animatic - Take I

Here is a link to my first pass at my animatic for this year's film.  It is about Bea, a panther, who is working to make a perfect sandcastle for the sunset.  She fights the tide, who wants to join in on the fun.  After letting go of some control, she gets it done just in time for the sunset.  Click on the link below to check it out:

Link to Sandcastle for the Sun Animatic - 1st Pass

Layout Assignment

Here are some drawings that show the process for how I came up with the final drawing that I turned in for my layout class, from final, to first drawing:

Layout Class - Beach Pan

Here is my first attempt at a pan (right to left) with a rotating camera.   To my surprise I worked the camera pretty well!

(please click on image for larger view)

In-Class Sketches

Character Exploring For My Next Film

Dumbo Sketches

Elephant Sketch

My Latest Figure Drawing

I really struggled the day I drew these, but looking back, I got a couple good drawings out of it.  I am really trying to work on two specific things: 1. design, and, 2. being more sensitive to my subject.  Trying new things always leads me to struggle and a bit of regression, but after I work through it and keep drawing I get even better than before.  Then I find a new way to grow, and the cycle continues!

Raiden 's Surprise

Raiden, my son who just turned 2 in July, has been amazing me all of a sudden with his art!  He has always been a little good at it (he always held a crayon correctly, could draw circles early on, talks about his pictures to me) but just recently I have noticed pictures emerging.  It started this last week.  He uses specific, expressive gestures - for instance, he said he was painting clouds and he was using short, playful strokes, and another time he said that he was painting waves and asked for blue then asked for white and he was making broad, graceful strokes, making a 'swoosh' sound as he did painted.  Here is what he has done this week, titled by the artist:

"Beach" or "Sky and Waves"

"Trees"

Last Night's Sketchbook

Classmate Sketches:

Character Sketches:

Tattoo Ideas:

Sketchbook Doodles

Back and Black!

I am so excited to be back at Cal Arts.  I started classes last week - the beginning of my 2nd year.  Looking around at all the computers - the artwork coming from the students is even better than last year.  I definitely feel more excited and confident than last year when I was excited but scared out of my mind - not knowing a thing about animation, and let's not forget the lovely 4-letter word: Maya!  In each one of my classes, on day one, I have learned so much already.

My schedule is even more grueling than last year's - with 4 night classes!  And Raiden is definitely feeling the change.  But we will get through it.  I tell him "Mommy has to go to school so we can live in this nice home, please be a big boy and give Mommy a kiss goodbye."  I have a great babysitter and daycare so I know he is having a nice, productive time while I am at school.

Last year, before coming to Cal Arts, I made myself finish that 1 class that I had been missing for 5 years in order to get my Associates degree,  That felt good.  Well, I was also supposed to test for my black belt 5 years ago, but I left my dojo a couple months before I was supposed to test.  I had been studying somewhere else over the years, but I returned to my original dojo over the summer and finally got that black belt!  And that felt good.  I am no longer a person who works hard, but never finishes.  I am a finisher!!!!  At least today I am.

My Baby Comes to Work

I had a caricature gig this weekend for a Grandparents' Day event.  It's my second year drawing for this event and it was a blast.  My son joined me - with the assistance of his Baba, my mom no doubt.  They had a lot of fun as you can see below!  He was excited to be a tiger in the face painting line, and went down big water slides.  Thanks Baba!  

My step-dad, Rich Hurley, is the magician of Grandparents' Day, 

seen as Pop Pop in the picture below with his grandson:

Oh, and he colored his heart out!

After no nap and 4 hours of crazy fun and work, we still managed to get a picture together, 

me and my tiger boy:

Cleansing Flames & Love Light

Quinceanera Masquerade

This is a drawing I did after I worked a caricature gig for a quinceanera masquerade party this weekend:

Pre-Party & Post-Party Clips

So Raiden had his 2nd birthday party this weekend.  It was so wonderful!  Saturday was his birthday.  I decorated the house before he woke up so that he would know that his birthday was special and fun.  We spent the day on I-Chat with the aunts, cousins, and grandparents, opening the gifts they each got him.  We also went out for a special dinner at a Japanese restaurant with a rotating sushi bar and koi pond.  They sang him happy birthday and he loved it all. 

On Sunday we had a birthday party with 4 of his best friends. It was so cute and so fun!  He loved entertaining and taking care of his guests.  We are celebrating with my family this upcoming weekend, and I will put together a Birthday Video Compilation.  Until then, here is a pre-party video of when he first woke up and saw the decorations, and a post-party video of him doing everyone's favorite- the Raiden Dance:

Link to Pre-Party Clip

Link to Post-Party Dance Video

My Little Dancer

So, first off I would like to apologize for the lack of posts recently!  I have been doing a lot of artwork, but mostly things I am not able to share yet.  I love this blog though because it keeps me on my toes for making my own work that I can share as I please.  So that is coming I promise!  

Meanwhile my little guy is getting so big!  2 years old this weekend!  I got a bike and I pick him up and drop him off from everyday on it.  We have a lot of fun.  I am testing for my shodan in aikido finally, so I have been going to the dojo every day.  Raiden loves hanging out with all the guys there.  He has also made 2 best friends, one is our neighbor, and the other lives next door to the dojo.  It is really cute to watch them play - best buddies!  He is drawing a lot, getting really into the subject and stories of his drawings.  What about those terrible 2's you ask?  Well, the fits come by, but I handle it by always staying positive and redirecting.  It is hard sometimes to always be like that, but the only times he acts up is when I fall out of that behavior.  He is also counting things a lot, understanding the idea of quantity, which is exciting.  Here is a clip of him dancing this morning:

Link to Raiden Rockn' Out!

I am working again at Disneyland doing caricatures and portraits 1 day a week over the summer.  I am also doing some animation and illustration projects that I am very excited about. - more to come!
I will be taking some classes at the Animation Guild (AAI) and Santa Monica City College.

Being at Cal Arts just 1 year, I feel I have grown so much.  I am so happy and focused.  I appreciate everyone's individual skills more than I ever did before.  And my skills and vision as an artist are definitely stronger.  I look forward to where I am going, and do not know the limits of how far I will go!

the Grandma, the Witch, and Gretel

I have been working on a visual development piece on Hansel and Gretel.  I chose the look of the film to be inspired by Dr.Suess.  The story is mainly centered around Gretel.  I added a good Grandma who has chihuahuas.  Here are the character designs that I have so far.  Check some older posts as well as upcoming ones to see more from this vis dev project.

The (Good Grandma) & her Chihuahuas:

The Witch:

 Gretel:

Land of Hansel & Gretel

Here is the land for my Hansel & Gretel project.  If I haven't mentioned it yet - my film design is inspired by the styles of Dr. Suess.

Stages

I have been working on the witch for my Hansel & Gretel project, and as I was taking a break I was staring at the computer, and thought it may be interesting to see the character throughout its different stages.

Stage 1:

Stage 2:

Stage 3:

Here are some of the stages for my Gretel character: