The general sentiment towards generative art has been that of disdain and I understand why. We can write books and thesis’s breaking down the implications of generative art but in my opinion we can’t put the genie back in the box and the only way out is through. It’s better to get in front of…
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The Current AI-Zeit and Thoughts about Its Creative Implications
Since early spring of 2023, artificial intelligence (AI) has experienced a surge in popularity, captivating both the tech industry and the creative sphere. The once esteemed venture capitalists, who were once fervent proponents of Web3, have redirected their attention toward AI, signaling a shift in this focus. Consequently, developers are now migrating to AI projects,…
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One on One with William Arnold
William Arnold has always been a sure and steady force on the design team at Mill NY. William realizes his unique aesthetic that fuses art and design into a creative sensibility that’s signature William. William’s recent OFFF by Night title-sequence made a big splash when it was made public on the internet and I had…
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Q&A with Simon Holmedal
I had the honor and privilege of interviewing Simon Holmedal of Man vs. Machine based in London. I’ve followed Simon since I was in school when he used to post tutorial-esque videos explaining the intricacies of Xpresso and Thinking Particles. I had the opportunity to meet Simon in the winter of Berin in 2014. Simon…
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F5 Fest 2015
Good speakers, cool people, inspiration everywhere and the bars only a few steps away. What’s not to love at F5. The common love for process and creation that the speakers were sharing was really refreshing. The interstitial bumpers between speakers were these cool CG spots created by Albert Omoss and the awesome graphic titlecards were created by the awesome…
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Winter ’14 C4DAPT2
Syfy/Chiller has consumed much of my focus and creative energy. As my project page shows I’ve been busy working on numerous show opens, brand concepts, and ad-sales projects. I’d say that with these new projects, I’ve developed a keener workflow to balance deadlines vs quality. This workflow is continually being defined and tweeked because I’m…
Read MoreSubliminal
This has soul. This is a winner. Creativity can’t exist in a void and we are all products of external stimuli. I’ve watched this clip 50 times because I want to ingrain the brilliance of it in my mind. I want it to influence me one way or another.
Read MoreFall update
A brief scare: I thought I lost 2+ years of my blog posts when the database went awry but my host provider was able to restore the database via their backup server so my blog is back! My webpage is going through a redesign. I will be storing all my videos on Vimeo as it…
Read MoreTotal Recall: Three boobs are better than two.
Read MoreNew isn’t always better
There are several things that I do that amuse a certain demographic of my loving friends- the smart one’s who listen to ‘Les Savy Faux’ on their iPad’s and wear Deth Killers of Bushwick t-shirts. They snort in exasperation and hold their nose high up to my practice of watching movies at the movie theater. “Why?!…
Read MoreWe share the same sentiments
(Though more than I am repelled by the self-aggrandizing nature of FB, I don’t like how it has a way of sucking you in). (Source: Asaf Hanuka)
Read MoreWhere has my afterburners gone?
UV Unwrap progress.. or more accurately, regress? No progress being made… For every 1 step forward, I am taking 2 steps backward. I must work harder.
Read Moreart school
When I was in art school, I was asked to submit a video piece of one of my works for an upcoming show highlighting recent works by the Electronic design & Multimedia kids. I remember being unhappy with my art school. So as a form of protest I submitted this video instead. Take from it…
Read MoreI really like the strong graphic imagery of dvdp’s work. There is something to be said of flipping techniques on it’s head and coming up with a different way of using something that was originally intended for another purpose. (source: dvdp )
Read MoreArtist Statement 2012
I intend to explore and express the existential state of the identity concept by weaving narrative and experimental concepts through utilzing the multilayered and multidisciplinary practices of photography, filmmaking, writing and animation. I will be mainly focused on the relationship between expectations of self-actualization, and the contradictory dichotomy between the concept of free will and…
Read MoreEast chapter
I’m a member now!
Read MoreThe good, the bad and the topology.
It is hard to develop the eye for topology and clean quads. I am okay with spotting poles and pentagons but triangles are a challenge because they just don’t want to go away. Sometimes I am tempted to just leave a triangle alone and think it wouldn’t be such a bad thing because if you…
Read MoreConcept excercise
Found a concept sketch of a character that I finished last winter. Not the best but I’ll draw more bad sketches out of my system before I start feeling more at ease with concept sketching. His name is Tommy. He works and lives in Copenhagen at a media startup. Tommy has the hots for Suzie…
Read Moreder Geist der stets erinnert sich
There’s no point in being good if you can’t be a good person.
Read MoreCold blog
To my chagrin, my own blog went cold. One of the things that disappoint me is when bloggers more or less abandon their blogs. “She was doing so well! Why did she quit updating?!” Is something that I say to myself when I realize that a blog has lost it’s blogger. Since I started my…
Read MoreF5 show was totally awesome.
I attended the F5 show, courtesy of Robert Leger who graciously hooked me up with tickets. I went with illustrator Miri D’Oro. It was held at the Roseland Ballroom for 2 days, and was packed with all the big names from Neil Huxley, Onesize, Kid Koala, Nathan Love, Buck, etc. It was truly an inspiring…
Read MoreMocap Studio visit + Python study
I attended the Mongrel FX open-house studio 3 weeks ago. Currently Mongrel FX specializes in motion-capture and is in production of a yet-to-be-named animated pilot for broadcast television. There are surprisingly few true animation studios in New York, so it’s even more surprising that Mongrel also provides motion capture services. I spoke with Jeff Hipolito,…
Read MoreUniversal Themes in Stories + Xpresso Camera Rig
I was called in to help animate and composite a CG commercial for a studio. I was putting in a lot of hours to help them meet their deadline with their client. I haven’t had much time for personal study and growth but I have satisfied my obligations with that studio and so have more…
Read MorePractice and the need for more
I haven’t been managing my time well the past week. I will have to schedule my time so I can get in at least 2 hours of personal time every day to practice. I did manage to squeeze out two sheets of practice. I blurred out one figure because it was terrible and does not…
Read MoreConstruction and Readable Poses
I drew characters in poses of my own design (no copying). I began with the line of action and worked through construction. John Kricfalusi recommends that I stick with good generic characters like Tom and Jerry, Porky Pig, or Elmar Fudd. The reason behind constructing my poses from these characters is because they are clean…
Read More2011 Motion Graphics Reel
Just updated my motion graphics reel. Here it is.
Read MoreUniversal Conflicts in story
Conflict is always found in story and is the dilemma that is getting in the way of the hero’s goal. Conflict creates tension for the character and puts him in danger. Conflicts occur in stories with enough regularity that it is possible to distinguish and list these conflicts: – Brains vs. Brawn: intelligence against brute…
Read MoreHands
Practicing hands. Probably the animators who do the best hands are: Tex Avery, Preston Blair, Bob Clampett. Good to study their style. I practiced a sheet of hands here. Construct the hand by: – drawing the palms and then the finger mass. You should get something that looks like a mitten. – draw in the…
Read MoreStrengthening the dramatic – Line of Action
The line of action is an intangible artistic concept that is important in establishing the dramatic effect of your drawings. The line of action makes your poses appealing and clear, someone looking at your poses should know what is going on immediately. John Kricfalusi says that when using the line of action, another important principle…
Read MoreWhy I study classical Animation technique
When I told my animator friend that I was rebuilding my foundation from Preston Blair’s instructions (ca. 1950’s Disney), he dismissed it “been there, done that.” Of course my friend is a flash animator. The thing is that animation has been going through some changes, mainly cel-drawing/painted animation is being phased out in favor of…
Read MoreConstruction of Pear-shaped bodies
I tackled the construction of simple 2 legged-characters. These studies focused around pear-shaped bodies for the sake of simplicity and clarity. Keeping the body type universal was essential because it allowed me to understand construction, proportion and the flowing details around the construction (clothe, eyes, hair). As John Kricfalusi mentions, pear-shaped bodies are not the…
Read MorePreston Blair on Squash and Stretch in regards to the head
Been going through Preston Blair‘s explanation for squashing and stretching, particularly when applied to the head. John Kricfalusi explains that the most varied area on a cartoon’s stretched and squashed head is the mouth area. The cranium essentially retains its volume because it is composed of bone and cartoons lends its credence to reality, so…
Read MoreUniversal Character Archetypes found in all stories
There are always certain character roles that you will see story after story. An archetype by definition is the original, something that serves as a model to be copied, in the case of stories this would be a person, personality, or behavior. Carl Jung, a 20th Century psychoanalyst studied dreams and the unconscious of many…
Read MoreChecking my copies
I’ve been studying construction, mainly head construction. It’s been a guilty pleasure since I know I should be spending more of my drawing time on figure drawings. However I can say that I’m still learning some useful concepts through studying cartoony drawings. Using Tex Avery as a reference, I’ve been copying his mouse character through…
Read MoreFigure Drawings
Just a few figure drawings. I’ve missed you pencil.
Read More3-Act Aristotelian plot structure and why all movies seem the same
If you want to understand story-writing and how story is constructed, read Ideas for the Animated Short (written by Karen Sullivan, Gary Shumer, and Kate Alexander). I recommend this book for anyone looking to understand the form and formula of story writing. Aristotle defined a 3-act plot structure 2,300 years ago. The first act established pity…
Read MoreMy yuletide offering to you: a Christmas carol!
Merry Christmas! My gift to all my friends and family, a Christmas carol 😉 Hope you all stay warm, enjoy the holidays and get ready for the coming year! See you guys next year!
Read MoreRosebowl Spec. update
I finished creating a pre-visual of one scene. After constructing the scene and fixing issues with my UV maps and hair, I spent most of my time on the lighting. It’s funny, but I always regarded lighting in CG very lightly, a simple matter of setting up a light rig and leaving it at that.…
Read MoreMaitre d’ concept sketch
Hi guys. I began work on a character design which I will later model and texture. Now I am not a good concept artist but I put in some time sketching out this character I had in mind anyway. I’ve had this guy in my head for months now and it feels good to finally…
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