Tattoo-pallooza!

A friend of mine asked if I would draw up a few sketches for a foot tattoo she has always wanted. She only knew that she wanted her kids names in a neat design. So here's what I came up with, and the final inked design. Such fun it was!

This is the winning sketch she liked best:

This is the final inked version:

Daily Delight at the Gym

Col-erase pencil & brush pen

I love people, they come in all too many sorts and varieties...how could one get bored with what to possibly draw??!

This chap is at the gym allll the time when we go, he looks pert-near exactly like this. His shorts are that high, no lie. And he is so happy about it! I say, if he's happy, I'm happy.

Work it out!

Kaj sketches

Still workin on film stuff before I post...but I came across these rough Kaj Pindal sketches I did of him a couple months ago when he was kind enough to critique my film leica.

He gave me some great tips and comments, and regardless, it's always a bundle of enjoyment to be in that man's company and share in his vast animation experience and wisdom!

Cheers to Kaj!

Royal Winter Fairin'

Soooooooo this past Wednesday we did our annual visit to Toronto's Royal Winter Fair to do our day o' drawrin'! It's funny, I realized this is my fourth time comin', and it's always so interesting! Soooo many great and diverse people, funny animals...the day always flies by and I always leave wishing I could come back and continue the drawin'. However, Alysia and I had a great day with our pencils and watercolours, and here's a few from the day!

Unda da sea

Alysia and I were randomly sketching whilst in class last week, and something she drew made me think of this. They are instant sea friends!

I call it "When Squishy Meets Squashy".

Drawrings o' life

Here's some more life drawings / caffe sketches from the last couple weeks of life drawing class. We are working on drapery, tone and lighting....and did I mention drawing 2 models is tough!

Once again, I feel the more I learn, the more I need to learn.......the more I want to learn!

I hope that feeling never goes away, 'cause isn't that what life is all about??

Prashant Miranda

Prashant Miranda [see his blog here!] came to Sheridan this week and spoke at two of our lectures, and I found him to not only be genuinely a pleasure to listen to, but completely inspiring! His journals are absolutely amazing and gave me a new resolution to how I approach sketching/journaling. Here's a quick sketch I did of him today whilst he spoke.

What a great time for him to come to speak - when we are just beginning these films of ours and everything seems to be such a mish-mash....just a reminder to get back to basics and WHY we wanted to create art in the first place.

Thanks Prashant!

Final Life Drawing portfolio

I can't believe it's already time for our final life drawing portfolio of the year... but alas, the time has come! Well, I have learned heaps, and feel like I am just beginning to understand how colour works and this whole world of caricature and costume...

This last portfolio has felt very rushed, what with our film being due in mere days now [ACK!!], life drawing has definitely been pushed to the back seat. Or, maybe even the trunk....

BUT I am excited to start to implement all I have learned this summer, whew!
Here's the pieces I chose for my final portfolio. Some caffe thrown in there as well, as we had to hand in a page of it.

An oxy-moron?

I must give props to DQ for that title... he thought of that name for our group film, and kept bringing it up - however, I agree it is quite clever!

Tomorrow is our group character design is due - but our individual take on it. The assignment is to take a pose of the main character from our group storyboard [props to Brock for a great pose!], clean it up with our own style-ish additions, and colour the pose.

Here's my version of our oxy-moron! [I tried to do an Emslie-ish line, but it ain't easy by hand! I don't know how ya do it, Pete!]

Royal Winter Fair 2007!

This year was really great! The fair is always fun, despite the crowded crowds, freezing fingers and allergies going haywire....! I tried to approach this year with more fun, caricature stuff, trying to capture more the animal's personalities rather than just the anatomy.

BUT, it's easier said than done!! You have to really know the structure before you can properly distort it! Therefore I feel today as I always do after a day at the fair.... I wish we could have a week there! I just get warmed up [not literally however] and then it's time to go.

I do always stretch myself, learn lots, and this time, even used lotsa watercolours. Yay! Here's my highlights from today.

These guys made us laugh, they reminded me of bandits with their ill-fitting head coverings.

This farmer seriously DID have a sheep on his hat. Classic.

I barely even exaggerated these guys!

Cows are just good clean fun to draw. Hmm, maybe not clean.

I couldn't resist. I love llamas!

Restaurant caffe

I quickly sketched these guys when we went out for supper on Friday night. Ah, people are so fun to draw! Endless varieties.....

Drawrings from da zoo

Finally I am getting to post a few of these drawings from the zoo a few weeks ago. Or - years ago? I don't know, this year has felt like both one loooooong day, and 8 years! Don't ask me to explain that :)

As you can see from my drawrings, I LOVED the orangutans! They were so fun to watch and draw. I could have spent all day there - and we definitely spent most of our time there. I really liked the rhino and elephant too.... maybe I'll post some sketches of those later. I can't wait to have some more time to experiment and do all these things I have been putting off 'cause of school chaos!

Anyhoo, I loved the big furry guy. He was awesome!
Animals are grand to sketch :)

Page fer da yearbook

This is a page of my work that I threw together [almost literally threw!] last night to be included in this year's Sheridan Yearbook.

Yearbook, as in, a book of all the animator's art, not so much peeps in grad hats and geeky haircuts. [Although....that would make an EXCELLENT caffe drawing!]

For a fee, we are allotted a grayscale page in the book with whatever artwork we choose to best represent our skillz. The book is for 2nd, 3rd and 4th yr Animation peeps... then they send out the book to all the studios. It's just a good opp to get yer name out there.

It's tough to pick stuff that translates really well in black and white, but I tried me best!
Rock and roll!

A few peeps at Starbucks.

A few nights ago Tams and I were at Starbucks, and I was enjoying a cinnamon-y caffeinated beverage... but also I was enjoying drawing the peeps that waltz in and out! So fun.

I love doing caffe drawings - there's no pressure, or deadlines, or thoughts of being perfect and getting a good mark...pant, pant.....

Just.... draw. Just try to capture some life. Just have some fun! That's why I honestly can't go too long before I do some drawings of my own, outside of all the school crazyness. That's what it's all about - have fun!

Pete Emslie reminded us this week in Char Design class of that very thing. [Thanks Pete!] With all the pressures of school and becoming better and work work work....we forget to HAVE FUN! 'Cause, after all, we ARE drawing cartoons - shouldn't it be fun? I know that when I remember that very simple thing, my drawings turn out better.

Next week is Spring Break [YAHOOOOO!], so I hope to get at least SOME time to do some fun jazz. I've been experimenting with caricaturing animals.....

Ack...speaking of deadlines and pressure....animation is due tomorrow!
My blue pencil is calling.