Aarnimation

Feed the Fish

2012-01-06T08:48:00.001-07:00

Birthday

2011-12-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

It's fun being a poor artist-- for birthday presents, you can just draw a picture of your friend or relative, wrap it up, give it to the birthday boy or girl and call it good. (It works even better if it's a picture of them that you give.)

So, happy birthday, oh small, winged niece of mine. As always, watch out for birds of prey and bug-zappers.

Christmas Gift Tip of the day

2011-12-16T08:36:00.000-07:00

Draw Me!

2011-12-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

I love caricatures..... and I particularly love caricatures of myself. It's fun to see someone else capture little features or expressions of mine that I know so well. It's a blast getting a glimpse of how other people see me.

Recently at work they started a "Caricature Door" where everyone on the animation team posts all the drawings they've done of each other (but had previously kept hidden). It turns out I'm one of the more popular subjects. That means either I'm really fun to draw or really easy to draw (or both). Either way, I love it.

And I'd like to issue a challenge-- send me your drawings of me! I'm sure any of you who know me have secret sketchings of me that are in some old sketchbook somewhere. Or even if you don't know me, whip up a sketch anyway and email them to me! I'm going to be keeping a page on this blog called "Draw Me!" where I document all such sketchbookery. Send them in! rabidmilkman(at)gmail(dot)com

This might seem a little self-centered, but that's not the intent. I just laugh really hard when I see an awesome drawing of myself in all my stout-and-bald glory.

So here are a few draw-rings of me from friends and co-workers.

The first is from Nigel Style, animation guru at Avalanche.

This beauty came from Thomas Estrada, my mentor at Avalanche.

And this of course is from the late, great Scott Gwynn. I say late because he missed our carpool this morning.

Buzz Lightyear to the Rescue!

2011-11-18T08:33:00.001-07:00

Nerd.

2011-11-15T11:06:00.001-07:00

More fishmen silliness.

This is Betty.

2011-11-11T11:53:00.001-07:00

She's looking for a date. Any takers?

As you can probably tell from my posts this week, I'm absolutely loving being a part of the Fishmen in Top Hats blog. There's inspiring stuff from talented friends posted every day. It's a great way to motivate me to try to step it up (and have fun while I'm at it).

Anyway, I'm gonna plug it again-- if you're not following Fishmen in Top Hats, you're a slimy old curmudgeon.

And Betty would like to meet you sometime.

That's right. I went there.

Space Nudist

2011-11-10T09:33:00.001-07:00

Spock Puppet

2011-11-08T08:07:00.004-07:00

I love me some Muppets.

The Truth About Scarecrows....

2011-10-27T14:30:00.001-06:00

Scarecrows aren't trying to be scary. The name "scarecrow" is a label given them by crows to garner public sentiment for themselves (and more corn). Scarecrows aren't even trying to scare crows. They're just hanging out in the field, arms outstretched, waiting for someone to give them a big hug.

Done for the Avalanche Software Art Blog's Scarecrow theme.

Happy Halloween!

Baby's First Crime Scene

2011-09-29T08:53:00.002-06:00

My son Quinn recently started crawling, and he is instantly all over the place. After reading Hergé's TinTin for the first time (love it), I'm getting visions of Quinn going to faraway lands hunting down ancient treasure while narrowly escaping the bad guys.

I mean, he's crawling, right? Practically there!

So I whipped this up for the Fishmen in Tophats blog (I'm guessing it's pronounced "top-hats" and not "toe-fats") .

Are you following us yet?

It's O-fish-al

2011-09-23T22:01:00.002-06:00

So for a long time my favorite blog has been Fishmen in Top Hats, featuring the doodle-a-day talents of Scott and Jeff. The premise is basically to post just about every day, keep things fun and creative and just have a good ol' time.

Well I'm lucky enough to be a part of that now! Wahoo! Hopefully I can keep up. (Also joining me in the rookie ranks are Jonny and Joey.)

This is my first post there.

Head on over there and give us a follow!

Now.

No, really, I mean it.

Do it.

Why are you still here?

Mo'

2011-09-01T06:19:00.001-06:00

From The Sartorialist:

From The Whiteboard:

Prosthetic Proboscis

2011-08-24T07:49:00.000-06:00

Thankfully we now have the technology to assist the olfactorily-challenged.

Done for the Avalanche Software blog's "Cyborg" theme.

White Board Doodles

2011-08-07T09:56:00.000-06:00

Recently I've re-discovered the joy of drawing on white boards. It might even be my medium of choice. I might just have to put together a sketchbook whose pages are actual white boards...

Target Practice

2011-07-28T10:31:00.002-06:00

This is my maiden voyage with the Avalanche Software Art Blog! I'm way stoked about this-- that blog has always inspired me, and now to be able to contribute (somewhat) to it is awesome.

Recent Random Happenings Presented in Sketchbook Form

2011-06-19T23:29:00.003-06:00

My daughter just turned two just a few days ago (hopefully the terrible two's aren't quite this bad).

...
My wife hails from central Utah, where they have a Scandanavian festival every year. You meet lots of interesting folks there. Whether or not you draw them well is another story.

...
I just started my internship at Avalanche (Disney Interactive), and I must say I'm absolutely loving it. I've learned so much there already in such a short time. One of the fun parts is sketching people on the train/bus.

...
I said this today:

Looking for someone to sketch?

2011-05-25T14:18:00.003-06:00

Look no further than your local baby! Sketching babies is better than sketching adults for the following reasons:

They are cuter (provided you've passed the two-month mark and the newborn "old-man" look is gone).
They don't charge modeling fees.
You don't creep them out by staring at them intently for 2-5 minutes at a time.
They don't move around much (especially if you swaddle them really tightly with a velcro blanket).

My Two-Year-Old Watches Way Too Much Animation

2011-05-08T07:39:00.003-06:00

For Mother's Day, here's a daddy-daughter comic (inspired by true events):

(click to enlarge)

Can't compete with the father-son hijinks you'll find over at Anthony's blog.

Comics = Therapy

2011-04-26T15:52:00.001-06:00

Here's a quick, sketchy, aliased comic for ya.

Click to enlarge!

Tangled Gestures, Part 1

2011-04-14T11:45:00.007-06:00

This morning I sat down for a couple of hours and sketched some quick gestures from Disney's Tangled. Most of these took about a minute or two, done in Adobe Flash.

2011 Character Animation Demo Reel

2011-04-04T08:16:00.005-06:00

2011 Character Animation Demo Reel from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

Caminar

2011-03-29T15:54:00.006-06:00

Here is a rough walk cycle test for the main character of our senior film, "Estefan". (I always want to call it our "señor film"...)
He is the greatest hairdresser in all of Spain... and by Spain I mean the universe.

Estefan Walk from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

More to come shortly.

DreamGiver Premiere!

2011-02-16T09:48:00.003-07:00

Wednesday, March 2, 2011 at 10 a.m.

This is the premiere of the newest BYU Animated film: DreamGiver, directed by Tyler Carter.

Special Guest:
-Internationally Acclaimed Disney Art Director Bill Perkins will share his experience from films such as Tangled, Bolt, and Aladdin after the screening. It is sure to be a treat and a one of a kind event.

Other Events in the program:
-From Dream to Reality (a behind the scenes documentary on the making of DreamGiver)

Admission is free but seating is limited to the Dejong Concert Hall's occupancy. It is suggested you arrive no later than 30 minutes in advance.

See you March 2nd!!

Thanks Coach!

2011-02-10T22:04:00.001-07:00

I feel like I've lost an uncle or something...

829 hours and 34 minutes later....

2011-01-11T07:39:00.010-07:00

....we are done! Since May I've been working on Tyler Carter's film DreamGiver. Most of the film is 3D animation, but I got to be a lead on the 2D sequence of the film. We had a daunting task-- finish 50+ shots in practically one semester-- but we did it!!! We had an awesome team of animators and clean-up artists who really took this film as their own and made miracles happen.

In my humble opinion, this is one of the most beautiful student films I've seen (and trust me--that's not because of anything I did). I have been truly blessed to be a part of it, and to work with such amazing artists.

I hope to update my demo reel soon, and then I can share a festival-friendly post with you. Hopefully you get a chance to see the entire film somewhere as it makes its festival run over the next year or so.

Thanks Ty!

Figures....

2010-12-11T13:25:00.003-07:00

Sketch Theme: Western

2010-12-06T06:21:00.003-07:00

For Gesture Drawing class, taught by the desperado in the wanted poster.

100th Post

2010-11-22T22:02:00.005-07:00

What better way to celebrate than with some sketches?

Answer that question in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by!

As Promised....

2010-09-08T20:38:00.002-06:00

...here is part two of the awesome interview I was able to do with Jake and Anthony.

Hope you enjoy!

Picking Brains

2010-08-17T18:07:00.005-06:00

I make a podcast for animation students (especially those at BYU). It's still small and obscure, but I'm really excited about this episode. I got to interview Jake Wyatt and Anthony Holden before they finished up here at the Y.

It's always helpful for students to learn from their senior classmates, and Jake and Anthony are no exception. Plus they're REEEAALLY good at what they do. Check out their blogs and see for yourself.

I sincerely hope you learn as much from them as I did in this hour-long interview.

(Big thanks again to Jake and Anthony!)

Jumping Through Hoops

2010-08-11T11:25:00.002-06:00

Sketch-landfill

2010-08-05T20:46:00.004-06:00

Mo' sketches.

Bye!

Video Games = Educational

2010-07-12T13:04:00.004-06:00

In my ongoing efforts to graduate, I am taking a technical writing class this summer. So far it hasn't exactly been my cup o' noodles, but this assignment was fun.

How to Impress a Girl - Mario Style from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

Thanks to Mark Hyzer for his Mario skills (and for fixing one stubborn frame).

Super Mario Bros. (and Super Smash Bros. Brawl music used) are property of Nintendo.

Sketchbookery

2010-07-09T21:10:00.002-06:00

Lovin' me some ballpoint

2010-06-28T13:00:00.003-06:00

Hypothesis: The level of cleanliness a drawing possesses is inversely proportional to the amount of fun the artist has while creating said drawing.

One down....

2010-05-28T22:45:00.005-06:00

Our baby girl turns one in a couple of weeks..... and what have I learned in my first year of fatherhood? I'm glad I asked:

1. Changing diapers is easy when the baby stays still.

2. The baby does not like to stay still.

3. When the baby throws the food-covered spoon at dada, it means she's done eating.

4. White throw-up does not come out of a dark-colored suit.

5. I am the luckiest person in the world.

Here's to year two!

Before the Blog Dies...

2010-05-20T19:08:00.004-06:00

I decided I should post something before you all think I'm dead.

Brand New Sketchbook

2010-05-05T17:04:00.006-06:00

So I finally moved on from the "3-ring binder with punched copy paper" sketchbook and purchased a fun little Moleskine. I must say that it's a lot more fun drawing now.... and I think that's more than worth the difference in price.
We drove to Seattle (and back) over the weekend. It was fun to sketch the interesting folks along the way.

While in Seattle, we stopped by their awesome Aquarium. I got to sketch some fish....

...and then we ate some of their cousins at Ivar's.

The Illusion of Life

2010-04-22T12:54:00.010-06:00

So in the Animation Program at BYU there's a class for sophomores to take called "The Illusion of Life". It basically allows for exploration into any four of eight or so different fields of animation while keeping a single story/set of characters in mind. It's pretty awesome, but WAY intense-- at least 20 pages of research and reference are expected for any assignment. It's great though because it really helps to get you in the mindset that the pros are in-- always learning, always exploring.

So here is my character line-up:

Some storyboards from the story:

I got to explore anatomy for one of my characters and for a horse. Here are a couple of images from that assignment:

And here is the pencil test featuring Joss, the main character of the story:

Joss from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

Professor Proboscis and Herbie the Cab-Driving Pigeon Meet Their Doom

2010-04-21T19:30:00.006-06:00

The Professor got eaten alive; Herbie got lung cancer.

Final for Joe Olson's Drawing for Animation class. I can't say how much I learned in this class, not just about composition, line quality, perspective, etc. but about all the thought that needs to go behind drawing, sketching and developing. Thanks Joe!

Let the Finals Begin....

2010-04-19T07:58:00.003-06:00

Gonna be posting a lot in the next week.... lots of projects are due.

Here is the final for my Intro to 3D Animation class (based somewhat on this design).

Mermaid from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

White-Collar Monster

2010-04-15T15:45:00.003-06:00

Sometimes I forget how much fun drawing is....

Clueless Discovery won!

2010-04-14T15:56:00.003-06:00

My short-film "Clueless Discovery" won the SPARC People's Choice Award. Here's a link to the official announcement. Thanks so much to anyone and everyone who voted! Don't eat fire!

Clueless Discovery from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

Pretty Awkward....

2010-04-13T16:37:00.002-06:00

The latest assignment from Joe Olson's class.

Storyboards from Real Life

2010-04-13T16:34:00.002-06:00

More from Joe's Class

2010-03-23T17:52:00.001-06:00

3 Women and a Jeffrey

2010-03-23T07:58:00.001-06:00

Character Animation Demo Reel 2010

2010-03-15T09:10:00.000-06:00

Animation Demo Reel 2010 from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

Talking Pear

2010-03-13T10:36:00.002-07:00

Talking Pear from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

Blend shapes assignment for my Intro to 3D Animation class. Fun times. Thank you, papa Weasley.

My Imaginary Friend

2010-03-11T20:54:00.002-07:00

Mermaid Toy...with a twist!

2010-03-09T21:52:00.001-07:00

Spread the Good Word

2010-03-07T17:54:00.003-07:00

I invited a non-member friend to come with me to church today. He is a marker.

Robot Wizard....

2010-02-25T21:21:00.002-07:00

.....sort of.....

Return of the Sketchdump

2010-02-15T16:58:00.004-07:00

The fam.

Still not sure how I feel about sketching at church.... (or how God feels, rather.)

This guy wasn't at church.

Oh, I'm taking BIO 100 ("Biology for People Who Don't Care"). I don't take many notes.

Vote for Clueless Discovery!

2010-02-04T14:34:00.003-07:00

Clueless Discovery is up for the People's Choice SPARKY Award. Please vote for it (or another one you like best) at this link! My video is entry #1.

I'm posting it again here if you wanna watch. Thanks again!

Clueless Discovery from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

Warning!

2010-02-02T11:16:00.006-07:00

First assignment for my Intro to 3D Animation class. We had to (or got to?) animate without a rig.

Warning! from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

Oh, and congrats to Pixar for Up's Best Picture nomination! Good luck Carl!

My Great-Great-Grandmother

2010-01-26T17:38:00.003-07:00

Latest assignment for Joe's class.... we were supposed to design an Urban Vinyl toy based on our ancestry.

The Craggy Peaks of Oppenlander

2010-01-12T17:39:00.002-07:00

First assignment for Joe Olson's Drawing for Animation class..... the theme was "Beasts of Burden of the Craggy Peaks of Oppenlander" (say that five times fast...).

I'm really excited about this class because:
a) I love Joe's work
b) I have a serious need to learn how to draw. Seriously.

Thank You, Dr. Ponseti

2010-01-11T08:46:00.005-07:00

Our daughter was born with a club foot. Thanks to this guy, in a few years nobody will even know.....

....except those that read my blog, I guess.... dang.

Grayscale Markers

2009-12-29T15:30:00.003-07:00

I got some grayscale markers from my brother-in-law for Christmas....

....and they are FUN. (Thanks, Dave!)

Rupert is ALIVE!!!!

2009-12-18T14:26:00.001-07:00

Here is my final for Barry Zundel's Character Creation class. This is the culmination of dozens of hours of work all semester-- designing, modeling, texturing, rigging, and, finally, animating. Hope you enjoy it!

Rupert Discovers His Tail... from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

More Animation

2009-12-17T07:23:00.003-07:00

Here is the final for the aforementioned class taught by Cynthia. It may not show, but I've learned a TON!!!
(Sorry-- it's a bit small, still rough, has weird aspect ratio issues and is a bit light! But other than that....)

Storyboarding Final

2009-12-16T11:37:00.002-07:00

Click for a larger image.

Proof

2009-12-14T18:19:00.002-07:00

I do animate sometimes.

This was our first assignment this semester for Cynthia (Overman) Hogan's class. There are a few things I'd like to finish, but, alas, I'll never have time.

Rats!

2009-11-09T10:16:00.002-07:00

Some quick sketches of different rats for a storyboarding project.

Mag

2009-10-29T11:53:00.003-06:00

Character concept for storyboarding final.

Clueless Discovery Won 2nd Place!

2009-10-21T22:09:00.003-06:00

I've already posted this video before, but just wanted to announce that it won second place at the BYU MindMashup SPARKY Video contest (what a mouthful).

I've also submitted it for the international contest, which is being held sometime early next year. Hopefully it keeps on almost-winning!

Thanks again to everyone who helped (or just watched it and laughed).

Clueless Discovery from Aaron Ludwig on Vimeo.

F-F-F-Figure!

2009-10-16T08:29:00.002-06:00

I have figure drawing again this semester with Chad Barksdale. Wanna know a secret? I'm actually enjoying it!

Rupert has Texture

2009-10-15T15:38:00.002-06:00

More progress on Rupert. I've learned so much about UV mapping and texturing, it's not even funny (really, it's not). I'm not sure everything looks perfect, but due dates force you to abandon stuff sometimes.

Multipanel Assignment

2009-10-07T11:50:00.001-06:00

Luau

2009-09-30T12:02:00.002-06:00

(click for a larger image)

Beauty and Beast

2009-09-28T12:17:00.004-06:00

A rough comic for the Y Not Art Blog's Disney/Marvel Mash-up topic.

(click the thumbnail for a legible image)

While You Work

2009-09-23T22:17:00.004-06:00

A little animation test in Flash I whipped up today at work. Hope-a you likey.

Can you tell I'm a fan of this guy?

More Stuff (told ya)

2009-09-23T19:28:00.006-06:00

So I am in the most awesome class imaginable-- it's a Maya class taught by Barry Zundel where we work on one character the whole semester-- modeling, texturing, rigging, animating, the works. I feel like I'm in a bit over my head (because everyone else in the class is a junior or senior), but I'm learning an incredible amount. That's a good thing, right?

Here is the layout for my character: Rupert, a cuddly stegosaurus.

I just finished the model (and I hope I did okay-- I'm not really sure how everything should be done at this stage so that everything that follows will work well).

But I'll definitely keep y'all posted on how Rupert comes to life over the course of the semester!

Welcome to the Program

2009-09-21T20:36:00.003-06:00

Yeah, I haven't posted in forever because I've been more busy than I thought possible. The Animation Program is a blast! I've got some awesome classes from some incredible teachers. I'll post more in the next few days, but here is my character design for Kelly's Intro to Storyboarding class.

His name is Sheldon. He's a reindeer that can't fly.... and he likes to make toys (thus making him an outcast of sorts among reindeer).

Summer is Almost Over....

2009-08-27T19:57:00.004-06:00

Clueless Discovery

2009-08-22T12:33:00.005-06:00

Here is a video I spent all summer working on. It's for a contest on campus. (Sorry it's a little small here...)

Clueless Discovery by Aaron Ludwig is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.

Thanks to Mary, Mark, and Matthew (and everyone else whose name starts with "M") for all your help.

TopBot

2009-08-14T10:58:00.000-06:00

Tired of holding your monocle with your off-hand (or your exhausted facial muscles)? Ever wish you could have a cup of tea on demand? Want to sport the latest in technology while still flaunting the fashions of yesteryear? This is the hat for you!
Introducing the TopBot-- the most stylish top hat you've ever seen! Featuring a rotatable array of monocles (small, large, and night vision), state-of-the-art steam powered tea pot and cup (complete with doily), full mustache groomery kit (with brush, clippers, and curling iron), and birdcage for the finest of your feathered friends*. You can even pledge your allegiance to her majesty all the time by proudly waving the Union Jack from the top of your top hat (not ideal billowing weather? No problem! Just activate the attached fan!).

What are you dilly-dallying for? Purchase the TopBot today! It's the top top hat around!
*bird not included

Hawaiian Painting #1

2009-07-27T16:44:00.002-06:00

This piece was a blast to do. It's-a for the Y Not Art Blog (as everything is these days). I'm hoping to do some more of these!

My Father is a Triceratops....

2009-07-17T21:54:00.004-06:00

My favorite artist right now is probably none other than the great Anthony Holden (that "probably" really took the umph out of that glowing intro...). While I don't claim to possess one iota of the talent that Anthony does (I don't even claim to know what an iota is...), I do love his style, and tried to emulate it with this piece.
(This also doubles as a piece for the Y Not Art Blog! Two stones with one bird!)

Environmentality

2009-07-16T23:27:00.003-06:00

I haven't ever really done this layout/conceptualizing/environment stuff. But I toyed around and this is what I came up with. It was kinda fun, in a frustrating way (or was it kinda frustrating, in a fun way?).
Another piece for the Y Not Art Blog.

Me at 15

2009-07-03T11:25:00.002-06:00

This is me 10 years ago. It was hairdos like this that made God decide to revoke my folicle privileges. Another piece for the Y Not Art Blog.

Baby Came!!!!!

2009-06-18T10:00:00.004-06:00

Our baby girl arrived last night! She's soooo beautiful (where'd she get the hair?)! She and mom are doing great!

Disney's Low Point

2009-06-13T22:53:00.008-06:00

Our topic for the Y Not Art Blog was "Disney's Low Point", and I have to say that all those direct-to-video sequels were not quite their finest hour. So I just whipped out a few from the collection and snapped a photo (click for a larger image).

My question for you is this: did you actually enjoy any of the Disney sequels? What's your favorite?

I remember when "Return of Jafar" first came out... and I was so excited, but once I watched it, I was scratching my 10-year-old head wondering "why wasn't that as good as the first one? It looked kind of.... cheap..." I then came to fully adore "Aladdin and the King of Thieves," mostly because Robin Williams resumed his role as Genie.... but I haven't seen it since I was wee....

Other than that.... can't say I've enjoyed too many of them...

Learning Flash

2009-06-03T15:11:00.012-06:00

This is a test from my first run through of character animation in Adobe Flash. It's an incredibly intimidating program, but now that I'm learning it (a tiny tiny bit), it's been a blast.

I'm hoping to turn this into a minute-or-so-long "commercial". (there will be more than walking involved. Promise!)

UP!!!

2009-05-30T14:58:00.003-06:00

We saw Pixar's latest, Up, today. It was amazing! I absolutely loved it, from start to finish. For me, it's right up there in my favorite films of all-time (along with Ratatouille and Toy Story). I highly recommend it!

Oh, one last thing. We saw it in 3D, which wasn't too bad. I think the whole 3D thing in general is still a wee bit gimmicky, but these guys did a good job not beating the audience over the head with it.

Oh, and the 3D glasses made everyone look like they dressed up like Carl Fredricksen for the movie.

Nicely done, Pete Docter and Pixar!

Friday Open Drawing

2009-05-29T16:20:00.003-06:00

So I learned two things about myself today during the Open Drawing Session.... 1) I draw a million times better when I'm relaxed (duh!), and 2) I am a million times more relaxed during drawing sessions when I listen to music and don't worry about the people around me. So I tried applying these two epiphanies today, and I must say they worked! My drawings may not be the best in the world, but I actually came out of there happy with my work instead of frustrated!

Here's what I got (some didn't photograph so well-- sorry):

Baby Time!

2009-05-27T13:20:00.003-06:00

Mary's gonna be induced in about two weeks.... and life will be turned upside down (and backwards). We're excited!

Another piece for the Y Not Art Blog.

Only the Good Sketchbooks Die Young

2009-05-21T09:57:00.003-06:00

Time for a sketch dump.

This is my wife and the cute little guy she babysits.

Quick anatomy study (on my own. Really!).

The legendary Uncle Bruce (and some cousins).

Wiffle Ball home-run derby

The fam.

And lastly, some character designs for an upcoming project o' mine.

The Field of 10,000 Lollipops....

2009-05-13T16:58:00.003-06:00

Legends tell of a valley of rolling hills, where delicious lollipops sprout from the ground like weeds (except they're delicious); these fields are said to be guarded by the fiercest beast imaginable, the dreaded nipple-less centaur Grock. The brave knight, Sir Davish MacMiddle, boldly sets out to find the rumored oasis, slay the monstrous creature, and feast on the endless lollies.
After a long, arduous journey, he stumbles on the coveted fields... only to find that Grock got a little hungry...

Another piece for the Y Not Art Blog.

Diving Back In

2009-05-02T21:54:00.008-06:00

So the past couple days I've gotten back into the figure drawing game (after a tiny break). I'd forgotten how much fun it is!
These were from the Friday Open Drawing Session at school. There were only two people there the whole time (one other person dropped in for an hour). It was pretty dead. But still fun.
Mostly gestures. The second one down I really ran out of room for the head (beats drawing it poorly I guess).

"A work of art can never be really finished; it is abandoned."
--Brooke McEldowney
Thanks again, Bob and Bev!

Bluffington's Dark Knight

2009-04-28T11:55:00.004-06:00

Doug was my favorite show growing up, hands-down. Not Disney's Doug, mind you. We're talking old-school, early-nineties, one of the three original NickToons Doug. This is one of the few shows that not only hold up over the years, but it's actually gets better with age (like a fine cheese or George Burns). Unfortunately it hasn't seen a really big DVD release yet (just a burn-on-demand from amazon.com).

Jim Jinkins and Fred Newman are geniuses. Just so you know.

I whipped up this little piece for the Y Not Art Blog. The topic was "favorite show as a kid".

In other non-news, I've added a snazzy little feature to this blog: I call it "Three You Must See". It's over in the right-hand column. Basically every so often I'll list three blogs that have caught my attention lately, in an effort to share the love. Good stuff over there! Check it out!

Also, being an insanely religious person, I decided to start a blog for the spiritual side of me. I call it Me and My Hope. Feel free to take a look if you're interested.

Thanks!

Maya Final

2009-04-18T11:22:00.001-06:00

Here's the final for my Intro to Maya class. I think it turned out okay...
I really enjoyed this class. Maya was intimidating all the way through, but I somehow survived. I think I'll take a similar class (meant for animation majors) in the fall, just to get a better handle on this stuff.

I GOT IN!!!!!

2009-04-14T12:31:00.001-06:00

Okay, I checked my info on the BYU website today, and my major has been officially changed from Pre-Animation to Animation! Wahoo! I am so so so excited!

Thanks to all of you for all your help, advice, support, whatever! Good luck to the rest of you applicants! I hope we all get in!

Top o' the morning to ye

2009-04-04T21:29:00.002-06:00

This is another piece for the Y Not Art Blog. The topic was what we look like first thing in the morning.
Oh, and this was my first ever attempt at digital painting! Kinda fun. Kinda hard. Used Photoshop with photo reference.

Here goes nothin...

2009-03-31T21:48:00.003-06:00

Okay, so the animation portfolio is due tomorrow (but I did not include the above drawing). It's been a blast this past year since I really started looking into the program and working my butt off to maybe possibly have a slim chance of getting in. I've been through an absolute emotional roller coaster over that time, from feeling like I'm okay to feeling like I can't draw at all to feeling like I'm a sure thing to get in to feeling like I should be a banker.
But it really has been a blast. I've learned a lot, grown a lot, met a lot of awesome people, and hopefully have found my career. Thanks, all of you who helped me along in any way (you know who you are-- even if you don't. Or something.)

And a huge THANK YOU to my wife, Mary, and little Lily for being there to support me on this wild goose chase. Love ya!

Crochety Old Man Man

2009-03-25T11:21:00.003-06:00

Using his cane, super-suspenders, and his ability to walk fifteen miles in the snow uphill both ways, Crochety Old Man Man fights off the evil forces of young people today and their inherent laziness.
This is for the Y Not Art Blog, a group blog I was just invited to join. You should check it out!

Tea Scouts

2009-03-20T08:30:00.001-06:00

I got my rendering merit badge!

Flood of Figures

2009-03-14T18:18:00.006-06:00

Okay, so it's become apparent to me that I've done almost nothing the past few months except draw people in swimsuits. Over and over again. That was not a complete sentence. But that one was.
Anyway, I have two figure drawing classes (one from Jamin, one from Chad Barksdale). I've been told that my Barksdale drawings look better than the more rendered ones from Jamin's class. I'm not sure, but they do photograph lots better. So I'm posting them below. Hopefully these can help me get in the animation program. Let me know what you think!

I told you there were a lot of them. Actually I didn't. But I will now: There are a lot of them.