little-animateur

2013-07-10T14:11:00.000-07:00

A week or so ago I got up from my bum and created stuff. A fair start.

My process is a bit convoluted so if anyone has any freeware suggestions that could make my life easier, recommend away.

1) Draw in Project Waffle

2) Save sequence

3) Convert .tga sequence to .bmp in Ifranview

4) Load .bmp sequence onto Windows Live Movie Maker

5) Set to 0.03 seconds per image slideshow

6) Save as .wma

2011-06-30T01:33:00.001-07:00

For the first time in a while, I tried using color on the computer like paint and got so keyboard-crushingly-sweep-everything-off-the-table frustrated I wanted to give up. It almost seemed hopeless to me to even think of improving my color sense...

And then I realized I also haven't been exercising my creativity--designing characters, worlds, writing stories, drawing whats on my mind, or even fanart...

The point of this post is as a reminder:
1. Besides diligently practicing technique (which right now for me is just speed figure drawing sessions everyday)
2. don't feel discouraged to draw whatever the fuck you feel like in whatever amateur use of color, line, shading, blah blah blah you want!

Every blah drawing is a step closer to awesomeness.

(Next step is to apply this positive thinking to my anxiety concerning school... I am seriously freaked out man.)

2011-05-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

My siblings and I went to Disneyland for a Saturday last weekend. I really enjoyed the little how to draw so-and-so class, it was so cute and I loveedd the set... look at that thing! I seriously felt 10 years old again... lol. I also bought "The Alchemy of Animation" by Don Hahn--the book gives a basic review of the process and the players in creating an animated film, he provided just enough detail and personal experience flair to reignite my hope and motivation to draw draw draw.

So on a similar note, fueled with a sense of urgency and idealism once again (yay true final summer) I started a new sketchbook based on a quote I half-remember from a Chuck Jones biography about how it takes 1000 bad drawings to get a good one... but since I wanted an accurate quote I scoured the internet, failed, and settled for

“…it was no discouraging surprise to me that my first instructor at Chouinard Art Institute… greeted his beginning classes with the following grim edict: ‘All of you here have one hundred thousand bad drawings in you. The sooner you get rid of them, the better it will be for everyone.’

This was not a discouraging statement to me, because I was already well into my third hundred thousand.”

So wish me luck and perseverance! Since pursuing art isn't my career priority (although it is a life, self-fulfillment, priority) I feel guilty for spending too much time on one drawing or illust. unless I have some serious emotional investment in it. This means most of my skill is going into basic pencil drawings and I'll have a weakened sense of color and lights and darks.... oh but GODDEERNIT you will see progress in my ability to infuse marks on paper with life. Aww yea.

2011-05-26T23:32:00.001-07:00

made a gif with cs2 photoshop on dads comp. (click the bear above hehe) froostrated with it so on a search for free solution buhuhu...
(this is a naked Vanilla the teddy bear, who is actually my hubby's old bear hehe, shhh)

free programs i'm considering, look forward to experiments...

2d
http://www.plasticanimationpaper.dk/
http://synfig.org/cms/
http://www.creatoon.com/
http://www.giantscreamingrobotmonkeys.com/monkeyjam/

flash
http://vectorian.com/giotto/

source: http://www.calicomonkey.com/blog/free-cartoon-animation-software.php

2011-02-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/webpage/episode-121-ken-jeong/

Really diggin his anecdotes about his experience with his parents, family, practicing medicine, leaving medicine, and acting and doing comedy. To the bottom of my heart, I really appreciate hearing his story! What his proctor told him during his internal medicine internship--that he could be a great doctor with a comedic background or a great comedian with a background in medicine... totally in tune with my thought process at the moment. Hehe... now enough with this, lets get to work!!! :)

2010-10-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Aguas de Marco, Joao Gilberto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sul21ng3E1o
(Promise me you'll look up the lyrics?)

So I have three midterms next week, but I had to get this out of my system... realistically as I look at my schedule it seems all I have time for creative-wise is to do daily sketches, a few sequence sort of drawings, and occasional rough splurge like this. I'll be returning to this to play with timing. My main goal right now, in my "art," writing, thinking, speech, everything, is to provide clear, sincere, communication. I only have time to keep things simple anyway. lol :) <3

2010-09-29T00:59:00.000-07:00

http://www.pencil-animation.org/index.php?id=Home

Its open source, free. It allows you to create 2d-animation, drawn on computer (not flash).
Received a wacom bamboo pen tablet for my birthday from a dear group of friends so I think it seems reasonable to finally try this program out... this weekend! :)

http://www.blender.org/

Also open source, free. 3D-animation program. Looks hella developed and advanced, I'm excited and also very very intimidated by all the technicalities lol... My vertebrate biology professor recommended it to me, of all people! He uses it to animate some mechanism in vocalization in frogs. Nice.

Hopefully I can make time for trying both out! But I have a feeling I have to let go of ceramics club. x(

2010-09-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

http://www.posemaniacs.com/

hate the awkward, wacky poses but love the 30-sec photo generator
sadly, my "figure drawing class" for now

edit:
http://characterdesigns.com/index.php?sitepage=photosets
http://www.posespace.com/default.aspx
some nekkid peoples

http://mmaphotography.com/m/v/Fightphotos/
some fighting peoples

2010-08-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

So I havent been working on any new flipbooks (which come from going with the flow and that flow has reached a snag...) so I've been reading and trying out some new doodlin techniques such as drawing characters from randomly scribbled shapes, sketching from some of my favorite cartoons to study their design choices, and attempting to devote an hour to freely rough sketching around a theme in order to get away from that overly analytical judgemental side of my mind.

One of the books I read was The guerilla guide to animation: Making animated films outside the mainstream by Walter Santucci. To be honest I did not absorb much from reading, probably because I don't yet have the same materials/situation to work in and the basics he covers I've already read before. What makes it unique is his writing voice full of humor and personal experiences, making following the technicalities easier and inspiring at the same time! It appeals to the career minded student and the hobbyist. Right now the most valuable section to me was the final part of the book--anecdotes from his experiences as a film student interested in animation to working in the business as a "guerilla" animator. There's some good advice for life there. :) And to think I was going to brush it off just because his drawings didn't appeal to me! Grrr. This is definitely a book I will revisit when I feel discouraged.

At the moment I'm reading Animation: From script to screen by Shamus Culhane. Although this is an older book from when cel-animation was dominant, his insight is priceless and relevant... forever. So far the most important thing I've gleaned is embracing the habit of seeing (vs. looking) at everything, everybody, how they move, what they might be feeling and how they're showing it, and noting those little everyday moments that make me chuckle. All the experiences and information we file away in our memories inform and evolve our creative decisions! More notes when I finish.

From the book on the line of action, "Every human being while growing up begins to become an expert at reading the quality of other people's emotions from overall posture, as well as facial expressions. We animators have to become superexperts." I love it, I feel like this is a way that my hobby improves me as a pharmacist not only because it keeps me sane but because it emphasizes the ability to sympathize--noticing movements that betray an emotion, helping me to ready myself for the most effective means of communication or noticing when a patient is withholding a question or information. ;)

2010-07-28T09:54:00.000-07:00

Best viewed mute. My hubby's and I baby... elephant @;t;@ ♥

2010-07-24T13:39:00.000-07:00

Best viewed mute! Very brief walk cycle practice that got off track fast.