Illustration Friday 'Sweet' - not done any artwork for a few weeks. Was a good excuse to get back into it. This helped the jet lag! 

Still some more work to do on this - one of four. The bird for example, it's too dark. But slowly, its getting there...I think? 

Wild Illustration Friday

I've reworked this a little from my ipad Procreate drawing. Thought it would suit this weeks http://illustrationfriday.com/. This was done with fingertips. Makes me a bit sad this pic. 

January? Really, January? The last time I posted on here? Nah. Jeez, 2013 slow down hey. Super busy, loads going on, but nothing exciting to report. I'm sitting in the wings waiting for a few things to complete.

Still busy writing and drawing (when I get the chance). I thought I'd put these up. My thing, love doing mood boards and here are a few for a new project. Can't say what yet, but I'm really excited. Anyway, hope you find them as inspiring as I do. That's if you can get past the half naked Tom Hardy (which my sis struggled to do).

Wings

Far from finished, need another day at least, but wanted to try and make it to this weeks Illustration Friday which is 'Wings'. Will add the finished version over the weekend. Feathers need work, hair, body suit, leather strap, skirt...well all of it really!

iPad, Pro Create. 

ProCreate - iPad

Been a few months since I've done any fingertip painting on my ipad. Today, inbetween editing, I worked on this for Illustration Friday's 'Myth'.

The developing concept of Hunter the dog. This was before I started working on the leather straps and further into the hair. 

Cloud Spotting

For ILLUSTRATION FRIDAY, SKY. Wish I had time to draw something new, but pushed for time. 

Still heaps to do on this, but I need to leave it alone for a couple of days to improve on learning to do engravings. Busting them out during my free trial of CS6. Despereate to develop my concept art skills and using digital. Going to try and do a portrait this weekend, inspired by The Soprano's! 

My contribution to this weeks Illustration Friday on the word 'Identical' which is my robots. This wasn't what I really had in mind, but it kinda just happened. Would like to work on it more as I'm still unsure of what I'm doing in CS6, but for now...

Going to leave this for a couple of weeks and then head back to work on it. Series in full now, all of which need some more work on. But for now...

For this weeks Friday Illustration on the word 'Tall'. Did this listening to Amy MacDonalds new album which is as brilliant as her other albums! Would have liked more time, but couple of hours. Need to get busy with Summer illustration to complete the seasons project. 

 

Summer next, not sure what I'm going to do. Need a couple more days on Spring, when I get a chance!

I still need to work on this, but it's only a test piece. Also trying out the new CS6 Photoshop trial. Finally! Next I'm doing a spring illustration, with a bear. I am an idiot!

Concept artwork only. The Hunter

Teacher, for this weeks Illustration Friday word. Just a couple of hours to try and fit this week in! 

This started as an sketch for 'Illustration Friday' on the theme 'Freeze', but for some reason this happened. No idea what it is, but days work...Tim Burton fantasy! 

Big Foot and the Hendersons 'Snow Angels' (Concept Art Only)

Big Foot and the Hendersons ' How Cool are We?' (Concept Art Only)

Big Foot and the Hendersons 'Cloud Watching' (Concept Art Only)

Big Foot and the Hendersons 'The Hunter' (Concept Art Only)

Concept Designs for Bigfoot and the Hendersons

This was just a mess about, time spent doing some tests. But I think it would be amazing to see Big Foot and the Hendersons as a stop-frame animated feature. Imagine the production design, the size comparsons between Big Foot and the family. Somone make it, please! 

This is having a mess about with procreate on the ipad. Just finger drawings.

Apple Picker

Still unsure of what I'm doing, but its really just playing around with ProCreate on the iPad, and trying to draw just using fingertips! But I'm enjoying having a go. 

Raven

Raven. 

Still really experimenting with procreate on the ipad. Lots of fun, but needing to suss it out some more.

Interesting debate started by film critic Mark Kermode on the purpose of film festivals. Will be interesting to see what Robert Redford, founder of the Sundance Film Festival has to say later in the week. Me, I think festivals are good, especially when you are a student and able to attend. Perfect place to learn from those already in business, and met fellow animators/film-makers. Some of the folk I've met at festivals have become good friends, and in an industry were folk claim it's not what you know, but who you know...well I so hurrah for festivals.

Still playing around with my iPad and Procreate! Not really sure what I'm doing, but its great fun.

Black Snow

Black Snow

Was a bit rushed this, haven't much time. Initially just a concept design for a project. Testing atmospheres and textures. Need more time, don't have it. Tried to put a dog in, but grrrr need time to draw it. Not sure if needs it, but trying to do a more of a grown up adaptation of Red Riding Hood.

This has been doing my head in. Don't have time to work on it anymore, and it's only a concept design.

I started this wanting to do a pic for my young nieces, but I think they maybe a bit to young for this Red Riding Hood.

Wicked

I should have been writing today, but was becoming really frustrated, so shut up word and grabbed the Cintiq. Not really thinking of drawing this, but started with a brush painting black and it turned into this. Couple of hours work, felt heaps better!

Wicked Stepmother

Red Tails was the last VFX project I worked on. Great gang of artists. Very long hours and if anything proved to me that my first love will always be animation!

Serious now, there's no getting away from the excitment of Aardman/Sony Animation's newest sword fighting feature film. Directed by Peter Lord (Morph creator and all round top fella) the film is bursting with Aardman. I can't wait. The film started pre-production while I was there. At the time the Aard's gang were asked to submit work for the film (really early stages). I did, I sent in some sketches (they are on here). I got a T-shirt! I'm excited, I'm excited for my friend Pete who deserves all of the success I hope the film recieves. Best of British, as in they, all who are in the Aardman walls, are the best!

I've been really busy trying to finish the practice part of the PhD, and hopefully it's nearly there. Two weeks could be finish line, fingers crossed. Anyway, just some examples of the work.

Sally, Family and Friends and nasty Snitch.

I've been working on layouts this week. Stuck to the desk, itunes, headphones on and cracked on with it. This is an early layout. Final one is in the pitch storyboard.

So, normally I bark on here about animation, but this time nooooo, this time its about a young musician called Sam Gray who has a new album out called 'BRIGHTER SIDE' I so recommend his album, I've not stopped listening to it. Go get it, it won't let you down!

Been a busy weekend animation wise. Firstly Peter Lord of Aardman Animations completed (offically) the shots for his feature Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientests. Pixar released a new trailer for 'BRAVE' which looks amazing. Its taken a while for me to get excited about a Pixar/Disney release, and this is it I think. I also, for the first time saw a trailer for 'Dr Seuss' The Lorax' which nearly made me cry. Its full of bears and marshmellows, and had me jumping up and down. Please be brilliant!

At the same time the sad news began to twitter and surface that co-founder of Cosgrove Hall, Mark Hall had sadly passed away. Cosgrove Hall was iconic, it filled our childhoods with an array of colours and laughter. They were also responsible for lots of us uncompleting our homework as we sat glued to the box. I thank you Mr Hall, thanks for the vision, the brilliance and for getting kids (and adults).

Hunger Games trailer is out. Have you read the books, worth reading if you haven't, there pretty good. Film due out next March. Some pals over at Rising Sun Pictures are working on it at the moment.

I'm sure everyone has heard about Miles Bullough, Head of Broadcasting at Aardman Animations speaking out about the risk of losing British stop-motion animation to overseas. This is due to there being a 0% tax break for animation produced for television, unlike film which benefits from 15-20% rebate. I'm certain, knowing these guys, that they would only do this as a last resort. They are profoundly proud of being Bristol based and British. How very sad it would be for everyone if it had to a happen. Read more here on BBC News and UK Animation Org

Struggling to accept that its Halloween while its toasty warm outside. So to get me back on track, bit of VINCENT by Tim Burton. My favourite TB moment! Enjoy peeps!

JAMES THIÉRRÉE

So excited to hear that James Thierree is coming to Adelaide as part of the festival in 2012. I have booked tickets. First saw his performance in London and was blown away. He is the grandson of Charlie Chaplin and he is magical. Very happy bunny!

I've no idea why I've drawn a clown, it just started from a doodle. Would like more time, but its late!

I worked some more on the Tim Burton piece, and this is what I've ended up with!

Bradford Animation Festival 2011

So its that time of year again with a hub of animation film festivals in the UK. I've been involved and attending BAF for over 7 years and this will be the first time I'm not there. Going to be a grand event, go if you can! Big guests include Andy Schmidt from Pixar. I've seen him give a talk at Loughborough University and he's a great speaker. Was luckily enough to go out for dinner afterwards with him and his wife. Super talented and we both agreed that we loved the movie Moonstruck!

Addition to BAF there is Animated Encounters which is held in the capital of stop-motion animation land Bristol. Another great festival headed up by Kieran Argo.

Finally got my name on a credit list of a blockbuster feature lenght. This adds to Bunny and the Bull, and another one that I worked on this year I'm not allowed to mention till the new year perhaps? Hopefully everything crossed saving the biggest for the next couple of years. Excited! Film prayers needed!

I have no idea where this came from, but it started out with me testing new grunge paintbrushes in Photoshop!

Currently using 30 day trial for CS5.1, so far quite impressed, although don't seem to have enough time to have a proper play. Here are some of my quick goes. Apart from the robot which started as a doodle yesterday while I was waiting for a phone call. Not my usual kind of thing. I did work on it some more last night, but it crashed and it went, so this was the latest. Ah well.

I had ten minutes before rushing out the door so quickly did a quick sketch on the cintiq21. May work on it a bit more. If I get the chance. Was messing with some of the brushes.