Wednesday 5 March 2008

Now The Work Begins


HI everyone, thanks for the comments on the last post, I know it was a bit much but I guess I’m just trying to make up for lost time. I know I said I’d be posting every 2 weeks but I’ve decided to try and up my game a bit and try update once a week.(try being the operative word). Every day I go into work inbetweening drawings and animation which is way beyond my level. I try to study the keys and break downs, to get a sense of what the animator is doing; I don’t know what I’m looking for. My one frustration is that I don’t get to talk to the animators to find out why or how they approach a scene as the animators are based in Django and not Ink. I supposed it’s good for the animators not to be bugged every minute. They’d probably need to take out a restraining order against me LOL. Anyway by 2009 (if God wills it) I hope I’ll be a stronger animator, draughtsman, the works. I know that won’t happen unless I start to do private study outside work hours. Hopefully, Ill look back on this post and previous posts feeling some sense of accomplishment. To look back on a younger me, and to see my growth. Even then I know I have many years of enjoyable but hard work.

I also recently discovered Animation Podcasts and I’m hooked (yes I know I’m late). I go into work and listen to them while I draw. It really helps keep my motivation up. I found it via Alan Cooks Blog which by the way, is a great Blog for info on whats new in animation. He’s also got some great work up there. Another good site for animation News is Catsuka. It’s French but if you're like me and can’t speak a word, you can translate it via Google. The news section is in he top right hand corner.

Following is some of the life drawing and observational sketches in the past week. Still struggling with the life sketches. I can’t seem to get the looseness and fluidity I get from my observational sketches. My focus on life drawing at the moment is understanding, but I still want to be able to get a good likeness. I want the model to look like the model. I’m also playing with tone, values and shading techniques in general. I always avoid it for my fear making mistakes or doing bad drawings. I remember last week I was talking to Timbo about cross hatching, and saying I wasn’t good at it thats why I don’t do it, then I thought, why not? The pic at the top is of the photocopier at work. I put it first because I always draw people; the goal now is to draw...EVERYTHING!! If it’s not too cold this weekend, I’m definitely going out to sketch some buildings and other stuff. Dundee has some great architecture. Contrasts of old and new everywhere you look.

Anyway enough talk, here are last week’s struggles....

And Again....

Wes

PS: sorry to everyone whos posts I haven’t really commented on or given feedback to lately. I’ve been a lousey Blogger, I’ll remedy that real soon.

If you want to see a good all rounder, click here. Was on this blog yesterday. Always blown away....

13 comments:

messytimbo said...

it's all looking really nice buddy. once a week eh? i'll believe it when i see it :)

i really like the simple rendering you're usings, the best one being the older guy reading, you've render his face and a bit of his body, that one is really beautiful. i think you should run with it, and a develope it. it looks as though it was done really quickly, was it?

anyways, hope your keeping well, and i guess i'll pop back in a week ;)

p.s that "click here" thing don't work, sort it out you slacker hahahaha.

right i'm gonna make like a tree, and get the hell out of here.

maarten said...

hey wes. lifes good. its great to hear from you again.
interesting point. when I just started drawing I didnt understand the importance of 'teachers' (books, friends, anything that helps).
Its like you said, I thought that advice would make me lose my own style. Or in this case, prevent me from getting one).
I was so stupid to underestimate that haha. Making my blog is the best thing Ive ever done.
If I really wouldnt like someones advice I wouldnt take it. You guys advice is great though. Id be nowhere without it :)
But I wont lose myself.... I try to keep experimenting.

Your right about the head and body. If I treat them seperatly it ends up looking really weird, like they are not part of the same whole. I try to make them part of the gesture but its hard sometimes.

Anyway. Those sketches are super man (superman, haha). I really really like the observational sketches. they make me wanna try pencil for observational studies. the life sketches are great too.
by the way, I also recently found out about animation podcast (thanks to tim).
The interview with james baxter is so inspiring.

Im so happy to hear you like the last few posts. Thanks man.
talk to you soon.

Kristian said...

wes, wes, wes.
This post is going in the right direction. The observational sketches seem to be truer to your natural style. Less fine art, more stylistic which i think suits you. I know you can do the fully rendered stuff. But out on the fly whatever gets the image on paper quickest, is the best format to use. Thats what works for me.

kaunchen said...

Great sketches! very wam and catch the moment:)

Olivier Ladeuix said...

Matt Jones is a regular reading for me.

Yes man I will let you know how it goes for my trip to scotland! actually.... I should be booking my ticket now!!!!

Kristian said...

shouldn't there be a new post now...????

Daniel M.C. Alvite said...

hey wes..
wel done, keep it strong, life is hard but is great,
your drawing are getting more nice than before, can't describe.
i think your are finding yourself there, in your line, great work matte.
you will be, just one need to believe.

Kristian said...

erm, one a week?

libra bear said...

Thanks Guys,
Hey Tim, I said "try" one a week man...
The render was done quite quickly. He wasn’t moving that much. I just think it's time I stopped avoiding values and try to add more dimension to my work. "....and its make like a tree and leave, you sound so stupid when you get it wrong :)"

Maarten: The Podcasts are great, they keep me going at work when I’m like "I can’t do this" In terms of advice, sometimes you have to adopt many styles before you find your own, I'm still trying to find mine. I'm closer than I was last year but the journey is a long one.

Kristian: Thanks K, I think my problem is, I don’t know what I want. I'm moved by stylised work, but I admire the technical ability of those that can get something realistic. I can't do that yet. I think I'd feel better about myself if it was more of a choice rather than a limitation. Your right though, using what comes natural is a truer form of expression.

Many Thanks Wynne Chen, If that’s what you see, it make me feel like I’m on the right path.

Oliver: Matt Jones is incredible. He's actually inspired me to try and become more complete as a “Drawerer” (Kristians word LOL)

K the week ain’t up yet hommie!!

DMCA: You think so? It might have been the break I took, even though I wasn’t drawing I was looking at loads of stuff. I also think it’s good to take breaks. You come back to it a little wiser. Could be the fact I draw for a living now, or it might be the fact I've started using pencil now. I feel like using pen stops me from being as exploratory. I'm always thinking "minimize the line, blah blah,” which is fine, but with pencil, I'm not so afraid to find the drawing or plan things more. I’ll go back to pen soon but I’m enjoying pencil at the moment.

LOL, 2moro, I’ll post 2moro. Is that OK??

Mirella said...

Good works! You're great^^

Raoul Olou said...

really cool stuffs ! :D

Kristian said...

waiting....

Alexandre Koyama Ilustrador said...

Good line work, very natural poses, nice! visit me!