another set of character design

the futur is steampunk, a technology that comprises moslty of steam, geras, pistons and coal mechanics. Its also a good science fiction setting for the world of arta

11 second animation plus evaluation

Evaluation of the 11 second project.

In 2D animation using for the first time the software of "toon boom animate pro". It is similar to Flash and not at all similar. There are different concepts to using the software for 2d animation. One: its more advanced, two: more buttons and three:try it out for yourself ^^

I began drawing all the initial sketches (previous blog entires) in october. I really began looking into the character design when there was the october entry which was a bout some form of predator. My character began froma creepy skiny guy to a short cyclops. Main interest in this; CARTOONS

I love the new cartoons of cartoon network, Flapjack, Chowder and Adventure Time. They have something particularly interasting, the extreme close up appearances of characters. The bizarre moments whithin the cartoons. The animation really and that is what i want to do for my future.

For the first week of the November i worked on the Dope Sheet to better understand the sounds and accurate areas of where the sound would be in the frame(s) for when i would be doing the lip sync.
Next was learning how to use animate pro, by watching the basics on vedio tutorials. One has the press the Alt button wnd then another button to use the hotkeys for the software.

Unfortunately I put too much of my time in the post production character design when I should have been making an animatic. Instead I concentrated all my time on just drawing frame by frame of the actual anuimation.

This animation or project is fun, if I had not have to have another project given to me at the same time which slightly complicated my timetable BUT nontheless I am a work orientated person. The fun part is listening to the sound, which has a lot of anger from the 1st character and worry from the 2nd character. Exaggerated sketches were the thumbnails so I knew where from my dope sheet where to draw the main actions and then the "in-betweeners". I admit I got a bit of the timing at the beggining wrong (thank you Derek).

I added a close up exaggeration in the middle because thats my touch and I like seeign those comical yet frightening scenes in the show. Why do they never put those in live actions? American cartoons of the furture, you think they are destined for children but they have a dark, funny side to it that we adults....or teenagers find amusing (or is it just me and my twin bro).

Firstly I enjoyed making my pixilation from the music choice downloaded of the internet, learning space. at first i was nervous because i was given the 11 second and the experimental project at the same time so I was not sure if i would complete both on time. So I planned to work at home dring the weekends.



I had started planning and cutting, painting and drawing in October so that I would have time as well to work on my 11 second project. My main idea was making a animated charcater ot of cardboard and make it walk around the rooms of my flat and the studio. The idea of cardboard material was inspired by an animator who made a similar animation with various different cut ot characters.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18usd0i3el

( i apolagize if the link is not correct, my laptop is sick and needs to be properly fixed one day)



I really like his idea but wanted to do something of my own design. Doing the stop motion in cardboard was fun, it reminds me of when I made sculptures out of cardboard back in my old school for my exhibition of 2008.

I did however misjudge the number of frames captured. I took to many pictures and could not get all of the recorded clips onto the main vedio. But with what I have produced I think it works because of the crawling and walk of the bug and main character walking into a box.

I will put up the other clips to show what else i have done during he weekends of work.

Experimental Pixilation 2010

Here is the final for the pixilation project.

example pictures from the experimental animation

Some of the images above do appear in the experimental pixilation animation, 3 do not. All the media is cardboard with additional of water colour paint.

monday 15 2010, 12:34

This page of my sketchbook is all i can show of my 11 second project for the moment. Because my experimental project comes in and takes up a lot of time animating I am afraid I wont be able to place much or a lot on my blog because of the time consuming effort of getting both long animating projects done. i am deeply sorry if it disapoints you.

Observational Drawing 2010

experimental animation: secondary tests

Using the caterpillar drawings a prevous animation, I am sing it as a three cardboard paper like way, to show three different art styles. This test is basic and a practicing for the real thing. There will be some small changes. Also making a mess in one area of the studio.

here is an idea Derek hayes gave me. Originally there may be some stuff or characters or items animating out of boxes. I was drawing the outline frames on cardboard for when a character eneters a box and Derek said what would happen if he were to come out the other side. So as it was halloween too i thought up of this. Its basic as well, just a test but it looks pretty good, wodering how i am going to make the puppet stand...I 'll improvise and figure out something to make it stand

Sketchwork and pixel cardboard test

This here be Sir Daniel, Sir Dncan and Tim terryfied by Bruno the bear (currenlty woke up from hibernation). Normaly Fortesque claims to have beaten dragons but he tells that this bear is far dangerous than a dragon dring hibernation. Basically, there are no dragons in Gallowmere yet so bruno is the bear that take son the role ans a comedy/terror animal. Usually attacks anyone near his territory, whenever he feels like it and the disbanded gang of ex robin hood.

Here i have drawn the thumbnails for the wave arm dance move, will be used in a experimental animation

Here is a test of cardboard for the experimental animation
A few faces and colours of the cyclops character done on flash

Deerek Hayes gave me and the students in my course another assignment, this time on emeotional poses through gesture movement. I filmed myself with the help of Joseph Hill. Here is the vedio link because it is somehow too big to upload on my blog. I drew the sketches first and then scanned them and used them as an outline in Flash.


During that day I was working on this, I was also looking at the tutorials in Animate Pro. I still have to look through all of them and they are very helpful to me in my next upcoming animation assigment of the 11 second club.

walking cycle, drawn and flash animation

initial sketch of walk cycle, have more but the scanner is bust somehow.
Did two walks, one on hand drawn paper frame by frame, the other on flash. the first one is a normal walk, drawing the in betweeners is kinda tedious but i have to expect that.
the other in flash is a tv character, liking the simpler way of drawing, he has a "pimp" like walk. He also has a very static, square like walk which is on purpose as he is some kind of robot

The Cyclops

random character designs and preperation for 11 second animation

Here are some character designs i drew and using flash to draw the outlines then color them in, it "simplyfies" them. I personally liek this cartoon like art. Thats my goal, enter the cartoon industry and draw character designs, storyboards, post production OR ANIMATE by hand drawning. Over here we have a concept of a mad scientist, mutated ofcourse.

I have been watching a lot of "Flapjack" cartoons during the holidays and the first years introduced me to "Adventure Time with Finn and Jake". Both cartoons have the same artist http://www.ghostshrimp.net/

I like the art work, also i figured i should do less detail on my drawinsg so that my animation gets a bit easier.

What I am planning for is the "11 second animation" which is part of the course and an animation competition. These drawings are but one part of the preperation. I like this character because the 11 second voice (which is kinda creepy) fits in with this guy, even though he may not like much. I may change his skin colour and make him a bit hairy or skiny or bumps.

character animation - lifting heavy object

this here is a drawing representing 4 individuals carrzing iron balls of a prison colony. Now in reality these are really heavy but cartoons can defy such laws of reality for comedy. I watch a french animation taken from a belgium comic book called "Lucky Luke". The animated series are a perfect for my research into strecth and squash animation on characters, especially the film they made. In my second year corse i was assigned to animate a character to lift a heavy object. The drawings are but primitive. Adjustments were made after for example. I DID NOT intend to se those legs for the test animation. It would be fun to animate such odd feet but we are sticking to basics. Otherwise I think i did a neat job on the amrs and back.

Another skecthwork, this time using a stick figure for a more apropriate side view of lifting the heavy object.

I did the animation(s) in flash. i firstly drew out the images, scanned them in and just drew teh outlines of my charatcer which makes it easier for me to animate and ensure the drawing does not get too small at one point. I think i am starting to get a better feeling of using flash, I just scan in my original drawings and use them for flash. I just draw the begining, midle and end while on flash aids me for the "inbetweeners". Its quite a lot of fun.

summer experiment project

click on the title (link) Hand Drawn Caterpillar Animation Short

an animation short done for Silje Marie Kristiansen. (siljemarie@hotmail.com) who placed up a small art exhibition to the theme of "colors" down in Falmouth Town. Its on Kiligrew Street and looks nice from the inside. Unfortunately, there were a few setbacks. Firstly, I wished i could spend longer on the animation, adding background detail and more food for the caterpillar to eat and thus become its color. The deadline had been in late September but I was assured that i could place this frames in the small gallery. If i remember, she would use my animation as some title sequence for a website of the gallery. I hope something good turns out from it because i spent some of my summer doing this short frame by frame. I did not get any money for it but at least I have produced something for someone in or community.

On the whole it gave me some practice with the frame by frame technique and as i love drawing, i liked how i visulised it ^^

Story Board of Arta, part 1

Here is the re designed story board, used from my previous story board. This is the first part as this will be in post production for a long time. I work on certain sections of my art, sometimes placing it in order or starting at specific points of the plot in my head.