jumping spider reference

I made a digital painting of a jumping spider from my sketchbook after which i painted on photoshop. I am looking for realistic features of the jumping spider (personally i find cute) from images, photos and maybe other animations so that the spider is appealing to the public. Most people HATE spiders becase they are ugly, hairy and people are afraid of their movement but i want to use this mexican jumping spider for my pre production work and I think it fits really well with what I am doing. I am confident.

From Ghibli short "Water Spider Monmom" it tells about a water spider falling in love with a female water strider who is afraid at firts but builds the connection with him. The Japanese animation makes this spider more appealing to watch. (look up google for images cause i can't copy and paste anymore)

Another animation is from a remake of the book Charlotte's Web in a 3D CGI Movie using ofcourse realistic animal characters including Charlotte the spider.

We all know the story of one female spider helping a yong pig from impending pig slaughter by using her webspinning talents. Her design is a very realistic spider. The model was mostly done seperatly then the hair must of been added last to match the textile. (link)

Pre-Production, whats in ze sketchbook?...

flash exercise

A simple bird walk and something random. It helps because the bird animation is simple, I have been looking at the old french cartoon series of "Les Shadoks" (1931 to 2004) by the french cartoonist Jaques Rouxel, where birds are living on a disfunctional 2d planet in which these birds are not smart and have a confusing live style, characterised by ruthlessnesss and stupidy.

please click on watch

vulture drawings

These were done dring december winter 2010

Pre-Production, begining

For the first part of the preduction I will begin by researching the setting (Frontier Town) and the theme\style (stanley Spencer) and most of my drawinsg and research are in my sketchbook.

The setting is most particulary interesting. For me it means looking at the wild west of america, age of outlaws and cowboys (warnign, cowboys were hired cattle herders, not lawbringers...they smelt of cow)

"a town close to the boundary between two countries, states or regions. Usually the term implies that it is one of the things the town is most famous for" (wikipedia)

(http://www.retroweb.com/40acres_tour_pt4.html) images

During my past youth i have seen many themed wild western settings in cartoons, films and comics. One of them is a particular favorite of my youth is a Belgian comic book series called "Lukcy Luke" created by Morris (Maurice De Bevere) which the setting is of the wild west, interesting illustrations of background and character drawing.

As the setting is of the wild west, the plot is around a lone lawbringer whose adventures is settling control of the west by stopping outlaws, crooks and helping american citizens. Notorious are several famous people that apear like Jessie James or Buffalo Bill but also a re-encarnation of the Dalton Brothers. These comics were then turned into animated cartoons, to more adapted cartoons for the french public. Also made into a film (Lucky Luke, Tous A L'Oest) and two french live action films (2004 Les Daltons and 2009 Lucky Luke)

Several vedio games are based on the wild weastern theme such as "GUN" "Red Dead Redemption" and "Oddworld Stranger's Wrath"... within the game are frontier town setting backgrounds. Modeled towns fit for the player in 3D.

More Observational Drawings