Wise Guys

These hoods need names . . .

Latest from the Gesture Lab

A selection of some of the characters I've been work shopping lately in gesture class.  It's interesting which characters emerge from the subconscious on each session. Sometimes they're inspired by the body type of the model or by a film I may have watched recently. After 3 years of regular gesture class I've now built a mental library of characters that I can choose from very quickly under the brief time limits we have. These are all between 30 seconds-1 minute poses.

Around Christmas we had a stocky, middle-aged male model who naturally became Santa Claus

Often models, male or female, will hit poses that I can't resist turning into Gollum

When the news of a sequel to 'The Incredibles' was announced I couldn't resist drawing Mr Incredible in that day's class.  We had the Michael Giacchino score playing and a model with the perfect physique. I've never drawn the character before so I need the practice!

Of course Frozone had to make an appearance too!

'Mr Smee'

Drawing San Francisco

Sketching around town . . .

 Film shoot in North Beach with fake snow

 

On Grant Avenue, Chinatown

 Mission Dolores cemetary

16th street

 Japantown

18th Street diner

Shoeshine booth on Market St.

Drawing in a Mission dive bar with JSG, Melodie & Matt Cruickshank. Crookie did a finger drawing of an artist painting outside the window.

Zero Friends Movie Night!

San Francisco artist Ben Walker organizes unique drawing events all over the city-the last one I attended was the 'Bizarro: Drawing with the WRONG hand' event.  Last Friday Ben invited a bunch of us to Haight Ashbury artspace & clothing store Zero Friends to spend an evening drawing from a movie.  We all brought a dvd of our choice and put them together in a bag, then one was chosen at random to play and inspire our sketching.  You have to move fast when drawing from a 'live' movie!  It helped that I did a little bit of work storyboarding on this film so I was familiar with the character designs.

Sketch Dailies

I can't keep up with Sketch Dailies but couldn't resist some of the themes.  A lot of the work being done for that site is very impressive-keep it up folks!

Framing the Future

BAICFF

I helped out Pixar Storyman Jim Capobianco with the poster art for his annual Bay Area International Children's Film Festival.  I'll be doing a drawing workshop for kids that weekend exploring the space center and sketching.  I hope to see some of the great animated shorts Jim has lined up too.  Click this link to see the line up

Drawing with FORCE!

Late last year we had a guest drawing instructor come into Pixar- Mike Mattesi-who specializes in dynamic drawing and did a 10 week course.  I only caught the last 2 sessions but it was refreshing to pause the Walt Stanchfield 'story' driven gesture class and let loose with some more muscular sketches.  I haven't worked this big and bold in several years- dirty charcoal & thick markers on newsprint!

Around the same time Glen Keane visited the studio to deliver an inspirational lecture on tapping into creativity by thinking like a child and ensuring 'play' is present in the work environment.  His impassioned and sincere speech was extremely motivating, and seeing him animate 'live' is magical!
He flipped through a sketchbook he had kept while visiting France last summer and found a sketch of a young girl carrying a baby while walking across a playground.  Glen took this as his jumping off point and animated her across the page- straight ahead-dealing with the weight distribution as he went.  He said viewers won't SEE the weight changes but they'll FEEL it.  The point of focus will be in the eyes-we look for the connection between the girl and the baby and how their gaze meets at that close distance.

Merry Christmas!

'Santacon' is a curious American tradition- one weekend in early December thousands of drunkards dress up as Santa (and elves, Christmas trees, reindeer etc. ) gathering on the streets of  San Francisco, generally outside bars or fast food outlets. The festivities begin around 11am and every Santa appears to be blind drunk by 3pm!

Gesture Book-last copies available

If you're looking for a last minute gift for the animation artist in your life I still have a few copies of my 'Gesture Drawing' book left for sale.  $20 each + shipping&handling.  Enquiries please email me at the address in my Blogger profile.

Dinorama

Macabre

The spooks, freaks and ghouls were out in force early November for my favorite celebration of the Fall season -the Mexican Day of the Dead. Matt Cruickshank and I steeled our nerves, girded our loins, sharpened our pencils and unsheathed our Tombows to spend the evening sketching amongst the living dead.  

Halloween

An evening with the Tiger Lillies- haven't seen them since 'Shockheaded Peter' played London-early 2000s. They played legendary San Francisco nightspot Bimbo's. Sketches & lyrics. . .

I saw Iggy Pop play a small gig in San Jose in October- still full of beans!

Happy Halloween!

Here's a preview of an image I've working based on Tim Burton's version of 'Dark Shadows' .  I skipped the film in theatres because of its lacklustre reviews but recently picked it up on blu-ray.  It features all of Burton's usual tropes but it's beautifully photographed by Bruno Delbonnel and the production design is INSANELY good.  I became quite obsessed with it and watched it several times, sketching the characters to capture their likeness (a LOT of bee-stung pouty lips in this film).  The film is completely over the top and caricatured but hangs together better than Burton's recent output.

I still have to add two more figures but the triangular composition works well right now.