Catching up with times.

     I finally decided to get with the times and did away with drawing with a mouse for good.  From now on, I'm doing all my work with my new Cintiq.  I feel really stupid for putting it off for so long.  Productivity has increased tenfold, and I couldn't be happier with the results.

     I've been commissioned by Deviantart user greatdragonad to do a bunch of loops and such for a bunch of his characters.  It's coming along very quick, and with the power of the Cintiq, animation is a snap!  Here's the first completed loop.

   
      For this loop, I did a simple stance, like in fighting games.  Nice exercise in timing and physics.  Good start for the series of loops I'll be doing for this client.
     I was also commissioned to do a Spongebob illustration for another client's girlfriend, who's a big fan.

   
      In the coming weeks, I'm getting my bundle of demo reel cds ready to make my rounds in NY again to apply for work with the studios there.  One's gotta be the right one!

     Next time, I'm talking about Koth of the Conans again, this time going in depth with another of Koth's allies.

"Hey fellas!"

     More to come!

FINALLY, New Lugz Cartoon is UP.

It's finally been put up on their site and can be viewed at this here link.  (Its the first video there.)  Enjoy the show and don't forget to comment.  More to come.

Nowhere and everywhere.

Status Update on Deadlines and Junk

  

     Welp, today is the definite, 100%, honest-to-god, we-mean-it-this-time deadline for the second Lugz cartoon, and I'll post the link once they put it up.  It still has way too much dialogue over-explaining things that would've been better cut out, but that didn't fall in my jurisdiction, I animated and contribute sight gags, personal style flourishes and a few changes here and there (mostly to the attendant character).  I wish to have a little more input to the story for the next one.  It's a cartoon, so I want there to be very little spoken dialogue because the main focus should be on the action, the animation, the character's expressions and body language.  The best things are said wordlessly.  That's always the most fun.  People connect with that better, and body language is universal.  Anyone can see it and everyone will get it.  With the dialogue over-eplaining things, it just feels slightly insulting to the intellect of the viewer, and it shoehorns an unnecessary side story onto the viewer when the simpler premise is more than enough.

     The cartoon is about gas pumping innuendo, so there's really no need to make the cartoon too long and deep.

Still a great project, still fun to watch.  Enjoy it when it's out.

     Now that that's completed, I'm back to working on a few of my own projects, as well as the ongoing music video project for Dreams from Gin.  That one's coming along very freaking sweet.  See?

This'll be you when you see the completed music video!

     I'm also getting set to start working with clothing/sports uniform company Stall & Dean on a project that's shaping up to be something truly insane, experimental, and mind-blowing.  Just imagine over a hundred years of sports history twisting and morphing on itself in 30 or so seconds, all connected into one!  I'm excited about this one, because I'm imagining experimenting with rotoscoping, layers of masks, and retro traditional animation all at once.  Hopefully I can organize this in a way where I can ask some of my animator friends to help out, too.

     I'm very pleased with how everything is coming along and will work steadfastly to progress my work until all my projects are done and ready to show.

Lugz Project 2: -_-

     Hey, remember how yesterday was the day Lugz would be showing the new cartoon?  Remember how it's not gonna happen until February 4th because their servers are in absolute shit shape?  Now you'll remember.  But yeah, it won't be another week-and-a-few-days before the new cartoon is put up on the site.  No complaints here, though.  In the meantime, I'm working on the music video for Dreams from Gin and my own illustrations while my partner writes the next cartoon for Lugz.

     I'm so beyond sick and tired of the snow.  I wish the clouds had a face so I could punch it.

Scam that pigeon!

     More to come.

Lugz Project 2: Update And Change Date

     Okay, so the new addition in the "Dick" series for Lugz will be on their site on Monday the 24th instead of this Thursday.  Apparently they're making room for the new stuff by rebooting their servers.  Did the last servers not do that good at the box office?  But that gives me more time to finish up the new piece.  I gotta say, as much as I hate doing tweened animations, the time restraints on this project helped me get even better at tweened animation, getting creative with loops and limited animation, and knowing how to make minimal movement look very convincing and appealing.

"What!? No cartoon thursday!?"

     Though I have to adhere to the storyboards and script, it's always nice to see how I can make my own style and emotional imput come through in the general vibe in some scenes, disturbing or otherwise.

"Oh well, no biggie.  It's just another week."

      I'm actually kinda happy with the way this one is turning out.  It definitely has a better flow than the last one, and it helped me practice with getting shit done quickly and efficiently (more or less).  Hopefully I can say the same for my still-in-the-works music video for Dreams From Gin's "Senseless".  I can't thank them enough for being very patient while I get this Lugz project done and out of the way.

     And I'll also have time to finish up a whole lot of other projects, like all my own animated shorts still in the works, and my illustrations!

Yes, of Eddy.

      Must remain focused until it's over.  Can't let anything, like the frickin' snow, slow me down.  Can't go crazy from it.

     More to come.

     UPDATE:  I take it back, the final product for Lugz isn't going to have a good flow.  Way too much unnecessary dialogue and exposition is going to stifle the hell out of it.  But that's what they ordered, so it's what they'll get.