Short Update...Animating Still...

Hi Everyone!
I've created lots of animated stills from...my animations. I hope to get the story together soon. This has been the hardest part.

"Ride On" Digital Pict

Zzzz....

I wanted to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who has followed my blog. I really appreciate your time.

It's time for me to take a creative break.

I think sometimes as artists we forget that we are human, and continue to push our creative minds to the point of exhaustion. Not good. The result, as I've see it in me, is an inability to stay focused. Great ideas in molasses. Rest, the often overlooked necessity of every living thing.

Thank you all so much for your support!

Zzzz.....

Breaking The Glass Daisy

I can't say when my fascination with reflections, or things that shine began. I do however remember being awed by the effects after a rain. It was as if tiny pieces of the sky were laying on the ground. When the wind would blow, the reflections cast would dance. Motion and light, such as seen in the piece I created above.

One of my biggest art influences in the area of 'reflective art' is Richard Estes. His work is absolutely amazing. I thought I knew quite extensively the work of the artists of the past, but recently discovered another realist I had never heard of.

Her name is Audrey Flack. A woman. I want to learn more about her.

This discovery made me realize how so many talented female artists did not receive the accolades of their male counterparts in the same field. Other than Mary Cassat and Georgia O'keefe, it's hard to mention a woman artist by name.

What's up with that? Lifting a paintbrush doesn't require any muscle. And painting daisies and waterlilies, was it exclusively a 'guy thing' back in the days of Monet and Van Gogh?

No, this is not a new interest of mine. I have written about this topic before. Only now, it's developing into a more intense focus. It's wanting to know why and where are the missing links to our creative history, not only in fine arts, but other media also. This exploration is not to fragment, but to bring together a more complete picture of us, together.

Reinventing The Square

This is what I've been up to:

Character Designs: I've created a few new characters, but mainly have given the ones from the past new roles. I still keep this part of the process an 'uncalculated science.' In other words, I don't have a detailed map of what the character will look like in the final. I like the element of surprise.

Since I have a story that involves superheroes, the question comes, should they be realistic or caricature? You know, the hyper-extended chin? I prefer a mixture of both. This keeps my story from being overly serious. I want to keep it fun, too.

Scene Design: This is my absolute favorite part of animation. It's also the most time consuming. With two projects going at the same time, each new scene means creating the elements that will bring it to life. In the picture above, I had to create the scene for my character to act in, this means signage, buildings, and the vehicle placement. Camera angles also come into play, as well as the never ending use of circles, triangles and squares.

Lighting and Color: Both the character and the scene needed the proper lighting effect. Lighting helps the story setting. In the scene above, I went with a contrast of cool and warm tones with the lighting.

I look forward to presenting some new works soon.

Humor Me

Some wear masks. Some wear capes. A few in metal and a few in spandex? It appears that tights are more than less the norm.

Superhero outfits.

As I pondered what to adorn my characters in, I became a character in the story as the one who would have to design the attire of these super men and women. Because I could not imagine a being with the ability to fly, or bore holes into walls with laser-beam eyes, sitting at a sewing machine trying to create something to wear.

Yes, they need a "what to wear" specialist.

If you've seen Pixar's The Incredibles, you might recall the scene of the character, whom I think might have been based on the legendary designer Edith Head, designing their superhero outfits. It dawned on me. A superhero could not possibly have the time to maintain their wardrobe, and/or equipment for saving the world. They must have a team.

I created the above scene to illustrate my line of thought.

Like us, I'm sure a superhero would appreciate a sale.

Genre

I did some reading on different film genres. I must say, I've learned a lot of new things. Specifically, Sci-Fi and what makes it unique. There are many elements that make this genre quite fascinating to me.

In the past, I didn't give much thought to genre. Now I see the importance of having a road map which makes the writing process a lot more focused and interesting. Of the many Sci-Fi films I've seen in the past of the H.G. Wells variety, I never applied that term 'out-loud' for fear of sounding too 'geeky.'

However, I can now walk into a crowded room, find a corner and quietly whisper to anyone who is in earshot "I like Sci-Fi!" Okay. I'm free.

 I was surprised to discover that I have three stories that actually fall into this category. Three! Cool! This does not mean that I'm locked in to one particular style. I like to keep my writing options open.

But it does suggest that I've found a zone that my heart and mind seem to really enjoy.

I know, that's so E.T.