Rediscovering the Road Not Taken …

Well, my short may be on hold for a little while. Here’s the thing. Producing a short in what amounts to 8 weeks -from conception to final editing- usually ends up with an ‘ok’ -but not fantastic- result. I spent all 8 weeks of last semester to produce my Primal Soup short which probably won’t get me any awards. I have begun doing the same this semester when one of my instructors suggested I might consider storyboards and concept art for my portfolio. Duh! I hadn’t considered that. I can probably produce several very good pieces of still art for my portfolio in the next 6 weeks, or one rushed short. Since I likely wouldn’t start out animating it might be better to focus on my somewhat stronger skills in Photoshop.

Anyway here are 3 rough pieces of concept art just to limber up. None will go into the portfolio but I’m trying to limber up the mind. On one I used a 3D app to create basic shapes so that I could figure out the perspective better.

Click for Larger Image

Click for Larger Image

Click for Larger Image

Couldn’t really afford to but at only $20 I couldn’t resist picking up ArtRage. Seems like an incredible value for the price. I’m hoping to do some ‘painterly’ backgrounds for this piece. I’d do the layouts completely in ArtRage if I had more painting experience but I don’t, so I think I will paint the rocks, driftwood and other elements and ‘assemble’ them in Photoshop as I am more comfortable there. Also trying to strike a balance between my need for speed and quality. It also was suggested that I needed to improve the silohuette, so I did a couple tests. I think I’ll modify the character a little based on this.

Background Test

Background Test

Background Test

Check out ArtRage!

Here’s another concept for the battered old crawdad character for the story. Instructors Gomez and Nunez who run the Friday lab at Brooks College pushed me in some different directions and so I generated many more variations. I wanted to test one with a bit of color so I did a quick ink job, scan and color in Photoshop.

He was attacked by a fish when he was younger and the claw on the undamaged half of his body grew monstrously large. The other claw is supposed to be missing a chunk but just noticed I inked it in whole by accident.

Click for Larger Image!

Here is some initial concept art for a story I’d like to tell, entitled The Alacrity of the Crayfish.

You can click on the links to popup a window with the rough sketches. I’d love to get feedback from fellow artists. Even though this is a newer idea I fell in love with it. The heads are variations of one of the characters. I think I sort of favor this one for him.

Color Test 1 - Tried out one of my concepts. Have since revised him (will post new scans after work tonight) but I did like the feel of the marker and tried doing something similar in Flash. What do you think of this characters style as far as the fill and color are concerned?

Evil Fish Concept 1 - A somewhat improved concept based on some critiques of the first round.

Sketch Page 1 - Sketch pages 1, 2 and 3 are my initial concepts and very rough. Feedback welcome.

Sketch Page 2

Sketch Page 3

Please critique as I really listen.

I have so many ideas for books and animated films floating in my brain. I hope someday that I can set them all free and see people enjoying them.

I was going to delete this default post’s title, but it seems strangely appropriate. While I have always wandered the misty paths and byways of the imagination, I have tread a different road in the external world. As a 47 year old animation student I hope to take my place in a creative field so…. Hello World! You seem more full of possibilities to me now. I hope I will be able to explore you, to build within your magical places and to bring forth strange and beautiful tales to share with those not lucky enough to live in your borders.