Figurative Journey

Looking forward in this class, please indicate your goals. 
This class will allow me to refine my figure drawing with an emphasis on light and shadow. I understand light and shadow, but I have never really taken the time to master it. I would also like to focus more closely on anatomy, planar surfaces and gradation, and develop a more sculpture feeling in my work. But even with all my focus on detail I would like to achieve a more simplistic accuracy. 

How much do you expect to learn? 
I am hoping to pick up new skills techniques, but mostly I am hoping to develop patience. I have learned in the last few years that the longer you work at a drawing the more polished and refined it becomes. I began figure drawing while pursuing animation, where the focus was more on speed then developing the image. It will be nice to slow down and really think about the form. 

Describe why you are taking this class. It may be just to meet the requirements of the school. It may be to master the human form. 
Life drawing is at the core of everthing in the world of storyboard and 2nd animation. I believe it is the thing that seperates a good animators from a great one. The mastery of the human form gives one the ability to rapidly and easily imagine the characters in any situation from any angle. If I could I would have a figure drawing class every semester, but I will have to supplement with the open drawing session in my area. 

List areas that concern you: Nervousness? Fear of not following through? Looking bad in front of the other students? 
Time, I am very over committed person. I have always had a habit of committing to many things personally and professionally. Since I began school I have not taken on any new projects. My full focus needs to be on school and finishing up the projects I have. 

How much time do you plan to invest each module? 

Study for Libyan Sibyl
Michelangelo
red chalk drawing
1510-11 (Italian Renaissance)

The time that I spent on my extracurricular activities averaged about 30 - 40 hours a week, when my family would let me spend that much time at the computer. But I have been trying to manage my time better so that I leave time for family, work,   projects and school. I am hoping to spend the suggested time for each course plus additional time for working on skills improvement. I would like to put at least 30 hours a week in to my school endeavors. 

Also, make a list of all the benefits that you'll get when the class is over. Completion is always a good feeling. Confidence in your drawing abilities, which extend to other areas in your art, is another one. List as many as you can. 
I hope to have a few new pieces for my portfolio
I would like to regain my life drawing speed 
I am hoping find some inspiration for making new works
build a foundation for my future artistic pursuits
Completion, I have always had trouble with follow through

I hope someday to even partially achieve the skill of Michelangelo I would be happy with what I have achieved. 

Nick Butler
September 10, 2012

Animation Pioneers

The animation industry has always been moved forward by people who bridge the gap between technician and artist. John Randolph Bray was perhaps one of the most important figures in the early days of animation. Bray was always looking for the balance between quantity and quality. This drove him to find inventive ways of overcoming hurdles related to producing animation, such as the shear volume of individual drawing it takes to create believable motion. Many of the animators at the time were comic strip artist who worked primarily alone. Although Winsor McCay, creator of Little Nemo, employed his young neighbor to assist with backgrounds for his dinosaur animation Gertie, he primarily worked alone. Bray realized that in order to be successful at animation there needed to be more efficient distributed processes for achieving quality animation. His animation patents helped to document his attempts and allowed others insight into his processes helping to move the entire industry forward.
Although Bray was instrumental in improving the process for creating animation it was Winsor McCay who set the bar on quality. The quality of his drawing was reminiscent of the work of his comic strips. Some historians cite Gertie as the first real animated character, I believe this was due to impact and quality of McCay’s animated image. McCay would stand in front of the screen where Gertie was being projected and interact with her. He would finish the show by entering the cartoon world and riding off with her. Gertie exhibited many of the same emotions as it’s animation predecessors, but Gertie’s constant motion and dog-like portrayal connected with people on a deeper level. 

Animation like many industries tends to move forward with the help of technology and innovation. Animation has seen a wave of changes since the application of 3D techniques, what do you think will be the next big technology in animation?

There will never be enough time

If you are a creative person who has to maintain a not so creative job to pay for your creative endeavors then you will understand, that there is never enough time. Although this is the case those of us who love what we do create that time. Because it always comes down to how bad do you want it. Like a marathon runner the artist with family, work and social commitments must push them selves beyond the breaking point. I have been trying to take a vacation for the last week and have constantly had it interrupted by work and other commitments. So I have had to make time, but vacation is not feeling so much like vacation. What I have started to realize is that vacation is an illusion. If you want a happy family vacation means your family is the focus above all else. I haven't been doing the best job at this, and now my vacation is being cut short, so when I intended to spread some work out throughout my vacation my early return means that I am going to vacation even harder. I have been working on my entry for the Punked! comic project, and it will get my full attention when not spending my time with the family. They are usually in bed early and so I stay up to draw. I am super happy that my family supports what I do and will allow me to spend some of our vacation time in front of the computer doing what I love. But I want to get these pages done so we can enjoy the little time we get.

Character Dev: Vampire and the Robot

Robot and the Vampire

I am participating in a zine project call Punked!!! The book is focused on all things punk. The Indiegogo project is more then 100 percent funded, but you can still contribute to helping us. I am excited to be contributing to a group project. It will be a nice change of pace from some of my personal projects. I am aiming for a 5 page story to intro a concept that I has been boiling in my head for about a year. I have been focused on developing the characters and figuring out the style. Here is a little preview art for the story. The book is aiming for a November release at the Short Run Small Press Fest!

Comic Coloring Process

I did not realize the price difference when I made the decision to make the Head Trip a color book I now understand why so many independent comic projects are black and white. I am minimalist so finding ways of reducing the amount of work that goes into generating high quality comics has been a challenge. To figure out what the look and feel would be for the book I started with the digital coloring technique of current professional comics. Modern technologoy has given the comic industry an endless range of color. Not only do professional comics get amazing colors, but a number effects can be applied to comics giving them a fidelity that starts to reach the image quality we are familiar with seeing on the big screen. I don't have a preference on coloring style, but I also don't like to spend months working on a single page. Comic for companies like Marvel and DC are produced by a team which includes, writer, penciler, inker, colorist and editor. Indie comic publishers are required to fill all these roles like Sunday comic cartoonists. It was the Sunday cartoonist who influenced my work the most namely the work of Bill Watterson the creator of Calvin and Hobbes. The three color print process limited what the artist could do, and so the artist found creative ways to creatively use this limited palette. Limiting the palette cuts down the amount of choices I have to make, and helps me to maintain simple lighting and shading techniques. I bounce between painting on my iPad or coloring in Photoshop with the Wacom tablet. Digital is great, but I am starting to find traditional techniques much master and easier to accomplish. I am waiting for the day when the gap between digital and traditional techniques closes, they are getting there.

Boards I had all but forgotten

There are many advantages to Facebook, but today one of its many ways of keeping you informed through advertising brought a forgotten project back into my life. One of my many brushes with my dream job of story-boarding on a professional project with a actual studio. Almost 2 years ago I was given the opportunity to take a storyboard test to work on a Tom Hanks project called Electric City. It was a last minute interview and I would have gotten the job, except I was living in Tacoma and they need someone in LA. Well although I didn't get the job the experience was very affirming to my ability to storyboard at a professional level. I worked on it for 3 days while my parents were in town simultaneously fighting a cold. Well the little image on the side of the Facebook page may me jump with joy, cause I was curious to see what had come of the project direct by Joel Trussel. Electric City was created on a tight budget with the hopes of exploring new area of inter-media. All the shows are release on the internet and it is closely tied in with an online game and other web 2.0 elements. Well I didn't officially work on it, but I want to share my storyboards and give you an opportunity to check it out. It is kind like Johnny Quest meeting Blade Runner. Here is the link to my story boards and underneath that is the link to the show. Enjoy.

My boards: http://hippybro.deviantart.com/#/d58a0rj

Link to the show: http://electriccity.yahoo.com/ep1-en-truth-or-consequences.html