I finally got tired of looking at the lame logo at the top of the Pencil Test Depot. This idea was inspired by a character that BJ is going to animate for the site at some point. In the meantime, I wanted to get something up there that had a bit more fun to it. CLICK THE PIC and check out some of the new posts!
Don't hurt your peers if you are at a studio by spreading negativity... Don't be a cancer and make the people around you feel bad about where they work. Do your co-workers a favor .... shut up!!!
...Release the Excess...
knowing where to push the face and body has been an ongoing process for me and it will probably continue for a while. I found that drawing has helped me more and more in CG animation. The biggest thing I have found to be helpful is pushing all areas of the body to make a powerful impact. It is really fun to go way beyond with extreme poses and it is challenging to find the right balance sometimes; especially when dealing with realistic looking characters. Finding landmarks has been around since animation started. Using areas of the face and body that can be distorted and taken back to their original position is a great tool. Anyway, I was just drawing a bunch of stuff thinking about what I need to work on tomorrow in my shot and this is one of the few things I sketched. I am actually animating Rapunzel at the moment so this was just a test since I cant really show any of my pre pro stuff from the movie.
I have been reading and hearing a lot of conversations about studios, layoffs, projects, and so many negative things about the animation industry that my head hurts. All the conversations led to someone asking me why my reel was not posted on my blog so that studios could access it easily. I don't like thinking about reel too much, especially while I am trying to animate. Everyone thinks of their work differently and how it makes an impact on them personally. At the end of the day, we all have to find jobs and provide a good life for our families. Their are a lot of people I look up to; animators and artists a like. Most of the influential creatives have always tried to make a personal achievement within their work. Trying to perfect a brush stroke, sculpting the human form with precision, understanding anatomy through drawing, or just pushing the next level of your acting.So it is just my opinion that focusing on what will look good on my reel will distract me from pushing my work. I like to say to myself..."focus on the subtext of your shot, the performance, make sure the mechanics are working, and think of interesting ways of handling your characters.... and guess what will happen...."
Your reel will take care of itself
