Sketches

Sketches from the previous two terms

A few sketches from the first two terms on my post grad at Saint Martins. I guess the longer the course has gone on the more my drawing style has loosened up. These are in time order, most recent at the top, so hopefully some kind of improvement will be evident, or not.


Characters interacting
For me this is one of the most interesting sequences of drawings as we see a fundamental part in human behaviour, in the way two bodies can express themselves and the effect that has on a relationship with others.





Close Ups Of Face Studies For Lip Synch
Just a bit of close sketching, getting some mouth shapes, and skewed perspectives.

Figure drawing

Again using a skewed perspective, whilst trying to keep the body in proportion.

Master and Servant (One Lady and her Dog)

One of the best things about drawing an animal is the line of the spine, as they are usually so more supple than a human. At first being a cat person, this really didn't appeal to me, but again the relationship between two characters in space seems interesting to me.

First Life Drawing

This first sketch is more about catching the movement of peering around a corner.

Sketch showing the relationship between the human and skeletal forms.

Life drawing (of a skeleton). Hmmm, not sure if that's the right definition of a dead thing, death drawing anyone?

The beginning...

Hi folks,

Well starting my first blog as an animation student at the London Animation School. I guess I'm doing this (like all bloggers, thesps etc) essentially for my self, none of this for my art crap. It's at lot easy to look at your work on a web page, than in about a million, well ten, sketch books. Make that two.

So anyway here's some stuff that I've been up to recently, and take it easy people...


Week 16 - Personal Lip Synch
A piece of animation that I did, using some dialogue from Pamela Stevenson in Superman III, a highly underrated film IMHO. Really enjoyed doing this as the timing is worked out for you using the dialogue and it gives you the chance to explore acting with the character too!

For some reason this got a lot of replay action at the Friday crit at college, I guess even millenium dome sized digital boobs have their fans too.






Pamela Lip Sych on Vimeo

Week 15 - First Lip Synch
The first Lip Synch I did in 3D, using a clip from the Princess Bride (a classic but not as good as I remembered!).

By the end of the week quite frankly I was "going mad" but it is one of coolest things going as an animation geek for you to see one of your characters speaking.






Week 15 - First Lip Synch on Vimeo

Week 14 - Expression Change
An attempt at showing expression change, which was a first for me using this rig. I think I watched too much Big Brother's Big Mouth that week (God forgive me but there was nothing else on after playing five-a-side), so the character turned out a bit too Russell Brand's Dad for my liking!






Week 14 - Expression Change on Vimeo

Week 13 - 2 Character Acting Animation
My first really piece of acting between, two characters on screen. Looking back this is a bit too "real time" in terms of pacing, but I often find myself at bus stops pubs etc, watching this kind of stuff, and smirking at the impromptu comedy on show.






Week 13 - 2 Character Interacting on Vimeo

Week 12 - Body Language
I animated this Lego Chef, in order to get a bit of body language on the go. It was the same rig set up as for my mood change project, but I learnt a couple of tricks of the trade such as visibility of objects in order to do my Lego Pancake.

That was a good shrove Tuesday, mmmmm lemon and golden syrup.






Week 12 - Body Language on Vimeo

Week 11 - 4 Legged Run (Wolf)
Main thing I learnt from this was that a lot of animation for me now flows out from the root of the spine, through the body, and out into the tail, head and legs.
This killed me the first time trying to get my head around these concepts, but looking back helped me develop my own animation technique.






Week 11 - Wolf Run on Vimeo

Week 5 - Fish
My attempt at Finding Nemo! Used a variety of techniques that were new to me here, including Dope Sheets, f-curves, and motion paths, on Maya the software we're using. After watching a thousand fish at London Aquarium, I tried to capture the quick slow glide movement that small fish seem to have in the water. Even now though I still like the little guy!






My Fish! on Vimeo