Discordian Tattoo

Here is my tattoo design done for a good friend. I've been stuck in a world without Photoshop, Maya, and Zbrush lately (tools of choice), but a box of colored pencils is doing alright to get me by.

Home again

Wow.. I've been busy lately. I'm back in Missouri working ever so diligently at my new vocation in the Air Force. Before joining I never really understood the value of discipline or the true meaning of it I think. My whole life is changing and I'm looking to start over. Sarah health is still up and down but our marriage has been transformed and renewed. It is strange how seemly horrible events in your life can have such brilliantly positive transformative outcomes. Basically we are starting over and making a new life. The only downside to working at the base is being away from my workstation and animation. My sketchbooks are always at hand but it just isn't the same.

I'm going to be pursing a masters here soon thanks to Uncle Sam. After four secondary education institutes (if I count tech school and I do) I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to go back again (i.e. loan debt) - now I can get my MFA because of my service. I've also been bitten by the teaching bug. After being a leader in tech school and a mentor in my video conference animation group, it just seems like the right thing to do.

Napping for Humanity

Today was another fun day with volunteering. I took part in a couple of Habitat for Humanity projects. Basically we turned giant piles of earth into nice level yards and filled trenches. I'm glad that Humanity will have some more Habitat to live in and nice yards to boot. It really took it out of me so I came home and took a nap. I was fighting it though. I went from writing, to lack of concentration, to watching some Morel Orel, to listening to Morel, to passing out. Body needed rest.

Goal progress

Charity & Volunteering

Yesterday I went out and helping to feed the homeless. People ate, got to laugh, talk, and smile in a safe environment, and everything went great. I also got to play with a cute baby. If playing with cute babies was part of all volunteer work I would definitely go out more. I do feel better about life, living, and everything so am going to look for more opportunities. I'm sure this will be a naive statement about the homeless and greater socioeconomic factors play in, but they seemed just like everyday people who had obstacles in their lives that just got the better of them. I talked to a man who was ex-Navy, was undergoing asbestos exposure treatment, and was a divorced after he got in a car accident. That is a rough ticket. Others had chemical dependencies and mental issues. Regardless, everyone wanted to have a meal and sit and talk.

Hydration

I'm going to drink this giant bottle of water today. The sticker said it was my recommended daily allowance of water.If you can't trust a giant water bottle sticker I don't know who to really trust in this world. I mean.. look at this bottle. It is silly big.








Art

I drew some really ugly drawings yesterday. Several pages of ugly drawings. My biggest drawing hurdle right now is character drawing. I never worry about drawing from life, but keeping vitality and life in designed characters isn't a skill that I've acquired yet in 2d. So right now I'm doing studies from the legendary Fred Moore and Hanna Barbara designs via John K Stuff's blog. When I start making some better drawings, I will be sure and post them.



Guitar

No progress. Waiting until I move before I start this new endeavor.

Things I want in my life

Animate more! Draw more! Make Art. I want to create more art pieces. Things to put on the wall or the fridge. I want to decorate my life. Kids coloring produce more work in a day than I do in a month. Why is that? I want to pour myself into it and just enjoy. I need to let myself make bad art. I give myself permission to learn and make mistakes.

Drink more water. I have gotten off of soda and candy. This is big for me, but tea is my current drug of choice. So more water for me. And milk. And less tea (to make room for the milk and water).

Volunteer more. I have mixed feelings on this. I feel like helping society is a responsibility and I should be a part of that. I don't get a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings from it though. Mostly it is hard work without tangible rewards. So here's to social responsibility – maybe I'll buy a bear to have something warm and fuzzy. I'm working at a soup kitchen today – I'll post more about that.

I want to learn guitar. How cliché is that? Still – I've always wanted to rock out. So why not.

The Gallery is Up

My portfolio is up on the portfolio gallery page. (Coincidence?)

Spring Cleaning

Well - it is time to dust off the ol' blog and get back to posting. A lot has happened lately.

Right now I'm finishing up tech-school in Pensacola, Florida - I'm learning to fix airplanes. Joining the Air National Guard was a great decision and has really saved the family after Sarah developed her condition. I never thought I would be here a year ago, but things are going well.

Art is constantly on my mind (you would think that aeronautical maintenance would be but mostly art occupies the mind while I'm here). What would I do without a sketchbook? On that - I've never been much of a sketchbook person (some of my friends are never without theirs and it shows). I always just worked out whatever project, design, or art piece that came to mind. Granted I always had them around -- anyways, some people are sketchbook people and some people are not -- I wasn't but I think I am becoming a convert.

Now I just need to get a gallery up on here and keep drawing.

The bad part of being away from home is that I miss my studio space. I miss my desk and books and supplies. I need to get back to animating just as soon as I'm home.. it is a _need_.

Hola mi Amigos!

I'm in Mexico City!!! WOOooooooOOOOoooo - today I climbed a pyramid. Life is good.

News and Chiu

Wow.

I would like to say thank you to Bobby Chui. He is an amazing artist but even more so, he is an amazing motivator. I was drawn to Bobby's work when I first happened upon him on CGTALK. I think the first painting I delighted over was a picture of a a boy in a whale suit. I still love it. Anyways, I was slacking the other day trolling though youtube and thought about Bobby Chui - sure enough, he had some videos. I was bowled over; instead of talking about the work he was creating in the videos, he instead speaks about what it means to be successful. He talks about visualizing your goals, working hard, and overcomming the pitfalls we set up for ourselves that prevent us from achieving our dreams.

I'm listening to Bobby's sage advice. Last night I animated and I loved it. I animated for myself and for the joy of art and animation. I worked instead of slacking and got up earlier in the day. I am an animator and I am going to be a professional soon.

Just thought everyone should know.

The Visitor

Photomanipulation

So I made a photo-manipulation image. It isn't great, but I'm feeling happy with my first attempt.

Jim Erickson is a man Inspiring

I've never been a great lover of photography. I just don't understand what make a great photographer from a good one - I'm not much of a photographer. Or a potter... pottery and photography.. never really had the knack or understanding. But I know what I like and I like Jim Erickson's work. He is truly phenomenal.

http://www.jimerickson.com/

Tentacle!

Woohoo.. the modeling and texturing are completed. And it looks like a tentacle so that makes me happy - better than a finger in the eye. On to rigging then animation planning.

Goodbyes

I just got home from my Grandfather's funeral in Florida. I feel so drained and I need to go into work. This has been one of the most emotionally exhausting weeks in my life.

Before he died he told me to keep on the right path and to do what I loved. I loved him and he will be greatly missed.

Eyes and Tentacles

Well.. I'm working on a project with a monster in mind.. because "The Goon" movie is coming out and working at Blur on it would be a dream come true. Just testing a rig idea.. putting the beach animation on hold.



And.. eyeball :O



Here goes!

Workworkwork

So..here is a little work on a unity guy.. figuring out this stuff again..sorta.

I know this sucks at the moment.. but I'm working.. so :P

Sick again

Sick again.. I sound like I'm killing a duck when I talk.. I slept most of the day.

Being sick sucks.. you're off work, but feel to bad to accomplish anything.

Head hurts.. write more later.

Set backs

So I'm still having some set backs.. the hair I made just isn't that great for rigging..so I'm trying blend shapes with the rig to see if I can fix this mess... referencing is still a no go so that sucks. Also..the undead have infested the city and my brother and I are trying to make it to Mercy Hospital..

Roadblocked

So.. I'm stuck.. I can't get my Katerine rig to work right... her legs refuse to stay where I put them... luckily I have Thaddeus Parkinson (a technical director at ILM.. sweeet) looking at it. I'm sure between us, things will get worked out.. sucks though to be stuck.

Edit: (futzing around in maya for awhile later)

Weee... I can make it work..but not how I want.

The problem appears to be referencing... or how it is being handled. It is probably a user error (my fault), but I don't know what I am doing wrong.

Referencing is great though.. if it was something you could do in the real world, it would be amazing. Like say you had an object like your car.. referencing lets you pimp your ride without it sitting in the shop for a month. I wanted to get the majority of my animation done and then if I felt like it needed extra polish (like cloth or animated hair.. whatever), I could just edit the base model in another file and then go to my scene where all the animation would still be applied and the character would get updated.

So I'm going to try with no referencing because I want to keep moving(and keep trying to figure it out how to get it to work).

On to blocking

So I worked out a pose... and saved my file (been saving multiple files.. incrementally saving). I quit Maya.. open my file.. and Kat is moved and in a different pose.. in all the saved files. What the hell! Arg..hours of work.. ohh well.. I'll push on and hopefully figure out why my saves aren't working.