AND THEN THERE WAS ME...

new animations...

2010-12-17T14:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent animations from my animation semester.

I have come to realize through my failures, that I don't understand the principles of animation enough to focus on making good "acting."

"

Here is the first assignment of year 2. A Bugs Bunny jump test.

I have about 3 more traditional animation vids to post.

I have to say that I will try and continue pursuing animation on my own time. But I have no longer desired to make it my career. So I don't know if you'll see more animations from me. But you can watch me as I progress with my illustration career. I usually post stuff on http://poetryman1.deviantart.com

peace y'all...

CARICATURES!! part 2

2010-09-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

It's your friendly neighbourhood spider-man... No. I was just bored lol- It's you know who. It's crap. But I felt like posting a self-caricature.

One of my faves of the Season. Not only cuz it looks like him, but because I indicated myself in his glasses, lol

This was a benchmark in my coloring experience, when I started to understand form. Although my style is obviously not as simplified as it should be for a theme park caricature, I still improved. Yay!!

She was fun to draw. Her mom really liked it.

The sense of lighting is what I really like about this one.

This guy's friend poking through the window with the giant bald head was absolutely hilarious! (he actually looked like that). I did one of him too, but his jokes were so funny, I decided to add him as creep in his friend's caricature. It was mid-way through the season. I know, it's too detailed. But I like it. They didn't mind the hour- it was entertaining actually. Money well spent lol.

This is too funny. I should have taken a pic of her holding it. The drawing itself, I don't like, except the fact that her face actually looks like this.. aaha. Her friends were laughing hard.

I'll post some group photos, and some black and white ones later... Peace for now world!

CARICATURES!! part 1

2010-09-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

ah man!! some new stuff! I loved the experience I got at Canada's Wonderland doing caricatures. I definitely improved over the summer.

Here are a bunch of randoms from the season.. and I regret that some of the better ones I did, I never had a camera to take them that day.. sigh. But it's all good. These aren't my faves, but ones where the person actually held their drawing beside them.. Peace:

I accidentally deleted the larger res version for your viewing pleasure. But she really liked it.

Mommy can you tell him to give me a hat?... sir can you draw a hat on his head?...

"I sure can ma'am..." lol

This kid was very fun. I was going to make his face look like dumbo, but I held back. He's obviously excited though, lol.

She was actually one of my very first clients. My line quality, color, and exaggeration was still trying to improve...

some shapes

2010-09-15T13:46:00.000-07:00

if you want to get into character design. Practice doing stuff like this.... digitally or with pencil and paper.

It's been almost a year...

2010-09-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

And I'm better than ever!!

I'll start things off with some old stuff I was going to post last year.

2009 sketcbook stuff lol.. oh man. Found them on my harddrive.

2009 fairly odd parents character for an animation I did. I will not post the animation. It's too bad.

A take assignment

2009-11-27T03:04:00.000-08:00

This is my first try at doing a take animation.

all crits welcome.

bugs and daffy baseball

2009-11-25T00:21:00.000-08:00

ya... so this is another assignment. Im getting the principles of s to c curves as well as overlapping action and secondary action in my system now. What is that 4? well it's a process..

all critiques welcome.

peace.

box lift

2009-11-14T11:01:00.000-08:00

This is a box lift assignment we had... I used a bowl instead. All critiques are welcome...

angry walk cycle...

2009-11-13T23:47:00.000-08:00

this is one of my animations in 2nd year. We have a really good animation teacher. She won student film of the year couple years back in sheridan... I can't find the vid tho...

But about the animation... it's supposed to be an angry walk... I understand a lot more about timing and spacing. But this was kinda rushed so some frames are missing in the mid somewhere, when he stutters.

All crits are welcome...

the laugh animation test

2009-08-20T17:11:00.000-07:00

Well Y'all, First Year IS DONE! *crowd roaring*...

So, this was the last animation assignment.

The greatest thing I learned was how much preconception needs to be done before the final is reached. The first idea is rarely ever the best. And also GET STARTED ONCE THE WORK IS HANDED OUT. Thumbnail sketches are a great thing i will utilize next year. This leads to more fluid final designs, and less last minute rushing... that killed a lot of us.

hope I've given some insight into this dream I strive for the aspiring artist.

peace.

first demo reel material...

2009-08-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

This is just a practice demo reel painting showing the process work I did for It. We had to use low quality video for the teacher's sake so it might look slow... peace!

the walk and trip cycle...

2009-08-13T17:44:00.000-07:00

A walk cycle I did... I changed my character from the original, and I added a pan so it's more interesting... I tried a different kind of walk this time. One that they used a lot in the 1920's cartoons.

the first part of my walk and trip cycle

2009-08-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

my new animation

2009-07-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

Originally, I think this was one of my best animations. But i remember i didn't even finish the ending. Aww man! oh well, I like the characters, and I like the pitch part of it. But life moves on. all crits are welcome!

daily artist quotes 6

2009-07-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

back again. I'm continuing with my inspirational artist quotes. I'm really going for a book i think, lol.
------------------------

a lot and a lot of thinking, that is what is required, and also a speedy hand...

perfection is limitless...

all that is required is a little imagination. But where is the magic? yes, magic is required, for without magic you cannot have masterpieces... the magic is in the hand. A touch here, a touch there. It must be believable, even more so, it must exist, as a reality inside the viewers mind. Make magic happen...

you've gotten better, but then you feel like some things haven't changed, or maybe nothing's changed...

the more you get better, the more you have to improve...

one flick of the wrist is sometimes all it takes...

nothing takes over inspiration...

detail can really screw up your work even if it's well structured. You have to put the right detail, and the right amount...

sometimes you don't know where the work might lead you. You just have a strong desire to do it...

the artist will ultimately become the reference material for everything he wishes to create...

you must infuse your talents with originality...

------

stay tuned for #7. peace.

daily artist quotes # 5

2009-07-15T14:34:00.000-07:00

Will I retire the pencil...? NEVER!

There's something that goes around in the mind of the artist; something strange and peculiar...

In a sketchbook, each page I turn is another story...

Drawing from life is one of the most important things you can do.

The artist must determine, interpret, consider, reconsider, and re-translate what he or she sees...

new storyboards

2009-07-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

Here is page 1-5 from a recent action sequence storyboard...

A Ranger fights ninjas, gets beat up a bit, then escapes nicely...

Daily artist quotes 3

2009-07-12T16:07:00.001-07:00

I've gotten better... only time tells. time is a good thing... to those that make good use of it.

I searched for an answer, and was not satisfied. I searched deeper, and then that's when i improved...

sometimes it only comes to you subconsciously...

--peace out--

daily artist quotes 2

2009-07-08T12:18:00.000-07:00

(c) Andre Allen 2009

the faster they flip through your sketchbook, the more you realize how bad you are, and that you really need to improve...

time is against you as an artist. Time is against us all...

Don't take a line for credit: they always look different to someone else...

aladdin head rotation

2009-07-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

i have to start timing myself.. so i'm gonna buy a stopwatch or timer, cuz I really hate 'falling asleep at the wheel' as my teacher calls it. And since i didn't want to stay at school to finish this, i went home yesterday and i was sssooo tired!! [long story short] this piece turned out okaaay, but i should stop doing stuff last minute- i lost like 10%. Damn! i hate it but i luv it!! ohhh animation!! you monster! *drinks more coffee*

p.s. the hair was challenging to rotate. they cheat on those 2d designs...

The beginning of my new book: Daily Artist Quotes #1

2009-07-07T14:36:00.000-07:00

(C) Andre Allen 2009

Why must I keep drawing? why must I keep failing..?
each stroke tries to improve something; to defy the limits of possibility...

As soon as I take my hand from the page and turn away, it loses all it's appearance, and it becomes nothing like what I've drawn...

The artist must be many things, perhaps everything: A rock, a leaf, a lawyer, a spaceship-- whatever it may be. From out of the depths of insanity even to the most hyper-realistic thought. He/ she must engage, and embrace. That is how we learn, and what makes our work stand out...

2009-06-25T12:47:00.000-07:00

2009-05-27T18:11:00.000-07:00

This is a Daffy Duck heavy Ball Lift I did recently.. it's not that great.

Lovely Stranger [might change title later on]

2009-05-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is a spoken word piece i wrote in my backyard. It's not personal, but i just felt like posting it. Be inspired! or touched...yee

By: Andre Allen
(c) copyright 2009

I approached her,
with this child that she had,
I could see it in her face, she couldn't smile but she was glad
this place- this place that she could never get used to had changed

circumstances, fake romances to blame
left aborted by the pick-up-line trains, she used to
pick up lines of strain on her forehead,
every night,
under the covers, depressed before bed--
wonderin'...

about life,
and hope, and such
how deep does true love grow, and if it hurts as much
in another world, in another life is where she'd lived.

Comin' to the present now, I can see the way she gives
with determined eyes that are nurturing as she is...
she cares.

she cares for the children that are lost in a sorrow;
she cares for the mothers that are worryin' 'bout tomorrow;
she cares for the fathers in denial;
she cares for the daughters living wild with their sons in skies;
you see she cares for the people that are goin' through her struggle;
she cares because she loves, even if the love wont too.

And if it wasn't for her I wouldn't be here, but now i see clear,
so i write this message to show her,
that i'm a better man.

And I looked her in the eyes when i approached her,
with a child she had, they had a story to tell, and so i told her...

she reminded me of someone.

START OF SEMESTER TWO!!

2009-05-11T10:07:00.000-07:00

This is some artwork I did over the First Semester break... well, the good stuff anyway.

<<- (got better at this, but could use line quality)

(did two hundred of these little guys, i was lazy tho)

BREAK IS OVER!!

2009-05-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

Some old Storyboard. Nothing New, but felt like posting something...

It is not Due Season

2009-05-02T00:37:00.000-07:00

copyright 2007
Andre Allen

It is not Due Season

For everything that has been toiled, lays only to waste,
But it is not Due Season:

With season a purpose is given; one that we cannot see
But only exposed in the ripeness of time,
For only time knows the beauty of its wait.
Everything fruitful shall be nurtured with care,
And in the process our sorrows are reaped with gladness;
For, toils succumb to the amount of the creator’s purpose,
And to doubt growth is natural for those who do not see beyond time’s shell-
But it is not Due Season:

And so thus, growth must accrue beyond our vision of beauty;
For true beauty is recognized in our hatched labors,
And, not in the shell of its birth
For who can see beyond a shell, than the one within?
Therefore doubt not- it is not Due Season:

For in the time, there is only one who knows what we wait for,
And the promise we wait shall be given;
Lo, we may harvest when all has been nurtured,
For what taste is there without ripeness, but bitter?
And what beauty is in a shell, except it has hatched?
For everything that has been toiled, lays not to waste,
But we cannot see;
Except we yearn, and hope and wait-
Until it is Due Season

YAY ANIMATION!!

2009-05-02T00:23:00.000-07:00

One of the first projects we did...