FINAL - Thesis Development

I've made a lot of progress on this thing. Where it was a semester ago, to where it is now, is, quite frankly, shocking. I'm actually pretty proud of how much I've accomplished story wise: tightening the beats, starting to see the world of The Tuner, and developing the feel and mood of the short as a whole.

Sherrie had some basic value notes on many of the beats, but overall, she thought they were really successful.

She told me to "Stop thinking, and start doing." Basically, stop trying to fiddle with the story any more, and just start completing the paintings. 

We also talked about what I'll be trying to accomplish over the break. I'll be working on my paintings..... FINALLY! And while I'm working on them, I'll be doing exploratory drawings on different props, environments and characters to further refine my knowledge of the world, and figure out what everything ACTUALLY looks like, in the scene.

I think I'm gonna land in a more painterly style than a finished, rendered look.... but we did talk about certain things like character paintings, or call-out pages for props and environments, that I could do a more polished look, or at least have call-out bubbles/swatches with the intended texture for the piece.

Overall, I'm really looking forward to the break. I feel like I have a decent-enough springboard to work from, and hopefully, by the Spring, I'll have a lot more work to put into a portfolio, and my final thesis book.

WEEK 15 - Adv. Perspective

We kept working on our Final Boards. Taking the notes we received last week, and keep developing the beats, refining, and clarifying. I basically started over on a lot of my boards, after my meeting with Isaac and Sherrie. Which is great, and daunting. 

Next week is the final Final Boards. We have to print them out on 30x40 boards, and then give a really quick pitch for our story. Still a lot of work to be done.

WEEK 14 - Urban Landscape Painting

This week, we kept working on finals and finishing up past assignments. I worked up my Slide painting, and my Nocturne painting. I thinking bot are starting to look really cool. I'll keep pushing them further, though.

Craig mentioned to me that I need to work on keeping my shadows less black and more in relation to the local color. In my Slide painting, I was going WAY too dark, WAY too fast, and cooling it off too quickly. The sand especially wasn't looking like the same sand from light side to shadow side.

WEEK 14 - Thesis Development

I think I'm starting to find a groove for the story that makes sense. It's not everything I'd like it to be, but it's something.

Sherrie liked how it was coming together. Her notes were really to the point. I love that.

I need to introduce the OVERCAST weather sooner. Make it more obvious.
For the first panel, I need to make the layout of the room and floor plan MUCH more obvious. She was very confused where he was in the scene, and which direction the light was coming through the window.
The rehearsal space has 20-foot ceilings…..
I also need to add a pocket watch beat much earlier in the sequence so that the pocket watch beat at the piano makes some sense. Right now, it's coming literally out of nowhere, and subsequently is meaningless.
When Albert is leaving Lucy at the piano, we can't tell that she's sad, or even that he's moving. She suggested he could be tipping his hat to her, which is genius. Because that's what he does to her after he saves her. Symbolism!

I've also made a change that the Blue Butterfly is now the symbol of inspiration. Albert will be literally chasing the butterfly through the streets…. and it's the blue butterfly that gets Lucy's attention and leads her to Albert. Subsequently, the color blue is the magical color.
Yellow is danger (taxis)…. Albert's color is also blue, but Lucy's is red. So, when their talents combine in the theatre, the light that pours out of the piano is in hues of purple.

Sherrie also showed me the amazing watercolors of Joseph Zbukvic. Particularly his rainy day scenes. Seriously, crazy, awesome! I'll be definitely looking to these for rainy day inspiration. Plus, when I go back to Seattle, over break, I'll be taking tons of pictures on overcast and rainy afternoons.

Isaac

My friend Isaac Orloff, who teaches the Visual Development Workshop on Mondays sat down with me this past workshop, and we hammered through a bunch of the problems I was having with my boards. I showed him the rough color boards I had "completed." I didn't feel that good about them, but I needed fresh eyes.

And in true form, he ripped them apart and helped me put them back together.

This is what I showed him. Hopefully I'll be able to make the changes we talked about to show Sherrie in time.

The best advice he gave me near the end when I showed him the color roughs, was to literally color pick scenes from films that fit the mood, or adjust the color to fit the mood I want, if I liked the lighting scheme. This was a great idea for a springboard exercise.

WEEK 14 - Adv. Perspective

This week we turned in our first versions of our Final boards. Basically just mockups of what we're thinking our pitch boards will end up looking like. This is the easy stuff for me. I love laying stuff out. It's creating enough content that really bogs me down. So this week was fun!

Most of the critique for my assignment was just nit-picky stuff on values and making the pages feel more organic. They hardly talked about the pieces themselves, which was a bummer, because that's really all I care about for this one.

Preliminary Work

Final Beats 

WEEK 13 - Urban Landscape Painting

This week we are still just working on our finals. I worked on tweaking older assignments and fixing problems that I saw. Now that they're very much dry, I figured I could easily fix some of the major perspective, and value issues I was having at the beginning of the semester. I think they're starting to come together. But there's still a lot of work to be done.

Also, I worked on a new little study:

The coolest part of class (which was unfortunately inspired by me) was when Craig showed us how to clean our brushes. I had never been taught how…. so naturally, my brushes were AWFUL! There were snickers.
But after the demo, I went home and proceeded to go through the cleaning process on ALL of my brushes, including one that was basically a brick. And……. I saved them all! Thank you Mr. Nelson!

"It's only wrong if you leave it."
- Craig Nelson

WEEK 13 - Thesis Development

My thesis is in constant flux. I feel like it's tightening up, but it's also getting looser at points. I'm definitely simplifying the story that I'm able to tell in 24 beats. I realized that I literally just don't have time to tell the nuanced story that I originally pitch at my midpoint, in only 24 beats. So I'm constantly figuring out ways to alter the story and add and reduce sections so that the story is bare bones…. but still makes sense visually on the page. 

It's an interesting process. 

WEEK 13 - Adv. Perspective

Class was CANCELLED for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.

WEEK 12 - Urban Landscape Painting

This week we simply worked on our in-class studies, and some of us started our Final Assignments.

I worked on a study for my Final. I think it turned out pretty good.

The final painting will be 24x36….. which I'm both looking forward to and dreading….. because of the size, on both accounts.

I also turned in my last assignment….. which is now two weeks late….. because of CTN, and because of a mixup with last week. Anyways…. I feel pretty okay about it… but I'll go back and do touch-ups probably before the end of the semester, and final grading.

WEEK 12 - Thesis Development

This week, we went over my thumbnails….. which are coming along nicely. I had to really bump up the values. My work is still trending on the dark side. And I find that lifting all of the values up and then pushing them slower into the darks is really helping to achieve the depth that I want.

Also, Sherrie and I really went through each thumb and made sure the compositions weren't repeating too badly. I need to add some more shots with extreme looking up angles. But she liked the rest of the development. I can't wait to start working on development for each painting. I hope that will help me to feel like I'm making more progress on my thesis in general. Because right now, I'm not feeling like I'm doing enough. Not nearly enough.

I'll be finishing my thumbs and starting color for next week.
I'm a bit behind schedule. But I push onwards!

WEEK 12 - Adv. Perspective

We are ramping up for our final boards!

We were supposed to develop 5 of the thumbs that received the most votes from our classmates, and then also develop 5 of our favorite thumbs. I combined the thumbs I was doing for Sherrie's Thesis Development class, with extra that I was planning on doing from Joko's class, and ended up with more than 10…. which is both good and bad.

I'm liking how they're turning out.

Joko's critique on them was to make sure to vary up the size of the characters from panel to panel. I need more looking down, and more looking up. So far, I have a lot of straight-on camera angles, and the story isn't feeling as dynamic as it could be. I also should have a panel of just environment, where the figures are so small, they become insignificant.

Combining size, composition, lighting, and performance ALL play into the storytelling!

Next week, is Thanksgiving. No class.

But the week after Thanksgiving, we are to prepare some mockups for our final presentation boards. Which are going to be very expensive. Like, unnecessarily so.

Joko stressed to us the importance of thinking of these boards as a body of work, rather than a collection of individual pieces. At Spring Show, your piece is judged based not he piece next to it (most likely not yours), so you need to make it stand out and stand alone. But in this instance, each piece doesn't necessarily have to be amazing on it's own. As long as it tells a story in connection to it's surrounding panels, then you've done your job.

WEEK 11 - Urban Landscape Painting

This week we took a field trip to the Legion of Honor to visit the Anders Zorn exhibit.

I was utterly fascinated by the work of Zorn. His unbelievable confidence in his technique was just thrilling to see up close. From a far, the paintings are all so tight, and detail, and finely rendered….. but as you looking at them up close….. they're nothing. It's just gobbledy-gook! It's a mess, up close. But you back up, and the picture comes together. This was very enlightening, and inspiring, and disheartening, all at the same time.

I wanted to take pictures, but I was stopped by the guards. So I purchased the catalogue for the show. It's an amazing reference for painting. And I can see Craig has been severely influenced by Zorn's work. Many of the portraits in the exhibit, I could have sworn were done by Craig. Very simile run style and technique.

This is how I wish to paint someday!

WEEK 11 - Thesis Development

This week was a little thrown off, because of CTN. But Sherrie expected that.

We briefly went over the thumbs that I had. And overall they're going in the right direction. Still way too dark. A constant problem I seem to be having.

New York thumbs

Some thumbnail studies I did of New York to help me think about city value relationships.

CTN 2013!

CTNX was so amazing this year! So many great artists all in one place, and tons of inspiration to see, hear, and experience. It was both reaffirming and eye-opening in many ways. The biggest thing I took away from the expo was getting a refocus on the larger picture. When I'm in school, I tend to get bogged down by the little things (I need to focus on sketching, I need to paint more, I need to do this and that and the other thing…..), but I always seem to forget why I should be doing all of these things. And going to CTN really helped me realize the larger context of what's important, and what the industry is looking for; from me, and from everyone.

I got the amazing chance to show my portfolio to a bunch of people, including studios like LAIKA, Sony Pictures Animation Studios, Reel FX, and Blue Sky Studios. And while it was kind of a mixed bag of critiques (as was expected), the response to good overall. I feel like I'm getting closer to having a  pretty solid portfolio. And yet at the same time, I'm absolutely mystified that my work is anywhere near "on par," because I still struggle with the efficacy of my work on a daily basis. But that is to be expected, I think.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Justin Rodrigues mentioned that a major factor is clarity of story and establishing a focal point is edge control. My work tends to lean to the looser side, and unfortunately it starts to blur together. But tightening the edges around the areas I want people to focus on, and being more confident with my strokes, will ultimately help the piece to be more effective.

Josie Seid (LAIKA) talked about getting out my "comfortable zone." And more importantly, she told me to infuse story into everything I do. Every painting should have a story, and a clear one at that.

I heard from people, that showing PROCESS in your portfolio is paramount. Studios want to be able to see that you think about your work. And showing your process, helps them to see how you think. Something Anthony Christov said (after CTN, actually) was that he doesn't like to see only finished pieces in portfolios, because he can't tell if that artist is able to be art-directed. If you show your process,  then art directors will be able to tell if you can make changes effectively, and show a creative progression in your work.

I also had an amazing portfolio review with the very talented Tyler Carter. One of the nicest guys I've had the pleasure of knowing, and I'm going to work my ass off to work with this guy one day. In his lecture I attended, he talked about the difference between activity and efficacy, when it comes to producing work. The way he described it was that having only efficacy is like walking in place; You never go anywhere. But having activity mean moving from A to B and producing work that moves you forward. And this comes from pencil mileage.

Paul Lasain talked about spoon-feeding the studios with your portfolio. Be obvious with you layouts, and make it clear what your intentions are, and what you want to accomplish. Studios assume you know how to draw and paint. What they're really interested in is what you will add to their pipeline. Can you produce art in the context of the film.

Claire Keane talke about always having sincerity in your work. If your work is honest to who you are as an artist, and as a person, then the rest will fall into place.

And the thing I heard the most, from every artist, every lecture, every workshop, literally every conversation I had with everybody…… STORY IS KING!
Story is the most important thing to focus on. Your work should be dripping with story. Without a history, your work is flat, dull, and lifeless. Giving every element you put on the page something unique about it, will help it read so much better, and really make the difference between your audience forgetting it one second later or remembering it forever.

WEEK 11 - Adv. Perspective

Unable to attend this week, because I was at CTN

We are working on our 200 thumbnails for our final project. In class, we had our classmates select which thumbs were the most visually striking, and from those decisions we are to then pick 5 of the top-voted, and another 5 of our own choosing.

I posted my thumbnails on the Adv. Perspective Facebook group…. and got a good response.

WEEK 10 - Urban Landscape Painting

Unable to attend this week. Next week we go to the Zorn exhibit at the Legion of Honor.

WEEK 10 - Thesis Development

I didn't have much to show Sherrie this week. I've been prepping for CTN quite a bit…. and she totally understood. Which I was relieved to discover…. because I was super worried.

I had her look over my portfolio one last time…. and she gave me the go ahead on a lot of the pieces. So stoked! She also gave me so amazing compliments….. that my work is starting to look confident… and professional…. and that I've come a long way since last year. This is an amazing esteem boost for me right now. I've been very stressed over CTN and getting my portfolio…. and future career… in order, and to hear (from Sherrie, no less) that I'm doing well, and I shouldn't be worried at CTN…… totally awesome.

CTN…. here I come!

Words of Wisdom from Craig Nelson

I forgot to write out my notes from last week's class. So I'm recapping now.

Craig gave some really greta notes in his lecture last week.

He discussed process, and finding your SELF in your art.
What turns you on?
Studies can explore different techniques.
More execution….. don't get caught up in the idea of the painting. STUDY!
What makes you different than every other artist?
Don't just be another ___________!
Who are you?:
1) what you like to do
2) what you do well
3) what other people respond to.

"Don't look at what's being done now. Look to the past for inspiration, influence."
- Mark English

To steal from one, is plagiarism.
To steal from many, is research.

Getting good is relatively simple. Doing something with that talent/skill/technique is the REAL hard part.

Craig's favorite painters from a list of many:
Nicolai Fechin
Samuel Hyde Harris
Michael Workman
Edgar Payne
Zorn
Nancy Switzer
Ben Aronson

Painting:
- concept
-technique (the way you put your paint down)
- style/design
- subject
- composition

WEEK 10 - Adv. Perspective

This week was turning in isometric poses of our final characters. I did not complete enough to show. Which means double work for this week.

For next week, we're to make 200 thumbnails for our story. I'll be drawing in the car on the way to CTN.

;)

WEEK 9 - Urban Landscape Painting

This week we painted on location in the Marina District. I painted a storefront/street scene. Honestly…. I wasn't feel in' it. I'm still very much working out the kinks on using oils as a a medium. Foundational stuff. 

Craig commented that the cropping on the car is awkward. It's the same as when you crop a figure at joints. I basically cut the car off at the knees. I need to work on composition more.

Also…. I need to always stop and ask the following: What is this value in relation to it's neighboring values? Cooler? Warmer? Darker? Lighter?

Later I did a digital study of a picture I took.

And another little study….

Portfolio designs

Trying to flesh out the "Eskimo" story for my portfolio…..

WEEK 9 - Thesis Development

I went over my 30 thumbnails with Sherrie…. and together, we ripped them apart. She was excited to see the story starting to look like it was coming together more.

I'm feeling better, but not completely satisfied. Although, every time I meet with Sherrie, it's always very encouraging. I stress over my stuff the whole week, and am usually embarrassed to show her on Tuesday, but then she likes it. So, I'm doing something right……. right?

We worked a lot of composition, and telling the story the most effective way. She always has great ideas in terms of angles and balancing the composition with extreme foreground elements, and color distribution.

We also talked about giving Albert and Lucy their own signature colors, that will then combine at the end in the theater. Very poetic. Young, old. Ebony and ivory.

We also went over my portfolio, and she nitpicked the hell out of it. Which is GREAT! It feels like its being tweaked into submission. And I'm feeling more confident in showing Armand Serrano on Thursday!

WEEK 9 - Adv. Perspective

For this week we turned in our "Greek Myth" paintings.

I can't say I'm particularly thrilled with these. They were sort rushed, to be entirely honest. Joko's critiques were pretty standard and close to my own….. I need to push the values a whole hell of a lot more in various areas. But he says the composition and ideas are strong…. so that's something.

Next week, we are starting our final project. I'll be using "The Tuner" as my story. So excited to be pulling double-duty with my classes again! We're starting with our character(s) in isometric perspective.  Also, we are to design some of their unique props.

WEEK 8 - Urban Landscape Painting

This week was pretty relaxed. We just kept working on our paintings from last week.

Here's the update on my buildings. I learned how tedious windows can be. Ugh. But I'm also learning a lot about simplifying the shapes, and being more abstract in areas that aren't the focal point. "Getting away" with note showing certain details, and implying quite a bit, can help to reinforce the illusion of detail and complexity.

I also asked Craig for his notes on some of my other digital paintings. On the "Bird Room"…. he mentioned that the background, even though it contains the focal point, very dark should be much lighter than the foreground. Which sounds so basic, but I missed that entirely. So I'll be working on that this week.

Next week, we'll be painting on location down by the water. Fun stuff!

WEEK 8 - Thesis Development

I'm following my production schedule. This week was refining character designs.
Here's a portrait I did in class of Albert.

For next week, I'll be working on 30 thumbnails in full VALUE.

***UPDATE_131105***

WEEK 8 - Adv. Perspective

This week was "Egypt."

I was very pleased with how the marketplace turned out. I was only able to complete two of the assignments this week. Crazy busy.

Next week is "Greek Myth," looking up, looking down, looking straight ahead, and then looking straight down or up.

WEEK 7 - Urban Landscape Painting

We did a study for our next painting. I chose to do a nocturne of the corner just outside the common of my dorm.

Craig said that he liked the values, and the boldness of the color choices.... but he rightly pointed out what needed fixing, and resolving. I was pleased with myself that all of his criticisms matched all of my own criticisms. I'm getting better at evaluating my work, and others as well.

In class, we worked on a painting with lots of windows. This was crazy. But I can't wait to finish it.

WEEK 7 - Thesis Development

This week, I had somewhat of a revelation.....
I'm gonna use New York as a foundation…. In terms of location reference, geographic orientation, symbolic. I figured, it's too much of a hassle to make a new city, and there's really no reason for it.

I talked with Sherrie about what constitutes cheating in terms of using reference. We discussed me using great reference, and potentially SketchUp, as a foundation for paintings. And it dawned on me.... that's EXACTLY what fine artists do. Like, uh, my Urban Landscape painting class. Working form reference is necessary and practically mandatory. You still have to be an artist to bring the story to life, FROM that reference.

We also discussed how the art I create for my thesis, does not have to be considered as the end-all, ultimate, amazing-ness that I'm so used to in the "Art of" books. I need to just fill my book with art. Make it quality, but I need to focus on picking a lane, and running as fast as I can with the concept.

This is going to be my production schedule for the rest of the semester.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Week 8

Narrow character designs

Week 9

30 THUMBS, in VALUE

Week 10

Refine to 20 VALUE THUMBS

Start COLOR ROUGHS

Week 11

Color ROUGHS for 20

Week 12

DEVELOPMENT for 3 paintings (design pages for elements)

Week 13

Painting #1

Week 14

Painting #2

Week 15

Painting #3

Tuner House study *UPDATE*

This is a quick study/idea for Albert's house.

Sherrie immediately commented (as does everyone else....) that it looks a lot like the "UP" house. Also, the idea of a highway/bridge/train track/overpass..... is A) too similar to Triplets of Belleville, and B) not interesting enough to stay in the story. So..... it's out.

I realized I was trying to make his house too  interesting, when I should really be trying to make it blend in with its neighboring houses. Albert needs to look like "just another old guy." Not special. Not interesting. Not gifted. Not unique. That way, when we learn just the opposite is true, it's all the more delightful.

WEEK 7 - Adv. Perspective

Our goal this week was to bring three of our previous works, to a more finished state.

I chose one of my geishas, and my spider and bird rooms.

This week I learned that what I thought was "finished" wasn't actually a completely accurate assessment. I really like the energy that loose drawings and paintings have, and I've never really had the patience to work on something for more than a couple sessions..... So typically, I call a painting good in what I now know to be the rough/early stages. 

That being said, I do think I need to learn how to push my art further. Both in concept and storytelling, but also in polish. Mostly what I need to work on is edge control. Edge control is the key, Joko was pointing out. Establishing good design, then good value, and then good color, is only tightened up more be control of the edges. This is what I need to keep striving to make better, and more intentional.

Next week is "Egypt."

WEEK 6 - Urban Landscape Painting

This week were turned in our first official assignment. I did a slide on a playground, from our trip to Washington Square, a couple weeks ago.

Craig's critique on it was that he loved the colors and the values, but my technique was sloppy and unresolved in places. Mainly, the star of the painting.... the slide. It still needs tweaking. 10% background, 90% slide reflective surfaces.

Craig also talked about some great painting tips in general, today.
We can ALWAYS improve the reference. Always.
We should always try and push things like atmosphere and value and color range to really help sell certain aspects of the painting.
Adding texture (both color/value and physical) can help reaffirm the ground plane.
Variation in the shadows help them to feel more realized.
Colors are the way they are because of two things: 1) they are that way, and 2) their relation to this neighboring colors.

"Always paint with Intent."

Next week, we're to bring in studies for a nocturne painting with vehicles. Taxis!

Worked up this study in class:

I feel like I was more successful this session with using Gamsol as a medium to smooth out the paint. I was mixing colors MUCH more efficiently than usual. Confidence is building slowly, but surely.

WEEK 6 - Thesis Development

This week was more thumbs.
Keep working the thumbs.

I also did this little piece of Albert's house.

Sherrie's major comments were that the bridge wasn't reading, and the house still resemble's the "UP" house. Ugh. Still developing.

I also showed her the Eskimo piece I was working on for my portfolio. She had notes. A lot of notes. It's getting better. But I'm finding myself running short on steam for this one.

The Eskimo and the Flower..... and a Lighting Study

This is a personal piece I worked on this week, in trying to make my portfolio more painting-oriented. I really like how it turned out. And I learned a lot. I'll be doing more on this story for the full page in the portfolio.

Also, a lighting study of my room/floor, I did as a warmup. About 1 hr.

WEEK 6 - Adv. Perspective

This week was "Theatre," camera looking upward. I decided to use this opportunity to do a couple Tuner story beats.

I think I improved a lot in these paintings. They were done really quick, because of my compressed schedule this week, but I still think I pulled off some new things. I'm getting more confident about my brushwork. And I'm learning new techniques in getting my edges to be tighter, and to have more clarity.

I usually work in a lot of layers, which after a while begins to get a bit stifling, creatively. I feel overwhelmed, and the organic fluidity of the creative process (*starting to sound a little pretentious*) suffers as a result. I feel less motivated.
So.... to counteract this problem, I've been trying to work in layers, but then merge those layers as often as I can. This helps to both boost my confidence in painting on as few layers as possible, having less chances to have editable layers, I'm forced to paint traditionally. I have to paint on top of what's already there, not have the crutch of being able to paint beneath an object. I find it slows me down a lot as well..... which I need... desperately. I still keep things like light on separate layers, because they're going to effect the rest of the paintings SO much, that it's just way easier to have them separated for as long as possible.

I'm also learning to push my values a whole lot more, and I think I'm getting much better results. What I'm doing right now to counteract my tendency to go dark to soon, is at certain stages in the painting, I'll   raise the levels on the background and foreground, to make them much brighter and lower contrast than  they were originally. I just trust that what I'm doing is helping, even though I think it's wrong, like EVERY TIME. But in the end, this adjustment always looks better. So I trust it.

Something that was pointed out to me by my friend, Isaac Orloff, was that my paintings all kind of fell in the 6-84 range of values. Never going to pure back or white. He suggested that I go back and add those pure values to really help punch up the focal point. And he was so right. So after I think I'm "done," I go back and check the values, then really push the focal point with intense bold strokes of pure black and pure white. Keeping it limited but punchy. It's paying off so far, so I'm gonna keep up that process, and see if I can learn to refine it. Hopefully, eventually I'll be able to work in the full range on my own. But we'll see.

Next week, is our Midterm paintings. We're gonna choose three of our past assignments, and push them through to the finish line. Looking forward to it!

Also, here's my "Spider Room" painting, that I've been trying to push further:

WEEK 5 - Urban Landscape Painting

For Week 5, we worked on a two week painting in class, dealing with the blend of foliage and architecture.

WIP..... the truck is ALL Craig, but the rest is me. I was having major structure problems with the truck, so Craig (rather quickly) tuned it up. And I think I have a better sense of what I need to try and accomplish on the rest of the painting.

Craig also brought in his pieces for his one-man-show. Which was amazing! It was super great to be able to see his work in person, and really get close to his brushwork, which I'm finding is incredibly appealing for me. I love his use of lighting and color. The feeling is very similar to when I look at Dice's paintings. I just love the spirit of the painting, and how the brushstrokes are so confident and intentional. That's definitely something I need to work on. Intent and confidence.

Next week, we are turning in our first official assignment. I haven't started it yet, but I'm still optimistic.

WEEK 5 - Adv. Perspective

This week was Noah's Ark, once again. Figures and environment, camera looking down.

I focused on individual rooms this week, instead of big exteriors. I looked to the work Ryan Lang did on Wreck-It Ralph for inspiration, and I think it helped my composition quite a bit.

Joko mentioned that he loved my composition, but that, once again, my values just need to be pushed EVEN FURTHER. Which I completely agree. I think I pushed them in the right direction, but I still have a long ways to go still.

For next week, we can either stick with Noah's Ark, or move on to Theatre. Now the camera has to be looking upwards.

Joko also showed us a matte painting technique to use with reference photos that we can take on our own.

Film Study - "Jurassic Park/Lost World"

WEEK 5 - Thesis Development

This week was more thumbs. Sherrie and I talked about how to better tell my story visually. There still seems to be some inconsistencies with the story itself, and Sherrie is worried that when I try to break it down into 15 shorter concise beats, that it won't make sense at all. So she has me editing, and tweaking, merging, and adding, as needed to the current selection of beats I've created, in order to make a more cohesive story, both cinematically, and visually.

We talked about giving Lucy her own magic sooner in the film, and taking some of the magical burden from Albert. That way, when Lucy adds her bit to Albert's song, it doesn't come out of nowhere. We will have seen it coming all along.

We also talked about my portfolio. I've recently decided to basically overhaul my portfolio, and I asked her specific things I could try to achieve (for the CTN deadline), that would really make my portfolio scream, "Painting Portfolio." I think her suggestions to work on fewer pieces rather than more is the best decision. Working up and "polishing" some of the assignment I've already started in Adv. Perspective, will also allow me to not have to stat from scratch on everything.
Range over quantity.

Strength in lighting, color, composition. These are the three things I need to be focusing on most heavily.

WEEK 4 - Urban Landscape Painting

This week we turned in two color studies for our first official homework painting. It has to be an urban environment with focus on good spatial breakup and design.

Craig loved both my paintings. He said he loved the composition of the left one, but the boldness of the marks on the right one. If I can achieve the same confidence in my stroke son the larger version, the slide is the winner.

I really like the challenge of painting reflective surfaces like metal. I hope it will be a fruitful exercise.

In class, Craig talked about a lot of great things while critiquing our work.

He told us to think about atmospheric perspective like painting a "veil of mist".... which just makes too much sense. Also, when starting studies on location, establish your darkest dark, your brightest bright, and the easiest color. This is exactly what I've learned from Ryan Lang's tutorials, and it makes total sense, because Ryan could not have spoken more highly of Craig's Quick Studies class, which I intend to take next semester.

He also talked about painting through, not to. Overlapping your edges will create a more unified feeling to the painting, especially when architecture is involved, and it will decrease your chances of blank canvas popping through at the seams of things.

Complexity doesn't always necessarily mean detail... it might just be more brush strokes showing.

And finally, the difference between a pistol grip, and a pencil grip. Pistol is used to infuse energy into the painting, and pencil is for control in your marks. A combination of the two is where painting really starts to gain life and spontaneity.

Here's the painting we worked on two weeks ago, and now have finished:

WEEK 4 - Thesis Development

(CANCELLED)

WEEK 4 - Adv. Perspective

This week's theme was "Noah's Ark," focusing on putting figures into the scene, with a Depth of Field, on varying elevations, in perspective, of course.

Joko liked my concepts, but had comments of course. He discussed how for my lighthouse light, I should think of the light in terms of what's it's hitting, rather than as a beam of light. Right now, the beam is covering a lot of the background, and making it harder to read. Also, making sure that I am thinking about how the light is actually effecting the scene, what's in shadow, what's in light.

This week, I think I stretched myself in terms of the subject I chose. I realized my pieces are starting to look a little like game design concept art, which I like, but still find unexpected. I am definitely thinking more in terms of storytelling more and more. I find myself thinking about story beats for Tuner with the perspective tips and tricks I'm learning in this class.

Here's my assignment for this week:

Next week, more Noah, but perspective, looking down.

Film Study - "Zodiac"