*Is a Ninja*

Believe it not,.... I have been updating this blog in my mind,....

Ok so the things that I've done or achieved since getting back from Christmas.

- Modeling a 3D room
- Essaying
- 2D environments
- After Effectsy goodness with L@5

Modeling

modeling has turned out to be quiet fun. I think I tend to learn software and techniques quicker than I tend to gain any form of artistic skill. I really enjoy it in all honesty, and I'm always called upon by fellow students to give them a hand. The only problems I had with the room was LIGHTING, god damn it,.... such a bother. No matter how many times I re-linked Mental Ray, it wasn't gonna render that way, Ray trace shadows? Non exsistent on the copy of Maya I was using quiet obviously. I mean, I think that's the only place I fall down. But I'm looking forward to taking my modeling to the next stage with the Ident project, I've got some great Ideas etc.


Essaying

you know how Vampires melt in the sun, or cower from crosses...... it's the same with me and Essays. I literally go into hiding so the thing can't find me, I find it really hard to concentrate on the written word at the best of times,.... I'm more of a hands on person. I guess it's just something I lost out on doing a practical course in College, but I never really had to do much essaying that wasn't evalutations of my own work etc. etc. So it's like research and referencing is a killer. I hated it. haha, But I think everyone was pretty much the same from what I heard. Oh well. I can only hope for the best.


2D Environments

The dreaded 2D work, I mean don't get me wrong, it's fun,.... But I don't really thrive there. I guess if I could stylize it my own way I might have done better, but me and Realism = kicking jesus in the balls....... (Not a pretty picture). I think I might give computer 2D design a go,.... I hate looking at my work on paper. (Except for the greatest concept known to man..... ZIRRA, More on that later.)


AE goodness with L@5

LIVE AT 5 possibly the worlds most fantastic brief, admittedly, it was pretty easy, and Jess ran the day we did very well. I was pretty impressed, although I didn't work on the Live at 5 stuff directly I was set to do work for the world tonight, for a Masters broadcast student. Then helping out on other things, the whole idea of having a deadline was much easier to work with than I had first expected and the day went very well, although broadcasting seemed a hell of alot less organised than ourselves, which was quiet awe inspiring in its own right. All in all i think our whole group did an amazing job and we finished all of our work way before the requested time.

Thomas 21:37

It's been a while since I blogged,.... for this I apologize.

Ok so my topics for today.

Life Drawing - I thought I'd start on something I normally lose out on in all honesty, I feel no better than when I started at drawing fast and decently, But Cathy's a really good tutor, no matter how intensely nervous I feel when she stands over me, she's always got constructive criticism, which is amazing, George has also told me to get and read "Drawing on the right side of the brain" which I'm hoping will help me out, I've requested it for Chrimbo. I don't think I really concentrate too well when I'm around alot of people drawing, I prefer to do it on my own, when I can listen to my music and just zone out and focus totally on my drawing, yet in saying that, My ability to draw a human-esque figure still leaves alot to be desired, but Cathy say's she's seen an improvement in me, and I refuse to give up. Always attend,..... even if I do so ever so slightly suck at it.

2D Animation - When I first started I LOVED 2D animation, now,.... I'm starting to loathe that which I once loved,..... well not loathe as such, but it just feels such a chore in comparison to 3D animation, Saying that, I've always been a fan of Flash,.. and seeing andy do a small demo on flash a few weeks ago really got me psyked, I'd love to do 2D flash animation, I understand that we're just getting principles down, but the amount of time and effort you put into each drawing,... and everytime you screw up you have to go back and do it all again,...... It hurts, haha mentally. Here are my last two walks, they aren't amazing, but I do get the principles,... it's just getting them to work with my horrific drawing skills.


My Spazzy Pimp, every time i tried to shoot this the camera was doing some wierd movey thing, I tried every trick in the book to stop it, switching it on and off, moving the zoom, everything, but it was still tripping out, so I took the animation as it was,.... It's a Spazzy Pimp.




This is the one done with the help of my terrible recorded walk, It's got a little Jerk at the end, but I guess I could tween that out with a bit of drawing panache!

3D Animation - LOVE IT! for everyone that says Maya sucks,... they are strongly mistaken, haha, I love messing around with Maya, although we're scratching the surface, it's so nicely set out to do everything animation wise, pretty simply, I know that the size of this program is intense and we're nowhere near a scratch yet, but I love applying the principles in the 3D software. Georg is teaching us in a way I think is probably the best I've seen animation taught, to be taught to animate before rigging, modelling etc, has helped understand the main principles before even setting off to do too much in the way of grandure.

I'm admittedly remembering almost everything Georg teaches, which is great, I like being able to help everyone out when they get stuck on it, it's just a shame no-one helps me on the 2D haha.

Theory - Still having fun with it, it's been a bit bland the past two weeks for the presentations and just looking forward to getting back into it after christmas.

Tom's Magical Spare Time - I've been pretty good recently, Doing drawing (ok so not exactly life drawing, but i've been drawing) and messing around in Photoshop, Looking forward to getting back into some audio work,..... Just can't seem to find it in myself to go and ask the techies yet, so it's gonna be a new years resolouton to get my ass back into pro-tools and envelop their studio. That's about all I have of relevance, so peace out and I shall leave you with a terrible Photograph of a portrait I drew. (Up top if you didn't see :P)

The Ones that got left behind.

It's been a while since I blogged, and for this I'm sorry.

The past couple of weeks have been fun, learning all the animation principles is way better than just sitting there and animating something that resembles a robotic nothing that shows no life like characteristics what-soever. So I'll recap for my own use. So far we have.....

 - Squash and Stretch

 - Timing

 - Anticipation

 - Overlap (Or something else, but that's how I remember it best.)

We also did a bit on body language, which was really cool with Andy in 2D, and then we did a 2 character act. Which in all honesty everyone else seemed to be making epics with like 90 sheets or something,.... mine,..... 20,.... but I was happy with it, it all seemed to work quiet well, and I think all my principles were somewhat involved.

Georg's lessons are really cool as well, I've kinda got ahead of myself what with not going to Bradford,.... Although that fact sucks major league balls, I'm a poor destitute monkey boy and I figure that I may as well do something productive with the week I have free. I love Maya though, Don't care what anyone says it's by far a better package than Max haha,..... It's just implementing the animation principles in Maya are alot harder than when you put pencil to paper! Next we're doing walking which I've already given a thought and a play with, although I got quiet confused as to how to put anticipation into a walk, but upon talking to Georg I figured that as human beings, we don't really animate our walks at all, to animate them we have to go to an extremity of walking, the anticipation of a walk comes within the first movement.

Anyway, In other news...... I still detest life drawing.

Peace out G's

Frijj Milkshake with Cookie Crisp. Genius.

So This week,.... I've finished my three little 2d Animations and Uploaded them here for all of thee, done a few 3D Ball rolling and bouncing animations for our good friend Georg, and failed miserably at life drawing...... I think at the moment that's my only Downfall. I'm so used to drawing from imagination, it makes no sense how to draw a real life person. Sounds stupid, but it's literally tearing me apart not being able to do this, so my weekend will be spent practicing,...... It's doing it quickly that's the killer. There's no time to stop and rub out or anything, I just can't percieve the complexities of a human form as quickly as others I don't think. Ah well,... let's hope practice can make somewhere near perfect.

It was like a freakin' Swan Dive!

My First Animation Video,..... Haha,.... well Traditional Animation anyway. Ironically it looks like my acoustic guitar's sketches! Which is by far quiet cool,... (well atleast i think so) I find all of these really fun and it really is my favourite lesson of the week, I love Tuesdays! So this was my First Tuesdays Work.

This Is My Squash and Stretch Ball Animation. -----> I thought it was good.

Much Reminiscent of My Swan Dive Today........ Amazing,......ly embarrasing.....

Everthing Can Change In A Day.

You see everything in a new light when you learn new things.

Litterally, I've not really come from a pencil to paper kind of artistic place, So there I am in a life drawing class, Steph sat next to me wacking out some beautiful stuff, Jess on the other side the same, and me doodling little black cats on the side to make me feel better. Life over the past 2 days has kicked me in all kinds of ways, but relative to todays life drawing class, it's literally gonna be really hard for me to find confidence in my drawings to be able to achieve what everyone else seems to already have. I can convey what I see in life through art, but for people to be able to assess that would mean them having to think like me,... and that's nye on impossible.

I never did any Art courses or classes in school, my last art class was in year 9 and i was like 15/16 then, i think,...... i never took anything after that, and i've always just doodled Anime art and little bits and bobs here and there, it feels really hard to draw from life when my heads some cluttered with immense things that i just want to get out there. I'm finding it hard to concentrate in that with what's happened personally recently, but the course and it's tutors are amazing, and i think most people understand what i've been going through that i've spoken too,... it's proving not too big a deal to me, but it's wierd that i can't take from life as easily as i could from my own mind. I guess that's something i'll really have to set down and work on.

Much Love

The Finer Things In Life.

Falmouth University. Digital Animation. Possibly the most eye opening course to the mind of the childish EVER!

Monday's Lesson, Learning the History of Animation, Eye opening in the sense that when you look at something, you see what you see, you never break it down into its formal shapes, colours and what those things would mean on their own, everything has a concept in our mind that we make for ourselves or are taught as we grow up. Which essentially drives you to a place in the head that's slightly deeper than the summer time and "Damnit Work again,..... Smile and Pretend you're happy with a menial life."

Digital Animation, Definately where I belong.

Today (Tuesday) The morning with Georg going over Maya, it seems alot more simple than max, yet i've lost alot of my ability even in that due to being out of practice,.... 2D animation. Funtastic man, definately a chance to show something about yourself and your creativity and what you make from a Circle. Really love the fact that I even managed to put a little something into my own animation that reflected the way my mind works, with the use of the Comicy planet and Space Ship. Loved it! Still do.

That's About it. Peace and Love to all ye Animation Interested People who May be reading this for academic reason or just for giggles!