meradig's blog

Animation about 3/4 the way done. The beginning is fleshed out up until the bond is introduced. I’ve worked in some sound, still trying to figure out what else to add to help fill the silence.

TO DO:
* add background with bond/hand scenes
* add tether effect to two bonds before they form
* animate “tether”
* finish hand paintings – animate slight finger movement
* fix tether, waves, and grass so they’re existing together (look too separate right now)
* fix transition from grass -> moon so they fade into one another
* continue working with sound effects
* re-record narration (too much like reading)
* make version with title and credits

Still working on details of the opening illustration. Worked in a sky background – pulled all the images into after effects to begin working on the animation. Have animated the two trees, established 3D camera movement, rotated the sky, and changed color effects on hills. I’ve included detail shots of the illustration to show how I would like the entire scene to look. Right now the hills and the ground around it just have the base – grass needs to be added. May add more bushed to add depth with the camera movement.

Animation Step 1:

Animated:
1. Camera
2. Tree
3. Sky

Plan to Animate:
1. Add more tree layer & animate
2. Some grass
3. Bushes
4. Sun – Moon (once illustrated)

After presenting my new narrative and rough storyboard in class, I have reworked the wording of my narrative a little bit and plan to draw out a cleaner more finalized storyboard by the group critique next week. I will no longer have any human figures within my animation in order to keep it as open as possible for the viewer. I want them to be able to picture themselves within the context of the animation rather than seeing the form of someone else. While I am creating my storyboard I plan to create a rough animation as well to show timing and movement for critique so everyone has a better understanding of my vision.

NARRATIVE REWRITTEN:

a life with someone constantly by your side

sharing every moment and memory

as if we make the perfect whole

complete opposites but yet so similar

one quiet and reserved

the other wild and outspoken

we balance each other out

an internal force keeps us together

as if our thoughts travel to one another unspoken

distance meaning nothing to us

a bond formed in the very beginning

staying with us even as miles divide

a tether

stretching thin and far

always holding strong

still, stronger the closer we are

strange

being away from someone

somehow knowing they’re still there

still a part of you

you a part of them

a calming sense of reassurance

we are not alone

we never will be

we are bound.

TREE TEST ANIMATION & DIGITAL PAINTING STYLE

Still working on details and smoothness of animation – wanted to get example of the subtle animation along with the painting style.  Going to continue working throughout the week until group critique.

After midterm critique, I’ve really had to rethink the way in which I execute my concept. I had presented the idea of a linear narrative in the form of 10 animated gifs. While my concept is still a good one to explore, the feedback I received veered me more towards a full animation rather than multiple images.

I have had to continue my research to explore a more “emotive” and abstract representation of my personal experience as a twin. I’ve watch many videos & read many articles:
1. https://vimeo.com/151401087
2. https://vimeo.com/19768968
3. https://vimeo.com/84586811
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W9dWGAAsew
5. http://www.ofspirit.com/lindamarks22.htm
6.http://www.twinstuff.com/twins-in-the-womb/ (multiple video sources)
7. http://www.twin-pregnancy-and-beyond.com/bond-between-twins.html

These sources have given me a better idea of what exactly the twin bond is to not only me, but with other sets of twins as well. I was even able to spend time over my fall break to spend time with my brother and talk about our bond as well.
1. Same personalities
2. Same friends
3. Different interests (no competition)
4. Balanced
5. Supportive
6. Proud of one another
7. Confident in relationship

INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK:

• Narrate a personal story about how it feels and pondering what it is.
• this is too linear, think about moving paintings and about more abstract connections
• Push deeper into what that relationship is, what it means to you
• What is this thing that bonds the two of you – is it an energy force or the fact you grew up together

RESEARCH NOTES:

• Built in best friend
• Share memories
• Similar lives
• Secret language
• Shared senses
• Shared thoughts
• Shared feelings
• Sense of balance

NARRATIVE:

it’s a beautiful connection to experience

spending life with someone constantly by your side

sharing every moment and memory

it’s almost as if we make the perfect whole

complete opposites but yet so similar

one quiet and reserved

the other wild and outspoken

we balance each other out

there’s an internal force that keeps us together

it’s as if our thoughts travel to one another unspoken

distance meaning nothing to us

a bond formed in the very beginning

staying with us even now

it’s a tether

stretching thin as far as it will

always holding strong

but still strongest the closer we are

it’s strange almost

being away from someone

but somehow knowing they’re still there

that they’re still a part of you

and you a part of them

there’s a calming sense of reassurance

that we are not alone

and we never will be

we are bound.

Narrative created as a base of my animation. I will take practice recordings and create a storyboard based on the timing and content of the narrative itself. It will mainly be digital paintings with slight animation. Aiming to be less linear and more abstract – contemplating what this bond is.

Over the weekend I spent a lot of time trying to jot down the main stages of life I wanted to focus on. I decided to break it down into 4 parts: womb, kids, teens, and adult (present). Each stage of life held a different emotion or journey with it as well.
1. Womb – bond is formed (created together)  – closest we ever were
2. Kids –  constant togetherness – happiness – same interests (playing outside, video games, matching clothes, tomboy)
3. Teens – develop separate identities (art/literature vs. engineering/science/math) – begin to pursue interests – different friend groups – but still maintain a close bond/link (doesn’t separate us completely) – content with being together at the end of the day
4. Adult – complete different identities – different towns – but still maintain that constant link – times of loneliness – not the same degree of closeness that we were used to – rely mainly on the internal connection

As I processed these stages of life, I struggled really hard on coming up with a storyboard of how it would look as an animation. After many trials of drawing and erasing, I went back to the old photographs for a direction to go. That’s when I thought of the idea of creating animated gifs rather than a full animation. I love looking back at these memories and seeing the story that is behind them, and I believe my concept will be much stronger if I focus on creating simple moments in time.
I now hope to create a series of illustrations all with slight animation added so they’re seamlessly repeating that travel through the life of my brother and I (like a timeline). This is the first concept sketch of what each gif would be:

Character Concept:
1. Kid

Test Animation:

After critique I finally felt like I took a step in the right direction. I am actually gathering my thoughts and honing in on what I really want my final to be. There are still many aspects that need to be worked out, though. How will I make this interesting for other twins who may be viewing my piece as well? I’ve spent a lot of time focusing on sharing my experience with those that aren’t twins that I’ve completely lost sight of other twins as well. In realizing this, I want to make my project more specific to how me and my brother’s bond is unique even from other sets of twins themselves. What makes us special? This will influence what moments or environments I highlight within my gifs. By my defense on Wednesday, I hope to have character sketches done for both Teen and Adult concepts as well as a finished digital illustration of my brother’s kid sketch. I also aim to have sketches of what each gif scene will be.
As far as how I now will be displaying my work in the gallery – there are multiple avenues in which I am exploring this. The piece could be interactive in which the viewer clicks their way through these linear animations, they could be in video format in which each gif plays one at a time cycling through each animation after a period of time, or they could each have their own screen displayed on a wall as if they are photographs themselves.
One idea I am developing a little further is if a laptop was hooked up to a projector that projected onto a wall. The laptop would be open to a webpage that resembled a living room wall with picture frames each containing a gif. The viewer approaching the laptop could click on the photo and it would bring up the gif – playing the animation that was within the photograph. If they clicked again it would take them back to the wall and they could select any of the rest of the gifs from there. While they are interacting with the gifs themselves, anyone else can see the memories or moments that they are opening – and the projection would make them feel as though they are looking at someone’s living room wall as well. This is an idea if they gifs cannot be displayed literally on the wall themselves.

I still feel a little all over the place, but I am slowly heading in the direction I want to go! Hopefully after my defense I will have a solid plan.

Artist 1:

Name: John Nevarez

What: Concept and storyboard artist

Where: Visual Development and Story Artist at Sony Pictures Animation / Freelance Story Artist at Illumination Entertainment
Past: Art Director at Ken Duncan Studios / Freelance Concept Location Designer at Rovio Animation / Former Storyboard Revisionist and Storyboard Artist at Walt Disney Studios/ Sketch Artist at Pixar Animation Studios / Storyboard Revisionist and Story Artist at Walt Disney Television Animation / Story Board Artist at Walk Disney Television Animation

School: Studied Studio Art at University of California Santa Barbara

Home: Concord, California – from East Los Angeles, California

Resources:

https://www.facebook.com/john.nevarez.752?fref=ts
http://john-nevarez-interview.blogspot.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onXBzj9AJuQ

John Nevarez is an amazing character and storyboard artist. He is constantly producing work and is able to do it in such a fast and clear style. He isn’t afraid of messy lines, it’s what gets the information there. A lot of his quick skills are thanks to his life drawing class he took while in college. It’s what taught him how to get information down on paper in a short period of time. In an interview, Nevarez explained how he creates the characters found in a lot of his work. He believes getting to really know the character helps. Focusing on the expression and attitude of the character is what brings about the pose or physical characteristics they portray. Studying everyone around him and films has really helped him bring life to his characters as well. Seeing how other people act or express themselves is what gives his characters that ability as well. He loves to tell stories through his characters and storyboards which he believes is the “foundation to anything you want to do.” Storyboarding is so important to him because it gives him that ability to construct what they story will look like. And that is what I want to do, I would love to tell stories through my characters and boards. One important piece of advice that Nevarez and his art express is to “stay loose!” I have an incredible issue of paying attention to detail way too soon within a drawing. I get so caught up in one corner of the drawing that I lose sight of the piece as a hole. It’s hard for me to just spit something out and then go in and refine it. Staying loose would allow me to break out of that habit and be comfortable with being messy.

His work:

Artist 2

Name: Steve Simpson

What: Illustrator

Past: Animator

Home: Dublin, Ireland

Clients: Vodafone / Djeco / Guinness / Heineken / Bushmills / Absolut / Three Mobile / 7up / Kellogg’s / Rowntrees / Hertz / Jameson / Aer Lingus / Penguin Books NYC / Dettol / Modelo / UNREAL / Hamlet / Franke / American Airlines / Wired Magazine / New Scientist / Wall Street Journalz

Resouces:
https://www.behance.net/stevesimpson
http://www.stevesimpson.com/
http://www.headstuff.org/2015/02/interview-steve-simpson-illustrator/

Steve Simpson is an amazing illustrator. His style is whimsical and fun which is something I really resonate with. While he is an amazing drawer, he did start out in the animation industry. He worked on shows such as Danger Mouse and Duckula in Manchester. Then in 1990 he moved to Dublin and worked on Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles. By 28 he became an art director, but realized he wanted to do more drawing which led him to leave animation to pursue a freelance illustration career. Now he designs many labels, signs, posters, illustrates for books, packages, and pretty much anything. A lot of his work is just so fun and creative it makes me excited to be able to do the same.I already find that creative drive within my own work, and I would love to continue to push it further. Simpson also believes his experience in both technical illustration and animation cells has helped him develop a “highly flexible style built on traditional drawing.” His illustrations may vary based on the experiences he has had at the time or what his interests are as well. At one point South and Central American folk art influenced the look of his drawings in a major way. They started looking having a more Spanish/Mexican theme to them. Much like Nevarez, Simpson is constantly drawing, filling sketchbooks with both personal and client work. That’s definitely something both of them, and almost all artists’ stress – practice drawing every day! It is also amazing to see digital illustrations printed on tangible objects. What Steve may design on his computer could be printed on a bottle or package and then become something people interact with.

I have always been in to T-shirt designs, so seeing how one artist can create something and turn it into something completely new just by having it printed on an object inspired me to do the same. I finally decided to print two of my old designs on to T-shirts to just see what it was like to have my work as a tangible object – something people could wear and walk around in. It’s amazing! Like many people have interacted with the packages Simpson has designed, and the bottle labels he’s made, others can see or wear my shirt as well. While it’s on a much smaller scale (as far as who is seeing and interacting with my shirts), it is still similar in that kind of way. Having this excitement towards a process/experiment like this, really makes me want to push harder to pursue a career that could give me this same satisfaction. Whether it be concept art, animation, or T-shirt design – I know I can be excited and happy doing it after looking more into these artists I look up to!

His work:

 
My Work:

After looking through much of John Nevarez’s work, I decided I wanted to develop my own character as well. I sketched out a rabbit character, testing out his facial expressions and how fast I could sketch them out. None of my initial sketches really stuck out to me, but I finally sketched another portrait of the rabbit and decided I wanted to take that specific expression further. So I then took a picture of my sketch and brought it into Photoshop to turn it into a digital illustration. After painting him in, I still decided that wasn’t enough. I wanted him to have more character and be more whimsical like both John’s and Steve’s work. So I looked again at John’s sketches and tried to mimic his technique and quickly painted an astronaut helmet on top of the rabbit in order to get down the form without worrying too much about line-work and detail. After I found the size, position, and shape of the helmet I wanted – I then refined it into my outlined, clean version. After the process I am very happy with how my character turned out.

Here are also the old designs I had printed into T-shirts:

Seeing my designs on T-shirts was such an amazing experience. It’s one thing to have a design printed out on paper, but having it on a shirt creates a completely different way of looking at it. It seems to draw peoples’ attention more. It then becomes something they want. Which is very interesting. With this in mind, I decided to create another illustrative design, inspired by some of the designs and portraits Steve Simpson creates, that could possibly be printed on a shirt as well.

I began the sketch with marker, continuing the same expression I liked within the rabbit. Drawing with marker also forced me to continue even with the mistakes I made. After completing the sketch, I took a picture and began painting it in, in Photoshop. I made a few minor changes on the computer, but overall kept the design similar to the original. The process was a lot shorter than the process of creating the Rabbit illustration.

Both Nevarez and Simpson have experience in the animation industry, which is where I would love to continue to pursue. They both create beautiful work that motivate me both within the concept stages of an animation, and also the final look of an illustration. I would love to continue to create fun, whimsical illustrations, but then take it a step further and bring it to life by adding movement.Printing my designs on shirts was just an experiment unrelated to my goals for the BFA. It’s something I have always been interested in and intrigued by.  But for my final project I am focusing on animating the illustrations I create whether that is in a two-dimensional animated short, or a series of gifs – I want to make my characters and artwork move!

This study I spent another 12 minutes or so looking at the mouth of one of my classmates. Out of the three studies (Eyes, Nose, and Mouth) this one was the most difficult for me. There is a lot of depth to the lips and I want to work on being able to show that within the different angles and expressions I continue to research.

This study I completed similarly to the eye study. Again, I spent about 12 minutes studying and trying to recreate the nose of one of my classmates at different angles. I hope to continue to capture the different variations there are in noses and working on bettering the contrast of shading within  my sketches.

For this study, I spent about 12 minutes trying to capture the different characteristics of the eyes of one of my classmates. At first I had her just stare blankly, and then had her smile to see the difference it made around the eyes. I hope with more practice I will be able to capture as much personality and emotion as I can, with as little information as possible within my drawing.

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