Pucker Up

I'm redesigning the forest in Midsummer Night's Dream for my portfolio.  Here's a sneak peak of the mischievous little fella, Puck.

Deep in the Photoshop Forest

I messed around with shape layers in Photoshop to make this forest.

Some variations on the lighting:

www.IfNotNow-When.com

I made a website for my thesis film:

Click this link to check out the site

I also just put the trailer online. Watch it on YouTube.


 On another note, for Hallow's Eve this year, I dressed up as Prometheus from my film.

  I really enjoyed discovering fire. That kinda made my weekend.

Nightmares & Love Affairs - Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Upon the eve of Sunday October 18th, you shall be haunted by Nightmares & Love Affairs.

Here's the flyer I made for ze show:

And below is an alternate flier using Heather Hoxsey's photo texture for the background:

I'm selling some prints and original illustrations, recession prices for you and yours along with some talented friends.

Come on down to the opening and check out this creepy collection of work, just in time for Halloween.

Opening's 7-10. @ Sirens - 657 N Spaulding LA 90036...

Other Artists in the show:

Chris Wilson

Heather Hoxsey

Amber Wilson

Foreplay

The Countess

To The Greatest Mentor I Will Ever Know

E. Michael Mitchell, a brilliant artist and beloved teacher at CalArts, passed away early this morning. Mike was an incredible inspiration to so many of us. I first met Mike when I was still in the Fine Art department at CalArts in 2005. I was unhappy and wanted to leave CalArts. I took a few classes in the Character Animation program. One of them was Mike's Life Drawing class. After 5 minutes of drawing in his class, I knew I had to transfer into the Animation department and study under Mike. A couple years later, I became Mike's TA. I drove him home after class and I became close with this mysterious man in the eyepatch, who I used to see in the CalArts hallways. Mike gave me the confidence I needed to claim my artistic voice and refine my skills. He always challenged me to break through my own personal boundaries and continue to push myself. I used to love sitting with him after class to discuss art, animation and the film industry; or just listen to him tell his captivating stories. A piece of advice Mike gave me once stands out in my memory. I was showing him storyboards for my 2008 film "The Pearl Necklace", and he said to me "Don't illustrate words, capture thoughts." Mike left CalArts after the Fall 2008 semester. Luckily my friend Chris Wilson (a fellow CalArtian) and I were able to visit Mike in his Santa Barbara home a few months ago. Mike was still just as sharp as ever and could remember very specific details in his old age. Mike was in pain and struggling for quite some time, until he finally found peace around 3:30 this morning at the age of 89. Mike was a great mentor to so many and he will never be forgotten. Although I only knew Mike for a few years, he has made a remarkable impact on my life, as he has done with so many others. I wanted to post some of his art here as a form of therapy. From conceptualizing Ferngully to countless other credits in animation and live action (half of which aren't listed on his IMDb), Mike Mitchell is a legend and his legacy will live on forever.

Here are some self portraits Mike did:

Here I am with Mike and Chris Wilson, when we visited him a couple months ago:

I will always cherish the fond memories I have of you, Mike. Thank you for changing my life.

"If Not Now When" will this film be released?

My thesis film from CalArts, "If Not Now When", is a surreal fusion of Stop Motion, Puppetry and Live Action. I had originally just wanted the film to be the imagery and the music. I screened that cut a couple times. But after finishing that version of the film, I decided sound effects would really add another dimension to the experience. So over summer, my friend has been designing the soundscape for the film. The sound design should be done fairly soon and then the final final cut will see the light of day. I will post a trailer online when it is complete, but for now here are some screen shots:

A Look Back at ComicCon 09

First time I have ever attended the madness known as ComicCon was this year. My buddyDillon's film got into the film festival at the Con, so we got a bunch of free passes... which was awesome. I didn't want to wait in line for any of the prime time events, so I mainly went to panels and walked around the exhibition floor. Here are some of the people I saw... (the craziest people weren't standing still enough to draw... so here are some semi crazies)

There was a great booth with old movie posters from films no one's ever heard of. I covertly snapped pictures of them, because I didn't think the guy selling the posters would appreciate it.

Attended some good panels, some not so good. Saw some amazing artists. All in all, I say it was a grand old time. (except for the claustrophobia... no that wasn't so grand.)

The New Yorkers

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the Newest of Yorks. What better way to remember a trip than by sketching everything you see? And what better thing to do with those sketches than to put them up here on me blog?

I messed around with pans... haven't quite got the stitch assist down... but fun nonetheless

Hotel Doodle

I've been cleaning out my studio and found this little doodle I did while at my hotel in Toronto.

Space Walk

Happy 4th

"The Pearl Necklace" trailer is finally here!

After I finished "The Pearl Necklace" (2008), I wanted to make a classic Film Noir trailer with text wipes, voice over and the whole 9 yards.  Now that I have some downtime, I finally got around to it.

The Imagi-Stache + Sight Bites

Ever picture yourself with a mustache?  Ladies and Gents, I present to you a radical new invention.  "The Imagi-Stache" in CalArts Main Gallery (Jan. 09).

Below: The Main Gallery after some of the art had already been deinstalled.

Just for fun, here are pictures of that same wall exactly one year earlier.  For this show, a group of us in Mike Mitchell's class did visual development for a new Dracula.  Mike called the show "Dracula Sight Bites" (Jan 09).  Many talented artists contributed work (Nic Sweet, Yasmin Joyner, Eliza Ivanova, Jason Boesch, Su Wong, Josh Dotson, Benton Connor, Misty Marsden, Heidi Smith, Jon Gomez and I).

Here is my section of the wall (which just happened to be the exact same spot I had for the" Imagi-Stache").  I did the Gothic lettering as well indeed indeed indeed.

A Great Day on the Porch

An Oldie but Goodie

Neurofibromatosis

He's a beaut, aint he?

Tea Time

That'll be the day tea cups learn to fly...

Mechanized Mojo

Red Hots

Sometimes it feels good to get all loosey goosey with the pen

Squid Juice

Gypsies

Hippy Gypsy

Donna Sue

Doo doo doodles pt. 2

Unsuspecting students and teachers in class

Doo doo doodles

It doesn't look too good for the barbarians!

A doodle done in Sande Cohen's Nietsche class

Board Runner

Some studies from the scene where Deckard gives Rachael the Voight-Kampf test (Blade Runner).