Disco Fever '98

The last week had me succumbing to winter depression. I was very tired and had extremely little energy to work or perform any task other than watching TV shows on my computer. My phone calender is now telling me I have 44 days left to complete my portfolio and hand it in. I must admit I am a bit panicky about that. XD

Every time I have looked at other application portfolios I have been flummoxed. I have skill with a pencil - but drawing and character design are arts that I have been practising properly for little more than a year now. Digital painting is an entirely different matter. Many of the portfolios I've seen in progress appear much stronger than mine, and I have friends who are younger than me who've been using photoshop for more than 5 or 6 years. This is where I start to feel old and regret not spending more time drawing in my formative years. I just hope I can make a strong enough case for myself come the application to TAW. Being a vagabond for another year doesn't really excite me.

Hence I am watching some videos on digital painting and trying different techniques in order to try and rack up some experience. Here is a speed painting I did of an owl I found on Google. ;)

Until next time!

More WIP

These last few days work on my portfolio has continued. :) I'm now painting a background. This is one of the first times I've painted a background digitally without a sketch to support it, and also in full colour. It is quite a challenge but I am happy with how it is coming so far. There is still much to be done though.

This was just a fun sketch that will probably end up in my Freestyle section if I don't have anything better by then. This was about 40 minutes of work. Good fun. :)

Stay tuned for more as the weeks draw onwards!

The Return of the Jedi

Hey hey!

While I continue to make records on how long I can leave this blog unattended (2 months! Wow!), I have actually been working pretty hard!

Lately I've had to move apartments, shortly after I finished my second semester of The Drawing Academy. To be honest my teacher and I had a massive falling out that left me with little impetus to draw or be creative in any form. I have also been without internet at my new place (I am using my phone to tether internet to write this now!) and it has taken me a few months and the Christmas holidays - along with the steadily encroaching deadline for my application to The Animation Workshop - to get back into the game.

But now I am here and I am learning digital painting, Danish and character design at Mediaskole, while I compile my portfolio.

The portfolio has several sections that I must fill in. I need to have:

• 8 Character Designs
• 6 Backgrounds (3 indoors, 3 outdoors)
• 4 Perspective Drawings
• A Storyboard
• 8 Life Drawings
• 8 Freestyle Drawings (This is the 'anything goes' part of the portfolio)

Right now I have been working mostly on backgrounds and character designs. I have many, many short sketches and ideas, but here are three of the most developed ideas:

This is the first of eight character designs that will be going into my portfolio. ROBO-47 is a malicious steam-powered robot bent on destruction!

This is the second (incomplete) character design. This is The Stranger, a supernatural cowboy who collects the badges of sheriffs he defeats. ;)

This will be the third character, or, time permitting, he will be moved to the freestyle section if I have a better character. This is just an alien critter, no particular story to him. ;)

I will actually be producing a lot over the next few months. I have to have all those drawings handed in on the 15th of March, which means I am working hard and producing a lot of content at the moment. Hopefully this means my blog will pick back up again! ;)

Until next time!