Elegance is in the eyes

A few years ago when I was finally getting around to picking up Photoshop I created this composition in the early days. I was taken back by how easy the software was to use on a basic level and started to draw directly in the program. This is something I created in those early days. I think it was the period where I was influenced by Nat King Cole's song "Mona Lisa". I was looking to emulate the face of a high style lady and designed the composition using isolated graphic elements on a simple white background through a close up. Eye contact was important in that I wanted viewers to connect with the character so she could communicate as a living being with a feel of classic elegance and something else that perhaps the individual can best ascertain.

Crash Bandicoot - Origin of Coco - Part 4

I'm at the very end of the massive amount of work I've been prepping for publication of my next major project. Just about finished with the first big batch of art. A few more days and I'll be free to move forward on it. Meanwhile I've fallen a little behind in maintaining entries on my daily blog. Things will get back to normal soon. 

Let's catch up with more images from the origin of Crash's little sister Coco Bandicoot. These drawings are from April 8, 1997. After my initial pass on the character I began to refine her final design with a model rotation.

Creatures from class

I had the opportunity yesterday to draw with my students. No particular direction of I thought I'd sketch odd but thoughtful creatures. Something like ogres or trolls of some kind but contemplative in nature. I used Col-erase blue pencil on 12 field animation paper. Always a good time when I can create with everyone in class. This happens more often when the group improves to the point where my input isn't needed as much. Plus I'm inspired by the great work my students come up with. This week they did exceptionally well so thanks guys for the push forward!

Class demo - Painting from mud

Hi there folks! It's been a couple of days since I've posted an entry. Been very preoccupied mostly with completing art for my next major project. It's like the end of a marathon or more like a triathlon. There's a large amount of work to complete but I'm getting very close to the finish line with what I have to do in order to launch it. 

Meanwhile here's a look back at something I created in 1997 as a class demonstration. I was teaching at a school called Associates In Art which is no longer around but was really happening at the time in the middle of the animation boom of the 1990s. I painted this in acrylics for Visual Development. I used an unusual method in my approach. I mixed all the colors on my palette together to get a primordial mud which at first seemed impossible to work with. As I started to paint I began to extract more and more the colors that I needed until I wound up with what you see here. Surprised my students with the result. A successful demo in understanding color relationships.

Original Crash Bandicoot Color Chart - 1995

For a while I thought I lost this. Looked around for some time and then double checked the Crash archives very thoroughly. Just before I panicked... Sure 'nuff... It was there!

By request here's the very first original color chart for Crash from his days as Willy the Wombat. You can clearly see the primitive limited polygon modeling on the character. There was a tab of paper clipped to the top with notations I made. It read...

Fur - oranger

Pants - bluer - brighter

Shoes browner - darker

Back "flame"

Gloves - brown like shoes, darker tone than printout

 Mouth area - nice & pink

I think this was provided for me when I was prepping some concepts for the cover of the first game or maybe ND needed help with color. Not quite certain but in any case here it is. I know that Crash fans everywhere will appreciate the historic and artistic significance. Good thing I held on to this stuff. So here ya go guys! Clicking on the image will give you a better view.

The Animation Academy Celebrates 15 Years

Why is ArtShark so happy today? 

If you answered that he's pretty much always happy you'd be correct of course. 

But today he is exceptionally upbeat and exuberant. 

That's because today is...

January 19 is a key day each year for ArtShark but this year it's especially signifcant...

That's because today marks the 15th Anniversary of The Animation Academy in Burbank !!!

That's right folks! It was 15 years ago today on the evening of Monday, January 19, 1998 in the back room of the Coral Cafe in Burbank that we held our very first class. Speaking of 15 that's how much money it took for me to start the business. I spent $15 on stamps and envelopes to mail flyers I printed from a little 486 PC and sent out to 35 former students and friends on a Christmas card list. I sold all 20 available seats and from then on it was history in the making as they say.

The Academy has been a hugely influential school since that time and continues to affect the animation industry to this day. It's had a big impact in the lives of a great many people who've gone on to significant achievements with their art and careers. I'm very proud of what's been accomplished since January 19, 1998. 

Now that we're at our 15th anniversary if you amortize what I spent getting the school started it comes out to $1 a year!

So here's to the future of the Academy as we celebrate its past and heads into the future! I hope it continues to be a positive influence for all!


Thanks to our students past and present, instructors, associates and friends as we celebrate the milestone of our 15th anniversary!

KEEP CREATING!!!

Charles Zembillas

President / Founder / Director

The Animation Academy

Burbank California

USA

..............

Okay folks that's what I'm gonna use as I prepare to get the word out. I'm posting it here first to share with the followers and visitors to my blog. Man it's been a wild wild ride since this date in 1998! Happy to have reached this important milestone.

For educational purposes I'd like to share the development drawings I came up with for ArtShark in this announcement. Here's the original sketch for the idea along with the first pass blue line rough...

Thanks very much everyone for checking in and I hope you have a great January 19 !!! 

J&K - The Road to Daxter - Part 3

Following up on a previous entry from January 3 here's a look at a couple of the more appealing versions of Daxter from Sony's "Jak and Daxter" while he was going through more of a monkey look. I generated a high volume of development work for Daxter. These two drawings are an abbreviation of  this phase.

First drawing of She-Ra Princess of Power

A few days ago on January 11 my blog entry was an early concept drawing I created from the development of the original He-Man animated TV series in the early 1980s. I was also on the development team for the follow up series "She-Ra Princess of Power" in 1984. I have a lot of artwork from She-Ra that's never been seen before. 

Both of the franchises have a big worldwide following and there's an organization dedicated to preserving the history of the shows called the The Power and the Honor Foundation. Few people realize this but Filmation Studios which was the production company that created the cartoons would routinely discard the original artwork that was created by their artists once it served its purpose. I made it a point to save as much of what I did as possible. Thus the collection I have today preserving at least my creative contributions to what was happening at Filmation in the 1980s.

The Power and the Honor Foundation has been collecting art from that time as well. They surprised me last year in 2012 when they sent a copy of this drawing  to me that I forgot I did. It's the very first drawing of She-Ra from when we were developing the series in 1984. You can see how worn it is along the edges from years of handling. I thought it would be fun to feature it here and share it. I'll be following up with more art from She-Ra in days ahead.

Crash Bandicoot - Origin of Coco - Part 3

Last week on January 6 and 8 my blog entries showcased never before seen art from the original development of Coco Bandicoot. The concept designs for Crash's little sister didn't end there. These three sketches were also created at my first pass for the character on March 18, 1997. There are more drawings of Coco from later sittings. I'm pretty sure this rounds out the first phase of her initial design from that date.

Alien portrait

I like using traditional mediums such as water based paints when creating demonstrations in color when teaching visual development. This was done at the Academy around 2004 but it could have been earlier. Notice how the first layers are applied transparently and then followed up with heavier applications of opaque pigment. Makes for a nice effect. This is a very simple and fundamental approach which can be utilized in essence when painting digitally.

Now imagine how effective your art can be when you take it to the next level through story. Thinking in a narrative context and including a story aspect to your work will help define and further communicate your concept while building intrigue and enthusiasm.