Bird updates and Little Leap Forward Links

I have been having a few set backs with the bird sequence. As it is the opening section I really want it to be perfect and I was just not happy with the way it was looking. So yesterday I decided to redraw all the bird body shapes. This means that the bird sequence won't be looking very finished for the projection tests but this should be okay. There is still another month left until these animations need to be completed.

The dragonfly and fish sections are almost complete. Over the next month the main focus with those two sections will be the water and adding the paper cut details. I have some water footage already but I need to find some kind of effects or re animate it completely to make it appear painted... I have a few ideas at the minute but can't put them into action until I have completed this section with the birds.

Here is a very early animation test I did of the bird flying. I plan to create something similar to this for the final animation but with more wing shapes.



I also thought I would share a couple of links with you.

This first is the Little Leap Forward Production Blog. Which I have recently discovered which will have updates on all aspects of the production.

The second is Guo Yue's Official Site. He is the co-author of Little Leap Forward and who the book is based on. On his site you can read about the other books he has written and his music.

I have a busy weekend ahead with my other job and helping out at the AMEF workshop so I probably won't update again until sometime next week. :)

PES - Western Spaghetti

One of my favourite films by PES.

Blow at Life - Lawrence Yang

Blow at Life is a blog by artist Lawrence Yang. I am not sure how I came across this blog but I have been subscribed for a while now. I really love his most recent video game inspired work for a Giant Robot exhibition in San Francisco. Too bad the exhibition is so far away as I quite fancy going. :( I really love the two pieces he has posted so far. Pacman and Moogles :) Just brilliant! I really think you should check out his blog and website on the links above. ^-^

AMEF After Effects Tutorial

Last year I was helping my friend learn After Effects. I taught him the basics by helping him make an animated logo for AMEF - Arts Meets Environment Festival, a company he works for.
As part of AMEF 2009 he is now running several free workshops in Rushden, Northamptonshire. These are in various different types of animation and film and I am going to be there this Saturday helping him out with the After Effects class.
Based on the animated logo I helped him create last year I have put together a tutorial with basic instructions for Photoshop and After Effects explaining how to put together this animated logo. I am hoping I'll be able to post this online soon for anyone who is interested in learning some very basic After Effects skills.

Here you can check out Andy's version of the finished logo with sound.

If you're in the area and want to learn some animation then you should come down ^-^ Perhaps I'll see you there :)

Fish... Fish... Fish...

I am slowly getting there with the Fish :) I have got the movement down and am now adding the cut out texture in Photoshop :) So far I have just the face, going to start working on the scales over the weekend. ^-^
I have lots of things I want to post about but have so much work on at the minute that it'll have to wait. But yes, I will soon be filling this blog with many things other than my own work. :)

Pretty pretty riverbank...

I quite enjoyed myself this morning drawing out the riverbank design :) I have missed drawing the last few months. I really want to start life drawing again... going to hunt for some classes in my area. Until then I will just have to draw from the things around me. So watch out if you're near by! ^-^

I still need to add the wings for the dragonflies and some more colour on certain parts however I think the movement of them is pretty much complete. :) hurrah! It's just the keyframing of the wings that will be quite a long, slow progress so I will leave that to work on later.

Tomorrow I think I am going to start animating the basic movement of the fish. :)
I'll post updates as a progress.

Dragonfly - work in progress

The Norwich project continued to run over and I pretty much finished my work on it in the middle of last week. I think there are only a few more small things I need to get done. It is a shame really as I would have liked to spend more time on it and get to animate a few of the other characters. However I really couldn't sacrifice anymore time as it had already run over far too much.

The positive thing about this is that I finally can put my head down and concentrate on Little Leap Forward. This is actually an EXTREMELY positive thing considering the animation needs to be ready in two weeks for projection tests.

So I have begun work on the bird sequence and am now concentrating on the dragonflies. My aim is to get down all the timing and basic animation for each section complete over the next two weeks. I will then spend the time after that touching it up and adding colour. Here is a quick screen grab so you can see what I'm up to. :)



Well best get back to After Effects ^-^

Snow Totoro ♥

I have been waiting for so long for there to be enough snow to build a Totoro in my garden and today my dream finally came true! ^-^ I can now say I have my very own Totoro in my garden. Yay!
Working from home for the last two weeks has meant that I have hardly been out. Apart from popping to shop for some milk and going to do my weekend shifts at the shop I haven't really left my bedroom. So it was really refreshing today to get outside in the fresh air and take a break from sitting at my computer. :)



Here is me (looking dorky as ever with my winter hat) and my Totoro.
I wanted to make a GIANT one and there was plenty of snow for it. But I didn't have the time or man power :( Next snowy season I will gather a team and make a HUGE one!

Yay for snow!