Metroid Prime

I've been playing a lot of Metroid Prime this week. I never played this one when it first came out, but even though it's now half a decade old, it's still fantastic.

Self-portrait

I haven't drawn a self-portrait for a while, thought I'd give one a go.

December Scraps

Another busy week, more sketches.

Trilby-Obsessed

I've been sick all week. As such, I've been finding all kinds of ways to waste time in between naps. I downloaded the new game Trilby: The Art of Theft, from the creator of the fantastic Chzo Mythos, which I love. I exhausted Trilby so thoroughly, unlocking every costume and even completing the seven-heist mission with the cream suit, that I really had no more left to play. I then downloaded the creator's other action-oriented series, 1213 (pronounced "Twelve-Thirteen"), and in short order completed those games, too. Now I've basically played his entire library of games and I have nothing left to do but work on my cough.

Here are sketches from this week, along with some from a few weeks ago.

Thanksgiving Weekend

Alright, alright! Here's a new post already. What, a single update every six months isn't enough for you?

Joking aside, things have been busy. The film is in its final, long overdue stages, and we're pushing hard to finish. I'll post some artwork from that soon. Also, I have a new job. So you can imagine, between that and the film -- busy.

Anyway, here are some sketches from the Thanksgiving weekend, visiting with family and friends:

Harry Potter Weekend!

It's Harry Potter weekend! With the release of the seventh book, a few of us got together this Sunday for waffles, swimming, and marathon Harry Potter reading.

Sadly, I haven't been following the series (though, as they're now all released, I suppose I could read them straight through, no waiting!), so rather than read book seven, I did the next best thing -- draw sketches of people reading book seven:

End of Semester Panoramas

A couple of panoramic photos to mark the end of the semester. I can hardly believe it ... this is the last time I'll be able to say that. After all these years, it makes me a little sad. I guess, in that sense, these photos also mark the end of my time at San Jose State University. I actually kinda miss it already.


From last Thursday, the end-of-the-year Shrunkenheadman picnic.


And from three weeks ago, the BFA Animation/Illustration Gallery 2007.

Berkeley Sketches

Visited Berkeley with friends this weekend, and came back with an enormous Andrew Wyeth book and a couple pages of sketches.



While we're at it, here's an older drawing of the same friends, from a housewarming party back in March:

The Departed Speedpaints

A few of my friends have been doing speedpaintings from screenshots of movies. I think it's a pretty great way to study films more closely. So here are a couple of speedpaints I did tonight from The Departed, which has some absolutely stunning shots throughout.


I think this is actually an over-the-shoulder shot, with the cell phone as the point-of-view character. Not only that, notice how the shot is oriented so that the phone is higher in the frame than Matt Damon's face--meaning the cell phone is actually in a dominant position here.


This shot is only on screen for about ten frames, inbetween other shots that aren't quite as disorienting. The effect is so subliminal, you probably don't remember the shot even being there. But you feel it.

Last Week of Classes

A few sketches from last Friday's maquette class, the last meeting of the semester!




This one could easily be a companion to another drawing I posted earlier.

Five Months in 2007

A long overdue sketchdump of drawings from the last five months. Enjoy!

ADAA Semifinals

Awesome news: Ace Bullet, P.I. was accepted into the semifinal round of the 2007 Adobe Design Achievement Awards! See the official list of semifinalists at the ADAA website.

Congrats also to fellow SJSU entrant John-Paul Balmet and company for getting their film Journey: A Short Vignette into the semifinals, as well.

Ace Bullet, P.I.

Tonight saw the premiere of my new film, Ace Bullet, P.I., at the SJSU 15-Second Animated Film Festival! Thanks to everyone who came out! If you couldn't make it, or if you just want to see it again, here it is, in all its noir-soaked glory:

This is what Christmas means to me

Merry Christmas!

Neil Gaiman @ San Jose

Neil Gaiman doing a reading at San Jose, about a week and a half ago. The way I drew him, he kinda looks more like Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop -- but that's what his hair was doing. All over the place.



The writing at the bottom is part of something he said regarding Good Omens: "When we wrote it, we were just two guys no one had ever heard of. We had no idea it would go on to sell millions of copies. Or that it would be translated into fourteen other languages. Or that young ladies all over the world would be writing pornography involving the main characters."

Barry Yougrau's "Creek"

Drawings from a recent project in BFA, after a story called "Creek" by Barry Yougrau. Initially drawn in the style of Edward Gorey, though I think there's a lot of Lyonel Feininger influence in there too.

Sketchbook Animation

Today's post is an experiment of sorts. About a month ago, I posted this page of watercolor sketches, painted from photographs by Albert Arthur Allen. Just for fun, I wondered what those drawings might look like animated.

The result is this two-second "sketchbook animation." It's not an acting test or a funny gag or a film with a beginning, middle, and end. It's just something I felt like animating. It's like something I'd draw in my sketchbook, except animated.


Click to play the movie (3.56 MB)

Last Drawings of October

A veritable potluck of sketches. Here's what found residence in my sketchbook in the last weeks of October.













Also:

Nerf Movie

The final product of project number one in my Maya class. Nerf fans enjoy:


Click to play movie at 320x240
Or download the 640x480 large version (76.7 MB).

The gun featured in this clip is the N-STRIKE Nite Finder, which unbelievably only costs $5.99.