The Mike Wieringo Scholarship

We're really fortunate, after 2 months of waiting, our school SCAD finally announced the current scholarship winners on the SCAD website. Surprisingly, we have been fans of Mike Wieringo's comic work, especially his dynamic pencil figure drawings. To be able to receive his scholarship is phenomenal for us.  The scholarship was set up in memory of him and his work can still be found here.  

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Environment Sketch 4: Battle of NY!

Enjoy!

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Google Sketch Up: Weapon Design

Second try at Google Sketch Up: These weapon designs were for our Sequential Art Class today. It took us a total of 32 hours (2 whole days) to figure out how to use Google Sketch Up (it is not a requirement though) so we can design weapons for this project and our previous warm up with the table design help indefinitely. The presentation you see here were created from Google's Layout 2. (One freaking awesome tool) We're starting to get used to using Sketch Up and we highly recommend anyone who is into props or backgrounds to try it. 

Here's what you need to take note of when using Google's Sketch up:

1) It is extremely handy to have mouse that has a roller.

2) One of the best render plugins to use now is IDX's Renditioner Express 2. The free version allows you to render a 640 by 480 field which is good enough for academic purpose. We've tried V-Ray and Shader Light and their not as idiot proof and easy to understand. ( we're completely newbie to 3D)

3) Group your models into components every now and then. When you build your 3D in components, they can be replicated and mirrored which speeds up your modelling especially when you're doing stuff that is symmetrical.

4) One of the best tool to use is the "follow me" tool which allows you to create columns, ornate designs,etc.

More to come!!

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Google Sketch Up

We have started to toy around with Google Sketch Up because of our pursuit towards being an environment artist. Here's a few test render of a wooden table we build from scratch.

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Simpsons STORYBOARD Animatics !! Homer's Night Out

This was our assignment for our storyboarding class, we had the script for the first part of Simpsons Episode "Homer's Night Out". When we finish the storyboard, we took the actual sound and dialog and lay in our boards to make the Animatics. Most of the additional sound effects like Marge brushing her teeth or additional noise weren't describe in the script thus it seems slightly out of sync. Though we drew a total of 118 boards for this 3 page script, it still doesn't seemed enough. 

Hope you guys enjoy. Cheers (Turn Up the Volume!!)

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Portfolio Reviews: What To Expect

SCAD Editors Day : Today we had our portfolio reviewed by the industry powerhouse; Dave Johnson, Character Designer,Cartoon Network, character designer for Ben 10, Bob Schreck, Editor-in-Chief, Legendary Comics who founded Oni Press and had an Eisner for editing Daytripper and finally Calista Brill, Editor from First Second Book which is one of our favorite publisher. 

This is our second time having our portfolio reviewed by professionals thanks to SCAD's arrangement and somehow, we still couldn't quite make out what to expect. Perhaps in the first place, we shouldn't expect anything because its a review, and not a job interview. So here's a few things that we told ourselves after these two occasions and its all from our personal experience and for your reading leisure.

01) Do not expect to get a gig or job out of a portfolio review.
02) When your reviewer says your work is good, it is out of courtesy, not a compliment.
03) Don't ask weird questions, just listen out for things you should improve.
04) If you're showing sequential portfolio, always lay them out in page sequence
05) If you're showing sequential portfolio, Have both originals and the reduced reprints.
06) If you're showing sequential portfolio, make sure the comics have bubble placement.
07) Have a central focused theme in your portfolio.
08) Your artwork should show confident, every line drawn or inked must have a reason.
09) Most artist over render their artwork, you only need 7 bricks to show an entire wall.
10) Smile during your review.

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Environment Sketches 3

Environment Sketches again~~

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Even if you're correct, you don't win

We just went pass the halfway mark in Spring Quarter and yesterday, we had just found out one of the most important lessons in life; Even if you're correct, you don't always win. The story came about during yesterday's review where the students were required to draw the Simpsons on model in 4 views, 3/4 front, side, front and back. We went over to buy the Simpsons handbook and studied them intensively; like how Bart would have 7 spikey hair, Lisa had ten, how the Simpsons would all look like nipples eye during front view, the proportion of the head size and everything. We dare say we're almost 90-95% on accurate with the models.

However, during class time when we had a review and pin up all our drawings, we got very little vote. In fact, someone else got a good marginal vote (who eventually voted for us and we didn't bother voting for anyone) ahead of us. We dare say we can challenge anyone in class regarding the proportions and accuracy on how to draw anyone of the Simpsons family (excluding the baby) because we had taken a real hard time knocking out these drawings. Its easy to tell who did research and who didn't. (and a vast majority of our classmates didn't) So in the end, we didn't win and its sad; sad because 1) these were art students voting, they voted for drawings that were greatly OFF model by figure head count, eye positions, body to leg proportions. 2) It shows that most of the student had no idea what the actual ON MODEL Simpsons looked like on all these positions. 3) The F**king world is unfair (and of course we know it) 4) If the students weren't even ready or keen on doing on model figures then how else would they expect to get jobs in the industry? It is one thing not being able to draw ACCURATELY to a production work, but it is a F**KING serious problem not to be able to see WHO DREW CORRECTLY.

On a more positive note, it meant we had LESS COMPETITION. But we're really happy with our work [ We know it doesn't seemed like since we had spoken F**K twice and had caps our dialog but its all for drama (^__^) ]  Anyhow, next week we are selected to have a portfolio review with Cartoon Network's character designer, Dave Johnson (the guy design Ben 10's character) and Legendary Comics editor in chief, Bob Schreck !! (One of the legends in the industry)

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