Daily Progress

Here's another super condensed recap of the past week's worth of dailies! ENJOY!

This is "Ken".

Ken is a really, really good man. Loyal, generous, the most honest guy you'll ever meet. Wouldn't say shit if he had a mouthful!

If he had one vice, it would be that he works too damn hard. No other addiction gets as many mixed reviews as 'workaholism' which makes it hard for those who love him to attempt an intervention. Generous as he is, it's clear that his friends would love nothing more than for him to come out and play a little more often.

He is also a ninja.

Copic markers and colored pencil on Bristol, 3.5 X 5.5".

"Happy Birthday, Kandrix!" ~ ♥

This is Jacques. He's a real man's man. He's a natural mechanic, a skilled hunter, a gifted carpenter, and can somehow manage to 'make better' things that didn't even need fixing in the first place! He's always happy to help --Service with a Smile -- he's even great with kids. If it weren't for the fact that his favorite food is "sammiches", as he calls them, that he refers to himself in the third person, and that he ends every other sentance with the words "right 'dere", he'd easily be married by now.

"Jacques could really go for a sammich, right 'dere."

Copic markers on Bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

This is Becca. She has 5 siblings -- all brothers. She doesn't know it yet, but when she grows up she's going to be a defence attorney.

Copic markers and colored pencil on Bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

This is Susan. She's super sweet and a real cutie-pie. But, like many women who seem perfectly healthy and beautiful on the outside, Susan struggles with body image issues. She's saving up for braces...and otoplasty...Botox...and maybe a chin implant. Laser hair removal would be nice... OH! And a tummy tuck!...once she's done having kids, of course! (although she's yet to be pregnant) ;P ...in which case a breast lift might be in order then... Hmmm...Lipo...fillers...brow lift...

Copic markers and colored pencil on Bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

This is Candace. She's a Vegas showgirl, and although she doesn't look it, she's 46 years old and just became a grandmother for the second time. She's raising both of her grandchildren because their mother is too into partying right now. Those babies are the light of Candace's life and she just wishes she could retire already, A) so she can spend every single moment with them, and B) she's getting pretty tired of this 'showgirl' act. People think her life is so glamorous, but if they only knew...!

Copic markers and colored pencil on Bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

"Rock-A-Billy & Rock-A-Betty"

They are in love :) ...with themselves! :(

Copic markers on Bristol, 3.5 X 5.5" each

This is Trent. He was a total bookworm in high school -- still is! He was bullied almost daily by boys and girls alike -- verbally, and sometimes physically, like having books thrown at him -- but he never said a word.

I'm happy to report that Trent eventually found his voice. Soon after high school, he began recording audio books. And following that, he helped develop the software behind Amazon's Kindle. He was a multi-millionaire by age 27. "Take THAT, 10 year high school reunion!"

Copic markers and colored pencil on Bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

xoxo

~LB!

2012...A "Daily" Evolution!

It's hard to believe I only just began using Copic markers 5 or so months ago! Feels like it's been YEARS! As an artist, I have been so liberated by this medium! And as said artist, I feel 100% liberated as a person as well! I owe this, too, to open-mindedness, as I recently shifted in artistic style and objective, and it has opened the creative flood-gates! This new exploration is so freeing!

"Vivienne"
Copic markers on bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

"Peter"
Copic markers on bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

"Kim"
Copic markers on bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

I have easily kept up with my commitment of doing these 'dailies' -- it is sooo much fun! -- and over the past week that has evolved into something even more!...

I have been giving these characters names since the get-go last month (these all began in Dec 2011). It's a sort of game I used to play with my older brother when we were growing up. He'd draw a face and ask me, "Who does this look like? Who is this person?" and I'd promptly give each one a name! Or he would ask me to give him a name to start, and he'd draw what he thought that person would look like. We'd be entertained for hours, which was a challenge growing up in the middle of no where! ;) Anyhow, I've now evolved these characters into having personalities and back stories! Here are the handful from this week -- the lucky few who got a 'sketchy' past *wink* attached to them!

This one looks like my dad, therefore I named him "Paul"!

This guy is kinda one part Bobby De Niro (minus the cool), one part Carl Fredricksen, one part Ebenezer Scrooge. That's a chequebook in his chest pocket -- the nearest and dearest thing to his heart -- and he thinks people only ever want him for his money! Can't say he'd be wrong about that...it's not exactly like he's sought after for his winning personality! ;)

Copic markers on bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

"Kendra"
 Copic markers on bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

Kendra's a real hard-ass. She came from money. Her daddy was something of an authority and it paved her way a lot in life. Her family is always about appearances -- a picture of perfection at all times. But she's had her hardships, too, although she doesn't open up about them. Too bad. Maybe if she did, people wouldn't think she was such a cold, callous bitch.

This is "Sergei".

He is a veteran member of the Imperial Russian Ballet Company. He encountered major delays during his commute to rehearsal due to a sudden torrential down pour. He arrived late to the theatre, only to see the Director looking on with great approval at the replacement who is standing in for him as lead dancer...much to Sergei's shock and disapproval, of course!...

 Copic markers on bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

This is "Vicki".

She's made some mistakes in life, like running away from home as a teen, keeping over $300 cash from a wallet she found, and lying to the police about a then-boyfriend's whereabouts. She even slept with a married man once. BUT, she turned her life around, made ammends, and is now living an honest and authentic life following her passion for interior design!

Copic markers and colored pencil on bristol, 3.5 X 5.5"

I'm a little OCD in ways (Not really. But I am particular, and a perfectionist.) so I may have to go back over all the previous characters and give each one a sordid little history!

..."SKETCHY PAST"...That'll be the title of the 366 pg book I publish at this time next year! Mark my words! ;)

xoxo

Laurie B!

New Dailies!

Here's my down and dirty blog posting for this week...an update of my daily color sketches! I am creating these sketch cards, one per day, as a way to shake me out of my comfort zone and change my approach to designing characters! I'm having A LOT of fun with these and I hope you are enjoying them, too!

"Hope"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Daniel"

~Inspired by Dan Levy, son of Eugene

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Kelly"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

 "Max"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Sam"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Wesley"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"January"

Copic markers and colored pencil on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Grace"

Copic markers and colored pencil on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

I have other topics of discussion that I will save for another time...when I have more time! ;)

xoxo

~LB!

New Inspirations

Happy New Year! 2012 is going to be a BIG year for me, and I hope it will be for many of you, too!

I have committed to blogging every Wednesday. I have also created a facebook fanpage which I upload a new sketch to every single day! www.facebook.com/ArtofLaurieB "LIKE" it to be privy to these daily uploads AND MORE...if nothing else than just to brighten your day! I will eventually start selling these 'dailies' online as some people have already been asking how they can go about owning them. That will be sorted out in the coming weeks and I'll announce that here, there, and everywhere once I figure out a system for doing that, too!

Here are a few of these recent dailies!

"Dawn"

Copic markers and colored pencil on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Faith"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Joy"

Copic markers and colored pencil on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

This style is a break from my usual routine, and the reason is simple. I constantly seek to evolve and improve as an artist. I feel that the more versatile I am, the more 'employable' I am as well. Ironically I've not yet worked in the mainstream industry, but I will be sending out my portfolio this month!

Today I want to bring attention to the someone whose art has inspired my recent change/exploration in style. I stumbled upon her at the CTN Animation Expo this past November. Her name is Zaruhi Galstian. I was instantly attracted to her style and when I struck up conversation with her she told me she had just newly been hired at PIXAR! (Is there any wonder why I fell in love with her art from across the room!?! Haha!) "Congrats, Zar! I hope we cross paths again...very soon! xoxo"

Here is a link to her interview with "Character Design Blogspot" which showcases a lot of her work once you scroll down to the bottom: http://zaruhi-galstian-interview.blogspot.com/

I bought her sketchbook and immediately began "reading" it back in my hotel room at night. Her style has had an instant impression on my work as of late and I can't say how exhilarating it has been to break loose of old drawing habits!

And here are the first handful of sketches I did as I was learning, unlearning, and interpreting her style.

Coloring aside (which is all done with Copic markers, btw), I see that I've had to 'stand back' a lot more from my usual approach, to be looser and more vague by just playing with basic shapes. Sometimes scribbles. Anatomy be damned!! This is also what makes a great caricature artist, and in turn, a great character designer, which I hope to be...WORKING IN FEATURE ANIMATION sometime in 2012!

Again, my sincerest wishes for a ridiculously amazing new year to all!

xoxo
~LB!

New Horizons

To start, here is the continuation of some Christmassy images from last week, new since my last entry. As a general rule I will always lead off with some visuals to capture your attention!

"Holly"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Candy and Jack"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Treesa"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"Nutcrackered"

Copic markers on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

"The Gingers"

Copic markers and colored pencil on bristol

3.5 X 5.5"

This will be my last blog of 2011, and I'm so excited that my act has seemingly come together before the new year, when resolutions sometimes stick...and sometimes don't! My hope is that I have given myself a good running-start here heading into 2012! I'm excited by the opportunity of choosing a topic each week that I can speak about freely from the heart. Most likely these posts will be about the things that inspire me, or the break-throughs I've just experienced, as I do sincerely try to keep a positive attitude (especially when I'm aware that others are watching, impressionable to my thoughts, words, and deeds)! But I'm sure that sometimes they will be about the challenges and frustrations I face, such as in today's...

I'm not just speaking about ART here, but also how art translates into our lives. My art practice is definitely a therapy for me and I find it very meditative. It's important to me to keep evolving not just as an artist but as a human being as well. And it's also important to live and create art solely for the self sometimes. These two things are not always in balance for me. I'm a black sheep in that I have always worked for myself, and not studios. But my desire has always been to be a part of a collaborative. I believe that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Always. And thus far I've not had the pleasure of fulfilling that calling in the greater sense, such as having a position in a feature animation studio, seeing my name scroll by in the credits along with the countless other faceless names who dedicated their talent and energy to a given project. I understand that when artists work for others on projects that aren't necessarily fulfilling to them, they inevitably burn out. Same goes for when you live your life for others and lose yourself -- putting dreams on hold and so on -- that zest for life can sometimes seem to all but disappear.

I generally feel peaceful and nostaligic at Christmas time, but within a week, that turns to a sadness and mourning at the prospect of turning over another calendar year. For me it means another year gone that I didn't reach my goals, be living the life I thought I'd have by now, and with the dream job I thought I'd have by now. The holidays can be overwhelming sometimes, and if I'm feeling this way, chances are someone else is, too.

I have grappled with the fear of failure for a long time, and it is true that ignoring it can never make it go away. Here is an excerpt that came my way recently which I found profoundly inspiring and reassuring and I'd like to share it here:

‎    

I am readying my portfolio to send out, seriously, for the first time, as "the knocking in my heart" has simply grown too loud to ignore any longer!  My hope is that we can all exercise forgiveness -- of ourselves and others -- for being human and not always being perfect people/artists all the time, and that we can look fearlessly into our futures with no regrets.

Happiest of New Years to each and every one! May 2012 see you live your life to the fullest! If you are fortunate enough in life to know what your calling is, may you be brave enough to risk failure in your relentless desire to touch the stars!

xoxo
~LB!

Starting New Traditions!

When I woke up this morning, something felt a little "off", like I was missing something. "Hmmm, it's Weeednesdaaaay...I was supposed to doooo somethiiiinggg..." Then I remembered...THIS IS MY NEW BLOGGING DAY! ;D

Funny enough, last week after I wrote my big long blurb about CTNX, for as much time as it took to recap that wonderFULL experience and find appropriate pics to support it, I was actually bummed that my next entry was going to have to wait a whole week! But now that it's time once again, I'm feeling like this is a perfectly managable pace, and the start of a great new tradition. (I promise I'll keep it short 'n' sweet this time!)
 
I've been starting each work day with little warm up sketches. Here are a few Christmassy themed pieces from this week so far to brighten your holidays!

"Santaman"

Copic marker on bristol

3.5" square

I recently converted to using Copic markers and my life has been forever changed! I've 99.9% moved away from using colored pencils exclusively and I'm not looking back! (I still create many mixed-media pieces.)

"Sugarplum"

Copic marker on bristol
Approx 3 X 5.5"

This past summer I took a Copics 101 class at a scrapbooking supply shop, of all places! I had no idea why these markers were raved about so much in the art community...until I was taught how to properly use them and physically shown what they are capable of doing!

"Nutcracker Prince" duo

Copic marker on matte paper

Approx 3 X 5.25"

Copics allow me to work soooo much faster and achieve waaaay more vibrancy than I ever could with colored pencil alone. They're fast, they're FUN, they can be layered and reworked, they can even be erased. Ridiculous. I feel so liberated by this medium, I feel unstoppable! It's irrational how excited I am for Copic markers.

More next week!

Please "like" my facebook fanpage at: www.facebook.com/ArtofLaurieB for daily uploads of these warm up sketches and more!

Merry Christmas! Be happy and warm and full of gratitude! Please don't drink & drive.
xoxo
Laurie B!

It's Bloggering Time!

Hey World!

So it's settled. Wednesday's be my bloggin' day from here on out! I don't want to wait until January to make this resolution stick. I would have called it my December Resolution, but alas I've already missed last Wednesday, Dec 7th! ...My kid gotsed the pink eye last week and he couldn't go to daycare until he finished his round of meds, so he and mama -- that would be me ;) -- got an exTENDed-extended weekend! YAY!...kind of. It was unexpected and I greatly missed my kid-free studio, art supplies, and copious amounts of table space and uninterrupted time. But I still managed to stay creative. I always do!

At any rate, I'm back! And ready to recap my CTN eXperience!

It's been a few weeks since coming home from the CTN eXpo, AND I HAD A BLAST, btw! (Buckle up, this is going to be a long post!)

I took a lot of notes. A LOT of notes. 16 pages, double-sided. Photos, too. Over 600 images in 3 days. I think my shutter was a bit noisy during some panels, but I was "in it to win it" and just wanted to retain everything! (If any of you readers out there were in any of those same panels, I apologize if my incessant picture taking was annoying. Though, a few people have since been in touch with me saying it was "genius" that I recorded everything, and asking me to share some of those images with them, which of course I've been happy to do!) I'd say, that in itself makes it all worth it in the end!

I always like to let an event like this resonate with me for a while and let the highlights float to the surface in their own time. Some of these highlights are instantaneous, seeming to speak directly to me and wasting no time about it! But then some of these may be the messages and conversations that were repeated a few times in a few different places, as opposed to being just an isolated event. Or they may emerge as the little moments, the instances, that I relive the most.

I'm so happy I had the opportunity to attend. I believe it's the Law of Attraction that's in force in these memories -- those greetings, those handshakes, those conversations -- that the universe is giving me because I put myself in a postion to receive them. The right place at the right time! Case in point:

Right off the bat on Friday afternoon, the first panel I went to, entitled "Dream Jobs You Didn't Know Existed" by the amazing speaker/talent/businessman/author William C. Vaughan, pretty much sealed the deal for me. He answered the big question that had been weighing on me and my career. #1 on his list of "Seven Deadly Job Search Sins" was "Homesickness: the unwillingness to move/relocate". I instantly realized that this is where I'd been teetering forever. My eyes were immediately opened and the bar was set for the rest of the weekend.

I don't want my dream job to go unrealized my whole life. I've been tangled in the ideal of being a full-time mother, but I see now that I want to be a mama that my kid (and future kids) will be proud of, that they will have the priviledge of coming onto the studio lot everyday if they want to, to have lunch breaks with me, watch early screenings of new movies, and even land a few voice acting roles! "Even more than this, you've given me HUGE insight into expanding my already existing career, and so for this I thank you, Mr. Vaughan!" Find out more at about him, his books, and his career at www.appleheadfactory.com.

Next was a Spotlight on Sergio Pablos, an amazing character designer who's worked on Tarzan, Treasure Planet, Despicable Me, and Rio, to name a few. A seasoned vet with a thick Spanish accent, this guy had some grit to him!

I picked up some good cues from him, such as that it's still fine to work traditionally. This was reassuring to hear, as one of the other vibes I picked up over the course of the weekend was how important it is to keep current and to stay ahead of the technological curve. He says, "It's good to learn how others do things, but you've got to find your own way. Small studios have a hard time employing you if you can't jump to other departments, but big studios want you to specialize." (Also from what I'm hearing, there's kind of a shortage of raw talent our there, so coming from him, this was extremely validating!) When questioned by an audience member about the pressure to go digital, he replied, "If I'm going to go into a medium that's going to limit me, then I don't want to go there!"

What lovely sentiment! ;D

To find more about him and his current work, go to www.thespastudios.com

Later that night was Creator Conversation with Florian Satzinger, a character designer from Austria. I stumbled onto his work almost accidently, but couldn't miss the chance to hear him talk in person!

His designs are fantastic and whimsical; very 'weight-y' and super fun to just let your eyes wander upon! (See more at his website at www.satzingerhardenberg.com or read his blog: http://paperwalker.blogspot.com.)

He shared this really great trick on how to draw a character turnaround by building a box around your design, then finding anchor points so you can rotate it in perspective with more accuracy. Effing brilliant! This was really impressive when it was being drawn live right in front of us!

I ended the night by heading to a mixer hosted by Animation Mentor where I mingled with several friends and met even more talented folk!

Saturday was a long day, with 5 back-to-back panels. I woke up super early hoping to be first in line for a Character Design Portfolio Review, WHICH I WAS!! Unfortunately the candidates to be reviewed were already chosen in advance [insert descending slide whistle sound here]. Soooo, a little deceiving, but at least I got first dibs on seating! Lol! And to be entirely truthful, I learned A LOT by listening in on others' critiques.

Then came Creator Conversation with Carlos Grangel (www.grangelstudio.com), another Spanish character designer. I have to admit, I didn't know anything about him going into it, save that I liked his jpegs on the CTNX website. I'm so glad I signed up! This guy was a treat!

He drew for us.

A LOT!

I don't know why, but there's something so inspiring and revealing about watching other artists draw live in front of you. You get a glimpse into their thought process that you otherwise wouldn't get with just a still image. It's like the difference between watching 'the big game' vs reading the final scores in the newspaper the next day!

There was one bunk panel I went to midday, that kinda bummed me out. It was called A to Zbrush. I've been debating getting (back) into sculpture (I majored in sculpture back in fine art college) and thought it'd be a great crash course. But I didn't have a great seat, and could barely hear the guy. Not that it mattered. He didn't cover any basics of the software, he just noodled over this one sample file he had open, griping about "how he hates it when" artists leave out minute details, like the tragus and the anti-tragus of the ear. I think he was hungover. "Whatever, douche. I was going to pay $1000 to take your online course, but now you can suck it!" The end.

...Then there was THIS guy!...

He was set up in the atrium practically all weekend long, puddying away! I should have taken a seat front and center with HIM for an hour and a half instead!! Gorgeous work! A veteran of the biz as well! Kent Melton is his name.

He's also responsible for this little beauty, which I came *this close* to buying, but couldn't decide on which version hair color I wanted! So I was a good girl and decided to sleep on it and buy online later! This is Kent's sculpt of a Fred Moore design. I've been told my work is like Fred Moore reborn. This delights me beyond words! Now just imagine if I could sculpt one of my own designs! I believe I have some modelling clay around here somewhere!... I think a Laurie B! vinyl is in order, don't you??!

I had the pleasure of hearing Louie del Carmen speak about "Cultivating Your Artistic Personality". Louie is a personal friend of mine who's been up here to the Calgary Expo before, and who arranged for my first tour of DreamWorks, back in the day. He currently still works there as a story artist. I loved the title cards in his presentation!

Once again, I had the pleasure of watching over his shoulder in his office as he boarded some panels for Kung Fu Panda 2...which is just out on BluRay/DVD yesterday, and I can't believe I haven't even picked it up yet! For shame! ...I watched it 4 times on various flights this past summer and fall, and despite some meh reviews, I thought it was a spectacular movie that held its own, same as the first one! Good job, Louie! www.louiedelcarmen.com

I had an evening panel with legend James Gurney of Dinotopia fame. He was a really sweet man -- reminded me of a fun uncle -- and a very, very prolific artist. (gurneyjourney.blogspot.com)

He spoke about his family and his sons a fair amount, which reinforced to me that permission to have a family and a fulfilling career. Lately he has been having a great time letting his son join him at work. And this put a smile in my heart, for obvious reasons!

Another day done, but not before heading to another mixer in the lobby/lounge! I met numerous fellow Canadians who've been working state-side for years, supporting their families, et al. Among my new aquaintances is storyboard artist Kris Pearn, who is a sweetheart! Not only is he Canadian, but he's also from a small farming community, like me! Reminds me of that line from Ratatouille, "Not just anyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere." He shared a lot of work visa info with me which cleared the air and eased my mind about that aspect of relocating for work, if need be. Good guy! "Thanks for the book, Kris!" xoxo


Sunday morning was the home stretch. I had been all panelled-out and hesitated to go to either of the 2 panels I had left as I'd barely spend any time in the exhibition hall. But alas I kept an open mind. And then along came Bill Perkins, decades-long art director and visual development artist with Disney.

This guy blew my mind...sideways.

The workshop was called "Creating Mood" and I thought it was just going to be a painterly how-to. Wrong. He covered art theories with such thorough analysis, I felt like I was watching the creation of the cosmos! There were words in there I never even heard before. I'm even at a loss for words to describe what this panel was like. Suffice to say I'm stupidly-glad I went! God willing, one day I'll partake in his many workshops: www.billperkinsstudio.com.


The last panel was on the age-old debate over "2D: Dead or Alive" with Mike Nguyen. I thought nothing could top what I had just bared witness to, but I was wrong again. What Mr. Perkins had in intellect, Mr. Nguyen had in pure heart and soul. The real deal.

Mike in fact DID talk about the creation of the cosmos, the meaning of life, the higher power that lives within us, beckoning us to this beautiful medium called animation and what, really, is at the heart of why we do what we do. "The best things in life can't be told, because they transcend explanation."

What an inspiring way to cap off the CTNX!! ...And in answer to that age-old question, he in fact answered it within the first 5 minutes: "2D is not dead. Trends are moving away from traditional not because of the medium but because of the content."

Amen, bruthah!

Check out his sweet indy project at http://julyfilms.com.

"Mr. (Monk!) Nguyen, it was a divine pleasure spending an afternoon with you. I'm certain we will meet again someday."

xoxo
~LB!