Yellow Cake - A Short Film by Nick Cross

Here's a really nicely made short film, which looks a lot like the Ren & Stimpy cartoon.

Yellow Cake from Nick Cross on Vimeo.

Better Off Undead! A short film by Bobby Pontillas

Here's a really funny and well animated short film made by a student from AM.
I really loved the small detailes he got into it, and I can't wait to see it fully rendered - it looks really promissing :)

Better Off Undead ! from Bobby Pontillas on Vimeo.

How To Warm-Up For Gesture Drawing

While I was working at CREW972, we had sessions in which we made quick sketches (it was a great fun but also helped me to better realize how to show and feel weight).
Here are two clips to get your creative juices flowing... it gave me great inspiration to start sketching.

And the Photoshop version....

I'm glad I have the time to sit infront of my home computer and paint in Photoshop as I love doing.
I've decided the last drawing won't ever look as good as it can be, unless I would make it all over again using Photoshop, and this time I made a few high quality pictures of clothing materials (Jeans, sweders, etc) and applied them to my drawing.
It's a technique I've never used before but it's amazingly fun and gives great resaults, don't you agree?

My first attempt to make a completely vector painting in Illustrator

I always worked on my drawings straight in Photoshop or first a simple pencil sketch and then moved to Photoshop (if you are interested, I've posted a quick tutorial on my blog about a year ago or so).
This is the first time I ever tried to work entirely in Illustrator, mainting a pure vecotr look (which I think resembles the newer cartoons look, such as the power puff girls, johnny bravo, etc).

It's Here!!!

I'm thrilled to share with you, that the drawing I've made for my little baby girl (the animals train) has finally arrived and it came out very nice ;)
I think out of all my painting in my gallery, this is the one I like the most, and you could see my entire drawings gallery here, and of course if you like any of them you are more than welcome to order it, and also choose the size of it, the matter it would be printed on (I printed it on kanvas) and many other options.

Please feel free to let me know what you think of it ;)

Here are a few pictures of my drawing.

Leave your ego at the door

I would like to share with you a few lessons I had learned during the last few months while working in the animation industry (even though it can easily fit into many other fields of experties of course).
I remember I first heard about it while I was still a student at Animation Mentor and it was "burned" into my conscience ever since... EGO (the green monster sitting on your shoulder).

The industry is full of many great people, who are wise and super talented and it is only natural to have a large ego for some of them.
Sometimes you may be working on a shot, and see something you like, or got an idea you want to work on, and it's great (especially if your bosses likes it too), but you would come to realize that it won't always be the case, and you'll have times you would make something you like very much but your peers (director/producer, other animators, etc) may not, and you would like to stand up and fight for what you believe, protecting your idea/work.

At AM we learned something extremely important - leave your ego at the door (or in other words - it's not YOUR movie you are working on, its THEIR movie and THEY are paying you to do what THEY want, so you need to know when to just say OK and do stuff you won't always agree with.

Of course I don't mean not to say anything, but it would be better off for everyone if you'll take their request under consideration and give it a try any way, and you know what? They just might be correct and your shot will shine!

It isn't easy applying this idea, and it would take time to make it a second nature (I struggle with it in many other issues in my life, and that is why I though it would be nice to share my thoughts with you) but in the end - it would make you a more relaxed person, there for it will be easier and more fun to work with and most important - you become more experienced due to the amount of things you have tried (and wouldn't have done otherwise).