Here’s a Flash short I crapped out back in 2003. It was originally up on my old website, but this is the first time on Youtube. When I’m finally done with this Nickelodeon pilot, I’ve promised myself I’ll work on a new short. Gotta re-teach myself all the software! Anyone else get the Adobe Creative Cloud? It’s insane the amount of stuff you get! I need to get to work so I can justify it…
A self portrait for an art show at work. I haven’t painted with watercolors since high school. I gotta get back on that. It’s fun. So is mint chocolate chip ice cream!
Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Here’s a random, late-night doodle to make up for it.
A lot of you have written me asking good questions about the animation industry, so I’m putting together a FAQ page. I’ll let you know when it goes live.
Look what arrived! It mixes two fun things: Legos and drawing! Ironically I’m kind of afraid to use these because they’re so cool!
Hey Jackson! I feel your pain. Just remember that no matter how old you get or how long you’ve been drawing, most artists always feel like they suck and other people are better than them. I’m always struggling at the edge of my abilities, feeling like I can’t easily get what’s in my head down on paper. I’m terrible at drawing realistic people. So instead I always focused on cartoony things. My first cartoons didn’t even have bodies! Just heads and hands! What laziness! (I was in middle school so I’ll cut myself a break). But now I find my lack of discipline frustrating. I should have powered through it, strengthening the things I was weaker at. There’s no quick fix to improvement. Like playing a musical instrument or competing in sports, you have to practice, practice, practice if you want to be good. Every damn day. Draw all the time. Working in animation has forced me to draw a ton and I’ve improved greatly from it. But I still have a LOOONG way to. And seeing so many talented artists on Tumblr inspires me.
Here’s a tip to help with your proportion problems: Break your drawing down into simple shapes first. Use those shapes to construct your proportions. Squint at the drawing. Step back from it. Make sure it looks overall like the image you want. THEN start adding the details.
If you can, take a life drawing class. If there aren’t any available, ask a friend to pose for you (clothed is perfectly fine). Practice drawing them quickly and in lots of different poses. The more you draw them, the more comfortable and confident you’ll get.
Another tip for sequential art: use a digital camera to take shots so you can help compose your scenes/panels. You’ll be able to see perspective and posing much easier. Think about all the famous painters who used photo reference. They changed details and tweaked parts, but it gave them a starting point.
To really grow, draw what you see, not just what you’re comfortable with. Look at things and really study them. Your quality will improve over time. Just keep at it diligently and with passion!
Good luck!
Wrong! My destiny is to assemble an all-elephant dance troupe that performs to the entrancing music of Mannheim Steamroller. We shall be called Elephannheim!
Thank you for the kind words. I have no idea how to tackle that request since I don’t usually work in abstract ideas. I also get very nervous when someone mentions “depth” and “artistry” around me. My first instinct was to draw a butt farting out something, but I didn’t want to seem rude. So here’s… I dunno wtf it is.
Well maybe not EVERY morning, but certainly more than I’d like. Trash day and street cleaning day start with Batman losing his mind as the trucks roll by. It scares the living shit out of me. Then the second Piggy knows you’re up, she starts in with the licking and jumping on you. Plus I usually get more than an eyeful of anus. Wow, that’s a sentence I’d never thought I’d write.
I would love to oblige, but since Gazpacho and the dinosaurs lived in different eras, I have no idea what that could possibly look like. None at all. So instead I offer up a drawing of a bug riding a slug. Enjoy!
I saw Chronicle last night and can’t get it out of my head. It’s really worth seeing, especially if you’re a fan of superhero stories. They basically made a modern version of Akira, without the political parts or the creepy old-people kids.
This is an idea I had for a teaser poster. It’s a real quick comp, but I wanted to hint at the darker side of the story.
