A Simple Animation by Russ Cox

For this week, I thought I would show some steps for a simple animation that I did for American Greetings. The animated piece was used for their online ecards so we kept the color to a minimum and the overall look very simple to keep the loading time down. The first step is that I was sent a script to work from. After reviewing the script, I did a storyboard where I broke down the story into visual segments with notes on transitions.

Once the storyboard was approved, I brought the storyboard into Illustrator. Most people will draw directly in Flash but I find the drawing tools a bit clumsy. The latest version of Flash is much nicer so I will have to try it out. I used the storyboard as a template so I drew on top of it multiple layers so I can break down the movable parts into individual pieces.

Once the characters and support elements were completed, I imported them into Flash where they were organized into folders according to the character. I then began building the animation from the first scene. Since this was going to be used on the web and in emails, I kept the frame rate at 12 fps for faster loading times. Each movement and character was placed on its own timeline. This allows for easier editing. Some movements were their own smaller animations that were then placed on the timeline. This keeps the complexity down and allows looping of movements like blinking of the eyes. Flash can be a bit wonky so as I get major elements animated, I saved the file in steps. There have been a few times that Flash will just shut down or not open a file so it is good to have a previous version as a backup.

Once the client was happy with the animation, I sent them the final Flash file so they could drop it into their template and add their back end programming (ActionScript) so it would interact with their website and ecard downloads. This is the final file.

I hope to have some new Painter samples for next month. Check in next week for Debbie's blog contribution.

Email us or send us a Facebook message if you would like us to send you our very first Pixel Shavings postcard.

smilingotis.com

http://smilingotis.blogspot.com/

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Progression of Character by Hazel Mitchell

Welcome to April! It's my turn to GLOG this week and I have had an exciting week.

First 'How to Talk to an Autistic Kid' by Daniel Stefanski, illustrated by me and published by Freespirit Publishing, went on sale this week. It's a fun book with a serious message. The author is a 14 year old autistic boy and in the book he shares what it's like to deal with people who are unsure how to talk to someone with Autism. Whether you are in contact with someone who is Autistic, or know someone who is, this is an informative and sometimes humorous book. It would also make a great gift for a school or library!

Learn more about the book on Amazon

It was also really cool as I got to do the lettering for the cover and chapter titles too.

Second - I just got back from the Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program (my mentor was illustrator (and National Illustration Co-ordinator for SCBWI) Priscilla Burris. I have been working with her for 6 months. It has been awesome and if your an illustrator or writer I recommend you check out the next program. Also check out my Facebook page/blog for more information.

So! Here are some of the sketches of the progression of the character drawings for Daniel in the book ...

 

 Here's where we started ...

 Tried it with grayscale tints ....

 

 Then we tried a more sketchy outline and realistic look.

Hmm. It wasn't working, so Steven Hauge (art director) asked me to make him much more simplified and cartoony. I also made his limbs and neck thinner and his head slightly larger to make him look a little younger. I used a felt tip brush pen. Then scanned in the drawing and tinted in photoshop.

 We were almost there ... but the hair looked too much like a helmet ...

 So I tried some different styles, and bingo, we had a personality! Number 2 was what we went with.

 Here's the finished look. The illustrations throughout were tinted grayscale and teal as a spot colour. Overall it gives the book a retro feel that is easy on the eye.

It was great fun and a pleasure to work with Daniel Stefanski and Free Spirit Publishing.

 OH! One last shout out! PIXEL SHAVINGS artists sent out their first group postcard mailing this week.

If you would like one or would like to be added to our mailing list please contact us.

Cheers!

Hazel Mitchell

Thanks for visiting Pixel Shavings this week.

Find more of my work online at

hazelmitchell.com or email me at hazel-mitchell@hotmail.com

STRIKE! by Sheralyn Barnes

I've drawn yet another sheep this week. It seems that most every posting I've done here lately has sheep. I do draw other things...it's just been a bit of a labor of love with the little guys lately.

I love my characters, but lately I've been taking note that they tend to be a lot like me.... a bit passive and reserved...even when they are getting into trouble. They don't tend to overreact or have emotional outbursts. So, I've decided it's time to really study the fine art of character design, with hopes that I can learn to give my guys a bit more of a voice and an attitude if the right situation should arise. At least then they might be prepared. And who knows, maybe if I can teach them how to be excited and ready to dance at the drop of a hat, maybe, just maybe, I'll follow suit!

So here is my first attempt. I decided to challenge myself to try to draw a character simply, with no shading and just lines to show action and emotion. I still have a ways to go before they are dancing on the tables, but bowling seemed like a decent start. I was trying to draw on some form of excitability from my own past. Being a kid who enjoyed long walks in the rain, drawing, watching my fish, and reading, there was not a lot personal action-packed experience to draw on. However, I used to bowl on the Saturday morning kids bowling league (mainly so I could eat pizza at 10 in the morning). By twelve-year-old standards, I was a pretty good bowler. In fact, put me in a bowling lane or in a good game of table top air hockey and I can still get a bit competitive and have even been known to “whoo whoo” and cuss here and there.

Anyway...it's a start. Maybe I'll have them dancing soon! 

 Thanks so much for checking in!

www.sheralynbarnes.com

Characters! by Fred Koehler

So... my 3-year-old daughter asked me to tell her a story last month and we spent the next hour rolling out a wonderful yarn about giants at the grocery store. The concept was simple, the story was sweet, and I was inspired, so I wrote it. I was hoping to have the finished concept illustration to share today, but I'm not quite ready to let it out the door. I will, however, share a little of my process in developing two of the characters for this story - giants named Puck and Pickle.

I started with really simple sketches - size, blocking, how they filled the space.

From there, I roughed out a concept.

Next came some color for the rough sketch.

Then I went back and studied the characters. Lots of sketches - some good, some terrible - all compared side by side. In this case, I wanted one with hair and one bald.

 I really did like the red-head, but in the end he didn't make the cut. 

Meet Puck and Pickle, or at least something pretty close to final concepts!

-Fred Koehler

fred @ somelikeitsmart.com

almostgiant.com

Japan Earthquake Survivor: iPad Sketch Process - by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

I do a lot of sketching on my iPad (no, I don't have an iPad 2 yet) and I thought I'd share the process for those interested.

As I've mentioned before, I do daily sketches; it's the equivalent of my morning cup of coffee in terms of drawing creativity. Today's sketch was inspired by the recent tragic events in Japan. My family has many relatives and friends in Japan, including Sendai, and we've been worried about them all.

Just found out yesterday morning that my friend and her young daughter in Sendai are fine, which is a huge relief. Their building is damaged and they have no water or gas, but they do have electricity. My heart goes out to those who are still waiting to find out if their loved ones are all right.

I created today's daily sketch on my iPad using Autodesk's Sketchbook Pro app and a PenGo stylus. I took some screenshots along the way. As you can tell from the screenshot above, I don't tend to do much sketching before my sketches. ;-)

On the iPad, however, I usually start with a basic shape outline to help me properly place my sketch, else I might end up running out of room -- and on the iPad, there isn't a drawing app yet that will allow me to add pixels.

I like the fact that you can create layers in the Sketchbook Pro app. I generally my sketches with the ink outline first, then add color in other layers.

I fiddle with the opacity of some layers:

And I use different brushes to add textures:

I can use the pinch/zoom gesture to work on individual bits of the drawing up close:

Because there are very limited number of layers permitted in Sketchbook pro, I also keep merging layers so I can create new ones:

If I wasn't constantly taking screen shots for this post, the sketch would probably have taken me about 15 minutes. I added the small figure on the right side of the sketch at the last minute because I found the drawing too static/boring. Adding the little figure immediately creates an underlying story, making the viewer ask more questions about what's going on.

I've always liked trying to build in some kind of story in every drawing, even if it's just one of my daily doodles.

The final sketch is above. If I was going to turn this into a "real" drawing, I'd lighten up the colors a ton (it's way too dark right now) and make the sky textures more varied, maybe add some moody clouds.

Anyway, I hope this inspires some of you iPad owners to do more drawing using your device!

-- Debbie Ridpath Ohi
(@iPadGirl and @inkyelbows on Twitter)

Dancing In Painter - Russ Cox

© 2011 Russ Cox |Smiling Otis Studio

This past weekend, I decided to dive into Painter and begin learning how to use it. The above artwork was my first piece using the software. I am going for a more natural style with the illustration. The line work is looser and closer to my sketches. I also want more textures in the final art. Some have told me it is more kid friendly with its looseness and overall feel. You can see the process on my blog. I am excited about the direction my style is going and cannot wait to do more.

smilingotis.com

http://smilingotis.blogspot.com/

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Lost and Found - Hazel Mitchell

I have been concentrating lately on getting more emotion into my illustrations, enhanced by mood and lighting. I have also trying out a looser style, working to get the drawing down in the first try to keep the spontaneity of line and thought.

So this piece is pencil with minimal colouring in photoshop.

And this is the original sketch.

Below is a sketch with a more light-hearted feeling. Perhaps suitable for a magazine.

 

I finished this one in hand dipping ink pen and tinted in Photoshop.

Right now I am working on a book for Charlesbridge Publishing called 'Hidden New Jersey' and chapter book illustrations for Kane and Miller Publishing. 

Looking forward to sharing those with you in the future here on Pixel Shavings!

See more of my illustrations on Facebook 

at 

Hazel Mitchell Sketchbook

or

hazelmitchell.com