Concept Art Among Other Things

Again, sorry for the lack of posting.  I have been busy with a few things.

First, Thor Media's new live wallpaper has been delayed for a couple weeks, so I have been working around that.  Also, I have picked up a smaller VFX job.  Just some small tracking and green screen work, which I will post a little later on.

But, in between things I have been able to tidy up the script for our up coming game, and work on some concept art.

I decided to tackle some of the environments first.  There are good reasons to do this from a production stand point, but the main reason why I started painting environments is because I have very little experience in painting imagined environments.  Especially long shots of out door environments.  So, to see where I stand on that skill-wise I did a few paintings of some environments in the game.

And, to give myself a little critique, I have a long way to go.  I think the lighting in the painting with the sunset is good, but it struggles because there really isn't anything special about it.  I know when designing for video games, the worlds are very, very small, compared to the real world.  So to liven up these imaginary worlds, they need to have things exaggerated, things that stand out.  In fact from what I know, it is very similar to character design.

Then the Mountain Slope painting lacks depth.  I was trying to go for a more diffused lighting, but there is obviously much to learn before I can pull it off.  Direct lighting seems to be easier to work with right now.

I did record one of the paintings, I hope you enjoy.  Let me know what you think, or if you might have some good references for me to look at.  There will be allot of learning in the next couple months on the this project.

And speaking of learning.  I just got an awesome new art book.  It's called " The Art of Journey".  It includes a ton of the production art.  From doodles to finished concept art.  And what amazes me is that most of the art was done by one person.  It gives me allot of hope in this project we have just started.  I am thinking about using the book as a model for the kind of process I should go through to produce the art for this game.

Templar Nation | Wrap Up

This post has been waiting in the cellar for a long time to come out.  And I am glad to finally be able to talk about this production.

I have posted about Templar Nation a few times before.  But here is a run down of the project if you don't want to spend the time reading earlier posts.

Around December 2011 Thor Media LLC was approached by Joseph James Films to handle the CG and some camera work for their next movie.  Called Templar Nation.  A film that runs in the same vein as Indiana Jones with a mix of Nation Treasure.

Our company was, and still is, new to producing good CG.  In this case environments.  But we jumped on the ball and started to learn about motion tracking/mach moving and proper green screen practices.  Its funny how these thing work out.

(Unfortunately, because of bad planning, we had too small of a green screen studio to work with.)

Right when we needed the ability to do 3D tracking, Blender had just been making updates in that direction.  Which is something that I am really thankful for, as I have gained quite a liking to the process of match moving.

The film went into full production about mid-January, and finished filming two weeks later.  Jacob, Bryce, and I was responsible for recording information for match moving, and making sure that the green screen and match moving work was done right, on set.  We ran into a slew of problems with this, which I will get into later.

(I got to do some character design!)

Bryce, Jacob, and I were very much involved with post-production, as you might have already guessed.   But due to lack of budget Bryce and I had to stop working on post production work.  This was due to poor pre-production, since most of the design work for CG sets, props, etc., was done in post production.  Reducing the amount of time we could actually work on tracking and compostiting.

But regardless of us being involved with pre-production, Jacob continued on, and a final product will be sold to another studio in the near future.

But before I get into the the great things that came out of the project, I would like to talk about some of the road bumps we had during production.

The first thing I learned was, pre-production is a must.  Not just for getting a script together, finding locations, finding actors, finding sponsors, etc.  But also for CG work.  Something we did not have the time or money for, was a storyboard for the CG scenes.  Storyboards are essential for CG sequences for various reasons.

 First, it will save time in the long run. There is a big difference between going onto a green screen set with a physical picture in your hand of what the shot will look like, and going on set with no idea of what the final shot will look like.  The actors and director will obviously have a better idea of what the characters are interacting with.  Lighting the scene is actually doable because you have an idea of what the final shot will look like.  It is hard to grasp correct lighting when all that you are looking at are green walls.

Another good reason for doing a CG storyboard is that it can help the artist or designer image what should be in the shot.  For example.  The artist is thinking about adding a balcony to the side of a CG building in a outdoor party scene.  If the artist doesn't know what the shots are, how can he/she know if they will need to design and create a balcony for the building.  If you are going to have a balcony in the back ground, should certain details be added to it, like a group of people having a conversation on the balcony.

My point is, is without a storyboard there will be no way to consider certain details that cannot be thought of during shooting.  It saves time, money, and headaches for all those involved.

This really was the one thing that made the production very difficult for most of those involved.  And because of it, this has become one of my requirements before becoming heavily involved in a large production again.

As you have probably already seen, we worked on everything from full CG environments to props.  So overall it was a great learning process that provided some things that we can show off.

Now there are a whole bunch of things I could continue rambling on about this production, but I won't.  I am willing to answer any questions you many have, in the comments.

To close this whole thing up in my mind, I would like to thank Bryce and Jacob with all of their help on the CG end of things.  And besides listening to me complain allot, Jacob did the bulk of composting, while Bryce helped me with allot of the design work on the 3D environments.

Without their help we wouldn't have been able to get out what we did.

We hope, if the movie sells, they will want Thor Media to do another pass on the CG.  Because of budget and time, there were allot of sacrifices made to quality.  And it would be great for our portfolio, to go through and polish what we have.  I'm crossing my fingers.

Now, What Do You Use To Sketch?

Its always good to think about how we do things. Giving a little self-assessment can help us grow faster than we were before, and help us do our work more effectively, especially on how to sketch. So I thought I would present you all with my sketching structure. What I use and how I sketch currently. I will cover both my digital and real mediums. And I will provide a short list of things to consider when buying art supplies, and how to prepare to sketch.

I hope I can spur up some thought, on your end, that might help or encourage the way you do things.  And, sorry to disappoint, but this is not about how I sketch, or my process of sketching.  But what I will be talking about will get you started, and help you get settled in a way of sketching.

This is certainly not one of my usual, shorter posts, so take it in small chunks, and absorb it the best you can.  I tried to be as to the point, as much as possible, without leaving out things that I think might help others in their sketching processes.



When it comes to drawing a sketch, my habits and process are constantly changing. This is my nature, as I am trying to improve my methods and discover new tricks and tips. Also, what I use and how I sketch are often influenced by what I am currently studying.

For example. If you are focusing on gesture drawing, you might not need much more than a 8" x 10" sketchbook and a pencil. The pencil doesn't really need an eraser in this case. Since you are probably trying to capture a gesture in a few seconds or less, and being outside, drawing people, there is usually no time to erase.

But in contrast. If you are doing charcoal/graphite portraits, you will most likely have both a small and large format sketchbook, blending stub, several different pencils or charcoal sticks, kneed eraser, etc...

And there will be times where all you need is an Etch a Sketch.

What I am getting at, is this post is just to show how I go about sketching, currently. And my methods change constantly. Gotta stay fresh.

When I was Your Age... When I started seriously drawing and sketching, about 13 or 14 years ago, all I had was print paper and a pencil. I really had no comprehension of what kind of tools were available to artists, and really just found what I could around the house. This habit has stuck with me. Having loose sheets for sketching is not always the best way. Simply because you might lose that sketch and it isn't the most convenient outside. But I have found that paper protectors, a binder and a little bit of effort will keep you from losing your sketches. I have always liked the feeling of loose sheets, it makes the sketch feel like something that could be framed, if need be. It also makes storage easier. The other reason I prefer this method is because you don't have rings or the binding of a book to hinder the movement of your hand or arm.  A problem that I am plagued with when using smaller sketchbooks. Some things to keep in mind when drawing on loose sheets. No commitment.  The sketch is loose, and you don't have to risk ruining a sketchbook removing a sketch you don't want. Make sure that the paper you are using is acid free.  Most print paper should be, but I have been surprised too many times not to give this warning. A clean surface to draw on.  I just bought a piece of sturdy particle board, which I happen to use to attach small water color projects to, as well.  Now I don't have to worry about the tably I am drawing on, being dirty, I brought my own table! Stick to standard paper sizes, like 8.5"x11".  Going any bigger can be difficult to store and protect.  They do make binders and paper protector sizes for bigger and smaller formats, but these will tend to be harder to find and a bit more expensive.

My Basics The picture, to the right, is my basic setup. For when I have some time set apart for sketching. This includes a 18"x24" sketchpad, a red lead pencil and a few other tools.  I will talk more about my tools in a moment. The reason I use a larger sketchpad is to practice using my shoulder more than my wrist. I have found, when I use a smaller sketch books, it is harder to use your shoulder. Simply because there is less room to make the larger movements of the shoulder. I also use a 24"x36" sketchpad for detailed portraits in charcoal and graphite.  This is something that most classes will require you to have.  And it does feel cool to be drawing that big anyways.  It is always a good investment, if your planning on taking smaller sketches and making them bigger, or you are drawing from life. As for brand or what kind of paper you want in a sketchbook. I don't know too much about those things. Only that there are differences in pricing.  I usually pick a mid priced sketchbook, because it seems if you invest a little bit more you get a better product. A fine tooth paper has worked for just about everything that I have done. But it will take a far more experienced person to explain the differences and the uses of the different paper weights available. Anyone who is reading this, if you have references or advice on this matter, please let us know.  A few things to keep in mind when you are buying a sketchbook/pad: Think of scale and detail. Obviously you will want your drawing to be a certain size. But also keep in mind, that the larger the paper the more detail you can include in your drawing. A smaller sketchbook only allows for so much detail. Pick your binding. There are hardcover, tape bound, and ring bound sketchbooks.   Hardcover is the most permanent, and will keep the pages from rubbing together. Protecting any graphite sketches you might have. But, depending on the size of the sketch book, it might be hard to get the pages to lay flat, if the binding is really tight or the book is too thick. Tape bound is similar to hardcover, but it often allows you to remove your sketches more easily.  Good for classes and if you need to present or store your sketches separately. Ring bound sketch books make the sketching experience more enjoyable.  Simply because the pages always lay flat, and your hand will never run into anything, on the top or side of the page, that is distracting.  But the pages do have some room to slide around.  If you have any unfixed graphite sketches, they will get smeared and basically ruined. Think about how you are going to store you sketchbooks after they are used.  If your going to throw away all your hard work, don't worry about it, but larger sketchpads can be difficult to protect.  Buying a similar size portfolio case is a good option but not always the best.  I have found the plastic storage containers are better (And cheaper).  They are ridged and mostly waterproof.  Truly protecting your larger sketchbooks. Here is a simple list of some sketchbooks and their differences.

Tools for the Job There are hundreds, if not thousands, of different tools an artist can buy. So the question you have to ask yourself. What do I want to do? If you are planning on sketching, a few different pencils and pens will usually do the job.  Refer to the picture to get a look at my arsenal. Not very complicated huh.  In most cases, it doesn't need to be.  I always tell myself when I am at the store looking at art supplies, it isn't the tool, but the person who is using the tool that makes the difference.  This goes for just about any medium in any situation.  Now, I know that this little piece of advice doesn't necessarily go for larger more serious projects and the materials you will use for them.  But for sketching, no need to get too expensive.  Its just practice. A small note about the red pencil in the picture.  If you have taken a 2D animation course, or read about the process of making 2D animation, you will know that they use different color pencils for various things.  It basically breaks the animation process down into visual steps.  To me, starting my sketches in red, tella me that this is not a final drawing, and changes can be made.  It also helps me not to worry about mistakes. Normal lead is stark.  If you lay down a line on a white piece of paper, that line will scream at you until you add some more lines.  One of the ways I avoid that feeling is by using a red pencil for my initial sketches.  Less intimidating than normal graphite. Another important tool for maintaining your artwork is a fixative.  This comes in an aerosol can, and is usually for charcoal, graphite, color pencil and pastel work.  You can also use hairspray to do the same thing.  But there are some things to take into consideration before you use hairspray.  Here will explain.

Digital Sketching | The future? Real mediums will never go our of style.  But if you have a little more money to spend, I highly suggest what I will talk about next. Portable devices are getting better, fast.  There have already been a few Windows slates that do very well at sketching.  But the one draw back that keeps most people from pursuing this kind of sketch book is the price tag.  Most, if not all of these tablets, are over $1000.  Placing these tablets a little too far out of an artist's modest budget. Even the iPad is still above the mark that many artists are willing to pay, mainly because of the cost of extra accessories to get it to a point where you can use it to sketch on. But recently, through the mercy of Android.  The clouds have parted and the price has dropped.  And, currently, there is one 10.1" tablet that is ideal for sketching.  The Lenovo Thinkpad 10.1" tablet. I won't get into a whole lot of details on this tablet.  But it does have pressure sensitivity, and with the Android Ice Cream Sandwich update, its pretty darn responsive as well.   And for a price tag under $300, it is hard to find anything out there comparable.  I'll post more about this, and other future tablets, another time. With this tablet I have pretty much replaced my smaller sketch books.  For sketching and even for starting out a larger project it does very well for me.  I have examples here.  I don't have a hard copy of my sketches, and sometimes battery life is a problem, but if you keep a good backup of your digital stuff, and keep the system off when you really don't need it, these problems are nullified. One more thing that puts this on the top for me.  I am usually carrying this tablet around for work.  So whenever I have a little bit of free time, I have no excuse but to draw. I also use it to do preliminary sketches when I am sitting and discussing things with clients. Then there is sketching with a tablet digitizer.  I currently have a Wacom Intuos 4 8"x5".  And I usually use this for sketches that I will be taking to a final product.  But there are times that I do sit down and sketch with it.  Something that I should probably do more often, since it is my primary medium right now. These can be pricey, depending on what brand you buy.  Wacom is top dog when it comes to these types of devices, but there are a few other companies the produce comparable tablets for less.  If you are doing any type of digital painting, a drawing tablet is a must.  And if you start getting really serious about it,  you will most likely end up with a Wacom Tablet. Here is an example of one of my sketches on this drawing tablet. And for anyone who is interested in what software I use.  Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Inkscape, The Gimp, Mypaint, Alchemy, Krita and Blender.    Any one of these programs can be used for sketching, to one extent or another.  I tend to lean towards all of the open source packages, because it makes me feel better inside, helping out those communities.  But the Adobe products have many things that open source is catching up to.  If you going to be sketching digitally  though, there is no reason to drop a few hundred dollars into a professional package.  Its just practice, right? Conclusion Sketching is such an organic process.  Both how and what you sketch with can, and probably should, change constantly.  If you are an aspiring artist, strive to be a sketch artist.  This will often be the basis of everything you produce.  And I hope that something in this article could help you something.  I know that just by writing this, I learned a few things about myself.  To teach is to learn. If you have any questions and comments, feel free to leave them.  I am not the most authoritative voice out there, but I will do the best I can to respond.

Alchemy and Frustration

A glimpse at one of my Alchemy brainstorms and then a bunch of unsuccessful sketches...




I was thinking about other artists that I know, and how we express our frustrations from time to time.  I don't want to spread the negativity around at all, but I thought I would post a little session from a few days ago.  I am not sure what was going on that evening, but I just couldn't get anything I liked out onto the canvas, and decided to bag it.  After an hours worth of research and sketching.

It just doesn't work out sometimes.  And what I usually have to do, when I run into "artist's block" is just drop what I am doing and do something completely unrelated.  (Read a book, video games, talk to friends, etc...).  But just so you all know, I deal with this allot.  And, I would like to leave you with a word of advice.   Don't get frustrated, stick it out, it will pass.  And when it does finally work, it will feel that much better.

manys manys delay

How bout games? This is kinda old news now but I still think it is cool. Team Ico has posted an interesting image which might be about their next game. If you haven't had the chance to play any of their games I suggest you go out get a playstation 2 and get the games and play them. The two games are first Ico and second Shadow of the Colossus. Just the shear artistic detail and beauty is enough to play it. Ico is a little puzzle adventure game. But the visuals and the kinda weird story just draws a gamer in. If you can find a copy its about a six hour game (on average). But well worth the time. The second game doesn't have any real solid connection to the first game except for its very aesthetic visual beauty. The game play is like Zelda on steroids. (I will explain it the best I can. It's very hard to do it justice with just words.) Take the boss battles in Zelda 64, taking out all the puzzles and dorky little enemies, and give yourself the ability to crawl on these huge bosses. It is a game that I have no regrets playing a couple times through.

Another thing that I have been playing is Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core. It was ok. After playing the original game so many times it feels like step down on every prequel and sequel that they have made under the FF7 title. And being so fond of the original story, it almost hurts knowing that some of the original events were changed from the original story. (The part where Sephiroth goes crazy. Of course someone could argue that what happened in Crisis Core is what really happened because it is seen the Zack's eyes. And that Clouds idea of those events where changed because he didn't actually experience everything that Zack did.) But if that were the case they never explained it. But I have to keep an open mind and realize that the original story's past was really left open to speculation. But other than story the voice acting could have really used a shot in the arm, and the corny dialog doesn't help with this either. But all in all it did fill in alot of gaps that were present, and HEY! it's Final Fantasy VII.

While we are talking about Final Fantasy, I excited about Final Fantasy XIII. Visually it looks amazing, but that is just expected coming from the PS3. But the main character is intriguing. Yes she is female, that is a plus, but the fact that she is somewhat modest is surprising. And cool as well. I am looking forward to this one for its visual quality and its game play. Which looks amazing as well.

Away from the games. Getting ready to finish my first year at UVU. Looking forward to it :) Been kinda slow. All of these Digital Media class are kinda lazy so I get alot of free time to draw. Which is something that I should be doing more of anyways. ITs just cool to sit down and almost everytime I draw I do something better. It seems like these days I am really paying closer attention to my progression. This is huge encouragment. I have also been studying anatomy a little too. This has really helped my figure drawing alot. Something I highly suggest for those who are even doing cartoon charcters. If you study anatomy the quality of your cartoons will greatly increase.

I am also getting ready for a mission something that I am reallly looking forward to. Alot of hard work but it will be worth it. Plus it will be kinda good to finally get away from school for a while. My Bro comes back in June and I am hoping to leave around august. Will see :)