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.

Some Changes

I decided to make some changes to the layout of my blog and portfolio. I simplified the layout by removing the all the side bar stuff. The only thing that I really like about it were the label options, which would allow people to easily see certain posts in specific groups. (I might re-add the label options in the future, but I want to feel what it is like with out it for a while).

Also, if you haven't noticed I moved my blog to my actual domain name. If you use williamthorup.blogspot.com to get here, it should still work. But I recommend using this link from now on. http://www.williamthorup.com .

And a few updates on future posts.

I still want to do some recordings of my Lenovo tablet for anyone interested in getting one for a digital sketchbook. I just have to say that I am really enjoying mine, and for $300, it is a price that is very hard to beat. I will be going over some of the pro's and con's of the tablet, in relation to an artist, that I have noticed over the last month or so.

Another quick note about the tablet, I predict that the price of the tablet will drop considerably in the near future, because of the the new 10.1 inch Samsung Galaxy note. It will basically be the only other 10.1 inch portible digital drawing/painting solution for artists, and it should perform allot better than the Lenovo, because of the built-in Wacom technology. But with that being said, from what I have read the starting price is going to be about $550. So, while waiting for that price to drop, I still think the Lenovo Thinkpad tablet makes a great alternative for digital sketching. Anyways, more on that when I actually get around to recording those videos.

I will be posting about the third Android app that Thor Media LLC has just released. Just as soon as we get a walk-through video put together for it. If you want to check it now, we have a FREE and a PAID version. It really is awesome.

And of course, I have other paintings, commercials and other small things I am working on, that I will definitely post about.  Also, the work on Templar Nation should be coming to a close soon, this will enable me to post allot of the work I did for that film.  Some 3D and 2D stuff.

I want to say thank you to everyone who supports me by just coming by and enjoying my art and everything else I post about. Its good to see.

Adobe Photoshop Touch - Sketch and Review

I have been trying out different drawing applications on my Thinkpad.  Seeing what does what, and I thought that I should try Adobe Photoshop Touch and let you all know what I think so far.

(Done in Adobe Photoshop Touch on a Lenono Thinkpad 10.1 Tablet with stylus)

I will start with the only function that effects the usually digital painting workflow that I am used to.  Lack of any varity of brushes.  Your left with the basic round brush.  Granted, I use this this kind of brush often, it would be nice to have a pallet knife brush or something of the sort to bring a little variety to edge and texture.  But there is a reason why it is called "Photo"shop, and I understand it isn't geared to artists like Sketch Book Pro is.  As many photographers have no need for different brushes.

But, with that being said, I am sure they will probably introduce a way to import .abr files in the future. Or at least provide a basic variety of brushes to choose from, like Sketch Book Pro.

But for the positives, there are many.  First, the stylus is much more responsive.  I am guessing this is probably a software thing because, even though Sketch Book Pro responds well enough, Photoshop Touch seems to respond better.

The menus for layers tools and other options, are very thought out, and don't seem to slow my workflow down.  In contrast, I feel that the way Sketch Boo Pro handles menus seems to slow me down.  Photoshop Touch allows you to quickly hide individual menus independently.  So, if you aren't messing around with your layer dialog, but you need to be adjusting you brush options constantly, you can hide the layer bar while keeping the brush options open.  I was surprised how useful this function is.  Also, another little plus I enjoy is the full screen mode.  Makes it easy to show off your work with out all the little panels on side ruining the experience.

There are a variety of blending options for layers, as well as a way to apply effects (dodge/burn) to your brush.  Also, you are given filters (blur, sharpen and other more artistic filters)  along with a host of color adjustment options.  Options you would expect in a photo manipulation program.  And options I would use from time to time, especially the color adjustment options.

The selection tools are great, none of which I have seen in any other Android painting app.  And you can crop your image as a whole and rotate, scale and adjust layers.

In my opinion it is one of the best image minipulation apps on the market right now, but with a few downsides for artists.  One being the lack of multiple brush types.  Also, one other downside, I just thought, of is line smoothness.  I am not sure why, but when a line is drawn on the canvas it always comes out a little jittery, and I see this in other programs as well.  Sketch Book Pro compensates pretty good with a line smoothing option.  Photoshop Touch doesn't have this.  And like many other Android painting apps, the line never seems to come out quite the way you want it.  But it is something that I can adjust to, and for most artists it is definitely not a deal breaker.

But with those few drawbacks aside, it is still a very usable app for sketching and even more complacated pieces of art.

Again, I am planning on doing a few videos of both apps in action.  State tuned!