Holiday Sketches

I know this is ostensibly a sketch blog. I thought I'd post some actual sketchbook pages, you know, to keep up appearances. This is how we spent our holiday yesterday. Can't think of a better way to spend a day off.

What do you guys do on your day off?

Recent Sketches

Some recent watercolor sketches.  I've been going out during lunch to draw--sometimes with my pal Ovi, sometimes by myself.

Airport Sketches

A little while ago, I flew up to Portland. I don't get to fly without my family very often, so I took the opportunity to do a lot of sketching at the airport.  I love all the cool stuff you see at airports.  The tarmac is full of vehicles that I have no idea what they're even for--so fun to draw.

Also, I'm in love with the Lamy Safari, a basic but really cool pen.

Sketches are done with fountain pen on color copy paper, in my hand made found-materials sketchbook.

Slideshow version HERE.

Warm Ups

I've been doing some sketchbook doodling to warm up at work these days.  Some of my favorite paper to draw on is BIG PAPER (of any variety).  Recently I pulled out an old unfinished sketchbook to fill up the last half.  I'm reducing, reusing, and recycling.  The paper is a no-frills Windpower Sketch book from Strathmore--it's not fancy, but it is big (14.75"X17").  And it's made with 100% windpower from 30% post consumer fiber, so that's pretty good too, I guess (if you like numbers).

A few years ago I was lucky enough to stumble upon a great book collection while helping a friend clean out a storage space, and he let me keep it!  Back in the early 1960s, Life Magazine published a series called the World Library with volumes covering a number of countries and regions around the world.  I love looking at old photos, especially of countries that are foreign to me--it makes for really cool reference.  The two images above are from photos in the volume covering the Balkans.

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And about CTN, I'm excited to see you folks there.  I won't have a booth, but I will be wandering the floor.  It will be cool to meet you people whose work I've been admiring from afar!

Brainstorm Sketch: the story room

So, this is what the inside of our story room looks like (I'm nearing the end of a Cachet landscape sketchbook, which I love for looooong drawings like this one).

I've been fortunate to be on the story team of a movie called Me and My Shadow at work for the last several months (and hopefully more to come). It's a great opportunity to work with fabulously talented people, and I've been learning a lot from them: Shane Prigmore (not pictured here, since he was sitting behind me to the left), Dave Pimentel, Ben Balistreri, Elaine Bogan, and our director Mark Dindal. Also in this sketch--Scott Sakamoto and Nick Fletcher.

More sketches and comics to come soon.

Zoo Sketches

Finally got to get out and do some sketching in the bright sunshine! Yesterday I went to the zoo with friend and coworker Dave Derrick who teaches an animal drawing class here at DreamWorks. It's extra fun to go with Dave because he's super knowledgeable about all sorts of animals--it felt like having the director's commentary playing while watching a favorite movie.
Saw a magnificent Asian bull elephant, some chimpanzees, a couple of gorillas, and even a Cecil.

Friday Bonus Sketch!

Warm-down sketch.

Weekend responsibly, everyone!

Characters

It has been many moons since a real post--for this I apologize. Our family has been very busy fighting a life or death battle (more on this later).
In big news, we've made a major life change, moving from our home in Utah to California. I get to draw cartoons all day at work and we're a heck of a lot closer to the beach, so it's basically a win-win.
Below are some characters from recent sketch adventures. It's always fun to go to new places and see new faces. Hopefully we'll finish moving in soon, so I can get back to a regular posting schedule.

Dudes from church. Yes, that guy's name is seriously Ziff.
To me, nothing says "super powers" more than an onomatopoetic name.

My pal and coworker, one Matthew Braly.

Other partners in crime: John Sanford (our fearless leader)
and Javier Recio Gracia

A dude I spied at a recent Ray Harryhausen exhibit.
Just the sort of guy you might expect to find frequenting a
Ray Harryhausen exhibit.

Some dudette I saw cruising the hallways at work;
her origin remains largely a mystery.

Inspire Days at Disney Animation Studios

Some fellow BYU students and I had the opportunity last week to attend the Inspire Days event at Walt Disney Animation Studios. We got to tour the studios, sit in on panels and lectures, and have one-on-one portfolio reviews. Below, some sketches to document the trip:


Pictured above: some dudes at Disney (and some dudes not)...
(Clockwise from top left) Bruce Smith, superstar Disney Animator; Maurice Sendak, not currently at Disney; Bill Perkins, Designer; Paul Briggs, afraid of physical exhertion; Steve Hickner, looking like Gilbert Gottfried; Bill Caparella, clearly a distant cousin of Vincent Price; and Brigham Taylor with his doppelganger.


Spaceman doodles, cowboy doodles, girls with guns doodles.


We stayed at the Marriott hotel across from the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank; I took the opportunity to draw things that I don't usually get to see living in Utah...like espresso makers.

Testing...

Just trying a few things out.

Autumn

Colored pencils on paper.

Everything is an Experiment

Dear Everyone,
Please pardon the paucity of postings in the recent past. I've been busy with work and animating (but mostly work)--which is good, because I'm trying to make sure I don't have to work during the school year.
I notice it's been about a month since I posted last, so I'm posting highlights from last month's sketchbookery. Think of it as an apology with a gift. Can we kiss and make up?
(In lieu of posting a million individual images, I've put a lot of little sketches into larger compositions--just click on any of the images below to magnify and get a better look.)
Thanks for stopping by!

Sketch-o-rama: commemorating the recent death of my last sketchbook

It's been a busy several weeks, but here's what I've been up to (amongst other things like school and work).

Some 20 second gestures from around campus.



A meditative tree.

A lonely dude on a bus to nowhere.

Some cool dudes at church.

People in the animation program at BYU (and some made up stuff).

Dudettes blowing kisses to themselves in a headwind.

A dude blowing as though his life depended on it (he was being chased by a shark that was afraid of trumpet sounds).

Dudes who aren't even afraid of sharks.

Ragtime dudes.

And Fergal Reilly, who is the head of story from Sony. He came to visit our school--it was groovy to hear him talk about telling compelling stories. Here he is pictured with some birds that also attended the lecture.

Sick Day

Okay, so I was sick this morning. So sick that I didn't go to school--and not "sick" like when I didn't want to go to elementary school (or high school, for that matter). This was real sick--like, "I skipped out on my figure drawing class" sick. But being stuck at home doesn't mean I can't have a sketch adventure, it just means I got to spend all day with my cute baby and beautiful wife, which made an otherwise rotten day pretty great!