Dino-mite

Who doesn't love cutie dinosaurs?! I sketched one and he just needed some friends.

Photoshop Landscape Sketch

I'm trying to find more diverse working methods in Photoshop. Here is a sketch I painted this week.

I particularly like sketching landscapes while on the road- you get 10-60 secs to see the view and it's all memory and design organizing from there.  Have a great day everybody.

A handful of bad bikers for Road Rage - character concepts

Here is a page of character designs from my sketch book. I sketched these guys a couple months ago and finally got around to painting them this week. It's a television series concept that follows a biker gangs on their road escapades. Of course each gang is full of steroid pumped stereotypes. Any favorites or suggestions for improving the gang?

A quick sketch

Aloha, here is a little shape experiment and quick digital paint, 1hr tops. Just having fun with the shape composition and some free brushes from Chris Oatley. Hope you all enjoy.

Life Happens.. breathe, then keep going

My apologies to those of you who have been waiting for my next post on this blog, which should have been just under 6 months ago. My "Spectacle" project got sidelined by some major life events- we sold our house and have moved twice in the past 5 months, I had a hernia surgery which floored me, and I've been moving forward with more animation school through Animation Mentor for the past 10 months, and I'll be switching employers in the next few weeks/months. Whew! Major life changes all for the better.

Thanks for the continued support from my great friends near & far. In the coming weeks you will see this site take on renewed life and see some of the work that I've been doing.

See you soon.

Process Blitz-Story Goals

May I introduce "Spectacle", the short story concept I'll be developing during the Process Blitz. Any comments or critiques are welcome.

Objectives
1-Theme in 3 words: Prejudice, Wonder, Friendship
2-Synopsis in 1 sentence: An eager boy, although blinded by others prejudices, finds an unexpected friend in a traveling circus.
Synopsis in 3 sentences: Curious boys await the arrival of circus oddities. A frenzy of fear and prejuduce leaves one boy blind to the dazzling show. A peculiar friend help the boy see clearer than ever.
Synopsis in 3 paragraphs: When a circus poster appears in a 1880's town, curiosity runs wild in the imagination of 4 young boys. Each conjures up a fearsome and fabulous spectacle. Fables and fabrications about the circus beasts feed the curiosity of one boy and plant seeds of prejudices in the other boys. Interest circles around Jumbo, a bizarre mammoth creature that Barnum & Bailey are debuting. A twisted curiosity draws the boys to the show.

At the show the boys both jeer and cheer extraordinary feats, modern technologies. As Jumbo is announced reactions ripple through the crowd, in the commotion one of the boy's glasses falls into the performing ring. The boy is left blind as Jumbo emerges to a mixed chorus of cheers, screams, jeers, and applause.

Straining to see and trying to gauge the crowd, the boy is frozen with fear when a trumpeting blast sounds next to him. Apprehension settles when the glasses are delivered in the trunk of an elephant. The boy sees past the odd exterior to the gentle giant's heart. He utters his amazement and embraces the trunk. End

3-Primary Characters: Boy, Jumbo, Friends (representing Fear, Ignorance, & Disgust). Secondary Character: Ringmaster
4-Character Map:

Process Blitz:Story

Aloha & welcome to The Process Blitz where I'll be tackling a short story from concept to content in 30 days. I'll be sharing my own goals, process, resources, and insights for preparing material that is "pitch ready" for a animated short film/picture book.

Establishing appropriate material for short story formats where brevity and clarity are vital is real work. Each word & second is valuable; every moment should further the theme and progress the narrative. The primary rule is K.I.S.S. or Keep it simple stupid! Some ideas are not suited to become short stories; Lord of the Rings for example, with its weaving multi-character plots and world spanning travels could never be crammed into a 32pg picture book or a 5 minute movie.

A good short story must have 1 or 2 central characters that the audience relates to, a problem, and a solution that tells us more about the central character(s). The problem and it's solution help make up the story's theme or central message. All other characters, settings, and events should support the theme and enhance the telling of the story.

Eliminating other issues helps clarify the theme and focus a viewer's attention to the important. This means that many great ideas will end-up on the chopping block; it's OK. Those unused ideas may be seeds for other wonderful projects.

The following goals will help refine the direction of a story and create a solid framework for the rest of the development.

Goals:
Timeline (3 days)
1-Establish the theme in 3 words (adjectives, emotions)
2-Synopsis of plot in 1 sentence, 3 sentences, 3 paragraphs (subject, problem, soution. Consider visually based actions that support theme)
3-Establish principle characters (If more than 5, consider simplifying)
4-Develop character map (motives & relationships, obstacles & solutions)

Resources for writing short films or picture books (please send me your favorites as well):
www.johnaugust.com
(Index card method) (Writing a scene) (How I Write Series: Jessica Bendinger)

www.bethanyroberts.com
(Picture Book Writing Tips)

www.write101.com
(Writing for Children's Books) (plotting for children's books)

johnkstuff.blogspot.com
Writing for Cartoons Series (Dialogue 1& 2)

The Purple Crayon (picture book writing resources)

Process Blitz starting Feb 15th

How do I take the great idea that's been sitting in my brain and get it out onto the paper/screen?

How can I balance personal projects I'd love to do with the insanity of everyday life (I have 3 kids, work full time, and I am in the middle of moving while learning Maya with Animation Mentor)?

The Process Blitz which begins Feb 15th will outline and present the process of developing a story & characters in 30 days to make it "pitch ready". I'll chronicle the process of developing one of my own ideas with pics, resources, links and words of wisdom from others who have made it happen.

What are your ideas that are aching to get out? Bring your own ideas to the table and together we'll develop them in 30 days starting on the 15th.