.... and the tutoring begins!

So, yesterday I had my very first lesson with Stephen (read this post if your not up to date), and I am still digesting it.
The lesson consisted mainly on reviewing the two exercises that he had give me to do previous to the beginning of the programme (if you're morbidly curious, you can find them here). It was amazing to go through them and seeing them in a totally different light, all the little details like the lack of overlap on the arms as the character touches the ground, and slight changes in the pose just to give it a bit more oomph. Now I look at it and think, how the hell did I miss it? But, hey for some reason I'm the one doing the programme and he's the one giving it!
We also talked about the graph editor and the way he uses to give that extra smoothness to his work. Stephen mentioned a really cool tutorial by Victor Navone which, in a way, gives us an insight into the way that they deal with the dreaded splines.
As homework (for no lesson can end without it) I was given a gear change exercise, short and sweet, so that we can concentrate on something that I feel I really lack... polish! Aaaah that fantastic and mind bending Pixar sheen!
I'm really excited about the weeks to come!!
I've already started on this new exercise and I'll post something about it as soon as possible.

finished

So here it is, the finished product!! Tah dah!!
I'm glad that I finished this... I was getting quite depressed from listening to her day after day after day...
Hope that you'll like it!

Onto a different subject... I should have mentioned this by now especially as I did found out about it almost a month ago, but my brain has been slowly processing the idea, because it still hasn't exactly sinked it... Nope, I still think that I dreamt about it and that I am going to be really disappointed come november 1st.
You see, I am one of the five lucky people that were selected for the professional animation tutoring program created by none other than Stephen Gregory!!! hurrah!
Ok, ok, so you're not an animation person and you are reading this just because, for some bizarre reason you find my blog amusing, just click on his name and you will find out why I am so excited!!

silly little thing

Just a silly little model that I just finished for an animation exercise with Nani, hopefully I will post it here pretty soon! It isn't that special but, I'm really pleased with it. As people used to say "simple things please simple minds" ;oP

presenting MiauMau

Hello everyone!
Here's a few drawings from my latest pet project... It is a bit of a "self-portrait", in a certain way it is more of a alter-ego, pretty much like Clark Kent and Superman. Basically if I put a pair of glasses on and change my hairdo, I should look something like these pictures!!
Scary!
Ok, enough silliness. These drawings represent the 6 basic facial expressions: Happiness, Hanger, Disgust, Surprise, Sadness and Fear, they also include the basic phonemes* that are used to do lip sync in 3d.
Hopefully, I will be able to show you the full 3d model pretty soon. Right now, Miaumau is still under construction and with the help of my bear and MacGio (a friend of ours, check out his website), this little kitty will finally see the light of day.

*Here's a little something something for you guys out there who either want to learn a bit more about 3d character animation...
If you have looked through several book about 3d animation you will find that they tend to use more phonetic blendshapes than the ones that I mention in this post. I tend find those unnecessary, they just seem to confuse me even more, and to be honest (in my point of view) don't really help when I'm trying to do lip sync, especially if I have to do it quickly.
It is better to keep it simple!
As Robert Browning used to say, "Less is more"