Personal Project: Napkin Sketching and Doodles Part XVIII-[18th]

 I've been on these little cabins and swamp houses lately, so I did the super high,  tall and thin proportioned concept last night. I tilted each level of the house to the emulate the back and fourth found in the human torso body mass and hips, this gave the home some 'life'. A pain to take up the groceries huh!

 As my Eastern European friend would say, a little "willage"[village]. This was to be the background behind the above sketch if I do this in 3D.

 Another mini [ 1" tall] robot sketch. I try to capture a felling in each little sketch I do. The goal is to get a personality with the least amount of work first. Details can always be added to any design, but the base comp must work.

I was explaining 'gelatinous' to my 6 year old referring to the character "Bob' in Monsters vs. Aliens, so later than night, I did a gelatinous armless puppy with a ball as seen here, ...yea I know...

Personal Project
Napkin Sketching and Doodles Part XVIII[18th]

 

 In this eighteenth installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do when I have a pen in hand, I have put up some more 2012 sketches that I have done this month.

These doodles are quick ideas usually 5-10 minutes from concept to final. I learned at A.C.C.D. in Viss-Com 7, my senior year to do these quick 2 minute, 3 minute and 5 minute sketch drills.

We would do these in Doug Halberts 7th term class for hours on end, and little did I know how valuable the exercise would be.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good full day detailed blue line sketch as evidenced on my blog here, but these little ones are so valuable to do FAST, it really sharpens your ability to make a fast design choice.

Keep on doodlin'!

You can view the other parts as follows:
PART I
PART II
PART III
PART IV
PART V
PART VI
PART VII
PART VIII
PART IX 

PART X
PART XI 

PART XII
PART XIII
PART XIV
PART XV 

PART XVI
PART XVII

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Lost Skull: PART III Mayan Calender stone Icon Build

 The final main Mayan Calender Icon I created in 3D for the Key Art presentations, as well as a MGFX piece is here above. The outer ring was taken directly from a Mayan calender stone we found while doing research.

 Here is the above object with the outer ring deleted. It is also in an animation sequence with the four separate rings both turning and moving back into the depth of the 3D space.

 This was one animated reveal we did with the light limited to the front face of the icon so the skull was easy to read and fade to black with just an edge lit circle ending the piece.

 Here is the geometry for the main logo, you will not that the outer ting required a bunch of polys to displace it properly, and the object was to export to two other platforms so I could not use a 'live' displace modifier, in needed to be baked in.[ 2 million faces!]

 A close up on that outer ring show the level of detail in the model I built.

 With the smooth tuned-OFF,  you can see the base mesh in quads I built for Indian Jones IV.

A Quad view of the Indian Jone four Mayan Calender model, with sub-division OFF[ turbo-smooth], and the parts exploded out to view them separately.

Project Review

 Indian Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
PART III Mayan Calender Stone Icon Build

Client: Paramount Pictures
Art Director[s]: Joseph Stamper.
Date: Spring 2007

This is third posting for the Key Art Design work I did for Indiana Jones four, The Kingdom of the Lost Skull, today I look closer at the Mayan Calender based Icon I built for the pitches.

This work was done for Joseph Stamper in the Design Print Division at The Cimarron Group. We wanted to create an Icon using a skull in both crystal[ as seen here], as well as include the Mayan Calender , a stone circle with the rings as separate carvings, so the icon could animate in and out of phase to show of , or 'reveal' the skull.

What is wonderful in 3D is the ability to light based on  a virtual distance from camera, or view, so I can set the light to just hit the face of the design, thus the skull is revealed via a lighting trick in Motion Graphics.

I created this Icon for Print, Living One Sheets, as well as AV and WEB, using a fully animated sequence. It was built all quads using the Power Boolean function from n-Power built into 3DSmax, and was textured in procedural textures using Simbiont and the Dark Tree programs.

You can view PART I here.

You can view PART II here with a detailed look at the DC-3 plane I built.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: The Phantom 2040: PART LXXXXIII[93rd]-Character Design Overlay

 A mini BIOT on treads: So I had a technique where I'd slide the original on the glass in the direction of the scan to 'scale' it down, to get the shorty look[ remember this is pre good Mac's+PC's in the bizz], and that was the underlay.

 I revised the tech attached to Dr Jak from Peter Chungs concepts to fit the look of the rest of the tech, and here is the detail sketches I produced.

 For the character Nia, I developed the costume all broken up and destroyed after battle with Graft[ .05mm pencil on velum.

 Here is a BIOT butler overlay.[ NOTE: The BIOT underneath is a very early Pre Production Model]

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXXII [93rd]

Character Design Overlay Drawings

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 93rd posting for my work done on the Television 2D Animated Series, The Phantom 2040 from in the early ninety's.

Today I have put up a few underlay drawing I have for various characters from the show. As the lead designer for the series I had a 1000's of items that needed to be designed for the 52 episodes that eventually aired, and the sheer volume of design was what drew me out of feature film work, to be a full time Art Director for this series, it was a great opportunity as I look back.

Are you a FAN of The Phantom 2040, and on FACEBOOK, there is a group  here.

There is a TAG on the list to the RIGHT for other Phantom 2o4o entry's, but you can click this as well.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Below 2002: PART II Submarine Wireframe Model

 An overview shot of the full submarine I built for the final Key Art for Below.

 A close up detailing the nose of the submarine that was in many a comp idea prominent with the torpedo bays open for business.

 I cut the holes through the body mesh using the then standard Boolean tools, now I would quad model this out for full resolution needs and use the Pro-Boolean as needed with a quad mesh option ON.

 The 50mm was mounted on the back in this configuration for the film, though many had it up front.

 A tail shot showing the props and rudder assembly as built for this Baldo Class WWII Sub.

Anti-aircraft gun with should cups was mounted and ready for action on this virtual submarine.

Project Review: Below

PART II

Submarine Wire frame views of the Baldo Class Submarine Model

Client: Dimension Films via BLT and Associates.
Art Director: Alon Amir
Project Date: 2002


This is my second posting covering the 3D illustration work that I did that was used in the final Key Art for the film Below, back in 2002, a decade back now. Today my posting shows the geometric makeup of the 3D models that I built back then.

This Sub was built in about 10 hours, and in advertising that is about all the time they have to spare. It is always a challenge to build a complicated prop such as this in just over a day, but I was up for the task, though I did not quad model this, as I was still doing fast high-rez modeling to get the job in on time, so back then that was definitely a limitation I have worked to move away from.

However I have always been a stickler for details and with this Baldo class US WWII submarine, this was how I approached the job, so I included deck cleats molded board and battens and all wires and some rivets as well. Enough to catch a highlight and produce a nice shadow.

You can view PART I from a few years back here.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: United Artists Logo Update-PART II

 Charlie Chaplin helped found UA, so I added this 'ghost' image of him leaning on the logo.

 Music is such a huge part of film that I put the logo on a set of bars in this Logo treatment I did.

 I took this tube look, into a few comp ideas like this one, with a metal filament inside the font that would light up and glow from within the orange l glass material. Motion Graphic ideas with glass are endless as you can get some great internal refractions and caustics to travel the sculpt.

 For this alternate I did the "A" as a heat-sink with the various flat plates creating the look.

 I did a few 'block' here, and here for the BIG UA's here is one with the extra type on the edges.

                 A simple UA in a circle with three layers of metals Chrome, Gold, and Copper.

Project Review

United Artists Logo Update

PART II

Client: United Artists via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director: Myself and others.Project Date: Fall 2007.

This is my second posting for the logo work I helped out on when I was in-house at The Cimarron Group back in 2007.

The owner had every design division, MGFX, DE, HE, Corp, and 3D all do some ideas for the big pith to United Artists to develop a new look to the film company logo. The exercise was a great design challenge, that allowed me to review the history and purpose of the studio, as well as take it into a direction for the future. 

Though we did not use these, or even present most, it certainly was something that I got to thrown my own skills at, along with the talent from the various other teams.

Cheers, THOM


You can view PART I here


You can click the link title to read a bit of history on UA or paste this text into your web browser and go!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Artists

Personal Project: Napkin Sketching and Doodles Part XVII

 I have been doing these little micro doodles since I could draw at around 4. You will find them on almost any scrap of paper available to me in the house or wherever I am, it's like breathing!

 Planet of the Vampire Apes, Two of my favorite genre's...Hmmm...

 A form study wit the hard-hat hair design, a fun exercise in form 3' x 5' scratchpad ...

 A rocky outcropping working the form with the cracking following the contours. I was prepping the Kangaroo Jack project the day I sketched this a bit similar in thought.

Personal Project
Napkin Sketching and Doodles Part XVII

 

 In this seventeenth installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do when I have a pen in hand, I have put up some additional current 2012 sketches that I have done this month.

I try to keep sketching every day,... at least a bit,... it is part of my 'ritual'.

I also do a whole bunch of the mini stuff, I was a MAD magazine fan as a kid especially of Sergio Aragones little margin stuff, so I included a page on mini doodles today as well.

You can view the other parts as follows:

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX 

PART X

PART XI 

PART XII

PART XIII 

PART XIV 

PART XV 

PART XVI

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Launch City-PART VII- Destination:The Vault.

 

 This is still one of my top Images I made for Launch.com back in 1999.

 This was pre-quad modeling form me a decade+ back so here are the wire files...

Here is the establishing shot seen first in Issue #40 of Launch.com, this is the main lower area with a gift-shop in center.

Here is the close up move if you clicked on the center of the image for the shop.

This is the interior of the shop that was filled with advertising for this virtual online city.

At the base of the main staircase, there was a phone booth that we used for a few interviews.

 A corner set up for a multi person interview.

 Used in Issue #42, an interview area with two band members was green screened into this space for the CDzine'.

 The same corner seen above from a different angle, and this illustrates the power of a virtual set, just pick a good angle and shoot!

Launch City Part VI

The Vault

Client: Launch Media Inc.
Art Director: Myself
Project Date: 1999

In this seventh post on LAUNCH city, I am posting work done on the destination called, The Vault. I was hired by my fellow ACCD alumni Goutam Mitra as an ex-imagineer to theme the entire city out for them, and with this space, I had a whole bunch of fun.

I originally handed the space off to fellow ACCD team member John Wee, as a blocked out shell of a building to flesh out, but I ended up going back to it myself after a few weeks.  I completely reworked the space, and finished it out as seen above myself.

Each space in Launch City, had a distinct architectural visual theme, so that the furniture, architecture, and even the fonts would be representative of the space so the viewers would "map' their locations visually back to the space.

Also each space had a minimum of 4-6 locations set up and ready to go for the virtual interviews and performances done for each months CD-zine and online shock wave alternative.

The vault theme, is what is called "The Chicago Style" as practiced by Louis Sullivan, so I used some themes I saw in his work to create this space. Also from the era of the 20's in general, so I used the chairs from the LA train station to fit them into the space as well.

Cheers, THOM

To view PART I on Launch City you can go here.

To view PART II go here.

To view PART III for the Train Station "Twitch" look here.

To view PART-IV look here.

To view PART V- you can click here.

To view PART VI [ the sub!] go here.

Project Review: The Phantom 2040- PARTLXXXXII [92nd]-Perspective-Grid_Underlay-Drawings

Here is a Phantom 2040 ambulance Hypercruiser under drawing with the perspective grid in the tracing sketch.

An enforcer[ Police] Hypercycle with a very simple base grid for this.

The Phantoms Hypercycle[ Design One] as a grid underlay drawing. It became this, so I used the  above version for another Police cycle as well as seen here.

Dr JAK's Multicrusier Grid over the Xerox super-rough comp. You can see the craft here, here, and here.

 Here is the grid layout I did for Maxwell Madisons Hyper Cruiser seen here, here, and here.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXXII [92nd]

Perspective Grid Underlay Drawings

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 92nd posting for my  Phantom 2040 conceptual design work that I did on the series in the early ninety's.

I always do a rough sketch by hand or with a few tools to block out my designs over a grid I make first. I then will overlay that and detail it out a bit. If this is good to go, I do a line art file that would go to get inked by the prop team. I have put up a few vehicle designs that I did this was to show the development of the design and the process I use to get there.

What I've posted today are those early underlay drawing for a few vehicles from The Phantom 2040. Dr JAK's, Multicruiser vehicle, has a two layers there, as I did a mini-sketch, blew it up on the xerox, and then overlaid that as seen above in the tracing paper sketch.

Overlay drawing allows you as a designer the ability to design a bit more freely, as you know this is not the final so you can make mistakes and finesse the design is stages. 

Also as taught at Art Center, it also allows you to block out the base volume of the object in proportion first and flesh it out next, so you do not get lost in the details first, but they become a secondary design element.

If you are a FAN of The Phantom 2040, and on FACEBOOK, there is a group dedicated to the show here.

There is a TAG on the list to the RIGHT for other Phantom 2o4o entry's, but you can click this as well.

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: SALT:PART II

 This model was curved on the front face to get the highlights and reflection to properly curve back. A simple smooth metal design from Joseph Stamper.

 I loved the star in the letter "A", I felt it was a good use of the Soviet theme for the film.

 The tech nature of this logo was to go along with a technology edge to the film. Kinda Matrix-ish in execution, and Joseph provided great texture files for the circuit tech from the Design Library for me to use.

 A neon this holding plate[ 3rd layer in 3D] helped set this one of the dark comps.

 A red glass material with the tech texture files used for shine and opacity setting.

 I love these tube logos with the metal skin cut off to reveal the red 'heart", a visual play on the film plot of a Soviet Spy masked as one of us.

 I did an alternate on the above Joseph Stamper logo and cut the whole face off to reveal a bunch more of the glass red heart inside.

 A rounded bevel type with a curved face bent top and bottom.

SALT

3D Logo exploration PART II

Client: Columbia Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: Winter 2008.

I began working on SALT in the winter of 2008 while still running the 3D Department at Cimarron, and in this second posting I am focusing on the designs that I did for Art Director Joseph Stamper.

As a 3D Designer, I work directly with the supervising Art Directors/ Designers, to build out the designs they provide me in 2D as "ai" vector files, and I model them out into a 3D sculpture.

It is a collaborative effort most of the time where I offer 3D alternatives to the design, and they decide what they want to see for the final. Some Logos I get a "Blue Sky" approach, and am given freedom to explore as well, and that happens usually is when I get to do a few versions of each typeset file due to having enough time.

Lots of reds to point to the Soviet theme of the film, as well as steel. I really got to experiment on this project with near 100 designs, provided to the team of four Art Directors.

You can view PART I here.

You can the KGB badge I made here.

Cheers, THOM