CNS storyboard notes

I jump from show to show at work making these shorts, so I really need to be on the ball with a show's style. I end up doing a lot of work at the start so that it makes things go smoother later in the process. I spent some time today studying the storyboarding style of a show here called, "Squirrel Boy". Here's a page of studies I made from watching some episodes.

"The Uninvited" animatic

Darrick Bachman and I wrote the Dracula short that's in the previous post. This here is an animatic of the storyboards I did for it (done entirely in Mirage)...

Billy & Mandy:"Uninvited" & "Party" shorts

Here are the last two Billy birthday shorts! I thought these worked the best of the six.

Billy & Mandy:"Cake" & "Makeover" shorts

They played two of the shorts in a row tonight. Only two more to show! Tune in tomorrow. Those two are my favorite.

Billy & Mandy:"Macaroni Man" short

This guy is making my job easy. He's posted the second short too! It's the POV of Billy's birthday thru his parents.

Billy & Mandy: "Super Myron Brothers" short

Someone posted the first short on You Tube! Here's the first one. Keep an ear out for the monster named Myron, I did the voice...not that you can really tell.

Billy & Mandy Shorts Premiere

Billy Shorts Promo:

THEY'RE ON TV! Finally some of the shorts that I've been directing here at Cartoon Network are seeing the light of day. Apparently CN is showing the first batch of "Billy and Mandy" shorts I directed during a Halloween stunt this week. I guess they're playing a short each night this week at 7pm (I missed tonight's sadly, but I did get the promo).

I thought it would be cool to have all 6 of the shorts centered around one day and each short would be a different perspective on that one event. Darrick Bachman came up with the great idea that it would be on Billy's birthday. They turned out pretty good. Check 'em out if you get a chance.

Comic Con

Why post comic con sketches when everyone else does? I prefer to wait months later to post mine. This dude screams Comic Con. He's got the look down. He was heading to the train, COVERED in various bags full of the weekend's spoils.

Another Train Sketch

Concept Design

Burbank sketches

I need to get out more and do some environment studies. I get too caught up with work and all the rest of life's bullsh*t that I don't take enough time to slow down. These are a couple sketches of me doing just that. Just looking for cool compostions and interesting subjects.

Fosters Thumbnails

I was just cleaning up from finishing a board for Fosters and came across a couple pages of thumbnail studies that I thought would be fun to post up. Nothing amazing, but kind of fun all together.

Storyboard Comparison

I've decided that I should really redirect my blog here to more of a storyboard/directing focus. I've noticed that it's beginning to meander a bit away from what I like to do, so in an attempt to kick it in the right direction, I've put together a quicktime of a board I did a while ago. It's from a Mike Mingola project called "The Amazing Screw-On Head". Chris Prynoski over at Titmouse Studios asked if I'd board the 2nd act. I did the entire board digitally in Photoshop...a tedious program to do boards. I now use Mirage, but I digress... I really tried to make it feel like the comic (hence all the tone). The final show looks great. I just wish the script was as good, but I digress...I put together a movie that has the final show on the top and my boards at the bottom. I've been meaning to try this out for a while. I thought it could be a fun way to show storyboards. I'm still trying to figure out You Tube's limitations, so excuse the streched image.

Smoke 'em if you got 'em

Interior apartment sketch

Sunday sketch

Goofy dude

Roughs

Just a couple pages of rough sketches. No purpose really. Just messing around.

Patio Set

Amazing Screw On Head

I forgot to post something up earlier, but the Sci-Fi channel premiered a show that I worked on. The show has already aired, but you can still view it on their website. The show is called "Amazing Screw On Head" and was directed by Chris Prynoski of Titmouse Studio. It was created from a Mike Mingola comic (of 'Hellboy' fame). Chris was nice enough to ask me to board the second act. I'll try and dig up what I did. It was a fun project and Chris did a hell of a job making it look like the Mingola style.

Metro

This drawing brought to you by Al Gore...

Three Amigos

Tablet Sketch-Backyard

I just got one of those fancy tablet PC's and I've been using it for some freelance on "Fosters". I decided to take a break and test it's ability outside, so I sat in my backyard and did this sketch. I'd have to say, I'm diggin' it so far. It's really light and I can still see the screen in the sun. Looks like I'll be storyboarding on the beach!

Alan sketch

While we were in the food court sketching the other day, Alan Bodner spotted us and stopped by to say hello. I was busy sketching someone else, but soon turned my attention to Alan and quickly got him down on paper. Alan is a well known guy in the industry art directing on "The Iron Giant", "Kim Possible", and recently on "Juniper Lee". Plus he's just one heck of a nice guy...and he's fun to draw. Gotta love that vest.

Sketchbook drawing

I finally got a chance to get out with the SketchClub crew yesterday for lunch. This dude was in the food court with us.

Quick marker design

SAINT PATRICK'S DAY Bellhop

Dark Crystal Designs

A while ago I got a chance to do some visual development for an animated version of "The Dark Crystal" for Cartoon Network. I had heard that they were developing it as a series and I got in touch with CN's development team to see if I could get involved. I don't want to post any of the work that I did for the project, but I think it's alright if I post the work I produced as a test to get the job. The actual development went in a different direction that this, but I really had fun with what came out in my first run.

Cintiq sketch

Show Premiere

This Friday (February 24th) at 9 PM e/p "My Gym Partner's a Monkey" premieres on Cartoon Network. They're playing 2 episodes back to back and the episode I worked on is at the head of the second one. It's called "Chew On This" and is actually one of my favorites. They're also going to be replaying both episodes starting at 10:30. So check it out live or fire up the ol' Tivo.

Page o' Thumbs...

Here's a throw away page of thumbnails and studies I did the other night while working on the short I'm making. Had a lot of fun with the brush marker. Fun tool, I just don't use it much. Got a little inspired by a Mark Goerner DVD.

duh...

Costco is quickly becoming our favorite spot to sketch people at lunch. This guy was sitting near by us with his girlfriend. He didn't look like the brightest blub in the closet...is that a saying?

TIMBER!!!

We started out 2006 with a BANG! Literally. Our tree in our front yard came down on our house on January 2nd. Funny thing is, we didn't hear it hit. Now all we have is an empty hole. It's so bare! What a way to start the new year!

Quick bg studies

These are some really quick studies I did for the Fairfield short I'm making with some friends. I like it when people post their quick thumbnails and roughs, so I hope you do too. Cause here's some of mine!

Just for fun...

I've been out of the posting habit during the holidays. Here's an older piece I did to get me back up and running.

quick thumbnail

I did this sketch in a class I'm taking over at Gnomon. This is pretty much how I see my teacher, Ed Li. His head just barley peeking over the monitor up at the front desk. It's a pretty small thumbnail, only 1.5"X3".

Zoo page

Had a good time at the zoo today on lunch. Got a decent view of the tigers and was able to practice a little watercolor.

Forest House

Cowboy sketch...

Airport study

This is a sketch I did on our return trip back to LAX over the holiday. I liked how everyone was lined up at the luggage claim.

Thanksgiving watercolors

Over the holiday as I was traveling to and from Minnesota, I was able to fill a bit in my sketchbook. I've been inspired by other people's blogs to do a little watercolor. These are some of my first attempts at the wet medium in a looong time.

Costco shoppers...

I joined a couple friends the other day and went "people watching" at the local Costco.

Zoo Sketches...

I was able to get out and head over to the zoo on lunch today with a group from CN and a couple guys from Renegade. Had a good time, gotta love that spoonbill...

Daily Sketch

I did this sketch on the computer and as I was painting it, I accidently discovered that it looked pretty cool with the line layer turned off.

Rough concept design

just for fun...

I was inspired looking at some other people's sites and I opened a blank photoshop document and began sketching. This is the result...

Friends of mine to check out...

I've had such a positive experience with this blog thing that I've told friends of mine to set up their own. Here's a couple friends of mine that have recently started their own blogs...

TIM SZABO


Tim and I go way back. We worked together at my first animation job at Reelworks Animation in Minneapolis. Tim helped my wife and I move out here and shortly after that, he decided to move out here himself. He's currently working at Renegade Animation. Not only is Tim a decent guy, but he's pretty damn talented too. But don't take my word for it...see for yourself

ROB LILLY


Rob was one the first guys I worked with once I got out here to LA. Since then, we've worked at pretty much every studio together at some form or another. He's currently over at CNS, animatin' and designin'. And he's pretty damn good at it too. But don't take my word for it...see for yourself

Noir Study

Quick Photoshop tone studies from the noir classic "Out of the Past". Inspiration for the "Fairfield" short I'm making.

New York, New York...

Just a sample sketchbook page from a trip to NY...

Heads Up!

I was a guest speaker the other night at the Animation Academy's seminar series, and while we were waiting for people to arrive, I sketched out this page. Somewhat based on the students in attendance, but not really. I'm no characaturist and I don't pretend to be. After a small compositional tweak and a quick color pass, this is what I ended up with. I'm always amazed at how fast you can color something in Photoshop and how much it adds to the final product.

*Charles just posted some photos of the evening on Animation Nation. Check them out!. Scroll down to the bottom and you'll see me doing a digital storyboard pitch on a rather small laptop, but I think people still liked it :)