Deutscher Hund

Inspiration can be found anywhere, and it just so happens that I found some while visiting my in-laws in Germany.

 

Here are some cartoons of their dog, Benny. He is a very timid shepherd, but loves sure his walks in the snow.

Gone in 30 Seconds

Yep. 30-Seconds. That's about all the time we are given.

What can you do in 30-seconds? Well, a lot really. But what makes this exercise so great is that when we are given a 60-second pose, it seems like an eternity! And 60-seconds then prepares you for 5-minute poses. And then 10-minutes...

If you can accurately capture the attitude, action lines, and a subtle gesture in a model's 30-second pose, then by adding more time you are able to add more details.

Fast and the Frustrated

Ready. Set. Go!

30- When I first started quick sketching, it was frustrating.

25- Your eyes pick up so much detail! SQUINT!
20- Where to start? The shadows? The hair? The anatomy? The pose!
15- The tilt of the head. Angle of the shoulders. The dominant line of action.
10- S curves. C curves. Straights. Negative spaces. Plotting with verticals.
 5- Get in some quick parallel shadows before...
 0- The model moves into the next pose!

"Bolt" of Lightning Without Thunder

Tonight's Family Movie Night was Walt Disney Animation Studios' Bolt.

Debuting in theaters November 2008, the appealing characters and amazing animation is 100% Disney by design. This is the lightning. Bolt, is an American White Shepherd, who has lived his whole life on the set of his action TV show, with the belief he has superpowers. This however, is what is lacking. The strength of a Pixar-esque story, or the thunder. Although executive-produced by Pixar's John Lasseter, Bolt is entirely a creation of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, and is not a Pixar film.

That's OK though. I could watch this film over and over with my daughter, just for the laughs we get from the dialogue delivered by Rhino the hamster, and to simply study the beautiful animation and character design. 

Voogd Volunteers (Well sort of...)

Have you ever been volunteered for a project, and then were really glad you did it?

Well, back in the Summer of 2009, my family and I were visiting with some really great friends of ours. Before a delicious dinner, creative conversation and lots of laughs, I was asked if I would mind helping her with an poster project for a contest at her work.

Feeling happily honored by her request, I replied, "Sure."
To which she responded, "GREAT! I have the poster in my car!"

Now, I don't know if I am that predictable, (to which many would say "yes"), but I am really glad that I assisted her with this project. Not only was our entry, 1 of 4 winners, we were all able to enjoy another memorable evening out with our winnings.