Mele Kalikimaka!

Mele Kalikimaka and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! (I'm pretty sure that means "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" in Hawaiian...hopefully)

Here's Lilinoe spreading holiday cheer...in her own special way.

 

Meet Lilinoe

I'm taking the Story Development for Animation at the Concept Design Academy this semester, taught by the amazing Tron Mai. We're currently working on boarding an "Intro to Character" sequence. I've decided to adapt some Hawaiian mythology, because it's so full of intriguing gods/goddesses with names that are really hard to say. One goddess in particular, Lilinoe (basically sounds like you're saying Illinois with an extra "L" in front of it), is a bit lesser known. She's the godessess of mist...or more literally translated - "light rain." I really loved the idea of a sort of ineffective god. I mean, light rain, seriously? Gee, thanks Lilinoe, we really needed that in this drought we're having. But she means well, and is trying her best. Maybe with enough practice, she'll be able to make it rain (water...not dollars. This is Hawaii, not Vegas we're talking about people).

Here are some initial character designs that I did for Lilinoe...which are heavily influenced by the lovable Melissa McCarthy.

Miss Scarlet

Here are some gesture drawings that I've done over the past few months. The models always deliver some really dynamic poses...not to mention some awesome old-timey costumes.

The first set is a model who dressed up like a sexy sailor circa the 1930s-ish. The class ran out of black sharpies by the time that I got there, so I used red ones instead. I like the results, it adds a boldness that was a fun surprise.

I couldn't see her right foot in this one (it was behind the box that she was sitting on), but I like to think it looks like she's dipping it into a pool...contemplating a lost love.

These were done with the tried-and-true black sharpies. There's a femme fatale quality to her looks, which just so happens to be one of my favorite subjects to draw. Channeling Barbara Stanwyck big time.

Making herself a little more comfortable.

Looking for her lipstick...or a pistol?

And then to change things up - a dude! This guy was doing a 1920s wrestler thing, complete with handlebar mustache. I approve!

Finally, I posted my storyboard sequence entitled Vulture Counter-Culture a while back. Before I started boarding, I did some sketches of the Andean Condor and King Vulture at the L.A. Zoo for research. Below is a video that I took of the Andean Condor as he expanded his massive 10 ft. wingspan!

The Muses are coming...y'all ready?

Very soon, I'll be posting the epic story of how I met my Post Modern Muses. It was a life-altering occasion, so it'll most likely be posted in multiple parts. Cause one post just ain't enough to witness the divine assembling of: Nicki Minaj, Britney Spears, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, and Beyonce. Here's a sneak peek, starring the one and only Nicki Minaj.

I thought I'd show a bit of my storyboarding process while I'm at it. Let's work our way backwards, starting with the clean-up panels. These are the final versions all inked and shaded.

Now here are the roughs. This is where I begin using the Cintiq, working in the best software in the world, Photoshop. I like to use blue ink and keep it loose. This is mainly to find the composition and staging...while also beginning to explore potential character poses/acting. I try to really solidify the timing and panel count here as well.

Lastly (well actually, firstly), are the thumbnails. I like to keep this super sketchy...at times so much so, it's undecipherable (thanks past self). But I find this part very freeing, it's the time where I can scribble and explore potential ideas in my sketchbook. Though they are often doctor-hand-writing-level scribbly, I try to thumbnail out the entire sequence from start to finish to work out the story as much as possible from the very beginning.

Before all of this, I write out the script/dialogue...usually in my sketchbook, because like thumbnails, there's something untethered about pen and paper rather than the finality I feel from working in the computer. The computer comes when I feel like the boards are in a good place to dive in. The dialogue of course evolves as the drawings evolve, but I like to have a blueprint from the start.

The Photoshop Bikini

Thought I'd post some of my recent gesture and figure drawings. But before I do...a word about the Photoshop Bikini. A subject of great controversy (in my head).  I realized that I had never posted nude figure drawings before, and at first I really didn't think anything of it. Then I was like, wait, can you post nudity on Blogger, even if it's drawings? I checked their policy, and they basically said: no... no you can't, unless you concede it's porn and let them put an age restriction on it. So, I'm pretty sure I'm just being crazily paranoid (per usual), but I threw on a charcoal brush bikini in Photoshop JUST to be crazy. Does anyone really even care if there are nude drawings on blogs? I hardly ever see anyone post them. If anyone really wants to see the original nude figure drawings, I guess just ask me and I'll email them to you...ok, now that makes them actually sound like porn.

ANYWAYZ, here are the non-nude gesture drawings. First of some sassy 1920s ladies...boy do I hate cigarettes, but god damn do I think cigarette holders are sexy.

Warrior ladies straight out of a Frank Frazetta book cover.

And now...PHOTOSHOP BIKINI

Gaga Ooh La La

As if it were any surprise, my ultimate Post Modern Muse is my long lost fraternal twin sister Lady Gaga. The amount of creativity and boldness that bursts out of her on a daily basis is staggering. Madonna (dare I mention her name in this post) changes her image every couple of years, but Gaga does it every couple of hours. And it's more often than not with sharp wit, a hidden message and a ton of make-up. Her music videos are always an event, mini-movies that explode with high concept. Her live performances are a sight to behold, with enormous elaborate sets and relentless choreography. But when she sits at a piano (which is sometimes on fire, but still), all she needs is her full voice and musical genius to back her crazy sh*# up.

So with all that said (and seeing as how I've listened to each of her songs an almost unhealthy amount of times), it's clear that Lady Gaga is the Post Modern Muse answer to Euterpe, the Ancient Greek Muse of Music. I must admit choosing her outfit was daunting, but I had to go with my absolute favorite performance of hers...or anyone's who has ever performed ever. It's her remixed version of "Paparazzi" on SNL in 2009. Unfortunately, the video of it has been pulled from the interwebs for copyright reasons...but hopefully NBC releases it again somehow, because it is awe-inspiring! Here's an image of her costume at least:

Guardians at Work

Right now I'm working on a super-epic and visually-stunning movie called "Rise of the Guardians" at DreamWorks (coming out November 21, 2012...mark your iCalendars). We recently did a contest to design a T shirt for the Layout department. I thought it would be fun to walk through the MANY stages of Layout...it's pretty ridic how much needs to happen in the pipeline of this one department. Also, these characters are a BLAST draw. It must be said that DreamWorks owns all of these characters, and they have no affiliation with the drawing below (i.e. I don't have a lawyer).

And if you want some context about who these characters are, check out the baller trailer released a while back:

Bey Fierce

When it came time for me to cast the Post Modern Muse version of Erato, the Ancient Greek Muse of love poetry, there was really only one option. The sublime Beyonce. A lot of pop divas sing about love, but when Bey sings about love she reeeeeally means it. The type of thing where when she hits a heartfelt high note, you hold your hand up to the sky and yell "preach!" Her songbook is full of all kinds of expressions of love: sweet ballads about meeting your soul mate (Jay-Z, an unexpected prince charming), fast-paced dance tracks about gettin yo man with that Freakum Dress, slow baby-making songs...and a healthy dose of women-scorned anthems that tell no-good men to pick up their box on the left and hit the road. Listening to Beyonce reminds me that love exists, it feels amazing when it's real, but if you do me wrong then the cab is waiting for you outside.

On top of all of that, Beyonce is seriously one of THE most incredible live performers that I've ever seen. Like better-than-the-recording type of incredible. It is unreal. Here she is performing "End of Time" live in 3 different locations at once...that's right, she also teleports. Fierce.

 

A Note About the Fallen Post Modern Muse: Let me get on my soapbox for a moment. One of the main reasons that I love Beyonce so much is that she represents positivity. When she sings about love, it's promoting healthy relationships full of respect, trust, honesty. And then there's Rihanna. I was super excited to include Rihanna as a Post Modern Muse...according to my iTunes I apparently listen to her music more than anyone except Lady Gaga. I was going to draw her with red hair, maybe even give her an umbrella. BUT THEN she might be dating Chris Brown again? The man who brutally beat her just 3 years ago?! Even though the idea of dating him again and knowingly putting your life in danger is absolutely self-destructive/idiotic (if it's true)...that's her business. What put me over the edge was when she and Brown collaborated on not one but TWO songs. Do what you want with your love life, make your poor decisions...but don't go flaunting it to impressionable young girls who will now hear these songs (especially the raunchy "Birthday Cake") and think that it's ok to go back with a man who beat you. Or not even go back in the dating sense, just to work with or associate with him at all. Such an awful message. So disappointing. Hopefully she'll grow out of this. And that's why she is no longer one of my Post Modern Muses. The role of Euterpe, Muse of music, is now being recast. Alright, tirade over.

Super bAss

Our next Post Modern Muse is Britney's Femme Fatale tourmate Nicki Minaj. A badassed rapper who blew onto the scene by doing featured verses on other rappers' songs...and pretty much upstaged every single one of them (and at times, being the only thing that made their songs tolerable...hello Jay Sean's "2012 [It Ain't the End]"). But the killer guest verses were just the beginning, and now Ms. Minaj treats us to such infectious solo jams as "Super Bass," which has reached the pop culture phenomenon status that I live for (when Taylor Swift and a duo of British toddlers are rapping your song on Youtube, you have arrived).

Nicki is the Post Modern Muse equivalent of Urania, the Ancient Greek Muse of Astronomy...because...well, because it was the only theme left. But also because her ass is out of this world. There. I said it.

Speaking of which, a good friend pointed out that "Super Bass" is actually wordplay for superb ass...am I the only one that did not piece this together right away? Anyway, watch the masterpiece music video for it here:

It's Britney, Bitch!

Ladies and gentleman, without further ado, I'm happy to begin introducing my Post Modern Muses. They are a group of 21st century women who inspire me with their movies, music, books, art, and general fierceness. Reflecting the Ancient Greek Muses, there are nine Post Modern Muses in total...and they're sent from the heavens to kick my ass into drawing more.

Who better to start with than a girl who began as a bubble gum pop princess that they said wouldn't last...only to prove that, with an endless cannon of catchy songs and the occasional public meltdown, you can keep people interested. I'm talking about Britney Spears, y'all! I envision her as the Post Modern Muse equivalent of Terpsichore, the Ancient Greek Muse of dance. Cause let's be real, in her prime, Brit could work that VMA stage with theeeee sickest dance moves since no one.

My Po Mo Muse Britney is always seen with her infamous pet snake, who I've decided is named Billy Bob. Watch them together below at the 2001 MTV VMAs, in what many consider the best choreographed piece of dance in the history of anything:

Maximum Proactivity

Welcome to my new sketch blog! I'm calling it the Proactive Dreamer Blog because I'm constantly dreaming/imagining of stories and images...and I like to think of myself as a proactive type of guy. SO I wanted to create this blog as a much needed creative outlet/motivator for maximum proactivity. The ridiculously talented Story Artist Dave Pimentel says "Inspiration - Expression = Depression." I say let's get to it!

Speaking of Dave Pimentel, the following drawings are from his Gesture Drawing Class. They're from the last couple of months...because this blog JUST started. But from now on I'll post them as they come. And I'll post other stuff, too! Yay!

First up, a sexy French maid takin a breather. Drawn with my favorite utensil aside from my Cintiq pen...a Tombow pen!

 

And now a cray cray naked woman...Tombow yo!

 

A door-door salesmen who has been walking all over the city trying to sell vacuums or something. Hence the HUGE bunion on his toe. Ew. Tombow.

 

This naked lady was done in Sharpie...because my Tombow ran out of ink :-(

 

This is the time I tried using this really cool Japanese brush pen...but the ink was really hard to get out...so everything looked kind of dry. But this angel girl on a cloud turned out ok I guess.

 

Cowgirl who has had enough. Tombow yay!

This Zorro type is so brave...he climbs TNT boxes and stuff. Tom-bow fo sho!