Penryn 800 Project - Final film

Penryn 800  Project - Final Film.
After a number of weeks out film was finally completed, but with our group of six becoming just me in the final two weeks it was a challenge to complete, with myself being responsible for almost all key framing and high number of inbteweens.  If given more time and more focused teammates, I would have liked to have reworked much of the animation, as well as spending more time on sound design and music. The team still did there best though and produced something I was proud of all the same, my structure next time would benefit us however. 

3D Environment project

3D Environment project

For this project we had to produce our own 3D environment using Maya, this environment was to be on the theme of urban exploring, to produce an abounded looking landscape. After research this was then modeled in maya, using various techniques, then textures where added, lighting and then finally a camera moved and rendered. I found have liked to have spent more time on the modeling process but due to creating a too large scale landscape this was not possible and resulted in a not so abounded looking final environment. 

Experimental animation - Self portrait

Experimental animation - Self portrait

For the final part of our experimental project we had to produce a final film, around 60-90 seconds long and to represent us as a 'self portrait.'  For my film I wanted to look back at what made me an animator in the first place, looking back at my first animations I produced last year in my foundation year. With this as inspiration I gathered up a handful of my favourites and using TV paint, created a animated character to interact within, to represent my journey through my work. I was very pleased with the final result, although I would have liked to have tried something with more complexity given the time.

Background project - Parallax

Background project - Parallax 

For the final task in our background project we had to produce a scrolling parallax background, the background had to include a minimum of three layers, these would then me added to after effects and played over one another at different speeds to reflect the idea of depth.  The drawing of the layers provided easy, with use of references and photoshop, after effects proved to be a challenge at first,due the the large image size, but eventually I was able to produce something I was happy with.

2D Motion Studies- TV paint Dance

2D Motion Studies- TV paint Dance 

As the final piece for our motion studies, we had to choreograph and animate our own dance piece . Using drawings we had produced previously and along side a dance student we planned and filmed our own references images, as well as producing life drawings to help create this final piece. Then using all these material in TV paint we created our dance , looking closely at our use of weight and balance, and our ideas on movements. Given more time I would have liked to make it a bit longer and neater, regardless however I was pleased with the result. 

Experimental animation - Pin

Experimental animation - Pin

For the second short piece for my experimental project, I was inspired by an artists that used nails and yarn to create large scale portraits of people. Doing the same but on a smaller scale using cardboard and pins, I wanted to try something more ambitious and just has abstract. Although even more time consuming then the previous experiment, I then result was a success and process I really enjoyed.

Background project- Foliage

Background project- Foliage 

As part of our background project we were asked to draw a range of foliage in a naturalistic style. This task provided greatly useful in improving observational skills, and again gave us the chance to get out of the studio and draw from life. For my drawing I choose to walk round a river close to my home town and draw the landscape, these scenes would later go onto inspire my final backgrounds.

Penryn 800 Project - Character Design

Penryn 800  Project - Character Design
For our group project we were tasked with researching and producing our own 60-90 second short film, in a group of six, in celebration of Penryn's 800 year anniversary. Our group deiced to take a more local route, following the story of a local by the name of Chaz and his chimney sweep adventures. I quickly become the director of the project, and began dividing up tasks for each member. I was responsible for the majority of the character designs. The designs are first started of more complex but as we moved on with the project it was decided that the characters needed to be more shapely to give off a bouncy feel and easier to animate.

Experimental animation - Lego

Experimental animation - Lego

As part of our experimental module we had to produce two twenty second short pieces, using physical animation techniques, physical in the sense that they are not done on the computer, rather they are done in camera e.g. oil on glass, pixilation, sand animation, light drawings, etc.  With this in mind for my first pieces I choose to use Lego. I wanted to try something with patterns and geometric shapes and Lego provided to be the  perfect material for the job, allowing me to explore a more abstract form of animation. Although building was time consuming, the end result turned out well.

Life Drawing Set No.7

Action poses

Movement drawings

Body structure 

Tonal drawings

Collaborative drawing 

Life Drawing Set No.7

For this session of life drawing we explored a number of techniques, the first being action poses, using objects, to help improve our ideas on movement and weight. This ideal was also followed through into the next two exercises, the movement drawings helping us to improve the flow of our poses and understanding how a body moves from one position to the next, and the structural drawings so to understand how the body is built and even with simplified shapes, it still has a structure that connotate weight and balance. Move on from here we again looked at tonal pieces combing our ideas from before with the use of colours and shade to make a more crafted figure. We then tried all these thing together but this time, with 5 other people, each person added another layer to another persons drawing in order to build up this structure, the process proved interesting, giving the opportunity to look at a new drawing with fresh eyes and add your own layers. 

Background project- backgrounds paintings exterior

Painted background exterior-

Background project- backgrounds paintings 
For our second painted background we had to produce a exterior piece, using a specified tonal style, I choose to use a monochromatic colouring technique. Then again using a storyboard to inspire the pieces, I used pencil to sketch out the layout, looking closely at my use of middle ground and foreground elements, and then with watercolours I choose to use mostly purple and blue tones to create the monochromatic style. The tones worked well together and I again went over the pieces with coloured pencils to again bring out the depth of the drawing.

Background project- backgrounds paintings interior

Painted background interior-

Background project- backgrounds paintings -

As part of our background project we had to produce two painted backgrounds, the first being an interior location. The background which was to be inspired by the a storyboard panel, had to include both a main source of light and a secondary softer source of light, in my case I used a panel from our 'Penryn 800' , with the light sources being the window, and the candle. Working first in pencil and then with water colours, I looked at how light would bounce off the different objects, I then added more coloured pencil to add a little more depth, however given more time I would have liked to have gone of it, with the more watercolours to get a bolder tonal value. 

Background project - Layouts

Layout one

Layout two

Background project - Layouts 

As part of our back ground project we were asked to produce two background layouts inspired by one of our story board panels. Using a blue pencil we were to  concentrate on dynamic composition looking closely at our use of the foreground, middle ground and distance. Using my panels from the 'Spirit Bear' storyboard I produced these, using a series of references images to ensure a more naturalistic finish.

Background portfolio- Improve old art work

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Background portfolio-  Improve old art work

As part as one of the portfolio task for our background project we were tasked with looking back at old art work and using what we had learned to improve them. To start with this proved to be a struggle as most of my older work didn't use backgrounds at all, I however found these. With these I began to look at perspective and scale change, looking at how these elements could improve my work, I also choose to explore my use of foreground and midground elements, as well as using blur and shading to define these fields further.

Observational Dance Drawings

Observational Dance Drawings

As part of our motion studies module we were invited to sit in on studio sessions with the dance students in order to observe and improve our understanding on weight and balance. The sessions proved highly enjoyable, and drawing from life provided to be a refreshing change rather then sitting gin the studio. Using pencils and charcoal I produced a range of fluid and more structured drawings trying to reflect both movement and body structure. 

Penryn 800 Project - Storyboard

Penryn 800  Project - Storyboard
As the project went on, the storyboard under went a number of changes, with things been added and reworked frequently, it was decided that one of use should sit down and completely redraw it in order to get a consist style. Wanting to ensure the story was understandable to everyone, I choose to redraw the rough storyboard myself, to produce this our final one, that was later made into an animatic. The process turned out to be very time consuming but well worth the while, as it was now clear what shots needed to be work on and where animation could now begin.