Finally finished!

The animation for our Animation FUNdamentals online class is completed. Now all we have to do to edit the animation and live-action together - add some sound and…there you go.

I used Digicel Inc’s FLIPBOOK software - it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo easy to use.
Many thanks to Kent Braun and the other folks at Digicel.

Since my return from St. Simon’s Island, GA., I have been loaded down with animation work…it’s a VERY good thing…always love to do animation.

Another view of Tybee Lighthouse at North Beach - it is watercolor and ballpoint pen

Here are some drawings/paintings that I have not posted.

This bridge is over in beaufort as seen from the coffee house by the park

Tomorrow is a definite “art” day. I will be over in Beaufort, South Carolina to do more painting. Thinking of taking my oils and my watercolors…I hope we get good weather.

This is a watercolor I did early in the morning at Laguna Beach- it is too delicate to reproduce.

Still Animated!!!!

On Saturday, I had a chance to drive down to St. Simon’s Island to do a little “ON LOCATION” drawing and painting.

I took state road # 17 down to avoid the traffic on I-95 South. My first stop was Darien. Fort King George was erected in 1721 to ward off the Spanish to the South and the French to the West.

I have always been curious about the fort, as the drove through on other occasions.  This time I stopped and took the grand tour (self-guided) through the Museum, the video presentations and the fort, itself.

It must have been a hard life- on a cool morning- I still deluged by clouds of mosquitoes…so the tour, though informative was  accomplished at a rather quick pace. It was very good- it was an exercise in decisiveness for my photographic choices!!!

Here a quick watercolor of the lighthouse on St. Simon’s Island, GA.

I continued to St. Simon’s Island, GA. and spent a wonderful day there drawing, painting, taking photos and videos.

All this and I was back home by 3:15 pm having spent a VERY full “art day“!

Here is an another watercolor - early morning at Santee’s Lake Marion (as in Frances Marion, the Swamp Fox)

Another Ty B. Bear drawing in blue animation pencil.

Hell. Back from holiday and busy at work, finishing scripts, animating and doing more lessons for Animation FUNdamentals. I am having a great time! I love to animate and to teach…doing both and really enjoying it!

More blog stuff in the works…summer holidays are over time to get down to business.

Still Animated

Many times I have displayed work from On Location trips. To me this is a bit different than actual plein air painting. The On Location sketches capture the spontaneity of the moment…your are right there trying to relate the flavor of everything occurring then and there - the people and their moods, activities; the environment and it’s colors, moods, time of day and weather. The great film director, David Lean referred to location as character - well, that is an element On Location sketches try to capture. Obviously the sketches can also serve for further exploration back in the studio with other types of mediums.

Here is a watercolor first- pen later sketch from last Saturday

I have to give Glenn Vilppu full credit for opening my eyes to the tools I now use. As with his sketches, I do not use any kind of pencil under sketch, I begin either with watercolors and lay in light values, leaving plenty of while areas and add pen later.

This sketch began with pen and the watercolor was added later.

Or, I draw with pen first and add the watercolors afterwards. Either method is good and they lend different looks to your sketch/paintings.

Here’s what I use for ON LOCATION work - sketch pen, brush pen and watercolor set.

My main tools are the sketch pen, the brush pen and my small Cottman watercolor set

A closer view of the water brush and sketch pen (a Waterman, I bought in the town of Apt, Provence.

This is a close up of my brush pen (bottom right) and my sketch pen- EF nib (extra fine). This is a Waterman pen I picked up in Apt , Provence.

And…I add Velcro to everything! I attached it underneath my watercolor set and onto my sketch books, watercolor paper books…almost everywhere! It has become a bit of a joke to my current students at the Jepson Center.

AND don’t forget WATER- it’s hot out there!

On Location sketching/painting is invigorating, rewarding and just plain FUN.

The Savannah area is rich with wonderful locations to draw and paint!

The past few Saturday mornings have been spent at various location around Savannah - in the oak shrouded squares, the City Market, down on River Street and across the River on Hutchinson Island - we observe, we draw and we paint. EVERYTHING is reference!

We work in various medium- pencil, ballpoint pen, ink pen, watercolors with a brushpen.

The brush pen is a handy tool for On Location sketching. The water is contained in the body of the brush which makes it easy to use with a dry watercolor set and/or an ink pen. With an ink pen, you just paint over the lines of the sketch to create values.

Armed with our pens, pencils, watercolors, a selection of papers, a sketchbook, bug spray, a packback and a water bottle, we set out to discover the environs of Savannah.

Here is last week’s sketch from City market. City Market is a very lovely pedestrian shopping area with art galleries, shops and. cafes. It’s a great place to watch people. And, it is also the area where the horse drawn carriage tours pick up their passengers.

The completed watercolor sketch at City Market.

This sketch is drawn in ballpoint (no pencil under sketch) and is a compilation of two sketches. The horse and carriage was one sketch and then I added information from an earlier sketch with the trees, gazebo and other background elements.

As I mentioned…EVERYTHING IS REFERENCE!

Beat me…make me go out to a city like Savannah and draw and paint!

With the Games fast approaching, Ty B. Bear has been hard at work preparing for his events.

Ty carries the lighthouse torch for the Games

Okay, so he’s a cartoon character…and he lives by the beach…and maybe he’s not even an athletic cartoon character, but…he can get into the spirit of the Games.

If there is an event for ICE CREAM - Ty takes the gold!

Here are a few more sketches…for these I use ball point pen without any pencil drawing. I just go to it and see what appears on the sheet of paper. But, I am not crazy- i do thumbnails before each…

One of Ty’s events would have to be surfing…what, it’s not in the Games?

Because of my participation in the Olympiad of Animation (Los Angeles 1984), the games have always been a reminder of what can result when folks are determined to celebrate through animation.

Back in 1984, the selfless efforts of Fini and Bill Littlejohn created a unique event that has never been paralleled. I t was a thrill to see Rupert’s Olympic Feet on the screen at the Academy. There was also a selection of animated shorts considered the best of all time.  I dare say their artistry and  themes would hold up even today…animation doesn’t age like other  artforms.

Yes, the rumors are true…Ty B. bear is running for President in 2008

Yes, it’s true! Ty B. Bear is again running for President. In 2000 he garnered 9 votes and in 2004, he doubled that tally with 18 votes. In 2008, who knows…the sky’s the limit!!!

YEAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Our online course is live!!!

Animation FUNdamentals  a joint venture between Larry’s Toonistitute and Digicel Inc. is  now online.

Haven’t named this girl yet- but she is an Animation Freek- it’s a good thing!

After months of preparation- “it’s soup”

You can see the intro

This course is very affordable! About $20.00 USD a lesson give you several lecture/demos and several handouts you can download. Direct feedback or assistance from me is an extra fee - but very reasonable - about 15.00 for 20 or so minutes  (I don’t have a stopwatch).
The lessons are based in FLIPBOOK software by Digicelinc. Software which is very good and very inexpensive. I use Flipbook on all my animation projects.

The course is geared toward Junior High- High School and up…it works for every level.

Special thanks to Kent braun and the folks at Digicel!!!

Now I will be Always Animated!!!

Hey!

Evolution sequence from OUR WORLD

For Sale

Apples and Oranges by jared Chapman

GREAT NEWS!!! OUR WORLD has been selected for the Southern Circuit Traveling Festival a group of independent films that tour the Southeast. The tour will begin in October and will continue through April 09.

I will post more news as it becomes available…

Here is today’s sketch….

Just an artistic musing from this morning

Thanks

Where ever I go (mainly, to the beach), I take along my trusty sketchbook, watercolor paper, pens, waterbrush pens, pencils sharpeners and my small water color set.

Here is another view from the North end of Tybee- the lighthouse

I have a blast- working with watercolors first or pens first or sketching with pencils in my book. I never do a pre-drawing with pencil- I like to go free form and see what develops.

My view to the beach last Saturday

An on location watercolor at Tybee’s South end…

Here are some recent sketches…and a couple of photos of what I call The Show (the sunrise on Tybee Island, Georgia.

Sunrise at the North beach of Tybee Island, Ga. on Saturday

Enjoy

Another pix of the sunrise

In July, I do an on-location art workshop at the Jepson Center for the Arts (9:00 am to 12:00 pm, Saturdays beginning July 12th.)…can’t wait to be out and painting.