Confessions of a Teenage...

How To Draw a New You

HOOKIEBOBBING ON THE SNOW

Snow Snakes

How Not to Impress Your In-Laws

All I Want for New Years is...

How To New Years With Kids

NEW YEARS SUCKS

Rio 2 TRAILER 2 (2014) - Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg Movie HD

Monkey Business

See, this is what happens when you turn off the TV. Dangerous things.

Icabod

What a name. Kind of odd, but nice just the same.

Alien Abduction

Ha! I did it! I updated my blog. (Take that, Bobby!)

This was a concept I did for my cousin, Farr, as he was brain storming ideas for an add campaign.

The Harvest

Happy Thanksgiving!

You might say I didn't get all the Halloween out of my system.

It's Reel

Here's an updated reel. I added a few Alice in Wonderland shots, and there's a new(er) personal sequence in there. These days you can find me roaming the halls at Blue Sky Studios, helping them finish their next great film, Rio! It's such a great opportunity to work with so many talented people, and I'm excited to see it all come together.

Well, better late than never. I was pulling my Monster House shots together and figured I could post them here, too. I had a great time on this show. Yes, it had its share of headaches, but looking back it was one of the best experiences I've had on a show. I liked the characters a lot, the crew I was working with was excellent, and I felt like my ideas were respected. I was given some great character shots, and I've longed for that kind of trust on projects since then. They're my favorite!

I left out at least two shots. One because I think my DVD had a scratch in that spot, and the other because I cringe every time I see it. They moved the camera in the shot AFTER it was finalled in animation. They didn't let the animation department know that they moved the camera, and there is a HUGE flaw on the side of a character's face that wasn't showing before the last minute camera move. OY!

Anyway, enjoy the show...

ksl.com - BYU grad brings 'Alice in Wonderland' to life

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

ksl.com - BYU grad brings 'Alice in Wonderland' to life

Hey, I made the news!
Making the news is often something you want to avoid, but this time it was a good thing.
One of my neighbors tipped off the media. Part of me is embarrassed about it, but the other part had lots of fun with it. When I lived in LA, animators were a dime a dozen, but apparently it's news worthy around Utah. Maybe it was a slow news day. :)

Cowardly Lion

Blue Shadows on the Trail

Aren't owls cool? I can only remember seeing one in the wild, but I remember hearing them at night when I would sleep out on my trampoline in the summer. They are always looking at you like they know something you don't. C'mon, owls, what's the big secret?

Cupid, draw back your bow...

Hey, I did another Toon Club drawing! Hooray for me.

This is dedicated to the one I love. (That would be my wife).

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY, KARE!

Hollow. How are you?

Here's another old drawing with new color. He's part of a bigger picture that I've intended to get back to, but (surprise, surprise!) haven't until now. There's still much to do on it, so at this rate, I'll have it done in about 10 years.

I'm Late, I'm Late!

I drew this guy some time ago, but wanted some practice coloring. I don't know why light and color are such a challenge to me. My art career started with the tried and true coloring book when I was just a lad, but I gave up most everything but the drawing side for years. I've got a lot of lost time to make up for. SHEEEEESH!

Well I'll tell ya what, little missy...

I've tried this line on Karalenn, but I guess I don't have the same charm that John Wayne did. Wah-hah.

Hope

Thanks goes to Jason Stansell for directing me to the sound clip for this animation. I still don't know what it's from, but when I heard it I knew I had to animate it. I am enjoying the process of this one very much. It's easy for me to feel what he's feeling, so I hope the performance comes across sincerely.

Family Portrait

Well, this will never be "done," but it's "done" enough to post. I started this last year, thinking I would have it done for last year's Halloween, not realizing that I paint extremely slow with oils. It had been years since I actually picked up a physical paint brush (as opposed to the digital kind); so much of the slowness can be blamed on sheer lack of experience on top of the rust that accumulated on what little skill I had gained before. It really didn't take a year to paint it. I took a break from it from about mid-November 'til August.

So you may notice our new addition in Karalenn's arms. She is our sweet Penelope Calypso that will be born December 15 when Karalenn is induced. I had to add her in after the original layout had been decided on, because I didn't know she was coming last year when I started the painting.

The question remaining is if I should put the family cat in the painting. Princess Tigerlilly would make a charming addition, but she may have to wait until next year.

I also have to find a frame for the thing, but antique 30x40 frames are hard to come by on the cheap.

Anyway, I've enjoyed making it. I hope you enjoy it too!

Pair O' Jacks

It's that time of year again! It's my semi-annual posting time. It's nice that it coincides with one of the best times of the year -Halloween!

I don't fully grasp my own facination with the joyous holiday, but that doesn't stop my revelry. It probably dates back to the times I would get so excited to watch It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! -brought to you by those awesome Arctic Circle commercials with their Halloween kids meals (made with real kids). Well, whatever it is, I love it!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Them Sireens

Okay, here's something I've been working on that's rarin' for a critique. Have at it...

A Drammer

At first glance you may think this is a green lion, but you are wrong if you think that. It's clearly a drammer, according to my daughter. I asked her what a drammer was like, and they sound an awful lot like green lions to me, but I may be getting my lions crossed.

BUNNY!

This is what comes of long meetings at work. I often look forward to them as long as I remember a sketchbook.

Oh, He's a Happy Bear

I was looking at my friend Shane's blog, and it made me want to draw a bear. So there. It's nothing nearly so witty, but it was fun. That is all.

Demo Reel

Here's the latest demo reel. I finally got my Surf's Up stuff on there (at least some highlights), and I have a few remaining bits of Monster House in there too. I only kept a few of my Monster House shots that were 100%key framed animation.

There's such a stigma attached to mocap in this industry, and understandably so. Unfortunately, it's hard to sell a mocap shot on an animation demo reel, even though I know a lot of the mocap shots I worked on had just as much artistic interpretation in them as a normal key framed shot. Sometimes the mocap data that came through was nothing better than a shot delivered to you from the layout department on a key frame production; but how do you tell people that? Luckily there were a few shots where the mocap data was non-existent, or so convoluted that it couldn't be used, or the animation director wanted me to take it in a whole new direction. That's why I get to have a few 100% key frame animated shots from Monster House on my reel. Hooray!

Enjoy!

Turkey Trot

One of my family's traditions each Thanksgiving is to run in the Turkey Trot in Orem, Utah. It's a four mile run that takes you around the neighborhood of my old high school. The race starts at 8:00 in the morning, and it is always FRRRREEEEZING. I didn't run in it this year; I was just there for support and to take pictures (although my camera didn't even work because it was so cold). When I first stepped out of my car I was wishing I was running in it, just so I could keep the blood flowing, but my body was obliging by making me convulse uncontrollably.

Still, when all was said and done it was a good memory, and I was glad I went. I got to be around family that I don't see very often, and I ran into one of my best friends, Mary Brickey, from high school that I haven't seen in over ten years.

After that we went home, and I made some yams for the Thanksgiving dinner at Grandma's house later that day. I think this was my first real contribution to a Thanksgiving dinner, and it was GOOD! I usually hate the yams, but my secret was to put in so many other ingredients that it masked the flavor of the yams.

When we got to Grandma's we spent the rest of the day eating and visiting with long lost family. It was almost everything I think a Thanksgiving should be. The only thing missing were a few family members, but I'm sure we'll see them sometime soon.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Figure Drawings

I'm lucky enough to work at a studio that provides figure drawing every Friday, and the following are some of the results. When I first started drawing from life I was told to draw what I see, not what I think I see. Now that I've been trying to do that for many years, I'm starting to revert back to drawing what I think I see. I think the difference now is that I understand the structure of what is there, so I'm more free to focus on the design of it.

Going to Neverland

Did you know I used to be so cool? I didn't either, but I have tried some cool things from time to time. Back in the days of Ricks College and big dreams I considered myself something of a song writer. I guess I still am, but it's really been years since I've been serious about it. This song is a lullaby that I wrote in anticipation of being the most amazing dad in the world. Reality has set in since then, but I have been able to sing this to my beautiful girls, and I'm really happy about that.

Anyway, enjoy the song. I've recorded some others that I might post in a bit. And-a-one, and-a-two...

Purdy Flower

Toon Club's theme was flowers this week. Well, Frankenstein, really, but they are very similar, so I drew them both. Okay, okay, I know this is really Frankenstein's monster, but he's more interesting to imagine than the good doctor.

Autumn Witch

I often wondered why the ugly witch didn't just keep her beauty spell going all the time. It must be hard work.

Here's a couple of highly higenic monsters for you. Harry Potty will hopefully be finished soon, but I wanted to get it posted just in case it never saw the light of day again. Karalenn says I should name him Daners, after a little potty trainer we know who happens to be a big Harry Potter fan.

The second monster came around when I was asking myself what monsters were afraid of, and the answer was clearly, cavities.

Secret agents are always so cleverly disguised that they're the last ones you would expect to be secret agents. Okay, the tall thin guy is a bit more obvious, but at least he can hide behind flag poles and such.

This is a wee sketch (thumbnail, really) that actually made it past the pages of my sketchbook. I'm starting to see hints of a more settled life these days, so I can contribute more to this poor neglected blog. I know it's not much, but it's somethin'! I was in figure drawing today, and feeling very rusty with the whole process. Hopefully I'll shake off the dust and start feeling the groove again soon.

Larry the CPA. He'll do your taxes, if you like. Careful though, he isn't house broken yet... and he can't do math.

He's a GLADiator.

She told me about the letters...

Here's a little animation I've been working on for the past few weeks. Enjoy!

This here is a picture of Lumpjaw. I don't think he's a villain on purpose, he's just a little dumb and mean. That's a bad combination, unless you're in junior high, then they are the perfect ingredients for survival. I don't think Lumpjaw ever made it to junior high though. Do you know what cartoon he's in? My favorite scene with him is the waterfall scene. Anyone? Anyone?

So... there I was, there I was, there I was... in the Congo! Well, the Congo of my mind.

Work has switched gears, and I'm back to 8 hour days for at least the next two weeks. Thus, the post, since I'm lucky enough to have had the time. Surf's Up is finished in the animation department, and I'm onto Beowulf for the next while.

Not much to this entry; I was just enjoying the drawing side of it, and didn't put any effort into the "clever" side, but hopefully it's fun enough to look at for a wee bit. Here's hoping this ball gets rolling again!

Mermaids

Here's my Toon Club entry for the week. Originally they were going to be framing a sign or a compass rose like the kind you would find on a proper pirate map, but time got the best of them. Mermaids are actually very dangerous creatures. Should I ever run into one my current plan is to high tail it outa there so as to not fall victim to their subtle sironic seductions.

Variation on a Theme

The tragic couple.
How did they die?
And more importantly,
I'm wondering, "Why?!"

Their lives snuffed out,
So sad is their fate.
Curse death!
Who needs it?
Even dead people date.

Don't they?


When I did the sketches last week for Toon Club (see post just below this one) I drew a dancing couple, really liked their concept, but didn't care too much for my execution of it. This week I've been trying to catch it a little better. I like it, but I'm still not satisfied. One of these days I'll get it! You'll see!

IT'S A DEAD MAN'S PARTY!


I feel a bit like a dead man this week. We moved onto a 6 day work week, and may be on this grueling schedule through the rest of the picture (I'm guessing Feb.). However, dispite the lack of time, I had to submit these concepts for Toon Club this week. It was too fun to pass up, even though none of them really got fleshed out. Besides, I animated on The Polar Express, so doesn't that make me an expert on zombies?

More vampires on the brain...

Dracula Trouble-

As I was doing some digging for info about this monster I came across the history of the real Dracula, and he's every bit of a monster as his legend. Maybe not in the same ways, but it sure gave me the heebie-jeebies to read about him. Yikes! Well, the interpretation you see before you is some sort of variation of the vampires I would have nightmares about as a child. When I started to draw him I didn't know I was going way back into the archives of my memories, but the more he came out onto the paper, the more I recognized him. Oh, great. Now I've got the creeps again, and it's bedtime. How am I supposed to get to sleep now?!

BLAST ME TO BERMUDA!

Merlin happened to be the subject for Toon Club this week. I luckily found some time to do this right here at the end of the week. The lovely ladies were fashioned after my lovely wife, but she seems to think they're a bunch of "hoochy mamas." Thus, the more modest version is her little addition.

SURF'S UP! The first trailer is up, too! Go watch it, then go watch the movie next summer. Seriously, it's going to be awesome. You're going to want to watch it over and over and over again!

JERSEY DEVIL

Possibly a close cousin to the Tazmanian Devil?

TRICK OR TREAT!

Today I brought this drawing home and showed it to my girls. Kenzie liked it, but Kendyl thought it was really scary! We told her it was a picture of her going trick or treating with a monster, and she liked that even less. Finally, we decided it was Kendyl going trick or treating with Kenzie dressed up in a monster costume, and she was okay with that. I really like these big hairy monsters. They are the kind of monster I always imagined chasing me when I was a kid, so that might be part of the appeal. :)

What's so funny?! He just ate your mom.

SAFE?


Sometimes bedtime is the most frightening part of the day. I've discovered this is true for parents, too, but for different reasons; I always consider it an amazing feat when I get my girls in bed by 8:00. More amazing still is when they STAY there all night. We've got the king sized bed, which is good, because if my kids were crawling in with mom and dad in anything smaller they might have a super cranky dad. They already have Cranky Dad; they don't want to see Super Cranky Dad.

The Monkey King

This week's topic in Toon Club is, "IF MONKEY'S RULED THE WORLD."

I had a few different ideas. One was evolution reversed, starting with humans eventually turning into monkeys. That still might be fun to do. Then I wanted to do a presidential debate ending in poop flinging, but I have an aversion to poop that keeps me from drawing it. I appreciate it when others refrain from expounding on the subject, too, so I thought it rather considerate of me to stop that idea's progress right there. It's even hard to type the word "poop"; (shudders). Then this monkey came out of the pencil, and it's anti-climactic statement won me over. So now we know what would happen if monkeys ruled the world. Hooray! Now get back to your ruling, and stay away from the poop.

A G-G-G-G-GHOST!

I've been on a scary kick lately, and this is one of the results of that. I'm not sure I should let my kids see this, as it may give them more reasons to climb into bed with mom and dad in the middle of the night, but here it is...
Ghosts were one of the first things I can remember drawing, and I draw them every year, usually around Halloween, to look at as sort of a benchmark for my progress through the year. I got started a little early this year, but I plan on doing more and more ghosts, so if the planets align, we may just see them here.

Froggy Went A-Courtin' again...

Suprisingly, I actually got another frog out of the sketchbook and here on the ol' blog. I wanted more of a '30s feel with this one. I think that's when the "Froggy Went A-Courtin" song came out, but who knows?

FROGGY WENT A COURTIN'

I think frogs are grand. They're so floppy and round. That makes for fun drawings, so I've drawn more than my fair share of frogs in my lifetime.

This was the theme for Toon Club this week. This is the one that made it out of my sketchbook, but there may be a few more that make their way to the blog. We'll see. It's that cursed time thing that I have to fight all the time.

So, have you seen it yet? I guess I should've plugged this a few weeks ago when it first came out, but better late than never! I spent over a year animating on it, and I'm really pleased with the final product. I've seen it twice. Once at the premiere with my wife, Karalenn, and a second time with my daughter, Makenzie. I thought I might be paying for taking Makenzie to a scary movie for weeks to come (she's only 6), but she was great. She ducked her head into my shoulder a couple of times, but has no nightmares to speak of. Phewsh! Other parents have not been so lucky. I was smart enough not to take Kendyl to it though. I don't cringe at all my shots, but some of them I will forever be wincing in pain at. I believe I was responsible for a total of about 45 shots by the time the movie was done. One of these days I'll put out a list of my shots, but I'm about to head out the door, so that'll come later. Anyway, here's a still from one of my shots:

Waterbed prank

I was busting a gut watching this at work! I've heard it said that physical comedy is the lowest form of comedy, so I don't know what that says about me, but I can't stop laughing at this stuff. Simple pleasures...

So, would this be sibling rivalry or masicism? Both, I guess. Maybe they're fighting over career choices, or politics and religion, but most likely it's a girl.

Two Sketchclub "Marks"

It's been awhile since I've gone to Sketchclub, but I was able to go the last two weeks in a row. I'm never too happy with my coloring, but the drawings were fun. I usually really like the sketchy lines and the swooping shapes, but sometimes I want a nice rendered piece. That takes so long to do though, and I always mess it up. Someday I'll get it! You'll see!

When I was a wee lad I had the tradition of running really fast and falling on my head. It probably had something to do with the size of my noggin, which was the same size then as it is now. I've just grown into it, you might say. And how, you ask, is this a family tradition? Now my kids fall on their huge craniums. I had hoped it would skip a generation, but no.