Ye shipwreck!!!

So...I've been busy working on the short animations I mentioned a few posts ago. In between making headway on them and doodling in my sketchbook, I've been drawing on newspaper photos. It's officially a new hobby of mine! I liked this one because I grew up on the ocean. As a kid, I always imagined there lived a sea monster in the Swampscott Bay.

Cupcakes...Not Johnny Cupcakes!

A couple weeks ago I was asked by Hasbro Toys to design a T-Shirt for an upcoming employee event where they'd be making cupcakes. The only catch was that I could only use one color...here's some sketches and the final shirt, which I got in the mail yesterday!

Damn Newspapers!

I woke up this morning to find another strange picture on the front of the Boston Globe...somehow I think they are making fun of President Bush in this image.


A similar thing happened a couple months back.

Philippe Animation Test

So...in my last post, I mentioned that I have been working on some new animated shorts. I whipped up this little test today. As the title of this post suggests, the character's name is Philippe. I will be working with a very talented character animator on this project. I'll upload more artwork as the production gets underway.

Click the link for test!

Animation Thoughts

So...I've been working on a series of animated shorts lately. I want to work on timing and acting in my animated films so I've been looking at the greatest director in animation history...Mr. Chuck Jones. I've been studying old Bugs Bunny, Road Runner, and Warner Brother's cartoons. They're simply amazing. It's no wonder why this time period is referred to as the "Golden Age of Animation". After working in an animation studio for the last year-and-a-half, I've come to learn that studios look to cut as many corners as possible. Budgets are streamlined, schedules are trimmed, and the workload is excessive. All of these things lead to animation that lacks real movement and character. Directors are forced to take shortcuts and the product gets watered-down. The more I work in a studio, the more frustrated I become. In the end, it's more about the bottom line than it is about ground-breaking animation and storytelling.

Enough of my rants! Here's something to take away from my rambling. This short features Bugs Bunny and Elmer. Compare this piece of art to any flash show on TV. I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Enjoy!

Where I've been

Most people take vacations to recharge their battery and unwind...not me. I took a vacation to become more tired, but there's a good reason why. After living in Providence for almost two years, I finally moved back to the Boston area. It's been a hellish process, but I'm finally moved, unpacked, and settled. The best part about my new place is that I have a huge studio all to myself. There will be lots of creating in the upcoming weeks now that I have a place to call my own...Stay tuned.

Boston Sports Haven

It's a good day to be a Bostonian today...Sam Adams would have been proud!

Ideas

I like to think that there are ideas floating around all of us in little bubbles. All we need to do is discover them. That concept inspired this image...



Here's the initial sketch:

Work Doodle

I dazed off during a meeting today. Shhhh....don't tell anyone.

Bewteen the Lions

Last night I trekked down to NYC with my colleague and friend Evan Sussman to attend a Between the Lions screening party. The producers showed clips from the upcoming season, which was nice to see some of the other studios' work. I have watched many episodes before and I forgot how quirky and fun the show is. It's produced by WGBH, Sirius Thinking, and Mississippi Broadcast. The attendees included animators, writers, musicians, muppeteers, and artists. It was quite the gathering. If you haven't checked out the show, I highly recommend it.

FINALLY...The Sky has Fallen!

The Global Warming PSA I've been working on is finally up for preview on the Animation Block Party Site and Cold Hard Flash. You can also check out the different formats on my website. A big Thanks to Evan Sussman and Joe Pleiman for the compositing and sound design. I hope you enjoy it!

Ben' Drawin' and Writin'

So I've been working on new material lately. Here's a sneak peak of some fresh characters.