"Turnip Takes a Stroll After Falling Off Truck" - Custom Munny





Here it is, my entry for tonight's Custom Munny Show at APW Gallery! Swing by if you're local to see plenty of custom goodness from a slew of participating artists.

One thing I learned from my third custom - if you live by the stencil, you die by the stencil. My designs are intentionally graphic by nature, so it's important that I get as clean a read on the toy as possible. I had planned on painting this one with acrylics but just could not get the fidelity and crispness that I wanted, so I switched gears and decided to try spray paint and masking. I'm happy for the most part, however, the overlapping layers became annoying. I was masked out and decided not to do the white clouds, partly due to the fact that the colours I could find for the sky and sky rays weren't as close in value and caused more contrast than the original design - so the clouds would have made it even more busy to read. I also toyed with the idea of a black outline to further delineate the character from the background. Perhaps I'll try this out on the next one.

Taking The Leap


Today is my last day at Guava. As I wrap up my 3-year tenure as Animation Director to pursue my independent work and Sketchbot venture full-time, one of my favourite images from the French artist, Yves Klein, "Le Saut dans le Vide" (Leap into the Void), is prominent in my thoughts. No vacation for me, though. Come Monday, I dive head first into the ongoing work on the Sketchbot prototype, along with completing my entry for the upcoming custom Munny show at APW Gallery. I've got lots of exciting projects in the works, and am looking forward to sharing the process of taking my 2d concept from the page to full-up, designer toy completion.

Sketchbot Prototype Sketches

Getting the Sketchbot prototype started ASAP has been on my mind lately. Whenever I have a free moment, I'll doodle a quick sketch and start fleshing out how to turn the graphic 2d version of Sketchbot into a fully realized 3d volume. Some of these drawings started before I began modeling the 3d version in Maya, while others are further studies to see how the different parts might connect and respond to "real-world" poses. I'll also be undertaking a clay maquette in the near future and these drawings will definitely come in handy for that.





Sketchbot Qee Photo Shoot




Thought I'd share a few shots from the impromptu photo shoot I did on the morning I had to turn my custom entry in for the APW show. I was heading into work and as I walked under the Manhattan Bridge overpass on the way to the subway, I saw this visually interesting stand pipe along one side of the overpass structure. I liked the harsh lighting and thought the character fit perfectly amongst the rustic metal and concrete, so I quickly shot a bunch of shots before catching the train in. I've added some of the better compositions to the sketchbot Flickr set.

MAD @ MPH



By now, most of you who are into designer toys (and, are local to the NYC area) have most likely seen MAD's show at My Plastic Heart. If not, you've got until May 16th to check it out. I've become a quick fan of Jeremy's work over the past year, as he's got a fresh, graphic style that's clean, bold and infused with his unique sense of humor. His MAD*l figure is also one of the most brilliant and fun shapes out there. I missed opening night the day before NYCC, but did get to see the exhibit last Friday night before heading over to the APW Gallery opening. I've posted a modest selection of pictures up on Flickr. Vince has a great Flickr set up from opening night.

NYCC Sketchbook Tags


Alright, one last post before hitting the sack and closing out the busy week.   Since I've been attending these recent shows and conventions, I've noticed fans would bring a sketchbook dedicated to getting signed ("tagged") by their favourite artists.  I, too, wanted to approach those I was interested in to contribute to my personal sketchbook, and occasionally, got to draw in theirs as a trade.  Looking back over the 3-day convention, I was surprised that I got as many beautiful drawings as I did.

I've become a HUGE Jose Lopez fan, and was totally blown away when he asked if he could draw my Sketchbot character.  What an awesome interpretation. Thanks again Jose!

You can view them in all their high-resolution glory at the following Flickr set.  Enjoy!