Sketchbot Custom Show Recap
I'm very pleased to inform you all that The Sketchbot Custom Show at My Plastic Heart was a huge success! We had an amazing turnout - there were easily 100-150 people that made it thru the tiny space in 3 hours, and the overall reaction was super positive. It was great to see many of the local artists in attendance, and for those who couldn't experience the show in person, we streamed the opening live on UStream.
Opening night sales were not bad, with 12 pieces selling instantly. I know times are still tough, but there are 32 pieces still up for grabs (and more than a few for under $200), so visit this link and get yours before they're all gone!
The Sketchbot Custom Show Flickr set has been updated with 82 new pictures I shot during the opening. I would encourage you to see it up close in person if you find yourself in NYC - the show is up for one more week and closes next Friday, April 23rd.
For those that simply can't make it out, you're in luck! One of my custom artists, Dave Gittleman, was on hand with his Canon 5DMarkII as our official show photographer and shot an incredible amount of footage that he assembled into this killer video!
I want to thank all of you who came out and gave your support to a totally new platform. I also want to thank Vince and Bikei from My Plastic Heart for giving me the opportunity and space to host the show. And most importantly, a huge thanks goes out to my manufacturing partner, MAD, who worked his magic last October in acquiring 50 blanks so that I could have pieces to send out in the first place.
Sketchbot Custom - GigantorBot
Today's the big day! Sketchbot Custom Show tonight at My Plastic Heart, and I'm kicking things off with the full reveal of my custom, GigantorBot!
Anyone who knows me is fully aware of my obsession with all things Gigantor/Tetsujin-28. In fact, the Sketchbot design itself was partially (sub-consciously?) influenced by a few design elements found in the amazing work of Mitsuteru Yokoyama, most notably the dead ahead stare of the half opened eye and minimal use of rivets.
It was painfully obvious that I had to do a Gigantor version of Sketchbot. I did a quick Photoshop mockup, and then went back to my original computer model to further explore the idea in 3d. After a few test renders, I knew this was the way to proceed.
However, I also knew there was going to be no way I could hand sculpt these pieces to the tight precision required to pull off the concept and do it proper justice, so I opted to utilize the same method in which I fabricated the original prototype - print out the pieces in 3d! I was going to try and match the vinyl blank, but decided to just print out the entire object so that there would be no discrepancies with fit and finish.
I broke the character down into various components to make paint and assembly that much easier. After much wet-sanding and priming, the pieces were ready to mask and spray. Final assembly went fairly smoothly, although, my connector tabs for the rocket pack were way too thin and one snapped off. Liberal use of Zap-a-Gap rectified the situation, and the model was completed!
You really need to see the model up close to appreciate how well the 3d print matched the 3d geometry. I hope you get to see this, along with the rest of the amazing pieces I've gathered, tonight at My Plastic Heart - stop by and say hi!
Sketchbot Custom Show Teaser
This archival photo was recently uncovered, revealing a protector of the city long before there were Transformers or Super Heroes...
Sketchbot Custom Show Sneak Peeks, Round 2
This will be the final teaser grid before the show! We're still waiting on last minute arrivals, but here's another 18 crops from the roster for you to drool over. Enjoy!
Sketchbot Custom Show Sneak Peeks!
We're one week away from the big show and the sneak peeks have started to trickle in. I've been Tweeting updates throughout the week, and thought I'd show a few more not yet seen here on the blog to whet your appetites. ;) This represents just over a third of the collection that will be on display.
I have to say that I'm genuinely blown away by the level of A-game people are bringing to their customs! It's encouraging to see my fellow artists embrace what I hope will be a new platform for customizers to use as an alternative to the plethora of DIY canvases out there.
I've got something especially mind-blowing in the works for my custom and will be putting the finishing touches on it early next week. Check back for a special sneak peek before the show opens next Friday!
Sketchbot Custom Show!
It's March 1st, and I'm super psyched to announce phase 1 of Sketchbot! We're kicking things off with a huge custom show at My Plastic Heart NYC that opens on Friday, March 26th and runs thru April 23rd. I've assembled a staggering array of 50 artists and customizers to DIY up the 'bot in their unique styles. Mark your calendars, you're not gonna want to miss this one!
Be sure to check out all of the participating artist's work at the following links!
64 Colors |
Aaron Stewart |
Andrew Bell |
http://www.creaturesinmyhead.com
Argonaut Resins |
http://argonautsresin.blogspot.com
Brent Nolasco |
http://brentnolasco.blogspot.com
Brian Flynn |
Chauskoskis |
http://walterjacott.blogspot.com
Chris Krebs |
Chuckboy |
Chris Raab |
http://www.coroflot.com/chris_raab
Cypher13 |
Dacosta! |
Dave Gittleman |
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davegittleman
Dead Presidents |
http://www.deadpresidentsdesigns.com
Mr. Den |
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mr-den
Gods and Monsters |
http://www.godsandmonsterrrs.com
Dril One |
Dustin Cantrell |
http://anomicbomb.blogspot.com
Entae Kim |
Frank Mysterio |
http://frankmysterio.blogspot.com
Jared Deal |
Jason Limón |
J-Bat |
Jeremiah Ketner |
JESTER |
Motorbot |
http://motorbot.kevinolsonartist.com
J-ROO |
kaNO |
Keithing |
King Abnon |
http://absolutenons3ns3.wordpress.com
Leecifer |
LJ Lindhurst |
Lou Pimentel |
MAD |
Manny Galan |
Matt Doughty |
Moopf |
NEMO |
http://nemossculpturestudio.blogspot.com
OsirisOrion |
http://osirisorion.blogspot.com
Patrick Francisco |
http://doodlechimp.blogspot.com
PHONETICONTROL |
Pon |
Reactor-88 |
Sam Fout |
http://www.moontoadproductions.blogspot.com
Mr. Shane Jessup |
http://mrshanejessup.blogspot.com
Steve Talkowski |
Sket One |
SUCKADELIC |
TOYSREVIL |
veggiesomething |
Mission: 10,000 Rockets
I just wrapped up a pretty cool project for the agency Creature based in Seattle. I was one of three artists chosen to interpret three winning drawings (out of 10,000) of rockets of the future from school kids around the country for the Mission: 10,000 Rockets project developed by Bing™
The entire progression can be viewed at this Flickr set.
They had seen my Sketchbot 3d prototype and were interested in getting something created in a similar fashion. Of course, I was more than happy to get another chance to print out a 3d design, and jumped at the chance to participate. Mission: 10,000 Rockets Turn Table from Steve Talkowski on Vimeo.
This is a 3d turntable render of the rocket I was commisioned to create for the Bing™ Mission: 10,000 Rockets project.
The final model will be on display at the winning entrants school. There will also be a book published in April that will contain every drawing submitted to the contest, along with the three final art pieces.
I'd like to thank Creature Art Director Eric Larkin and Project Manager Sarah Faulkner for making contact and including me in such a fun project. Also, HUGE thanks to Dave Gittleman and Michael Gulen for 3d output.
Happy Holidays!
It's been a busy two months since my last post in October. I finished two freelance gigs, and also received the T1 and paint samples of Sketchbot! Tweaks and adjustments are in the works, with final approval mere weeks away. Exciting times lie ahead for 2010. More info come late February.
Sketchbot Studios wishes you all Happy Holidays and a great start to the New Year!
TweetBot
I've been on Twitter for 8 months now, and it's by far my favourite social networking site. It's the pure essence of micro-blogging. I've found that I discover - via succinct, 140-character 'Tweets' - an abundance of interesting posts and tidbits than had I spent 3-4 times more scouring various websites for the same information.
How best, then, to show my appreciation for the site than to create an interpretation of the Twitter bird - in this case, one that would fit comfortably in the Sketchbot universe! I present to you, TweetBot.
Mimobot X Infectious Contest Entries
It's been awhile since my last post. I recently wrapped up a 6-week animation freelance gig (will post about that next) and needed to finish some entries for the Infectious X Mimobot Design Challenge.
I thought it would be cool to actually model the shape in 3d and use the 2d template as the basis for a texture map. This way, I could easily slap various designs onto the model and see how well they hold up on the actual 3d volume.
Head on over to the site and check out all the other entries. And do cast your votes while there!
Click here to vote on Jellyfish Mimobot
Click here to vote on Sketchbot Mimobot
SDCC 09 / Summer Vacation Wrap-Up
We've got one day left on our 2-week West Coast adventure. First stop was visiting family in AZ, followed by 2 1/2 days in San Diego at Comic Con, a 3-day visit to LA, and wrapping up the final week in Cambria with more family visits. Unfortunately, I've spent 10 days very much under-the-weather, as I picked up a nasty sinus infection amongst the 125,000 Comic Con attendees. I did manage to get some antibiotics earlier this week and am starting to feel much better.
A few quick thoughts on Comic Con. This year seemed even crazier than last year.
Preview night saw people rushing the doors like it was black Friday! The lines to every panel were longer, and the crowds more jam-packed than ever, and this was just Thursday and Friday. We drove to LA Friday night after the show, so I can only image the weekend was even more intense. More SDCC 09 pictures up on my Flickr here.
I was excited to have the Sketchbot prototype on display at the DKE TOYS booth, and got lots of great response. This thing is finally becoming a reality! Met a slew of folks from my Flickr and Twitter contacts and lots of familiar faces from the year before.
One of the highlights was getting into Hall H to see the Disney/Pixar presentation. John Lasseter talked about the Toy Story series, a new 2d animated Frog and the Princess, and the highlight was bringing out Hayao Miyazaki and showing an incredible clip from Ponyo, which hits theaters in the US August 14th. The other panel that got me excited was seeing Peter Jackson present Neill Blomkamp's District 9. REALLY looking forward to seeing this one. I missed the Iron Man 2 panel (it was on Saturday) but the HD trailer for TRON Legacy made up for it in spades. The artists over at Digital Domain are doing an amazing job on this and being a huge TRON geek, I can't wait to see this on the big screen.
Alright, time to enjoy our last full day on the California central coast. We're gonna take the dog over to the beach and dip our feet into the ocean. Will be back in Brooklyn on Monday, have a great weekend!
Artist Series Interview up on "I Heart Cool Stuff"
The Artist Series: Steve Talkowski from I Heart Cool Stuff on Vimeo.
Sketchbot Prototype SDCC 09
What a difference a year makes.
Last year this time I had just completed two hand sculpted and painted prototypes of the first version of Sketchbot. I brought them along to SDCC, had one on display at Toyqube's booth, and the other I carried with me and showed to whomever would stop and listen to my spiel. I received lots of positive feedback and even some constructive criticism. The plan was always to revise the character to be more animation friendly, in addition to further refining the shape and features. It was also important to settle on a cohesive branding strategy for all the various elements that comprise Sketchbot Studios.
Today, I'm proud to announce that Sketchbot is now in full production as a designer vinyl toy!
The new prototype will be on display at the DKE TOYS booth at SDCC 09. I'll be in attendance Wednesday during "Preview Night" and wrapping up my visit end of day on Friday. I'll have a batch of the newly designed stickers and business cards with me, so hit me up for some free swag if you see me wandering the vinyl toy aisles.
It's been an exciting journey since I first began this venture over a year ago, and the future promises a plethora of surprises for Sketchbot. See you all in San Diego!
Sketchbot Prototype Final
Here's a quick update on the Sketchbot prototype. Two full sets were delivered yesterday from the awesome Crystalline Models! One will be fully painted and on display at the DKE booth during SDCC. The other will be delivered to the factory where it will be used to create the master molds. Some key improvements are removal of the grooved eye, which doesn't lock me into one shape, and better defined grooves in the arms and legs. The figure has been scaled up by 10% to take into account the shrinkage factor when it gets cast in vinyl. Also, the enlarged right hand and accessories have been completed and look great. You can see a size comparison with a mini Munny up on my Flickr. I'll post pictures of the painted proto before heading out to San Diego for Comic Con.
It's iPhone 3GS Day, and V2.0 Sketchbot Wallpaper!
Truth be told, I'm gonna miss my original 1st gen iPhone. I really liked the look and feel of the casing, and OS 3.0 ran just fine on it. However, I couldn't wait to finally upgrade to 3G, as the Edge network is slower than molasses. Of course, having a slight bump in camera resolution, along with being able to shoot video clips, is a nice plus. I just hope I don't regret this come same time NEXT year. We'll have to wait and see if the fourth iteration of the iPhone will be evolutionary, or revolutionary.
In the meantime, I'm offering up some fresh iPhone wallpaper with V2.0 graphics. It's refreshing to update the brand across the board with the latest imagery. Enjoy!
Sketchbot Customs... In Glorious 3d!
Sketchbot DIY MadL from Steve Talkowski on Vimeo.
This project started out as a proof-of-concept for setting up the Sketchbot blinking eye rig. I haven't started to rig up the bot itself, and thought I'd apply the animated texture map to a 3d MadL that I cranked out. I've been in a 3d customizing mode the past week, and figured I'd explore my first MadL concept. Possible candidate for the next artist series?
If you have the capacity, I encourage you to download the HD version of the animation on my Vimeo page.
I've also been presented with two paper templates to customize, and thought it'd be great to bring them into 3d and do some photo-realistic rendering. The first one is a design from Sharim Gubbels, called "Ghostboy." The second template is by Gareth Lancaster, aka "moopf".
I do have an original paper toy based on Sketchbot in the works and hope to have something available for download in the not-too-distant future.
Sketchbot Update - Stickers and Quotes
Lots of exciting things going on behind the scenes at Sketchbot Studios. First, you'll notice a new masthead at the top of the blog that represents the updated logo. This redesign carries over to a new batch of stickers, which include artwork for each of the 6 planned colourways and the DIY blank version. I'll be including a sticker inside each box. Unfortunately, I have to conceal all the amazing versions until those variants become available (gotta keep the suspense alive!). The good news, everyone gets to follow along with Variant 1, and here's the final artwork:
And, yes, that's a sparkling new URL that will be the official home for the Sketchbot brand. It's currently under construction and I'm working on some killer content for the site. As always, you can continue following the adventures of toy production and other going-ons right here.
The following image represents but a third of the ginormous sticker run I recently had completed by the fine folks at Stickerobot. My design is currently featured as their Sticker of the Week! I highly recommend them for any of your sticker needs - tell 'em Sketchbot sent them your way.
Here's a quick comparison between V.1 and V.2 - the design sorely needed updating, and V.2 is now consistent with the revision to the actual 3d model.
Finally, I've been having lots of back-and-forth conversations with two factories in China, presenting my plans for production and getting those much needed quotes. Financing is going to be challenging, but I will not compromise on quality for my first release. I think all the fans of Sketchbot will appreciate the value that is going into bringing this character off the page and into reality. I'm still shooting for a release before the holidays, so keep sending those positive vibes in our direction!
Honey Nut Cheerios Sci-Fi Spot
SciFi Cheerios "if" Spot from Steve Talkowski on Vimeo.
I worked with Hush on this spot a few weeks ago. My role entailed rigging up and animating the bee character, modeling the honey wand and subtle honey animation, and full lighting of the character. A hero Cheerio was animated landing and bobbing in an imaginary plane, and this was repeated numerous times to fill out the foreground splashing bits of cereal. The spot was composited and colour-corrected in After Effects.
Check out Hush's website for more killer work, including another spot I animated on, Sony Ericsson's "Dance Off"
KickToys Launch Party @ Toyqube
KickToys Custom Teaser
Here's a little sneak peak of my custom BEit Dude for the Kicktoys launch party this Friday at ToyQube.
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