MLP2

My Little Pony (F4)

Side Step

Another Animation II exercise, the sidestep!

It's kind of insane the mechanics that are involved in this. Looking at it now, settle #1 was probably too exaggerated.


Sidestep from Michael Barquero on Vimeo.

Sketching Break

Spring  Break could not have come at a better time. Been hitting something of a block lately. Haven't been getting much sleep or exercise and my art has been suffering; lacking creativity.

Anyway, they say the best thing when you hit a block is to just do something else, or as Mark Andrews said: "Switch gears and draw My Little Pony".

Lately I've been really liking storyboarding more and more, I suck at it but it's the most fun I've had with art since I can remember. It's not about the finished drawing, it's not about rendering something to death, it's about getting an idea across. It's making hundreds of drawings that will end up in the trash in search of series of panels that make for a smooth story when done. Keeping in mind shots, watching movies for homework, asking yourself "do I need this", looking at the visual progression, checking out the texture and rhythm of the storytelling, how's the screen direction? are we breaking 180? do we care? 

Ahh! I just love it! The best part is, Mark Andrews, whose class I've been auditing is so down to earth about his craft. Doesn't just blurt out buzzwords or shroud the "filmmaking language" in this mysterious mist that only the most elite of film snobs are allowed to understand. He really breaks it all down, is open for all sorts of questions-even the most naive among them.

The most refreshing part is when someone says a movie was bad or something, he asks you why. It's not just a circlejerk session of "yeah that movie was terrible! bad storyline man". NO! Why was it bad? Why was the story not great? What could have been added? How could it have been plussed? 

Animation is still awesome, but like last year, this is still the class I most look forward to each week (and I'm not really even in the class). Bodies in Motion is up there, but Visual Storytelling beats it because I really feel like I'm learning tons.

Also! This might be last couple of posts I really work in a traditional sketchbook. I'm terribad with digital and really need to start working on it.