Sketches!

City sketch study.

#2

Compositional Studies @ Grange Park (it was cold)

This woman was so bundled up, it was awesome.

Starting a new sketchbook.

Randoms

Some little random sketches I liked.

Some very recent sketches from traveling around downtown Toronto, I switched to pencil for the time being to try something different. See how long this lasts til I begin pining for a pen again. If you're in Toronto, the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is this week! Definitely heading down there for some sketching sometime, it's always a blast! Thanks to everyone who's been commenting - it's really much appreciated! While I've been looking for a job and amongst doing a few other side projects on my own, Matt and I have started on a short film, and set up a production blog! Check it out!

Also, if you haven't had a chance yet, I'd definitely recommend going and checking out Where the Wild Things Are. Spike Jonze has made, in my opinion, an absolutely amazing, stunning and poignant film - some tend to disagree, and I've really only found two opposing opinions of the film (love or hate) with very few fence-sitters. Definitely one to catch.

Some fantastic stuff is being posted to James', Nick's and Jenny's blogs. I can't say enough nice things about these guys but definitely give them a look if you get a chance.

Princess and the Frog is being released VERY soon in NY and LA, and on December 11th everywhere! Check it out! And, a really cool Disney TV special from 1981 has been posted on youtube in conjunction with the Illusion of Life. Thanks to Cat Hicks for that one.

Winter's a-comin'.

Circuit Paris

(Slightly cut off - click through to play proper ratio)

In keeping with the trend, I realized I hadn't uploaded my film that I completed in my final year at Sheridan College, so here it is. Roughly about 4 months doing storyboards, a month doing layout, design and art direction/color styling and 3 months animating. The voices were done by Vadim as the cab driver, and Matt as the Old Woman. I've posted some process work in the past from it, which you can check out here about halfway down the page to the bottom. It was an enormous education (there are a ton of things I'd do differently) and an amazing experience - one I ended up wishing we'd had more of a chance to do during our time at school and I can't wait to make another.
100% Hand drawn - colored in Photoshop and composited in After Effects and Premiere.
Also, My buddies Vlad and Matt just uploaded their kickass films, so I'd definitely recommend watching theirs as well and checking out their awesome blogs. Also, Matt's been posting some pretty hilarious comics of him and myself - we're working on a little project together that's brought out some...material.

And here's a couple of quick little sketches:



Comments and crits appreciated! Til next time.
R.

Happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving!

This weekend in Canadaland, it's thanksgiving! We celebrate it much like the Americans, what with the delicious, delicious turkey and other such fine foods.
Why do we celebrate it in October?
Because we're awesome.

Or, it could have began by the explorer, Martin Frobisher marking his homecoming from safely finding a northern passage to the Pacific Ocean, avoiding death which had befallen his predecessors. After which, the french settlers, having crossed the ocean and made it safely to Canada, held huge feasts of thanks from 1604 onwards.


(depictions of the french may be grossly exaggerated)

So that's how Thanksgiving in Canada began!
A Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Here are also some sketches I've been doing in the last little while:







Til next time!
R.

Intermission.

Back!

It's been a while, and a busy month or so, but I'm back now! I have a rule to not post videos on here ever, but I had to make an exception for this since it's personal work. If the player/embedding gets annoying or gives anyone issues, let me know and I'll just make it into a link.
Anyway, the video is my last assignment from the Disney internship, where by we had to storyboard out a musical sequence. The music was chosen by our mentors, mine being the AWESOME Aurian Redson who chose the Green Hornet theme.

Also, AURIAN REDSON FINALLY HAS A BLOG. Go visit it NOW. Aurian is one of the nicest guys around and can draw like no one's business. Check him out!

I also went to a few films at the Toronto International Film Fest, which I'll post about soon - they were Jean-Pierre Jeunet's "Micmacs", Don Hahn's "Waking Sleeping Beauty", and Jason Reitman's "Up in the Air". All I'll say for now is if the opportunity presents itself, go check any of those out.

I've also posted a ridiculous doodle, and some drawings done around the city and at the zoo, and unfortunately I've had to enable the spam security on the comments, been bombarded lately. Hopefully it's not too much trouble.

That's all for now!

R.

"Four Times the Awesomeness!"

Black Bull Tavern

Aroma Cafe

Zoo

Downtown Toronto - Queen/John

Journal Page from Florida trip

The Shining.

I hate horror films (mostly because I scare easy), but I decided to watch Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" the other night for the first time because, well, it's Kubrick and certain people had been raving about it for a while, so I figured it's high time I suck it up and check it out.
Of course, during the following sequence, which in my opinion is one of the creepiest of the film, it started to rain like crazy outside, followed by thunder and lightning. How's THAT for pathetic fallacy?

(click to enlarge)

I also drew out a couple other random shots:

Obligatory.

I just really liked Shelly Duvall's expression in this one.

This was another great one. Danny is playing with his cars (which are arranged to lead your eye to the point) sitting at a spot which points directly off screen, rolling his car back and forth over the point, as the mysterious ball comes in from off screen.

I think this my most favourite shot in the film - it's amazing to actually see the staging in this. The room opening intersecting with Jack's head and leading your eye to the mirror, which reflects his bizarre expression and his eyes staring directly at Danny, leading you to Danny and Jack's hand, and so on. Even the pants laying on the stool lead you straight to Danny. Genius.

It's absolutely incredible to see the way this movie is set up - the entire first 3/4 of the film is foreshadowing and set up, like an elastic band being stretched to it's limit, to a point where it all just...snaps. Brilliant.

Also, I was dragged into seeing G.I.Joe...review coming soon.
R.

California 09

San Diego Comic Con 09

Pacific Beach - San Diego

Airport

Secret Journal

Coffee

Great trip to San Diego/LA for Comic Con and visiting friends, applying for work (still looking!) and just hanging out. Who knew I'd start loving LA so much? Weird.
Bigger, more entertaining post coming very soon. Promise. If you're in Toronto, Jeff Smith of Bone will be signing at the Indigo Bookstore at Yorkdale mall on Saturday August 8th. His new documentary DVD is awesome, pick it up if you can - it's called "The Cartoonist: Jeff Smith, Bone and the changing face of comics" Also, one of my favourite books that I picked up at the Comic Con besides Torch Tiger, was Kevin Dart's "Seductive Espionage: The World of Yuki 7" Simply stunning concept, execution and artwork. Really great. Check them out if you get a chance. Also, Kerascoet's Jolies Tenebres (published by Dupuis) is amazing as well, still trying to read it (french is rusty) but brilliant stuff. I'm absolutely in love with the simplicity and fantastic clarity in their art. Ronnie is much more eloquent than I in explaining it.

R.

Canadia!

Whenever I'm in the States, people always ask me what Canada is like. Today being Canada Day, and Canada's 142nd birthday, I figure I should finally give an accurate description, as well as clarify some myths about us neighboUrs to your North.

FACT: Canada is directly above (to the north of) the United States of America. We have 10 PROVINCES instead of STATES, as well as 3 TERRITORIES.

FACT: Our national colours are Red and White, and our flag features the Maple Leaf.
FACT: We have a Prime Minister instead of a President.

FACT: Our National Police are called the RCMP.

FACT: Each Province has their own Police force as well. Ontario's are called the Ontario Provincial Police.

FACT: Canada's national food is Tim Horton's, a "coffee" chain named after a famous hockey player.

FACT: Smarties in Canada are different! Instead of bizarre rolled up multicoloured chalky candy which we refer to as "rockets", Smarties are a delicious multicoloured chocolate. You are supposed to eat the red ones last.

FACT: It is always cold.

FACT: Fortunately, because we have winter all the time, we've gotten used to it and have acclimated to it.

FACT: We eat delicious Canadian chocolates called "Bueno Bars"

FACT: We go on maple syrup hunting expeditions riding moose into the wilderness.

FACT: In Canadia, Beavers are a man's best friend.



Note: Some of these facts may or may not be entirely ... true.

Happy Canada Day Everyone!

R.