Art of Phil Allora

2012-01-14T12:55:00.000-08:00

Just a sketch to kick off the month of January!

Miracle Mile Marksmen

2012-01-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

What do you do during your lunch breaks?
When I first started in animation, I had been out of art school for a few years and was more familiar with drawing for illustration. Meaning that if I needed to draw people in a street scene I would find reference or shoot it and then draw from the ref. Reference doesn't move while you are trying to draw from it.

Entering into animation at the Disney Feature studio in Florida, I was surrounded by artists and animators of incredible talent, who would often draw from moving subjects, and do it well.
So I was curious as to how I could produce life drawings and quick sketches that looked as good as my drawings from a life drawing class where a model would "pose". I took on the challenge of going out to draw people in the theme-park in motion during my lunch breaks.

I remember my first drawings were just awful. Looking back at the drawings I can't tell if the scratch drawings are male or female. Some drawings looked like a collection of "sticks" jumbled on a page.
Fast forward to the present and now I can tell by looking at the drawings what is the gender and I still have more to explore/ capture/ and push in these quick sketches from life.

I've tried to continue on sketching on lunch breaks and bringing other artists and sketching enthusiasts along at each company I've worked for in my career thus far.
Recently, the group I currently sketch with, formulated a plan to make our outings more fun by starting a blog to share our drawings with viewers and members of the group.
Each week we pick a "mark" and do a sketch from memory to post on the blog.

You can check out some of the sketches here:
http://miraclemilemarksmen.blogspot.com/

Drop by and let us know you've been there ;)

Thank You

2011-11-11T22:28:00.001-08:00

Just a quick sketch for today's day to celebrate and thank all of our veterans who proudly and bravely serve and have served their country.

Drive

2011-10-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

It's kinda interesting to see the various body postures of the surrounding drivers when you are stuck in traffic. Thankfully, in LA I get a chance to do that on a daily basis.

Monsters among Us

2011-10-25T07:55:00.000-07:00

On my way home yesterday night from work, I had the chance to listen to an deep and insightful interview with film director, Guillermo Del Toro. Host Neal Conan moderates a call in chat with Del Toro and delves into Del Toro's beliefs on monsters, their origin, and definition in today's society. A must listen for Del Toro fans and fans of the monster genre.

http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=5&prgDate=10-24-2011

Day 3 in Singapore

2011-09-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

The roof top pool deck of the Changi Village Hotel

A Singapore Airlines flight coming in for a landing at Changi Airport.

The one thing I've been interested in doing since setting up our trip to Singapore is to arrange a tour of the World Famous Tiger Beer brewery. After breakfast and a rooftop swim, we headed out on the journey to the brewery. More photos on the way of the trip inside the brewery.

Lunch in Singapore-Orchard Road

2011-09-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

Ok, I admit it. I was pretty tired when we arrived and missed taking a fancy snap of the hotel . Thank Google for the use of the image above. When I've stayed in Singapore, the place that is most comfortable and grand is the Changi Village hotel. It's outside of the main city of Singapore, closer to the beaches and secluded in the sleepy little are of Singapore called Changi Village (naturally)
.

The sleek modern design of the hotel is cool and relaxing.

The next day on the taxi ride to downtown Singapore: Orchard Road shopping district. Notice on the overpass the flowers and hanging plants.

So green around the highway and so radically different from the 405, 134, or 5 in LA.

The downtown shopping district is still pretty green. Oh yeah, I forgot I'm on a tropical island city ;)

Little cars at a traffic stop. Takashimaya shopping plaza is just around the corner.

The huge interior atrium of the Takashimaya Shopping center. 5 floors above ground of shops and restaurants with an additional 3 floors of the same underground.

Walking underground from Takashimaya Center to another mall Wisma Atria shopping center we head into the Food Republic (food court) and line up for the local favorite Thye Hong Hokkien Mee. (Hokkien noodle dish). But don't just take my word for it:

http://www.hungrygowhere.com/singapore/thye_hong_hokkien_mee_food_republic_wisma_atria/

Each plate of noodles is served in the traditional leaf sleeve. Which was the original "street plate" which the noodles sold.

Fresh prawn in a savory sautee sauce with chili over stir fried noodles. Squeeze with lime and bon appetite.

Welcome to Singapore-Changi Airport

2011-09-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Above we see a long Koi pond which stretches the length of a concourse I would typically find in LAX. But this isn't LAX, it's Changi International Airport in Singapore. Which is a HUGE airport in comparison to most of the airports I've traveled through.

Some of the many Koi hanging around in the pond. It must get kind of the same for the Koi after a while. Same black tile all around 24/7.

When you get tired of looking at the Koi or strolling the pond, or having a drink at the Tiger Beer pub (off screen) you can relax in comfortable chairs in the cozy atrium. All they need is tropical birds....and after the welcome wall below we see......

Tropical Birds of Singapore and Malaysia courtesy of the Singapore Bird Park!
Well, they were made of wood, but they added some great color to the palm trees, tropical plants, and waterfalls in the receiving hall.

More to come soon as we get through the immigration check point and out into Singapore to get something to eat. ;)

Traveling Over Seas

2011-09-04T08:10:00.000-07:00

Above is the largest luxury liner in the Singapore Airlines Air fleet: the AirBus 380. It's a huge plane with a gentle ride. Which reminds me of riding in a cruise liner. When we departed LAX, I couldn't feel we had actually lifted off the ground until I looked out the window and didn't see the tarmack. We're on route to Narita Airport in Tokyo Japan, to lay over and then leap over the South China Sea to Singapore.

The line after disembarkation going through Japanese customs. It was a short line but with no a/c in the hall, it was HOT!

A welcome sign on our way into the main terminal to find the gate for the remaining 8hr leg of the trip to Singapore.

AVAST!

2011-08-18T00:06:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite comic moments from the first installment of the Pirates of the Carribean films, was when our novice buccaneer (played by Orlando Bloom) storms the quarter deck, shouting "Avast!"

I'm working on a pirate themed project at the moment and did this quick sketch to find one of the characters.

Viola!

Kamen is coming to network TV soon. Check your local listings in the US.

Robots are Cool!

2011-08-10T23:40:00.000-07:00

Will.I.Am and Dean Kamen team up! To create the next biggest scientifically engineered pop band? To change the face of science and technology? How did this happen?

On my way home this evening, I was listening to the radio. I usually drive home each night and try to catch MarketPlace on public radio to get an update on the financial situation here in the US and the Globe. Today, what caught my attention and I found kind of inspiring was an article they were reporting about the team up of Will.I.Am (from the Black Eyed Peas) and Dean Kamen (inventor of the artificial heart, the Segway, and other technological marvels)

It's great to hear a pop icon getting behind the cause of inspiring the next generation of kids to be not just "pop stars" and what ever else is currently the fashion on most media. There is a move to bring the "cool factor" to science and technology and change the way kids think about those subjects as areas of innovation, inspiration, and dare to say revolution.

Check out the MarketPlace transcript and audio links here:

http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/08/10/pm-black-eyed-peas-william-on-the-importance-of-funding-science-education/

Watch F.I.R.S.T founder Dean Kamen go head to head with Will.I.Am in a robot battle to the death! .............or not. ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz-_ir1b6bQ

Enjoy!

FIRST Promo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1QyM9WTF18&feature=related

Sketches

2011-04-30T10:26:00.000-07:00

So as another episode winds down and the next ramps up in television animation I am increasingly drawn to drawing non cartoony things. Funny how most of the day is spent drawing cartoon figures and objects and when I look through my sketch books, I see mostly realistic type art.

I was looking through some old sketch books from when I was in college. It was like stepping back into a past life as most of the subjects written or drawn I had completely forgotten about.

The where and when may have been dated, but my memory doesn't register those, nor the act of drawing the subject. Funny how the drawings now are like messages from the past self to the future self.

One interesting quote I came across (not sure if I wrote it, heard it somewhere, or read it somewhere) from a sketch book page dated 5/3/95 was:

"The creative mind is like any other muscle in the human body. One must exercise it daily to keep it in top form. The only way this creative muscle grows it to "demand" more if it than it thinks it has the ability to do."

If you've heard this before let me know.

We can always do more than we think we are capable of. It's nice to be reminded of that at times. This time my younger self speaking to me through the years.

What treasures lay waiting your old sketchbooks?

EPIC Epicness!

2011-03-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't seen this, it will rock you!

For those who have, rock on!

Bad AC/DC mangling aside, if you haven't seen this epic animation from France, check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pld6fHqHVLA

I went digging for more info and found the production site here:

http://www.pendragon-imageforge.com/index.php

The above artwork is a creation of Alex Alice and Mathieu Lauffray.

And lastly but not the least, great thanks goes out to Sandro Cleuzo for hipping me to this great inspirational work.

If you're not following Sandro's inspirational work and inspiration in general, check him out here:

http://inspectorcleuzo.blogspot.com/

Stage One

2011-03-17T08:37:00.000-07:00

Long time since I posted.

I know. Here's the starting image drawn on a post it.

Next is stage two: Color Flats.

Inspired by Jack Potter

2010-09-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Recently, there was a posting on this great blog: todaysinspiration.blogspot.com which showcased a truly inspirational instructor in my early college years. Jack Potter was a gifted illustrator, consummate professional, and an towering figure in SVA's faculty. He had a zest for life and art that was contagious. When I entered his class room 501 for drawing instruction there was a crackle of excitement in the air as I and the rest of the class anticipated the latest adventure of drawing Jack's models, set ups, and themes.

That was the thing about Jack's class and personality. He brought such enthusiasm for the medium of illustration, that he swept up the class in the drama of each model setup and invited us to delve into our imagination to make the "story" presented that much richer. For a first year undergrad class, this was a big departure from just learning the "basics" of illustration.

The blog above details more of Potter's Principles than my quick sketch above. I quickly tried to jot down the things I remembered from his class and put that into my sketch. It was a great time for continual learning and inspiration.

San Diego Comic Con 2010 wraps.

2010-07-27T21:50:00.000-07:00

San Diego Comic Con 2010!

Another year has brought thousands of fans to the sunny climes of San Diego where they braved the frigid temperatures of the climate controlled Convention Center.

And what would Comic Con be without tons of fans of what else? Tons of Comics!

Below all shapes and sizes scour back issues for their treasure. Dig the guy dressed as Russel from Pixar's UP in the FG.

And what is Comics without Hot Mexican Love?

Above we have LarryDigital and KeyCon manly manning the booth. Muy macho!

Later in the day we have Senor Ira, Senor Allora, and Senor Calleros capturing the hearts of the fans with magnetic gazes of amor. Each of those entranced indulgers of Hot Mexican Love walked away with an original sketch and tres veces el amor.
It was great to have had the chance to experience Comic Con for only a short while behind a booth in the small press area. Every con I've been to, I'm usually walking the floor, talking to artists, and picking up new art. It was a thrill to be giving time this year to making art and handing it off to smiling fans. What better way to kick off a new experience at Comic Con than hanging with the passionate amigos de amore!

Hasta manana!

Adios Amigos!

HMLC UPDATE: Comic Con 2010 just 2 weeks away!

2010-07-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a nice shout out and announcement on the upcoming Hot Mexican Love Comics 2010 edition:

http://hotmexicanlovecomics.blogspot.com/

I am really excited and looking forward to attending San Diego Comic Con this year.

It may be pretty cool to stop by the HMLC booth and hang with the Amigo's De Amor for a little while. It's going to be a busy con for sure.

I haven't had much to post lately as the current season finale show has kept me extremely busy.

I almost feel like I've already been to Comic Con in some ways. ;) More on that later.

In the mean time here's another peek at the story I worked up in this year's edition.

Hot Mexican Love

2010-07-04T14:45:00.000-07:00

Hey there!

Happy July 4th! In just a few short weeks the 2010 edition of Hot Mexican Love Comics will hit the shelves and be proudly touted in the San Diego Comic Con. This years edition is jam packed with stories written and illustrated by animation industry artists currently working in the field.

In this years edition you will also find a short story by yours truly. It was a great experience putting it together from script to final lettering. It opens up ones appreciation for the way modern comics are assembled by various artists along the production.

So below is the first page from the story as an appetizer. I'll probably be posting more about the process as the weeks come closer to the convention.

For more info on Hot Mexican Love Comics, check out the official blog here:

http://hotmexicanlovecomics.blogspot.com/

On Japanese Animation

2010-05-28T22:58:00.001-07:00

Many of you probably don't know but when I was going to art school, I was majoring in illustration. When I had graduated, I worked as a freelance artist for a while doing many illustration related projects for film, comic books, on-line games, and marketing comp art, to name some fields. I always had an interest in animation, from any country.

I remember being blown away the first time I saw AKIRA. I had never seen anything like it before. Growing up, watching Disney classic shorts and features as well as the slew of animation programming in syndication, I'd never been exposed to animation that was so technically well done. The story didn't quite jive with my western story sensibilities beaten into my subconscious mind from years of Western animation/ film exposure, but AKIRA had an unshakable quality of uniqueness and mastery that I've yet to see rivaled.

A short while into my freelance years, I had the opportunity to work @ Walt Disney Feature Animation on Mulan. That was my first total immersion into the process of animation. It was pretty intense work for someone new to the rigors of animation production. I remember long days into nights sitting at an animation desk producing drawing after drawing to get through each scene. Each drawing had to be of the highest quality so that it could "read" on screen what was being "sold" to the audience through the art itself.

When I think back on the hours, days, weeks, months, and years that I invested in the Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch, and Brother Bear, it all seems like a blur. Each film, I learned and grew as an artist, through sheer "pencil mileage", working with extremely talented artists, and learning the animation process from the inside out. Working conditions were generally good. We worked hard. Played hard. I met a ton of great people and influential artists. Together, we created outstanding projects that will stand the tests of time for that genre of animation.

So what does all this have to do with Japanese Animation? I was just thinking recently about the huge impact that the Japanese animation industry has had in America. Are the animators that create some intensely awesome and highly admirable animated product revered in Japan as they are here in the US? Are these animation ninjas treated the same as the top talent for major US animation studios? What's it like for them during a production, creating the amazing entertainment we've grown accustomed to seeing on our cable tv and sold in the big box retailers?

Now I can't say that all the statements in the link below are completely verified by a major news network special report. The article does share input from artists in the industry. (It's on the internet, so take it for what it is, right?) At the very least, for me anyway, give me a sense of what animation industry veterans and newbies in Japan go through to bring us their very best exportable entertainment artform.

http://www.riuva.com/?

p=111 What do you think?

Here's a perspective presented by a Westerner in Japan at Production IG:

http://www.awn.com/articles/people/japan-view-inside-production-ig

Goodbyes

2010-05-18T00:02:00.001-07:00

This past week we saw the passing of heroes from the arts. So much has been said about them already by many who can deliver a much more eloquent summation of their contribution to life and the arts than I. They have undoubtedly inspired and fueled the imaginations of many aspiring performers, myself included.

Lena Horne June 30, 1917 – May 9, 2010

If on the silver screen or the stretched canvas these artists delivered to their audiences an enthralling performance full of skilled artistry and passion.

Frank Frazetta February 9, 1928 – May 10, 2010

Farewell and thank you for the inspiration!

Process Sketch Stages: Zip and Some Tone

2010-05-15T00:14:00.001-07:00

So here we have the sixth stage in the process of this little manga cat character.

I've painted on zip and added a zip texture to the background. For added dramatic effect I've thrown down a layer of shadow with a little gauzian blur to soften up the edges. Now that I'm looking at it, I'm contemplating going forward with color, since I had added a blue grey hue to the BG. I'll have to let it sit for a few days to see if the sketch warrants the time to drop color on to the cat. What's your take? Color or no color?

Process Sketch Stages: Tie Down

2010-05-07T23:15:00.000-07:00

So here we are at Stage 5 in the drawing process of this manga cat character.

As I was progressing on this drawing, I was thinking about that this will be one of the first "inked" drawings I've done digitally that feels somewhat successful. Now that CS4 actually has the rotate canvas function, much like Painter does, I can now finally ink curves that I still couldn't get by turning my Cintiq.

I have to stress something about this process. The stages that I've presented so far on the blog, I most often employ when creating art for reproduction ( Comics, Illustration, or Commissions) Even though I dashed the previous sketches out in a few seconds, the stages would be much too time consuming to employ when creating art for storyboards in general. There is especially not much time when story boarding for television animation to ruff out each pose and do a very beautiful clean up drawing. When you have very active sequence with hundreds of poses and dozens of camera set ups/ layouts to draw with tight deadlines there has to be a better way to meet the deadline.

What I try to do instead is pre-visualize my sketch before I draw it. Then in as few lines as possible I try to capture the essence of the pose and characters emotional state, while staying loose and working furiously. I am thinking about the underlying structure of forms, the flow of the drawing, the action axis, the emotional context with concentrated efficiency.

I tried to keep each of the qualities mentioned above alive in the more tied down drawing while attempting to emulate a Manga style. That being said, if I were inking this drawing my traditional way, I would have approached the inks quite differently. Since, I wanted to emulate Manga, I was more conservative with the line weights.

The next stage of this drawing will add the zip tones and we'll call it done.

Till next time!

Lightning Appeal

2010-04-27T23:03:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure how they were able to achieve it. Practice on previous projects? Some unique channel into my psyche? Or creators just having a great time and operating at peak performance?

The question is how is it that the creative forces of Passion Pictures and Jamie Hewlett fused so much appeal, charm, quirk-i-ness, and fine multi-media animation into an introductory short for the 2008 Olympics in Bejing, China. that to this day I can still watch repeatedly?

I was charmed when it was first released on to the air waves. If you haven't seen it, I think you may just like it. If you have enjoy the ride here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr5ZWYRaAyw

Then come on back and let me know if you thought the trip was worth it.

Process Sketch Stages

2010-04-26T23:34:00.000-07:00

So tonight I thought I'd share a bit of the process I go through to create some of the drawings I've done for comics, illustration, and animation. For demonstration purposes I've chosen to draw my interpretation of a character from a Japanese manga digest I picked up from a local Chinese bookshop. (It's not a translated volume. I am not sure what the title of the character or book. If you recognize it please let me know.)

Looking through the source material, I chose an adventurous cat character to draw in an action pose. Below I've started out with a very loose gesture of the cat's action pose. I'm thinking about weight distribution (as if I took the pose myself), the thrust of the action through the body, and the volume the figure occupies in perspective. I may be thinking about all these items consciously, but will focus now on getting the energy of the gesture down on paper.

In sketching each drawing has a vitality or "life" which you can feel when you are sketching. It can almost be considered an "energy" much like what we have in our own bodies.

Here is a quick diagram of the major action lines and secondary action lines that i think about when designing the flow of the figures form in the pose.The blue lines represent the major action thrust of the arching back while torso leaning forward over the hips that flows back through the hips down the far leg and exiting the far heel. I imagine the secondary flow (green line) originating from the torso and flowing through the arms. One flow of "energy" travels back in perspective, through the right arm and hand, up the sword blade, and exiting the tip. The other end of the "energy" flow travels down the arm into the hand and exiting the fingers. I'm consciously designing the "energy" flow as I go along through the stages.

At this stage I am starting to think more about defining the "volumes" or mass of which the character consists. I'm thinking about how those volumes are organized in perspective and space. "What would each volume look like if I were really seeing it in front of me?"

Check out Preston Blair's book Cartoon Animation for more details on volume. He doesn't call it that by name but the book has plenty of solid foundation exercises to help artist think about volume when drawing.

You'll notice that I have adjusted the distances of the legs, enlarged the head and changed the foot placement in space. As I refine the drawing and push and pull the volumes to make them feel "right" I still keep it loose. I'm consciously exploring the mass of the figure, not committing yet to hard details. I want to make sure that the volumes, shapes, and flow of the figure are working before I start putting on the descriptive details.
At this stage, the figure is really starting to take shape. I am describing the dimension of the figure by wrapping the folds or edges of cloth around each volume. I'm keeping in mind the flow from the original sketch as I continue to build the figure up. There is still room to tweak the figure before I commit to the finish. More on that later. I'll be back shortly with the final stages of this sketch.

Keep those Creative Juices Flowing!

2010-04-17T12:49:00.001-07:00

Warm up sketch this morning from random photo scrap.

Most times when I feel like I'm in a creative slump, it's most often because my creative "being" has been starved of the right "food".

If I think about my personal health, if I were to work 14 hrs a day, exercise and not eat or rest I'd probably only be able to go a day without collapsing. We wouldn't force ourselves not to eat or rest consciously.

Similarly, if we consider our "artistic health" if we worked creatively for days without daily feeding ourselves good art "food" via study of: comics, illustration, movies, etc and reading books, novels, ancient tomes, etc our artistic bodies would collapse into a creative slump. The slump then leading to frustration, anger, doubt, depression, uninspired labored work, etc.
Yet as artists, we often "expect" or "demand" that our creative selves can work tirelessly day after day without taking time to "eat".

The key I've heard from other top artists in my field has been that they are "eating" on a daily basis from the creative pantries of the artist's they admire. Studying the "masters", has been made part of their daily schedule like brushing teeth, eating 4 square meals, going to the gym, etc.
This often keeps them soaring over what ever creative, intellectual, or personal challenges occur during the work day.
I've tried it, and it works. I can definitely feel the difference when I get out of the habit.
For what it's worth,
P.

New Directions

2010-04-13T20:44:00.000-07:00

I've been working hard the past month or so on another challenging TV episode and a thinking about what it was like when I first started out in the field of art.

When I graduated from SVA with a degree in illustration, I was sure that I'd be working for DC in a year or so. Little did I know that my career was about to take a detour into animation. I've been traveling on that animation highway for about 14 yrs. During that time I've been involved in quite a number of high profile projects like: Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo and Stitch, Brother Bear. I've also taken smaller roads off the main highway where I was able to learn and grow in other areas of story telling and experience different studios and production schedules: Straight to DVD featurettes, smaller feature film production, video games, and mass market publications.

During my travels, I have met and learned from a number of great artists and storytellers who were generous to share their time and experiences in animation. From talking with many of the talented artists that I admired and had the privilege to work with on those various animated projects, I learned that they too were on a similar path. They hadn't reached the "ultimate state of creativity" and they too strove on a daily basis to improve and exceed the previous day's performance. How could this be? My perception of their art and their ability was that they had soared into the lofty heights of creative excellence.

The mind comes up with so many complicated reasons why an artist is "awesome". We haven't seen the process they go through to create "awesome'. We just see the final result. So we can trick ourselves into believing that there is some "secret to awesome" they possess.

Now a bit more mature, I have come to realize for myself, that the journey is never over until it's over. There is "no" final arrival point for artistic growth, no "Creative Nirvana", no Pantheon of the Art Gods that bestows a vessel of ultimate artistic elixir to a select few.

No, there is only the select few that drive themselves and work their hardest at each sitting at the creative table to do their absolute best work every time. This constant toil to plum the very depths of their creativity and bring all of their tools/skills to the fore produces fruit which we view as "awesome". They study, practice, and work their asses off on a daily basis.

You may be saying to yourself right now, if you've made it this far into the entry, "No duh, Phil! I knew that already." Well that's good for you that you figured that out. For those yet to discover it for themselves, it may be something to keep in mind. I'm just coming to terms with the new direction that I need to take knowing the facts above. It all comes down to the sweat equity you put in to what you are passionate about. Sometimes when we're on the journey of our lives, careers you can distracted by the promises and hype from advertisers about "instant success", "Fast results now" or "instant anything". Which ultimately, distract us from the reality that artistic growth is anything but instant. It is for some a lifetime commitment to practice, study, and continued application of extreme effort.

You probably know that already too. Just knowing that the artist's I admire are "awesome" because they worked their asses off, put more time or experience into a work, takes the edge off that "awesome". Don't get me wrong, I still admire them. But thinking about the hours they put into training to get to what I consider "awesome" reframes my perspective and is motivating. "How much time have you devoted to your artistic growth?" I might ask myself.

If the answer isn't satisfactory, "Then you know what you need to do."

I originally started this post with the intention of sharing some of the ways which I have stimulated artistic growth on my own artistic journey. I also wanted to share insights with aspiring artsists who want to get into storyboarding and possibly pass along something useful to those artists already working professionally. With that in mind, I thought I'd just run down a list of helpful books that have helped me through the years keep sharp and inspired:

The Five C's of Cinematography by Joseph V. Mascelli

Film Directing: Shot by Shot by Steven D. Katz

Cut by Cut: Editing Your Film or Video by Gael Chandler

Animation From Script to Screen by Shamus Culhane

Rebel Without a Crew by Robert Rodrigez

The Animators Survival Kit by Richard Williams

Story by Robert McKee

The Business Side of Creativity by Cameron S. Foote

The Complete Guide to Perspective by John Raynes.

The Visual Story: Seeing the Structure of Film by Bruce Block

By no means is this an exhaustive list, merely a small selection of books that has aided and equipped me in various stages in my career. In the coming day's I'd like to share with you all some insights into storyboard production for television animation. I have a list of topics that I will cover at some length. No hard or fixed rules, just general observations or tips that may help you on your own journey.

Till then, hope that you get into some inspiring reading.

Current Affairs

2010-04-10T00:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Blog Readers.

I have removed older post images dated post 01-01-09 to a private collection, in the efforts to curb improper or illegal use of posted art.

In the near future, art posts between 01-01-09 and 12-31-09 may also be moved to a private collection.

It is uncertain if continued investing in this portal is in the best interest of The Art of Phil Allora. The current future of this blog is being re-evaluated to determine the best showcase for artwork. This re-evaluation is in light of the incredible draw http://pallora.deviantart.com/ has received in the recent months.

Reader input regarding this matter could greatly influence the continuation or discontinuation of this blog showcase.

I hope that all of you out there reading this can understand where I'm speaking from.

Sincerely,

Phil

What's the richest nation in the world?

2010-04-09T23:41:00.000-07:00

"Do-Nation" This small excerpt of a conversation I had with a homeless gentleman on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum in NYC many years back. This was interesting because the guy comes over to me as I was sketching people on the steps. After a little friendly banter about art, he offers to draw something for me. Hesitantly, I accept , and hand him my sketchbook. He knocked out a unique line drawing of an African queen. Then I paid him for the sketch, and he headed off to buy himself a hotdog lunch. He was a slick cat for sure. I've been getting many an email from former coworkers or acquaintances, or friends of friends on FaceBook who are trying to get pet projects off the ground using websites to collect votes so they can win cash or are calling for donation from their own websites. There is a growing trend of donation funded entertainment projects. It's a internet phenomenon that has been growing for a few years now. Probably the first I've heard of it was reading a blog run by a female film maker who was trying to collect a dollar from a million people across the globe to fund her film.

I believe the contributors would be credited in the final film.

It's a contextual thing. I'm not cheap, but with the recession going on, I'm more inclined to give money to folks that could use it, pay bills/ buy food/ save a life/ than to fund home grown entertainment projects by individuals that may very well have $ in the bank. Even if I wasn't looking for back end residuals : $$, credits, free art. Short sighted or shrewd? P.

2010-04-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

When I was attending art school, one of my instructors recommended that the class pick up a copy of the book "The Art Spirit" by Robert Henri.
One of my trips to the Strand ( an incredible book store in NYC) I picked up a used copy for 3.50. Totally worth it. You can still find the book in print on the major book sites and is probably still recommended in art schools far and wide.
In my current artistic journey there are new developments. The recent lack of posts is due to new additions persnally and professional duties.
Deadlines and board production have been fast an furious of late, so it has caused a significant lack of my posts.
But as I sit up at night assessing the work I've posted here, I've picked up my old copy of The Art Spirit to listen for whispers of insight from the past.
I found that this statement struck a chord:

"When the motives of artists are profound, when they are at their work as a result of deep consideration, when they believe in the importance of what they are doing, thier work creates a stir in the world". Robert Henri.

Do you think that the art posted here has to say "something"?
Will it be remembered in the nano-second it takes to click to another web page?
Is it enough to post art for art sake or do we need something more?
What do you think?

Mysterious Japanese Animation Revealed

2010-02-28T21:57:00.001-08:00

So the other day, scouring the Internet to find answers to my questions about Japanese animation, I came across some interesting articles online. Many animation fans as you may know, here in the US, love to watch anime. If those fans are in the pre-teen, teenage, or young adult demographic they may prefer Anime over the current fare of US animation on networks because it covers more diverse subject matter and isn't heavily skewed toward being "family" friendly. (I think you may know what I mean). So I know the current state of US television/ feature animation from working in the animation industry and talking with friends at various studios, but I was curious to learn more about the state of the Japanese animation industry. Here in the US, it is hard not to find an Anime section in most entertainment retailers (or large manga section in most US book retailers) one can get the sense that the Japanes Anime/ Manga industry is making tons of $$$ here in the US compared to our own native struggling animation industry. So you may find it interesting to read this article from 2003 which gives you a glimpse of the Japanese Animation industry from the inside by a US animator working in Japan. (Caveat: It's not as forthcoming with details as you might expect. However it does provide some useful info tidbits and links) http://www.animatorsunite.com/data/blogs/an-american-animator-in-japan/ And then compare that to this article discussing the "future" of the japanese animation industry from this past year. http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090304f1.html So have things changed all that much for the Japanese animation industry in the past 6 years? I think the past two years of financial turmoil in the US and this past years global economic crisis/ recession has taken a toll on Japanese Anime sales world wide. It seems that animation companies in Japan are facing the same economic realities with which US companies struggle. The articles puts some of my questions to rest but I still have more about the Mysterious Japanese Animation process.

La Linea #222

2010-01-31T18:26:00.001-08:00

I remember when I was younger, I used to watch Sesame Street. Who didn't, right? There were often clips of animation inter cut with the educational skits to keep the kids entertained. I just recently came across animation clips on YouTube that brought an instant smile to my face. I was captivated, waiting to see what happened next. Some one has posted up clips of animation called La Linea. They are simple entertaining short stories told using an animated line. It is amazing to view it again to see how much visual is communicated through strong silhouette, clear gesture, and audio. The designs are simplified to the point which you can project your own imagination into the scene. No rendering, no fancy back grounds, no complex cgi compositing. Just straight old school entertainment. (What happened to this type of entertainment in the mainstream? The more contrived complexity and realistic rendering that mass entertainment pours on the screen, the more I check out. I've got a list of reasons why. Too long and probably too dull to list here. You all probably know what I'm talking about. There is a hunger deep inside of us as viewers, probably groaning with each year, for something more substantial than mega million studio processed fare). However, La Linea I enjoyed it when I was younger and I can still enjoy it now as an adult. I'd be curious to see if you have the same reaction. Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl4iKnWYVck&feature=related

Quando? Quando? Quando?

2010-01-22T23:36:00.000-08:00

Soon my dear, there will be more posting.

I've been busy at work on the Cleveland show during the day and creating the artwork for the upcoming issue of Hot Mexican Love Comics. I've written a little tale for the collection and currently I'm inking the penciled pages. I will post the pages once the book has seen print. Which shouldn't be too far off.

You can check out what HMLC is all about here: http://www.hotmexicanlovecomics.com/hotnews.html

On a personal note it's been challenging to start restructuring some of my schedule to accommodate up coming family events. Flexibility and speed go hand in hand to squeeze in time to create art work and spend time with family. It's important for balance in ones life, but I've found that experiences with family and friends only deepen the creative well from which one can draw upon.

Into the Ring

2010-01-14T09:37:00.000-08:00

Ding! The new year's bell has rung! It's time to get into the ring and start slugging it out with the obstacles which can impede progress.

Have you ever noticed that being involved in continued creative pursuits is very similar to being a prize fighter or olympic athlete? When we embark upon our journey to becoming an artist/ creative, one will put in many hours of drawing, painting, design, or theorizing practice to hone one's skills to join the ranks of the talented professionals. Be it commercial or fine artists, we strive to succeed to greater heights than the artists we admire. Similar to the athlete who begins their career training their particular skill toward the prize fight, the olympic event, or acceptance to a professional team.

The training requires diligence (consistency of training schedules), endurance when the doing gets tough (monotonous), flexibility (the ability to adapt and experiment to get out of ruts), perserverance, and goal setting.

With the rewards (financially) and achievements (gaining professional status etc.) over the years, new challenges arise: new life complexities (family/health), heavy production schedules,

social engagements/ activities, and other obstacles inherent to one's life. When one gets older there comes the nagging want to coast on previous successes and put off the toil of training.

It's hard but the training must continue, to keep the athlete operating at peak performance and reach future gold laurels .

Has it been that Long?

2009-12-14T22:31:00.001-08:00

So, it's been a while.

I know. I haven't been as diligent at updating this blog as posting artwork and links here:

http://pallora.deviantart.com/

That's right I've started a deviant art page, to which I've posted up some newer artwork.

I've been contemplating consolidating all my web activity as the new year approaches.

At the same time I am doing a massive cleaning in the home studio while production continues to crunch on at the Fox studio.

The Cleveland Show is doing well in the ratings and hopefully gaining a large audience. Production on the second season is pretty heavy compared to the first. Scripts are a bit larger to try and "out do the first season funny" which translates into more time on boarding.

As an Assistant Director, I get to share in many aspects of the show. I keep a close eye on continuity, asset tracking, and the general feel of the show by: story-boarding sequences, providing input on the visual structure of our shows, helping guide the shows sequences into animatic production, overseeing the board and revision artists, conferring on the timing of the animation, working closely with final check, and finally ensuring all aspects of the show are ready for shipping to overseas production.

Keeps me pretty busy. To say the least.

So I hope that in the coming year I can think up a challenge to get me posting on a regular basis.

Till then, Happy Holidays!

Jumping into the New

2009-08-27T22:53:00.000-07:00

Trying to take a different artistic path of late.

Attempting to stretch artistically by deliberately pushing my art toward new styles. Trying to escape "cute" styles. It can become a niche which I know I can continue to develop, however I feel by trying new "dangerous" styles it will strengthen what I already have attained.

Posted up new artwork on that path here: http://pallora.deviantart.com/

Here's the Post-it that kicked it off.

Last Post It Patch for July

2009-08-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest and last Post It Patch for July.

With the last show of season one for the Cleveland Show wrapping up in conjunction with the recent San Diego Comicon there wasn't much time to tend the yellow patch. I plan to cultivate another bountiful crop this month.

Post It Patch 2

2009-07-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

More small warm up sketches I do before getting to the main creative tasks for the day.

This weeks crop above. Mixing it up w/ pencils, pens, and brush pens.

Latest Post It Patch

2009-07-03T16:02:00.001-07:00

Prior to creating production art or my own art, it's necessary to warm up before with a quick sketch or two to get the creative juices flowing. Just off the cuff doodles just open up the doors to the imagination and shake away any trepidation to putting pen to paper or stylus to screen. They are also a fun way to start the morning. These are a few from a recent week of heavy production that prepped me for the major art tasks at hand. Enjoy.

It Came from the Toilet

2009-06-27T19:41:00.000-07:00

Here is a one page comic/ Public Service announcement recently completed.
I went through whole process of writing the script, penciling the page (traditional), inking (traditional), coloring (digital) and lettering (digital).
This was pretty fun and challenging.
Not quite satisfied with the color, so there may be some tweaks down the road after I've not looked at it for a while. For now, it's on to other challenges.

Good Animation for a Good Cause

2009-06-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I had the chance to work on a great project with a very talented crew of animation folks over at Warner Bros. Shout out to my talented director Chris Bailey http://majordamage.net/ and character designer extrordinare Stephen Silver. http://stephensilver.blogspot.com/ I was the board artist responsible for the two shorts, Lady D and Sean the Techie. Both were fun character relationship vehicles that were a blast to board. http://hivfreegeneration.warnerbros.com/ Side note for users of Safari browser, it may may not load the flash movie clips into the browser window. I tried FireFox and Netscape Nav. browers and the shorts loaded in... well... a flash. I've posted up some expressive loose boards from the Lady D short, you'll have to watch it to figure out what part these boards are from. All artwork is property of Warner Bros. Entertainment. Naturally. My boards were edited into an animatic for timing, and then translated into 3D animation. All the shorts are probably playing right now in Matatu's (private local buses) across Kenya. The Lefty short explores the nature of Matatu's and their economy w/ some pinache. Check them out when you can. More info about the project is under the KNOW tab. Enjoy.

Production Crunch Commeth

2009-05-19T23:59:00.000-07:00

The production push is on for the latest episode of the Cleveland Show. It's going to be a busy few weeks as I bring the storyboards to full polish before animatic. I squeeze in what personal drawing time where I can. The current challenge, do one post-it drawing a day to warm up and keep the creative juices flowing. I will try to post them as I make them per day. Time will tell.

Until tomorrow.

Deviant Art Gallery

2009-05-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

So I've joined the ranks of the many who have begun posting art on the Deviant Art site.

As another way to keep in closer contact with people I know in the arts, it has an immediate quality to it. You can see some recent postings there that haven't made it to my blog just yet.

http://pallora.deviantart.com/

Check it out when you can.

Portrait Test Final

2009-04-19T22:06:00.000-07:00

So here is the final image. I have reached a point where I am ready to move on and let this one go out into the world. Sure there are areas in which I could tighten even further, but that wasn't the point of the exercise. Not to render a photo realistic image, but to continue to develop the discernment of values, observation, and engage in active painting.

WIP Super Close

2009-04-15T23:41:00.001-07:00

Here is a test I've been working on lately. It feels very close to finishing up.

It's an older sketch that I decided to take all the way.

Almost there, probably another session and I'll put it away.

They Came from The Mall

2009-04-14T23:44:00.000-07:00

As production on the new Fox animated Cleveland Show episodes carries on, it's keeping me pretty busy. In a recent jaunt to the mall I had a chance to sketch some locals and stretch the drawing muscles. Here's the latest. I will be posting some images from our lunch time sketch sessions on the next post.

Long Days Short Time on Earth

2009-03-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted some artwork. The schedule at the studio was pretty jammed through most of February, compound that with the funeral of my close maternal Grandmother, for which I traveled 3000 miles, and a week or so for post mortem necessities, and what becomes a lack of posting. I am slowly on the way back to a more consistent posting pattern when the recovery process/ mourning is over.

2nd WAC Post

2009-03-17T21:44:00.000-07:00

This entry comes as the second post for the WAC blog which has yet to go up on the web.

There has been some delay due to family events in my life that required immediate attention.

I wish there was more time in life, but we need to make the most with what time we are given.

This assignment was themed: Western Samurai as a Badly Photocopied Hand Out.

For what it's worth.

Quick Sketch Concepts

2009-02-09T22:19:00.000-08:00

So with production ramping up again, I've squeezed in a little time to ruff out these concepts for some battle bots. I was thinking about a side project I have simmering on the back burner and was just letting the images happen at a subconscious level. More to come soon.

End of the Year Wrap up-New Begining

2009-01-22T08:23:00.000-08:00

So I've been away from the blog for most of December unfortunately.
Production was fairly intense for most of the month before taking some holiday time to visit family. I am pleased to say that all the hard work in December made the January production launch quite smooth.
Having some time at the end of the year to catch up with family and friends was terrific and a pleasant way to recharge the creative batteries. Spending time with loved ones was the highlight to end 2008 and start 2009 with them.
I did create some new sketches at that time and will be posting them following today's post.
What I'm sharing today is my first entry in a small art challenge that I and fellow artist, Justin Ridge launched at the studio. (Justin just rocks! Great artist and person! Check out his link and you'll see.)
The Weekly Art Challenge premise: Each participating artist will create one piece of artwork per week based on a common theme determined by the group.
This weeks theme: Yakuza Sci-Fi Abstract.
Each artist is free to interpret the theme in any manner they imagine. Here's the link to see this week's exciting entries:
http://thewacblog.blogspot.com/
Will post more soon.

Still Movin'

2008-11-25T18:11:00.000-08:00

This is a recent finished commission that's been on the back burner for some time.
Still moving and waiting to unpack the studio. Until then it's classic pencil and paper for a while.
Enjoy.

Transitions

2008-11-17T22:19:00.000-08:00

"Life is what happens when you are busy making other plans." John Lennon.
Production deadlines, packing and then moving an entire house hold/studio, and the recent holidays have kept me quite occupied.
However, I did find some time to squeeze in some sketches here and there. On the short jaunts to the market or mall.
I have been using a digital tablet to draw so much lately it was a treat to dive into drawing with pencil lead on bristol paper.

Have you gone to the Getty?

2008-10-19T20:54:00.000-07:00

With production deadlines being kept at bay and family in town, we took the opportunity to go to the J. Paul Getty museum to take in the Bernini show before it travels on.
If you can't make the time to go to Rome to see Bernini's magnificent work inside and out of St. Peter's Basilica, then taking in this traveling show will give you a glimpse of his masterful work.
Photography was not permitted in the exhibit hall so I don't have many snaps of the show.
The majority of the show focused on Bernini's portrature as well as the portrature of some of his contemporaries. I can't offer a full critical review as it's best for one to go and make up their own mind about the merrits of the exhibit.

The image above , Bust of a Man, attributed to Jean-Jacques Caffieri caught my eye for the animated quality that the artist captured of his subject. The subject seems to have just spoken a satirical comment or is amused while witnessing a humorous situation unfold.
There was much more I'll have to save for another post. Until then check out this link for
the Getty info: http://www.getty.edu/

Meanwhile at the Galleria

2008-09-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

As I am out and about I have a great desire to capture the interesting faces, shapes and sizes of the people around town. On a brief trip to the Galleria, I had a little time to capture some memory sketches of the people passing by. I'd like to see in my next sketches how much I can push or exaggerate what is captured and still retain the specific essence of the particular subject.
Until next time.

Crunchy Production

2008-08-18T23:33:00.000-07:00

So posting has slowed down a bit as production on the animated show has ramped up. Currently I am in a story board crunch to refine all the pages/ panels to turn in the boards. It's been keeping me away a bit. Hope to post more soon as crunch is over. Until then here's a tasty Nestle treat to dream about.

MK3 Color Thumbnail

2008-08-10T18:33:00.000-07:00

Keeping busy is not a problem of late.
Just had time this week to brush out a little color thumb exploration.
This may be the start of something good to keep going. Small paintings, not much detail, done in as fast at time as possible (under an hour). Basically little studies for their bigger bolder brothers. Until next week.

Spash of Fashion

2008-08-01T23:04:00.000-07:00

Things sure have been busy of late. As I explore the new opportunities in storyboarding digitally with ToonBoom, I try to sneak in a few moments to sketch from what ever source catches my eye. That being said here is a quick color treatment thrown down over some sketches. Until next week.

Balancing Act

2008-07-20T16:10:00.000-07:00

Been away for a little while as multiple jobs have kept me fairly busy balancing each. Factor in time for family and daily necessities and it's a marathon of opportunities. I imagine that most working professional artists and athletes face these daily challenges with the same vigor. It's an adventure to keep pushing to make it to the next level of performance. Keeping sharp and striving to surpass each visit to the balance beam or the blank canvas. Sport and Art share many core values. More than I have time to expound upon now. Duty calls me back to the canvas.
Until next week.

ACTION!

2008-07-05T14:05:00.000-07:00

Color Ruff MK3

2008-07-04T17:25:00.000-07:00

So I started ruffing out color thumb for a painting that's lined up in the cue.
I started out by taking bits of scrap (internet clippings) and slapping them down, arranging them until I found a composition I liked. Then as I let my sub-conscience roam and muse over the images a picture started to emerge. I should have saved some of the images along the process to see where I started and where I ended up before the conscience started to dominate and compose according to experience.
Next time I'll have to make a concerted effort to save off versions as I am process.
For now here's where I need to stop and move onto another assignment for the time being.

Summer Kick Off

2008-06-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Summer is shaping up to be busy so far, which has caused some delays on posting. After wrapping up assignments for the Trove Collection, I had the opportunity to join a small team for some fun storyboarding and work closely with the extremely talented director, animator, and great guy, Chris Bailey. He was the director (and animator for the opening titles) for Kim Possible as well as many notable animation and film projects.
Which brings me to this art post in which I've added a splash of color to a recent commission. This was a fun little pic which reminded me of the enjoyment I had working on Kim Possible assignments for Disney Adventures digest. You can see more Kim Possible pencil pages on my site.
Enjoy.
P.

Kicking off the Summer

2008-06-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick color pass on a Kim Possible commission for a client. It's been a busy month between assignments. I have had the tremendous opportunity to work with one of the tremendous talents behind the original KP television show these past few weeks.

Ground Control to Major Tom

2008-06-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

So I have been away for a little while working on various projects for diverse clients.
I've come back down to visit my blog again from what feels like many miles and hours away.
Here is a blast from the past prior to my move to the West Coast.
It was an interesting and fun assignment to create a cover and this spot interior illustration of a realistic super heroic astronaut for AdAstra magazine. The direction was big bold colors to really pop and contrast against the normally realistic magazine content.
Until next week.

Street Memory Sketchs

2008-06-07T12:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I'll be driving in my car around town and I will observe interesting people along the side walks. I can take out my sketchbook and start recording but I think that would cause considerable traffic problems. So as I am at a stop light or cruising by at 35+ mph I take a mental snapshot and try to preserve the negative in my memory until I arrive at a location where I can out put the data traditionally or digitally. This memory sketching was first introduced to me by and animator at Walt Disney Feature Animation FL. Shout out to Elliot B! http://www.elliotbour.blogspot.com/
I was going out to the theme parks to draw people to study their walking patterns. I have to admit the first couple sketchbooks of drawing people from memory when they were walking were really terrible. Now many years of practice later, you can at least tell that they are people. I would like to continue to focus on capturing their expression and attitude. Here is a recent line up done digitally.

Cross Training

2008-05-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

Here is a head study that I have been working on this week. Wrapping it up for now, I need to work on something else and come back to it at a later time. Can you tell who I have painted here?
And if so how long did it take for your mind to recognize them?

Friday Birthday Post

2008-05-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

It's the start of a holiday weekend and time for people to kick back and enjoy their time off.
I was experimenting w/ Illustrator again and working on something for a birthday themed assignment.
We have the cake, now it's time to have the party!
Have a great weekend!

Ole Time Canal

2008-05-16T19:52:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and time for another post.
Things have been hoppin' lately so it feels like I've been away for a while. Above is a nice little place I've been in my imagination. Where do you think this picture postcard can take you?

Further Adventures in Jewelry Design

2008-05-12T19:58:00.000-07:00

The images above are the starting point for a design series for high end table ware.
It is an interesting project that utilizes my skills in Photoshop and Illustrator. The initial concept or foundation for the work begins in Illustrator as vector art. After a quick export, I bring it over to Photoshop for painting. After the client reviews the designs rendered look the piece can move onto the finished stage of the design. Because the designs aren't yet released on the market, I can only share with you the starting point on which the designs will be rendered. When the collection makes it into the market I can probably post up the final works.
This project has been another exciting foray into the world of jewelry design!

What's been keeping me away

2008-05-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Been away for a while from the blog.
Back at it again this week, here's a sample of what I was working on while I was away.
Interesting to look behind the scenes at where popular television animated shows start before moving onto animation.
Enjoy.

Shadow

2008-04-18T14:48:00.001-07:00

What lives in the darkness?
If we stare into the dark corners of the night, imagination fills in the nebulous darkness our eyes long to define.

Meet the Pod

2008-04-12T15:39:00.000-07:00

Here's a few creature designs on the same theme for this week's posting. Creepy and appealing but same type of animal species.

Classic Characters-New Story

2008-04-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

A little while ago I had the opportunity to work with Disney Adventures on some classic characters. It was a chance that I couldn't pass up. I remember when I first watched Disney's animated Robin Hood, as my child hood memory recalls it was a really fun film. Watching it again as an adult, I still get drawn into the movies character performances.
I happened across these on a posting from Jesse Post, a writer and editor of the digest. Thanks Jesse! You can see more of our team up at Jesse's posting here: http://www.comicspace.com/jessepost/
Enjoy!

Friday Night Out

2008-04-04T23:16:00.000-07:00

So things have been busy around here and haven't had a chance to check in on the blog.
I think Friday's are becoming regular for my schedule.
It's Friday, most people are headed out for the weekend. Which I imagine this woman would be as well, if she were real.
This was an early comp for a jewelry site. I still like the the way the image suggests environment and event that the viewer is invited to partake.
The final images, which went through a stream lining process, satisfied the clients needs as well as created distinctly different art.

Another Friday Line Up

2008-03-28T10:43:00.001-07:00

Here we have 3 variations on a character for a client's story idea.
Working from the script and character brief I worked up 3 stages of what the character may look like as he progresses through the story. Each variation explores different levels of render to give an idea of to what extent the final version could be taken. Enjoy.

Character Line Up

2008-03-21T10:12:00.000-07:00

It's Friday and time to post something new.
Here we have a few characters that have been given a quick color treatment for a small side project I am developing. Keeping the design for animation in mind, simplified but not too cartooned. It would be interesting to see how far to take these if I really pushed the cartoon aspect of the design.

Friday's Draw

2008-03-14T11:18:00.000-07:00

So I think I will get down to posting on schedules. For now it will be an experiment to see which works best: Mondays or Fridays.
Here is a drawing with an accompanying painting of the same layout.
Bit of a work in progress at the moment, as most paintings are. I may come back and work on it more someday soon.
Enjoy.

Its Monday! Time to make with the Art!

2008-03-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hey there,
I had a pretty packed weekend with working on various assignments, updating studio items, and squeezing in some time with my wife and friends. So I have to offer a page from my sketch book which is pretty different from the recent posts. Enjoy. P.

Anticipating the Show

2008-03-06T09:38:00.000-08:00

Hey there, this new work is nearly finished. Just a few tweaks and she should be ready for the show.

Enter the Blog

2008-03-04T11:04:00.000-08:00

Hey there,
Phil Allora here, posting up the first entry into the blog domain.
Below is an example of some of the work that I do.
This is for a children's book proposal on which I am working.
More to come in the next posts.
Until next time.
Phil