C.D.A. 02 - Materials

I received the material list for the classes.

Electronics:
Required: Laptop, wacom and usb drive.
Choice: Now should I go PC or MAC ?  If I ll will stay in visual effects I ll definitely stay on PC because you find all kind of third party programs to tweak a live action shot . But I m going to do concept and the Mac Screen are simply excellent. The software will be restricted mainly to Photoshop (CS series) and if needed there is the possibility to switch to windows.

After looking around I choose to move for a MacBookPro 17" instead of the 15 inch because of the resolution (1920 by 1200) that will permit to have a bigger working aera. The cons are the portability (its huge compared my old ultra-lite Vaio. MacBookPro 17". The mega-con for Brasil resident is the price (I ll buy two Mac in the US for the price of one in Brasil.). This price difference is just due to the huge Taxes. But lets says that brasil offers other immaterial things that are quite appealing instead :-)

Traditional

Traditional material will varies a lot depending on the classes you take. More requested by the instructors are Sketchbooks, Prismacolor/Copic-marker (light, medium, dark), pens (brush pen, ballpoint and ink), kneaded and pink eraser and pencils.
Of course if you take a painting class the weight and volume in your baggage will increase...
Only thing to know as a French are the Inch conversion. French instored in 1799 the metric system. Nowadays all countries around the world exept the U.S. Myamar and  Liberia don t use them so useful if you buy outside U.S. : 

a sketchbook (8 ½ x 11 inch) means (21,59 cm × 27,94 cm). Almost A4 format. 

a Canvas Board (9 x 12 inch) means 22.9 x 30.5 cm Almost A4 format.

a Canvas Board (6 x 9 inch) means 15.24 x 22.86 cm Almost A5 format.

Here some Art-supplies in the US (the first two are close to C.D.A.)

- Art Student Store - 1700 Lida St, Pasadena, CA 91103
- Dick Blick Art Material - 44 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, CA 91105
or
-  http://www.cheapjoes.com/
-  http://www.jerrysartarama.com/

C.D.A. 01 - Portfolio Review

New horizon: Concept art and Comic

After working almost 15 years with Maya and 3D visual effects for film and TV-ad, I m breaking my routine  once again by changing the horizon. There is this kid in me that was saying: "When I ll be an adult I will be an artist"...So lets try and fulfill this Will.
I have two projects in mind:
One is developing skills as a concept artist. After searching a lot I found this school http://www.conceptdesignacad.com/ in L.A. (Pasadena - USA) where you can combine your classes and learn intensively (3 month). The teachers are Top-level artist that are currently working in the field. The classes goes from traditional art, character design, visual communication, cinematic story-boarding...so its quite complete.
The second project is to make a comic book. Its a personal project, but a challenge for myself. Its been a long time since I want to make it happen and so 2012 should be done. This will be a two step autodidactic process. One: writing the story that organicaly evoluate since 4 years and develop the characters to make them more authentic. Second share a unique visual entity and one day coming close to Mr. Loisel ! So huge challenges !
This blog will hoppefully show the ascencion of this new start...

Step 01- Visual Bibliotheque

Building a visual bibliotheque by drawing and studiing different subjects/objects again and again.

- instoring a daylie routine by drawing each day.
- studying form (shapes, proportion, difference between similar subjects/objects).
- dynamic drawing ( simplify subject to simplest forms, explain form with lines: wireframes )
- apply line styles and textures to same subjects. Draw, redraw, re-redraw and experiment.
- get confidence throught knowledge and practice.
- get a richer memorial visual archive of form, texture, mouvement.

STUDY THE MASTERS

great way to improve is to study the masters.
- Check the composition basic before everything.
- value study
- dynamic composition study
- color harmony


1 - The classic painters (Sargent, Monet etc...)
2 - The disney Background painters (Film such as Brother Bear, Bambi...)
3 - The modern DP in cinema (from Finch to Coppola)