ricky animation

The Adventure Continues....

2012-02-15T23:24:00.000-08:00

"Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." --Calvin Coolidge

Happy Valentine's Day.

2012-02-14T17:07:00.001-08:00

Searching.

2012-02-13T23:26:00.000-08:00

Hidden Away.

2012-02-10T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hidden Away by Josh Groban

Over mountains and sky blue seas
On great circles, will you watch for me?
The sweetest feeling I've got inside
I just can't wait to get lost in your eyes

And all these words that you meant to say
Held in silence day after day
Words of kindness that our poor hearts crave
Please, don't keep them hidden away

Sing it out so I can finally breathe in
I can take in all the same
Holding out for something I believe in
All I really need today

I want to free your heart, I want to see your heart
Please, don't keep your heart hidden away

You're a wonder, how bright you shine
A flickered candle in a short lifetime
A secret dreamer that never shows
If no one sees you then nobody knows

And all these words you were meant to say
Held in silence day after day
Words of kindness that our poor hearts crave
Please, don't keep them hidden away

Sing it out so I can finally breathe in
I can take in all the same
Reaching out for someone I believe in
All I really need today

I want to feel your love, will you reveal your love?
Please, don't keep your love hidden away
I want to free your heart, I want to see your heart
Please, don't keep your heart hidden away

Hear the song here:

Childhood.

2012-02-08T03:03:00.000-08:00

When I was a wee lad, I loved to chase cats. I don't know why, perhaps I have a bit of canine in me. I loved the thrill and adrenaline. And on occasion my friends and I would grab a camcorder and document the various cats in our neighborhood.

One time we played a game where we would pick snails off fences and chuck them at each other in an all out Snail War. I remember I wore a white t-shirt one time.......well...you get the picture. Of course, now, I would never chuck a poor defenseless snail at anyone. Kids will be kids.

Cool tree

2012-02-07T20:49:00.001-08:00

- Posted from iPod Touch

Man's Best Friend?

2012-02-06T21:39:00.000-08:00

Lot's of dog lovers in L.A., you see them walking around everywhere! A truly tight-knit bond between man and beast. Sometimes.

Bearing Through It.

2012-02-05T12:03:00.000-08:00

My Bro.

2012-02-01T10:54:00.000-08:00

My younger brother, and close confidant, Carlos, is a skateboarder, caffeine junkie, book worm, an aspiring poet, and some would say, all around hipster. Which makes for perfect drawing material. :)

Peaches.

2012-01-25T18:43:00.000-08:00

Illustration I'm working on. :)

whoa.

2012-01-25T16:00:00.000-08:00

Jazzy Drummer

2012-01-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

Late Night Caricature

2012-01-25T03:14:00.001-08:00

Hard Times.

2012-01-25T03:08:00.000-08:00

Jazzy Sketches

2012-01-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

I love drawing to live music. Lots of energry, and I find that it makes my drawing better too! Most of the players here are from the band, "The Downbeats,"who play mostly every Wednesday night at the Downbeat Cafe in Echo Park. They're awesome!

Bustin' out the flute! He also plays sax and harmonica!

This guy was in a jazz band at Disneyland in New Orleans Square....wearing zuit suits and all!

2012.

2012-01-06T20:53:00.000-08:00

This guy started off my new year, hehehe. He was generous enough to have his bike radio on the Blues station. I now listened to that station in my car :)

So new year, new resolutions. I think the first will be to freakin keep my blog updated! So I'm thinking of doing some new stuff than the typical 'postings'. I'm brainstorming as to how to get creative with what I should post as opposed to just sketchbook and art. Perhaps everyday could be a different themed post ? Any ideas? Hmmm, now my brain is kickin.' :)

Happy New Year!

Goodbye 2011, Welcome 2012

2011-12-31T23:31:00.001-08:00

2011 has been an eventful year for me: moved down to L.A., interned at Disney over the summer, and met lots of new people.
It seemed that 2011 was a year of changes, what shall 2012 bring? Only what we make of it!

Happy New Year! 2012!

Jim, Pam, and Phyllis.

2011-12-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

Jam :)

Getting back into Typography :0)

2011-12-28T14:25:00.000-08:00

Caricatures @ L.A. Artwalk Tonight!

2011-12-08T10:54:00.001-08:00

I will be drawing Live Caricature and selling some art at the L.A. Artwalk in the Spring Arcade on Spring St. Directions Here.

It's my first time participating in Art Walk so it's gonna be interesting. I hear that there's LOTS of people and LOTS of Art. If you're in the neighborhood come say hi! I'm booth #27 :)

CTN!

2011-11-19T08:22:00.001-08:00

Come to the CTN Animation Expo and say hi to me and my bud Benton Connor, we're sharing a table space this year. I'll be drawing Live Caricatures on the spot and he will be selling his minicomics! Wooot!
Our table is T-21. We shall be there today and tomorrow.
So far, the expo has been very inspiring, so much talent!

Here's my artist profile on the CTN site.

See you soon.

Caricatures @ School Festival

2011-11-02T20:43:00.000-07:00

Let me tell ya, this event kept me BUSY!!! I kid you not I drew for 4-5 hours straight with only a 5 minute break inbetween. It was really fun though. Thank you David DuBranksy for hookin' me up! :D

Here's some, but not all, of the lovely people I drew.

...

2011-10-23T12:15:00.000-07:00

Hip.

2011-10-02T01:35:00.001-07:00

Amazing Hair.

2011-09-19T01:45:00.000-07:00

These sketches were done a while back. I was simply hooked on drawing this person's hair. The way it flowed from her hat to her shoulder was so appealing. It made really graphic S-curves and shapes.....*sigh, I tried so hard to capture it but I feel like I came up short.

Musically Inclined.

2011-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

Sitting Around.

2011-09-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Good morning.

2011-09-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

DAMP.

2011-09-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

My Wisconsin Haircut

2011-08-16T23:56:00.000-07:00

Never again Paul Mitchell.

Sketchbook: Coffee Bean

2011-08-14T10:02:00.000-07:00

This guy was pretty cool. He wore bell-bottoms and a do-rag(is that how you spell it?) and a black leather jacket topped off with a nice gold-chain necklace. Oh and a mustache and big shades.

Movin' right along...

2011-08-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

I recently moved from Burbank to Echo Park. My fellow CalArtians, Benton and Josh were generous to let me crash with them. So upon my departure, Benton "I'll draw you so freakin' funny" Connor, whipped up this hilarious sketch of me heading for greener pastures. Thanks Benton! It's awesome!

Whoopi Goldberg Caricature: Final

2011-08-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here's my entry for the Caricaturama Showdown 3000, a weekly caricature challenge on Facebook.

Whoopi Goldberg Caricature: Sketch

2011-08-01T00:48:00.000-07:00

Workin' on a Whoopi caricature for a weekly caricature challenge on Facebook. She's quite a challenge. I think I'm going to go with the bottom one as my final sketch before I bedazzle it in the computah.

Benton.

2011-07-09T01:25:00.000-07:00

My roomate Benton.

Sketchbook: Pasadena

2011-06-30T20:26:00.000-07:00

Pasadena Library

Pasadena City Hall

Sketchbook: My Bro and his Skateboard Posse

2011-06-28T01:01:00.000-07:00

Sketchbook: Coffee Bean

2011-06-26T15:29:00.000-07:00

Cars 2 Posters!

2011-06-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'm lucky to be around really talented people at Disney Consumer Products. One of them is Eric Tan. He is a graphic designer and creates really graphically appealing work, and recently he did a series of promotional posters for Cars 2 that will be used for, well, promoting the movie. He did about 12 of them and they're awesome! I've seen them hanging at DCP, the Disney studio sound stages, and other places around the world(I assume, cause this film takes place internationally). Stephane Kardos, who was recently interviewed on the Pixar Podcast, was also involved in the posters. There were extra mini posters left over, so we got to pick one design to keep. Eric was gracious enough to sign them for us. Thanks Eric! Check out his posters here!

Old Man

2011-06-17T00:23:00.000-07:00

iPod Painting

2011-06-11T23:05:00.001-07:00

Flower st, Glendale Ca.

5 freeway.

In the back seat.

Tijuana Trip part 1: train paintings

2011-06-05T13:56:00.001-07:00

Painted these on my Ipod touch using my finger with the Brushes app. Did them on the train ride from L.A to San Diego this past weekend.It's a great app to have, where you can do really quick compositions and sketches.

Reading.

2011-06-03T13:19:00.000-07:00

Misty

2011-06-02T02:45:00.000-07:00

My fellow CalArtian, Misty, asked me to draw her a caricature of her for her blog's profile pic. It was a lot of fun, cause I LOOOOVE caricature drawing. I don't have a 'real' picture of her to compare(I don't think she'd like me posting pics of her on the WWW lol). But nonetheless, I hope you can feel her personality in the drawing.

Check out her Art!

Santa

2011-05-31T23:31:00.000-07:00

I saw this man at the parking lot of the 99 cent Store. He had bright white flowing hair and beard reminiscent of Gandalf. I thought he was homeless, until he got into his car. The shrunken head dangling from his rear-view mirror was an excellent touch.

Comic: "Crappy Cover"

2011-05-27T00:02:00.000-07:00

Light A Roman Candle With Me

2011-05-25T01:08:00.000-07:00


Light a roman candle with me Just a roman candle, you can wear your sandals and I'll pour you just one cup of tea. Then you can go and rest you haven't seen my best, so... Just spend an evening with me Just a lazy evening, then you could be leaving or we could stay and talk until three. I will think it's magic and I'll hope you'll agree, so... Light a roman candle with me. ----excerpt from the song: Light A Roman Candle With Me by F.U.N.----

I get inspired when I listen to music, but who doesn't right? I get these images in my head, or an idea for animation to go with the music and/or lyrics. So I just went ahead picked a song I love and tried to capture what it means to me, or what triggers my imagination. Here's the first of hopefully, many little 'non-animated, Fantasia-esque" inspired illustrations, inspired by my favorite songs/music/bands.......eh you get the picture. (no pun intended).

PS- I apologize in advance if you do not share my musical tastes.

Comic: "Up at 2am"

2011-05-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

Did this spur of the moment, so its not really tight and polished, but like how it turned out. Color version coming soon.

3B Show

2011-05-06T00:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to Gallery 1988 in Santa Monica to the opening reception of the 3B Show, where they showcased artwork inspired by the 3B films: Back to the Future, Beetlejuice, and Bill and Ted. Lots of great stuff. My fellow Calartian, Benton "story artist on regular show" Connor, had his art displayed and had one sold! Wooot, go Benton! The biggest attraction had to be the two Back to the Future DeLorean replicas parked outside on the street, gull wing doors open for anyone to sit and have a photo opp. There was also a cool little used book store, a hat store, and a coffee shop next door to the Gallery, so the area was full of hipsters.
The night was bitter sweet, which I will illustrate in a comic. Hopefully. If I remember.

1.21 Gigawatts!

Benton next to his award winning masterpiece....Ok, he didn't win any award, but at least it will now adorn a BTTF enthusiast's living room wall. Or diner. Or clocktower.

A surprise visit from "shrunken head guy" from Beetlejuice.


An eclectic little coffee house. Reminds me alot of the one from my hometown in Lompoc, Ca.

Sketchin' : La Purisima Mission

2011-04-17T23:05:00.000-07:00

This is the historical mission back in my hometown of Lompoc, California. It's a great place for a weekend stroll, jog, bike ride, or sketch session, and farm animals to draw.

Compositions

2011-04-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

I drew these while riding in the backseat in car, on my way to see my newborn nephew. They were sketched really quickly so if they're undecipherable, I apologize, but it was fun. There's lots of composition in nature!

These are the coolest trees ever! They have great rhythm and gesture. Only found in Santa Barbara(to my knowledge) I call them Dr. Seuss trees.

Musician, Coffee Drinker, Sisters

2011-04-13T01:19:00.000-07:00

Tonight....

2011-04-10T22:35:00.000-07:00

Streets of Burbank...nough' said.

Funny, my fellow CalArtian Joe Johnston experience the same, lovely situation months ago and drew about it here. I decided draw mine.

Open Mic Poster design

2011-04-06T21:01:00.000-07:00

Poster I designed on my own for Open Mic night at Southside Coffee Shop in my hometown of Lompoc, California. Lot's of talented, quirky folks take to the mic and show their stuff.

Sketchin' it Up

2011-03-23T22:51:00.000-07:00

Glow like Edison

2011-03-21T16:45:00.000-07:00

I recently finished a book entitled, "At Work with Thomas Edison." Essentially the book is about applying Edison's creative work-ethic to our work, personal, and social lives. I can't help but think about the similarities between him and Walt Disney. They had a passion for something, and worked super hard to make their dreams a reality, and they were never satisfied or content but they always wanted to improve upon their abilites and keep experimenting and being curious.Here is an excerpt about some of the principles that defined Edison's work ethic. This guy is so awesome :D

You might have to click the image to view it larger.

Cleanup Practice

2011-03-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

Coffee Freak

2011-03-03T03:16:00.000-08:00

Etsy Shop is Up!!!

2011-02-25T02:04:00.000-08:00

It's finally here!!! The Grand Opening of my shoppe on Etsy. To debut and cut the red ribbon is "Stanley" from "The Office," the first of many mini-caricature portraits from that show. I'm really happy to finally have this shop up and running. Here's to the future!

This Shop should not be confused with with my other one on PhotoTownship.com where I offer custom digital caricatures and art. Etsy is the home for mostly hand-made art and prints of my illustrations, caricatures, and such. Golly gee whiz, I guess I'll have to differentiate the two so not to confuse ya'll and myself. :D

Only have one item listed for now, but don't worry, there's more comin.' I'm excited! Check it out here.

Sketchin'

2011-02-23T01:30:00.000-08:00

Bill

2011-02-23T01:11:00.000-08:00

Graphite, 5.8"x8.5"

Here's a portrait I drew in my sketchbook of a guy named Bill then scanned and colored it. He's in my art workshop class. We just go there and paint, or draw, and chatter. Very laid back, artsy environment. Bill is carving a nativity scene out of wood, one figurine at a time.

The Ricky Animation Shoppe is Open for Business!

2011-02-17T03:56:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody, The Ricky Animation Shoppe is Open for Business! I was contacted by the administrator of PhotoTownship where they connect artists and buyers....funny thing, cause I've been looking for a site exactly like that. I'm still in the process of setting up shop on Etsy, but this site offered the digtal option which was perfect for custom caricature art.

Right now I'm only offering custom cartoon avatars for online social media, like Youtube, Facebook, Twitter, anything that uses a profile pic. I'm planning offering more elaborate caricature portraits in which you can label them with a special greeting, message, or a scene of your choice, and also art for sale like caricatures of celebs or illustration. We'll see, one step at a time. The lovely people on the avatar item page of my shop are friends of mine. So if I get big business from this venture I'll give them a percentage(slaps knee) Go to the Shoppe!

PS- Stay tuned for the Grand Opening of my Etsy Shop coming soon!

12 Caricatures on one Page

2011-02-14T01:53:00.000-08:00

I drew caricatures on Sunday at The Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez, Ca. This biker group, called "The Brotherhood of Carpinteria, Ca" made my day by having them draw them all. I've never drawn that many people in one sitting, I didn't think they'd fit. So I had to really simplify the head shapes and features. Lo and behold.

Thumbnails

2011-02-05T21:47:00.000-08:00

Some thumbnails for an animation I'm working on. It's a rooster...so I needed to figure out how his beak would mouth the dialogue. And the other is a study of how one of his arms would move during his performance.

Singin' Sketches

2011-02-02T19:35:00.000-08:00

These were done at a Music Show.

The stars of the show, Lisa Gumm and Maurine Silva.

Really liked her expressions.

These were done at a Music Show.

Sketch Dump

2011-01-29T20:59:00.000-08:00

"The Office" character portraits

2011-01-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

I love "The Office." It's a Tv show for those who have not been blessed by its awesomeness. What makes the show awesome is all the characters. Every one of them is unique, not just in personality, but in design. I've been wanting to caricature the characters for a while now....well, it's time. I hope to do the whole cast. :D I'm going to start with my favorites first, preferably the ones who would be fun to draw.
These final portraits will be in trading card size, in ink with watercolor, and will be available on my Etsy when that's up and running soon.. For now, I'm having fun making them, here's Michael Scott so far.

Finding the right design.

Happy New Year!!! 2011 Come on Down!!!

2010-12-31T18:10:00.000-08:00

Let it BEGIN!!!!!!!!

I wish you all an awesome 2011!!! Thanks to all who take the time to stop by this blog, it's greatly appreciated :D One of my New Year's Resolutions will be to update more frequently and offer a more enriching art blog...whoa, those are some great ambitions....geez I hope I can keep that resolution.

That aside, new things are coming your way from Ricky Animation! So stay tuned! 2010 brought new clients and projects, more opportunities to draw live caricatures at events, art classes to continually improve artistic skills, new equipment to help in bigger projects, and new friends and connections.
I want to push myself more this year, artistically, and not waste any more time waiting for things to happen. Expect new things from Ricky Animation in 2011!

"The way to get started, is to stop talking and start doing." --Walt Disney--

Make that you're mantra this year, cause I know it will be mine.

God Bless!

-Ricky

Caricature Avatar

2010-12-23T21:54:00.000-08:00

Here's some sketches and the final version of an Caricature for someone's video presentation...they use this image as an avatar to put in a video podcast instead of their real pictures. Caricatures for all uses and occassions!

Here's the fellow himself.

Trying out different looks.

Final pencil versions. Ready for scanning.

Final vectorized version. He's ready for his closeup!

2010-12-16T23:42:00.000-08:00

A poster I designed and drew for a Music Show in the Lompoc Valley, CA. Let me just say...this took longer, but I mean longer, to do than I expected. I'm talkin' about 8-10 hours kind of longer. That's cause I tried to get it done in like 2 days.....But alas, it turned out sweeet....it was a labor of love. Some of the type has a "Seussical" flare to them, which I love. If you're in the area, stop by to hear some awesome local musicians: Allyssa Imano, Lisa Gumm, and Maurine Silva.

Painted on Wood Caricature portraits!

2010-11-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

"4 x 6" Acrylic on Wood.

This week I finished a somewhat artistic experiment. The I love about art and creativity is that you're always finding new ways of doing things, new mediums to test and experiment with. Last week I was at Michael's just lookin' around and I saw these wooden blocks, some were very large and some were very small. I immediately saw them as blank canvases.

Original sketchbook sketch

Color Studies

So a painted on wood caricature seemed fitting. Here's the final and some color studies. Since this was an entirely new venture for me, I struggled alot with getting the paint opaque. It worked after several passes...a fellow artist recommended I prime the wood first instead of just painting directly on it. Total time spent on this: approx 4 hours. and lots of frustration. But I'm very happy how it came out. I'm going to glaze it as well, to protect the paint from chipping, I'll post that as soon as I do it.

CTN Expo and Ghandi

2010-11-24T00:16:00.000-08:00

So I went to the CTN Animation Expo in Burbank this past weekend and it was a jolly good time. I drove to Huntington Beach to visit my best friend and brother and stayed the night, then drove up to Burbank the next morning. I was a half hour early.....I never have been to an expo or convention before so I wanted to familiarize myself with the map and where all the speakers and vendors were going to be.

I didn't really know what to expect or how to go about it. I think I went with the intention of getting inspired and talking with the studios and meeting and greeting old faces. I saw some of my CalArts alumni there and former teachers too. It was a cool reunion. Also saw some of my favorite artists like Pascal Campion, Brittney Lee, Cheeks, and lots of new ones too. There were many talented artists.

I talked to several studios like Disney and Titmouse and asked about job opportunities......I came away with the objective that I have to learn Flash....and 3d....if I want to be versatile, which I understand.

Who's drawing is this?

Well Stefan Bucher of course!

Artist business cards. My favorite is the Green Peas by Joe Moshier.

Studio flyers and some other helpful goodies.

Jesse, fellow animator, making magical strokes on the pegless disc.


Towards the end of the Expo the Animation Table they had setup where animation icons Eric Goldberg and Tony Bancroft sat and drew for people, was unoccupied so my friend Jesse and I wasted no time to doodle on this desk that probably is a pain to move around

There were also companies like Wacom(makers of pen tablets and Cintiqs), Digicel(2d animation software company), some CG and FX companies and Don Bluth.

So, you wondering about what Ghandi has to do with the Expo?

Well, Wacom had (drawing tablets where you draw directly on the screen) a drawing contest... you had to draw something on a Cintiq there on the spot and submit it, and the winners get a free copy of Corel Painter 11!! I know I wanted to draw a caricature, and I had drawn Ghandi two days earlier...so what the hay, I drew Ghandi for the contest. At the end of the day, I had my free copy of Corel Painter 11! Woot! Thank you Ghandi!!

I definitely want to go again next year, and other similar shows....it's a great time to network and see familiar faces and see great work.

Fall Festival Caricatures

2010-11-08T11:08:00.000-08:00

This event was lotso fun. Everyone there was super cool and groovy, and loved their drawings. Aside from free candy, this was one of the best experiences I've had drawing caricatures and also the hardest I've worked in one. I kid you not I drew for 5-6 hours straight, with at least 5 minutes inbetween gaps to stretch or take a brisk walk....I've never drawn that long before, I knew that because of my cramped up arm........I think I learned alot of valuable lessons...One: charge more for color.....Two: That's pretty much all I learned XD Here are some pics!

My humble setup.

They labeled my spot for me. Yes, I noticed XD

This kid wins best costume hands down! Indy rules!

I Voted.

2010-11-02T17:04:00.000-07:00

Ghost 1st Pass

2010-10-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Thief!

2010-10-14T12:46:00.000-07:00

Southside Sketchin', and et al

2010-10-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

Sketchin'

2010-10-06T23:09:00.000-07:00

Caricatures @ Lompoc Summer Social

2010-09-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

So last Friday I drew caricatures at the Lompoc Summer Social put on by the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce. I met some cool people, got my name out there. Met a silkscreen guy who I might consider getting shirts printed from him. I love home businesses. I honestly think that's the way the economy is going in my opinion. I just wish I knew more about them, I guess that's what this 'social' was about, mingling and connecting. I drew mostly adults, which I was surprised cause I alwasy get kids, so I went to town!

This was probably my favorite drawing of the day.

Sketchin'

2010-09-23T00:55:00.000-07:00

Whale of A Tale

2010-09-23T00:17:00.000-07:00

I felt like having some fun for a change, you know, art for art's sake. I had a wonderful time painting this guy. I think the bubbles are my favorite part.

Acrylic on Bristol

Illustration Friday: Acrobatic

2010-09-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

Dolphins are acrobatic right? Doing their little flips and frolicks and what not.

Caricatures and Wine.

2010-09-17T11:57:00.000-07:00

I shall be drawing Live Caricatures at the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce Summer Social.

BBQ. Wine. Mingling. Can't beat that. Come out and say hi! It's free and open to the public. Remember, first customer gets their caricature free :D

It's at the Prudential Parking Lot at 531 North H St. in Lompoc, California. 4:30pm-6:30pm

See ya there!

Caricature Day!

2010-09-06T21:46:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I drew live caricatures at the Old Towne Market in Lompoc, Ca. I took pics of these two fellows who loved their drawings as much as I loved drawing them. Here's some pics of some new business cards I'm working on.

CARICATURES!

2010-09-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Where you ask? At the Lompoc Old Towne Market from 5-7pm. It will be coinciding with the Lompoc Police Cruize Night, where dozens of refurbished cars, new and old will cruize up and down H st. and Ocean Ave. There will also be different vendors there. So come on down, see some cool cars, and say hi! First customer gets a free caricature!

Express yourself.

2010-08-31T21:59:00.000-07:00

@ Southside Coffee Co.'s Open Mic night

2010-08-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

A Desk To Call Home.

2010-08-16T11:28:00.000-07:00

My Dad and I spend Sunday afternoon(and evening), building my custom made Animation Desk! It's like a boyhood dream come true. I got used to drawing on big animation tables for 4 years at CALARTS, so resorting to drawing on a small lightbox propped on top of a dictionary at home was kind of limiting. In space and comfort. So I talked to my dad, and he said, "Give me the plans and we'll build it. Easy." It turned out not to be easy. But it was fun. It so much more relaxing to draw and beats being hunched over while I inbetweening. And it's just plain magical. Hope to sand it and stain it soon. Though I am thinking of painting some crazy mural on it. We'll see.

We based the desk design and structure from a model at the Hand Drawn Animation Supplies blog, where they list dozens of ways you can build your own animation desk along with other tips like camera stands and stuff. Check it out!

More pictures and hopefully a video to follow!

Thanks again Pops! And my brother Ivan for taking the pics!

Happy Birthday Benton!

2010-08-13T23:50:00.000-07:00

Benton Connor was a classmate of mine at CalArts. He's working at Cartoon Network right now, which I think is a perfect fit for him. I remember he gave me a little tour of the studio and showed me his office(and on the way there saw the office of another CalArts buddy, Cole Sanchez) ........One of Benton's giant wall sized corkboard's was lined with sticky notes, aka storyboards for the next "Marvelous Misadventures of FlapJack" episode, where he and his cubemate were diligently at work. Benton is also a really cool guy.

Check out some of his films!

See his work!

@ Panda Express

2010-08-10T15:12:00.000-07:00

My sister playing with the most gorgeous rose I've ever seen.

2010-08-02T22:33:00.000-07:00

Olive Garden

2010-08-01T01:13:00.000-07:00

Fast Faces.

2010-07-26T10:53:00.000-07:00

Needed to draw caricatures so I pulled out a magazine.

Inspiring video of Pascal Campion who shares his thoughts on art, storytelling, and fear of sharing your work.

2010-07-22T23:16:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Artists: Pascal Campion from Onyx Cinema, Inc. on Vimeo.

Bottles and a Fat Warus.

2010-07-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

Arist Block

2010-07-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

I had artist block. So to push through it, I drew about having artist block. Problem solved! The color palette was different originally and didn't like too much. So I decided to limit the colors. It was a good challenge.

GIRAFFE!

2010-06-28T18:12:00.000-07:00

Mr. Giraffe!! This was a birthday gift for a friend.

I found these little mini canvasses at a College Bookstore for $1. Yay! I figured if I was doing a giraffe, he wasn't going to fit all in one square. I sketched out the giraffe first on the canvas and then painted the flat colors on each one. I think I did two coats for each square.

I used Liquitex Professional Acrylic "heavy body" paints. This is the second painting I have done with these and I'm LOVING them! Above are my paints in their water soaked palette container, to keep them moist. I was tired of using cheap, 87 cent acrylic craft paint, though it works fine. It's just too watery and runny. I figured I should finally make the switch and boy I'm glad I did. As one art teacher described the paint, "They're delicious!"

I thought the background of the blue, red, and green squares looked to plain, so I decided to add some abstract patterns in the background. I was thinking of African art when I was doing this.

You can see the buttery-ness of the paint. He's a happy lil ol' giraffe.

With amazing neck-elongation powers!!

The finishing touch. RdLA for my name, Ricardo de los Angeles.

Wisconsin Trip

2010-06-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

Just came back this week from Wisconsin. I was there a month, took pics, sketched alot and went to Chicago aka Gotham City. Below are some pics I took of Gotham....heheehe.

Speaking of Animation! Chris Sanders & Dean DeBlois

2010-06-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Get the scoop with the directors of "How to Train Your Dragon" in this INTERVIEW by Speaking of Animation!

Happy Birthday Schaller!

2010-06-10T17:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's a week late, but I had to finish it. I can say that this is the proudest piece of art I've done in a while. It mixes caricature, illustration, and graphic design. I discovered graphic design because of Schaller, when I first took Visual Communications my Junior year in High School(8 years ago!!) ....I didn't know what typography, art deco, and Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop was until I took his course.
The reason I took it was because I saw one of his students sketching logos, so I asked for what class, and he said visual communications. The next year I took it, and took it again in ROP the following year. We designed and printed magazine spreads, stationary, packaging, books, and posters, all in his fully loaded graphic design classroom/workshop.
His Cabrillo High School Graphics program is renowned nationally and his students have won truck loads of prize and scholarship money from the California State Fair and California College of the Arts. I had the privilege of being his student again last Fall during a community college design course and was great hanging out with him and his talented students, who are a force of nature! Check out the Official Site for his Program
and Student Work

He's also been really getting into the Paper Toy and Vinyl Toy Scene, here's some of his creations!