Sketchbook Ramblings....Willy Wonka

I happened to catch Willy Wonka tonight on tv and luckily had my sketchbook handy....
Have I mentioned how awesome Gene Wilder is in this movie?

Cafe Sketch...A new sketchbook.

So yesterday I ran to the art store and bought a new sketchpad. I'm really loving the Fabriano sketchbook that I bought. It's got alternating white and cream colored pages. Anyways, enough with me geeking out...here's a couple of watercolors I did in the new sketchpad.

stay tuned for more coming soon!

30 Second Gesture Drawings

Hey Bloggers! Now that Wall-e has finally wrapped, I find that i've got more time to take advantage of some classes they offer at Pixar like life drawing and Gesture drawing classes. I've combined some of the ones that I liked in Photoshop so I can share them with you.
Sorry if some of these are cut off...my paper was wayyyy bigger than my scannerbed! Anyways, enjoy!
P.S. Special thanks to Nick Sung for teaching these classes!

Desert Island Movie#5- Pinocchio

The pinnacle of classical 2D animation reaches incredible heights in Walt Disney's second theatrical feature, Pinocchio. I have a biased love for this film because I can still remember watching it with my parents and brothers and sisters when I was very young.
The film opens with the classic song, "When You Wish Upon A Star" that still manages to give me goosebumps and puts a lump in my throat all at the same time. From a technical standpoint, there are scenes in this movie that are still unmatched in its perfection. One scene that comes to mind is the sequence when Pinocchio sings "I've Got No Strings". He starts out feeling insecure and a bit scared but as he realizes the audience loves his performance, he becomes more confident and bombastic.

Also amazing are the watercolors used for the backgrounds. They are so rich in detail and warmth that it immediately puts audiences right in the scene without calling too much attention to themselves. My favorite example of this is in the beginning when they show all the wooden clocks and toys.

This is still the high standard for me each time I see an animated film and I only hope I get to work on one as good as this in my lifetime. Maybe if I wish upon a star!

Cafe Sketches 2 for the Road

Happy Monday, Bloggers! Here's two more Cafe Sketches for the road. This first one was an old lady at Starbucks kvetching with a friend....

....and a couple more.
Have a great week, everyone!!!

Desert Island Movie#4-The Empire Strikes Back

Unless you've lived under a rock in the last twenty-plus years, you've heard of this movie. To me, Empire Strikes Back is the sequel to end all sequels.

Darker, richer in character development, and more psychologically complex than A New Hope, Empire moves the Star Wars saga into new territories. Director Irving Kirshner expertly juggles each aspect of the film from action, to romance, to quiet moments of introspection with Luke and Yoda on Dagobah.

Plus, who can forget the final moment in the film when Vader reveals to Luke that he is his father??! Still sends chills up my spine!