Here's a whole slew of updates for my audience of zero. The toucans are for a freelance animation gig I'm doing for a Children's hospital, specifically a saftey video aimed at kids. I tried to make sure the toucan wasn't too Toucan Sam, and yet sometimes I feel like he's getting a bit too Opus. I only need to animate him from a couple of angles so I didn't feel the need to vary his pose or the angle of his head too much.
And here's a more fleshed out, finished model-sheet version:
Here's a sketchbook page of mine I scanned with more toucans and some extra stuff related to the job:
One of the biggest hurdles I've had to overcome as an artist since I decided to try and do it professionally (and go to school to study it, etc) is breaking down my old bad habits and building process around more time-tested "classical" habits, while still retaining the flavor of my old style. Back before I started drawing seriously (as opposed to doodling pictures of my Biology teacher in drag back in highschool) I knew how to draw what I drew and never really pushed myself beyond that. I also followed more of the stream of consciousness approach as opposed to a more structured, planned approach to drawing a cartoon. I'd start at the eyes, then draw the nose, and then ears and hair, etc. Once I had it finally nailed into my head that the proportions, pose, and appeal of the drawing is the most important aspect, as opposed to the details, I started sucking horribly at drawing because I had to abandon all I thought I knew about it. So I'm still trying to recover. I'm better than I used to be, but I've still got quite a ways to go.
It reminds me of the time I took golfing lessons. I was a below-average golfer before I took lessons, and afterwards I was beyond below average, I shouldn't have even been allowed on a golf course I was so bad. (Was? Am) Its because I was thinking too hard about the "proper" techniques I had just learned and that ruined my game. That's where I am with my drawing; the techniques I am learning are finally becoming so second nature that I no longer think about it.
Here's some more crap – trying to work on my Dubya caricature.
Done!
