tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43880874619085859132024-03-13T16:57:12.213-07:00Steve DaviesStevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-33651905900327579072011-10-17T06:28:00.000-07:002011-10-17T06:28:39.634-07:00A Very Tanuki HalloweenEveryone's favorite tricksters romping around and causing some halloween havoc.
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What do you mean it's too busy?!Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-69994264219428282212011-06-21T10:08:00.001-07:002011-06-21T11:34:33.229-07:00Cake ToppersMy favorite sister got herself married to a kind and comely bearded gentleman a weekend past, and it was (completely objectively) a beautiful ceremony. It was in a barn (a nice barn, sans horses and fowl), so everything had a rustic theme: gingham, burlap, and a cake that looked like it was made out of birch. I did the toppers for them, which are done using a dremel on some bass wood, which I then painted and drew the lines in with a woodburner. Also featured are their handsome cats:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3nh5zixyS8/TgDjLlZAqNI/AAAAAAAAASI/jfOKFcj09ME/s1600/IMGP1659.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 377px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3nh5zixyS8/TgDjLlZAqNI/AAAAAAAAASI/jfOKFcj09ME/s400/IMGP1659.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620742123113457874" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtPH6fVBhhk/TgDjAs0mFQI/AAAAAAAAASA/3Q2wHHTOf6Q/s1600/IMGP1657.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 377px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HtPH6fVBhhk/TgDjAs0mFQI/AAAAAAAAASA/3Q2wHHTOf6Q/s400/IMGP1657.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5620741936129643778" border="0" /></a><br /><br />For a wedding topper that puts mine to shame, check out the one <a href="http://jamiemckiernan.blogspot.com/2010/10/wedding-cake-topper.html"><span style="font-style: italic;">Jamie McKiernan</span></a> did for my friends Alex and Lindsay.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-30168839785504715902011-04-30T16:50:00.000-07:002011-04-30T16:59:26.483-07:00Letters from the TrailWhile I was gone, I wanted to keep a journal in an attempt to remember my trip. I also wanted to keep in touch with my girlfriend, and so we decided to write each other. It was nice to spend a few minutes each night in my tent writing what had happened during the day, and it was always a treat to be able to read her letters when I couldn't talk on the phone. The postal service has a great system where you can send a letter care of "general delivery" to any town, and you can show up at that post office, give ID, and get a letter without having to have a mailing address or PO box - This was also the method I used to receive food where a post office was readily available, but no grocery store. It was awesome to go into a town knowing there was a letter waiting for me, and I usually waited to read it until I was back out in the woods.<br /><br />Since this is an art blog, I wanted to throw up examples of the times I was able to be creative. Mostly this involved quick silly drawings, but I also came up with tuneless "songs" I would compose in my head while I walked. This was a great way to stave off boredom, and it meant that I was mumbling under my breath (an improvement over talking to imaginary friends or singing as if I was in the shower). Below, for example, is a rap I came up with.<br /><br />The Food Bag Rap<br /><br />A food bag, as you can probably guess, is a bag that you keep a few days worth of food in and hang every night out of reach of animals. Mine was always monstrous, since I'm diabetic and was always afraid of running out of food. Also I was constantly hungry because I was burning more calories than I could put in. So below is my rap in defense of the size of my food bag. A few notes of explanation: Peter Pan refers to the peanut butter brand, and Ray Jardine is a self proclaimed guru of ultra-light hiking. Warning to the sensitive: I imply, at one point, that I receive fellatio from a mascot of a hot chocolate company.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCJoIGGbsbY/TbygqA2S2KI/AAAAAAAAALc/Bs3Q2-TnACQ/s1600/Rap.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-CCJoIGGbsbY/TbygqA2S2KI/AAAAAAAAALc/Bs3Q2-TnACQ/s400/Rap.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601528680184731810" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />My Worst Day<br /><br />One night I got said food bag stuck in a tree. You always sling it over a branch, above the height where bears can reach, and this time it got wedged between the branch and trunk. I finally got it down, but I had to cut the rope. That wasn't so bad, but it was also pouring all day, and my insulin pump died on me, which was the cause of no small amount of panic.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F5OkSh30QX0/Tbyg7QKc07I/AAAAAAAAALk/-Y2XmdOIn9Y/s1600/FoodBag.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F5OkSh30QX0/Tbyg7QKc07I/AAAAAAAAALk/-Y2XmdOIn9Y/s400/FoodBag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601528976353579954" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The Half Gallon Challenge<br /><br />About halfway through is Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania, and by that time you've built up a ravenous appetite that can never be satisfied. There is a tradition of stopping by a small park general store and attempting to eat a half gallon of ice cream within an hour. I failed horribly. I didn't even get halfway into mine. Below, from the best of my memory, is how it transpired.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gHRKrIW1yiE/TbyhM4Wv8YI/AAAAAAAAALs/opzujlgu7PY/s1600/Challenge.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 262px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gHRKrIW1yiE/TbyhM4Wv8YI/AAAAAAAAALs/opzujlgu7PY/s400/Challenge.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601529279200358786" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Side Show<br /><br />In New York there is the town of Bear Mountain, and there is a small zoo that the trail actually leads through. It was fun, but I felt more like an attraction than a guest. The writing explains:<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PDDb1FJiNR8/TbyhdyrAgvI/AAAAAAAAAL0/ORbpjYk32_M/s1600/Bed.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 258px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PDDb1FJiNR8/TbyhdyrAgvI/AAAAAAAAAL0/ORbpjYk32_M/s400/Bed.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601529569732494066" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Hobo<br /><br />I met a lot of interesting people, and I met a lot of crazy people. Most of the other thru-hikers tended to be more sane than the people in towns or day hikers, though. My favorite is I guy I met somewhere in New England that stood in my path and talked at me for a long, long time:<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hsneMF1l3ao/Tbyh7DyIA0I/AAAAAAAAAL8/9muP_v9zUvE/s1600/crazy.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 318px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hsneMF1l3ao/Tbyh7DyIA0I/AAAAAAAAAL8/9muP_v9zUvE/s400/crazy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5601530072541954882" border="0" /></a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-54974579497848361452011-03-10T18:42:00.000-08:002011-03-10T18:44:00.357-08:00Lady Bird<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I5CRiOuPVvE/TXmMOMEqJZI/AAAAAAAAAJc/rMCDDoOfqg0/s1600/LBJ.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 356px; height: 400px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I5CRiOuPVvE/TXmMOMEqJZI/AAAAAAAAAJc/rMCDDoOfqg0/s400/LBJ.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5582647388489262482" border="0" /></a>Lady Bird Johnson is the new Abraham Lincoln. I'm calling it, people.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-50956927062859776192011-03-03T19:28:00.000-08:002011-03-03T19:36:52.422-08:00Louie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5iBXjuMg5nc/TXBdSkl7qTI/AAAAAAAAAJM/pal8amGo-U4/s1600/pigeonprint3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 399px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5iBXjuMg5nc/TXBdSkl7qTI/AAAAAAAAAJM/pal8amGo-U4/s400/pigeonprint3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5580062511953848626" border="0" /></a><br />This is my parents' dog, Louie. He's a shitzu, lhasa apso, and poodle mix. He weighs like two ounces and smells bad. He has a perpetual underbite. And most importantly, he makes cooing noises like a pigeon.<br /><br />So I gave this to my mom and dad as both a timeless portrait of a beloved member of the family, and a reminder that I hold Louie in utter contempt and think he's a disgrace to the dog community.<br /><br />Ok, I actually sort of like him. He's pretty cuddly.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-68552209265050470732011-01-29T00:22:00.000-08:002011-01-29T00:25:37.776-08:00Ughhhh<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TUPO0faVQiI/AAAAAAAAAJA/lTcBvo_nres/s1600/sick.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 322px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TUPO0faVQiI/AAAAAAAAAJA/lTcBvo_nres/s400/sick.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567520965540528674" border="0" /></a><br />Ibe ben zik. Berry, berry zik.<br /><br />So much for that flu shot.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-37911270841971680132010-11-27T19:52:00.000-08:002010-11-27T20:26:10.812-08:00Gnome Coat Rack<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHZFtmCcII/AAAAAAAAAI0/026lmWjcTnw/s1600/IMGP1477.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHZFtmCcII/AAAAAAAAAI0/026lmWjcTnw/s400/IMGP1477.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544451308431503490" border="0" /></a><br />My girlfriend Meg's birthday is December 1st, and I burnt, stained and painted a coat rack for her. She likes gnomes a lot. And she's a little slow, so I made sure to have the gnome showing her how to put on a coat.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHY9RYVc5I/AAAAAAAAAIs/ptf6prXkFsA/s1600/IMGP1478.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHY9RYVc5I/AAAAAAAAAIs/ptf6prXkFsA/s320/IMGP1478.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544451163418882962" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHY2gLGulI/AAAAAAAAAIk/1JKmJwKpffo/s1600/IMGP1479.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHY2gLGulI/AAAAAAAAAIk/1JKmJwKpffo/s320/IMGP1479.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544451047130839634" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHYtZ4IkYI/AAAAAAAAAIc/7AZ0Zk-twns/s1600/IMGP1480.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHYtZ4IkYI/AAAAAAAAAIc/7AZ0Zk-twns/s320/IMGP1480.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544450890821833090" border="0" /></a>Haha! Just kidding, dear.<br /><br />I meant to just burn the linework, stain it selectively, and then seal it without painting it. So I did the first two steps, uncapped the spray sealer, shook it, sprayed it, and then realized that green spraypaint was shooting out of the cap. NOOOO! But I made the best of it. I laid down some masking tape, and did both ends, and then painted the hats red. I like how it came out. Happy accident. And luckily, Meg liked it too, even though she's quite capable of putting on her jacket.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHYZmk6dfI/AAAAAAAAAIU/WDHAfSA-Snw/s1600/IMGP1490.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHYZmk6dfI/AAAAAAAAAIU/WDHAfSA-Snw/s400/IMGP1490.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544450550633494002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TPHV36u9HLI/AAAAAAAAAH0/o0YveAm7EBU/s1600/IMGP1490.JPG"><br /></a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-24933361822576019322010-11-18T21:20:00.000-08:002010-11-18T21:24:04.040-08:00Good Draw-er<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TOYJiCdWi7I/AAAAAAAAAHM/2Sy0vol2uEI/s1600/Drawer.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 309px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TOYJiCdWi7I/AAAAAAAAAHM/2Sy0vol2uEI/s400/Drawer.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5541126871906159538" border="0" /></a><br />My dental hygienist, when she found out what I went to school for, told me that I must be a really good draw-er.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-8789457088428695192010-11-03T22:52:00.000-07:002010-11-03T23:02:43.071-07:00New Montage IntroI've been teaching myself After Effects, and I decided to redo the intro for my montage as a way to make it all sink in. My last intro was done in After Effects too, but wasn't very good, since I just knew the barebones of the program. Not that this is anything advanced.<br /><br />It's my hope that you come away with the impression that I am a man who's unafraid of having his name associated with flowers and curly-cues.<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxeTp8VBk-0kv3MQ4AU-68nRrliJGGagrJA5eVkP2Gey9ycDqvEpRmFQAMNhDfcXrLUkaZx8JpPuDYKWmwkNg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-79066349736493308282010-10-18T09:12:00.001-07:002010-10-18T09:15:54.552-07:00My Little Monkey V2.0<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TLxytIuZa2I/AAAAAAAAAHE/fZVZQjFXpFQ/s1600/25-26.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TLxytIuZa2I/AAAAAAAAAHE/fZVZQjFXpFQ/s400/25-26.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529420562265893730" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I've been working on redesigning a childrens' book I wrote awhile back. It's called "My Little Monkey," and is about a boy who gets accidentally switched with a chimpanzee at the zoo by his (very) near-sighted mother. The boy has to track down the imposter in a clothes store (a true jungle for any kid) and capture him. This is the last two pages of the book.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TLxydono5aI/AAAAAAAAAG8/v4MyQjrTiXg/s1600/25-26shootALL.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TLxydono5aI/AAAAAAAAAG8/v4MyQjrTiXg/s400/25-26shootALL.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529420295949575586" border="0" /></a><br />I did the drawings and then set them up in a miniature set of sorts. I was hoping to get a really good sense of a 3-D space. I probably could have done the same thing digitally, though. Still, I like how it came out, even though it was probably more work than was necessary. Next time I'll play around more with the lighting.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-60371958906180320682010-09-25T09:25:00.000-07:002010-09-25T09:32:02.540-07:00Back to School!(I'm not actually going back to school.)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TJ4jmdOdMnI/AAAAAAAAAG0/IdRcAPEFNmE/s1600/bla.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/TJ4jmdOdMnI/AAAAAAAAAG0/IdRcAPEFNmE/s400/bla.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5520889336790069874" border="0" /></a><br />I summited Katahdin on September 20th, making it a six-month-plus-one-day trip (it would've been nice to finish on the 19th, and make it an even half year, but it was cloudy that day, and I wanted a good day to finish). My girlfriend and brother hiked up with me, and the views were fantastic. I good day, by all accounts.<br /><br />So now I'm trying to adjust to everyday life again. No more eating straight from the cooking pot, or burping without concern. No more picking my nose with abandon. It's back to sitting straight in my chair, and keeping my hands folded. Hair neatly parted down the middle. Skin becoming pasty again, thighs becoming chunky and thunderous. Eyes becoming glazed. I'm looking forward to all of it.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-59745277681659705492010-08-23T19:01:00.000-07:002010-08-23T19:27:52.164-07:00I'm back...almost.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/THMpWcVD18I/AAAAAAAAAFg/YDmD-tzp6ug/s1600/hiker.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/THMpWcVD18I/AAAAAAAAAFg/YDmD-tzp6ug/s320/hiker.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508792234742634434" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>Most of you know that I've been gone the past half year hiking the Appalachian Trail - I'm about 250 miles from finishing, (~90% done). I got picked up from where the trail crosses a road near Andover, Maine, and I'm home for a few days.<br />I've taken a few days off throughout the trip - once in DC to visit my sister, once for the fourth of July to visit my folks, and once to go out to Colorado for my cousin's wedding. Doing anything beyond basic doodling is beyond me when I'm cooped up in my tent, but being back in civilization during those times has allowed me to do a little more. Right now I'm working on an animatic for a short I dreamt up, along with some character designs. Whether fully animating the whole short is worth it or not, I'm not sure yet - I'm going to see how the animatic plays out. But at any rate, it's been good to go through the whole rigamarole again. It sure beats drawing on a brown paper bag with a golf pencil.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/THMtV4ZF7-I/AAAAAAAAAFo/eFJOfhXusHw/s1600/blogger3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 230px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/THMtV4ZF7-I/AAAAAAAAAFo/eFJOfhXusHw/s400/blogger3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5508796623142383586" border="0" /></a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-27877310502378551252009-05-27T15:48:00.000-07:002009-05-27T16:21:06.436-07:00Camp QuestMy friend Samantha is the director of Camp Quest UK, and she's asked me to come up with a poster for the camp. Camp Quest is a summer camp for children of parents with a naturalistic worldview - athiests, agnostics, humanists, and so on. Everybody is welcome as long as they're willing to think freely. It's a great alternative to other more popular and well known recreational groups for children that discriminate or exclude on the basis of faith (Church camps, Boy Scouts of America). For more info, and for a more comprehensive explanation of the camp's activities, enrollment, principles, etc. go to: http://www.camp-quest.org.uk/<br /><br />There's also the original North American Camp Quests, for those of us across the pond: http://www.camp-quest.org/<br /><br />So this is what I've been working on. I'm going with sort of a "tree of knowledge" thing. It's very different from what I normally do. I'd say this is more strictly design, and less of the straightforward, narrative, work I'm used to doing. But I think it's a good fit, and it meshes better with some of the artwork already created for the camp.<br /><br />The sketch I'm working from is on the left, and the in-progress is on the right. You can tell it's coming along well because I'm giving the thumbs up. I'm working on a big clayboard with ink. In some areas I'm scratching into the ink, in some areas I'm laying washes, and in other areas I'm laying down flat blacks. Just another day or so and I'll be done.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sh3KCVZE0zI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/9hvkuUbLeYY/s1600-h/CQProgress.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 174px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sh3KCVZE0zI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/9hvkuUbLeYY/s320/CQProgress.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5340646874582143794" border="0" /></a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-90748967634231496452009-04-23T10:06:00.000-07:002009-04-23T10:20:01.040-07:00Montage<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SfCiD8ObXNI/AAAAAAAAAFE/a2h0YqZ57hM/s1600-h/01-10-06.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SfCiD8ObXNI/AAAAAAAAAFE/a2h0YqZ57hM/s320/01-10-06.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327936547769244882" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SfChSh9oNFI/AAAAAAAAAE8/wkvpiZ2Gb78/s1600-h/01-10-03.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SfChSh9oNFI/AAAAAAAAAE8/wkvpiZ2Gb78/s320/01-10-03.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327935698905871442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SfCgfREJgQI/AAAAAAAAAE0/4fI-oUr8l3U/s1600-h/01-10-02.png"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SfCgfREJgQI/AAAAAAAAAE0/4fI-oUr8l3U/s320/01-10-02.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327934818196488450" border="0" /></a><br />I've been working in a couple of different styles for my DP, and yesterday I took a break from flash and painting to do these for a montage that happens in the first "episode." There's 7 in all. These three aren't in order, because I can't get blogger to cooperate, but you get the idea.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-50295172883340220722009-04-14T22:49:00.000-07:002009-04-18T13:16:42.995-07:00DP Intro<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw2Y4Gx20kEVfHMg2Ml-FCXqoZprKYkwtLxCyUEwMTz6xlbfT7QkjgEVv8AP3SIOSauDJ7J0jfLJUiWZBDpCA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Here's the (95%) completed intro for my DP. A bit of foley, some corrections to do in flash, and it'll be done.<br /><br />The theme song was composed by Joachim Knoph, and produced by Magnus Murel Siverten and Joachim Knoph. Joachim was a huge help, a pleasure to work with, and (this should be self evident after listening) a talented composer. Check out his website here:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.joachimknoph.com/" onmousedown="'UntrustedLink.bootstrap($(this)," target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.joachimknoph.com</a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-23022723582446038402009-03-25T21:42:00.000-07:002009-03-25T21:46:10.100-07:00This is where the Magic HappensOh! Come in, come in, I almost didn't hear you knocking! I guess I was playing my records a little too loudly... I do enjoy my light jazz. Here let me turn it down a little... there. Divine, isn't it? Would you like a cocktail? There's a wet bar, just there by your elbow. No? Well I guess we'll just cut to the chase, then. I can guess why you're here. You see, I get a lot of people that come for the very reason you're here now - you want to see where the magic happens, don't you?<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/ScsIBvpjzrI/AAAAAAAAAEs/BxutXqx04do/s1600-h/room"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/ScsIBvpjzrI/AAAAAAAAAEs/BxutXqx04do/s320/room" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5317352611104673458" border="0" /></a><br />She's beautiful isn't she? That's an RCA drafting table, I got her second hand from a salvation army. It used to be adjustable, but the back is broken, so now it's at a fixed angle. It was a little boring, a little too sterile for the decor, so I've been decorating it these past few years. Every now and again I'll scrawl a little notation here and there. You see this here? That's a name I wrote down of a rude representative from Capital One, for whom I was going to write a nasty letter, but I never got around to it. And this right here is a tabulation of what everyone wanted to order for takeout one night during my sophomore year of college. General Tso's chicken, three vegetable rolls... say, are you hungry? I've got some stuffed crabs in the ice box. No, I understand, you're too enthralled with my workspace. Let's just continue.<br /><br />Those speakers there I use to play music through my computer. The CD player part of it stopped working some time ago. I was fascinated with it when I bought it, because it spun the CDs vertically, but now it has the unfortunate habit of dropping them. No matter. I mostly listen to old radio shows through it nowadays. Mostly National Public Radio. WHY YES! I am sophisticated, thank you.<br /><br />On top of the left speaker you can see the head of a cartoon dog. It's actually the hood from a pair of footy pajamas I bought at a thrift store. I cut it up some time ago for use in a costume (it consisted of the happy puppy on my head and a sash that said "Mr. Osh Kosh B'Gosh..." I won't tell you what the theme of the party was). I was going to get rid of it, but ran into a moral dilemma. I could see the child who used to own the pajamas out there somewhere, perhaps walking down the street of his suburban neighborhood. A trash truck rumbles by. A bag rolls out, and splits wide open. The child looks down, and there in the gutter is his beloved footy pajamas. No, he realizes with sinking horror, it is just the top. It's been cruelly decapitated and thrown out. A banana peel is draped gaily across his head, and coffee grounds smudge his white fur. The child sinks down, the knees of his corduroys scraping on the hot asphalt. An unearthly scream starts to fill his lungs.<br /><br />So you see, I really had no choice but to hold onto it. I keep him there. His cold eyes boring into me, reminding me of my folly. Sometimes at night he keeps me company, telling me stories of his past life. The truth is though, he doesn't have a very deep well of experience to draw on. For most of his existence he was in a drawer, and for the rest of the time he was wrapped around a sleeping 7 year old boy.<br /><br />I keep those rulers and that T-Square on my wall because it makes me feel like a professional. The same goes for the calender. I never write anything down, but I greatly enjoy the pictures of playful kittens.<br /><br />Finally we have the radiator down there on the right. I had it commissioned specially, because I was tired of all the other radiators I've dealt with in the past. Either they were completely quiet or provided a white noise. Not this one. It either sizzles and spits out water, with a sound like a cat that's been partially run over, or erupts in a volley of startling hammering sounds. Even by radiator standards it's loud. It serves as a nice complement to the noise metal my delightful upstairs neighbors like to play at inappropriate hours. That's really the advantage of living in this glorified Boston University dorm. It keeps me young and on my toes.<br /><br />Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour. Gerard my manservant will show you out. Ta-ta!Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-4582197850625703332009-03-13T22:06:00.000-07:002009-03-13T22:17:30.875-07:00None-of-your-Business Cards (none-of-your-beeswax cards?)My degree project's been taking a backseat to the stuff I've been doing for portfolio lately. Here are some of the ideas I've been having for business cards (I made more, but these are the better attempts) - still unsure of what I want to do. I like the idea of bees for some reason. I don't know where it came from or if it makes any sense (actually I do, and it doesn't.) But my middle initial is "B," so maybe there's a connection I can make there. And then I'll be able to justify the use of my middle initial in my domain name ("stevedavies.com" is taken already, but stephenbeedavies? Still free. Not surprisingly.) I have very mixed feelings about all the designs, and I'm just unsure about the whole thing. I'd rather be working on my other projects where I've already planned everything out, and can plow through without so much thought and hesitation.<br />.<br /><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sbs8UP8XMbI/AAAAAAAAAEc/oogo-5fRf9Y/s1600-h/BC4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sbs8UP8XMbI/AAAAAAAAAEc/oogo-5fRf9Y/s320/BC4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312906503988392370" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sbs8T77QsOI/AAAAAAAAAEU/jR1piFM-h7A/s1600-h/BC3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sbs8T77QsOI/AAAAAAAAAEU/jR1piFM-h7A/s320/BC3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312906498615062754" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sbs8TR5STUI/AAAAAAAAAEM/KTVBhU5cjNU/s1600-h/BC2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sbs8TR5STUI/AAAAAAAAAEM/KTVBhU5cjNU/s320/BC2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312906487332490562" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sbs8TJcdmaI/AAAAAAAAAEE/HUA-tgigNqY/s1600-h/BC1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 189px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/Sbs8TJcdmaI/AAAAAAAAAEE/HUA-tgigNqY/s320/BC1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312906485064112546" border="0" /></a>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-53749428527986293772009-02-19T10:00:00.000-08:002009-02-19T10:11:41.810-08:00New Header<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SZ2fXcGvA2I/AAAAAAAAADM/5l2hNXfqTXM/s1600-h/UnicornScan"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 245px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SZ2fXcGvA2I/AAAAAAAAADM/5l2hNXfqTXM/s400/UnicornScan" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304571161142559586" border="0" /></a><br />Finished this recently for a black and white illustration assignment. As you can tell, I modified it to use as the header for this blog, too. I like to think that one day I'll be the new Lisa Frank, and can mass produce these in full-blown technicolor for little girls' trapper keepers. Do kids still use trapper keepers? I don't even know anymore, I'm not around children much anymore as per my court order.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-73981463403635098922009-02-13T19:39:00.000-08:002009-02-13T20:06:40.842-08:00Degree Project ProcessSo, I've just finished animating my first teensy-weensy clip for my DP. It's only a couple of seconds long, but I've got more frames painted and waiting to be shot. I thought I'd put up some videos to show my process, since it's kind of convoluted.<br /><br />First I take my puppets and take a video in front of a white wall, of whatever action they're doing in that scene. Mostly it's talking, in this case it's eating. Then I take that footage, bring it into final cut, make it a multiply layer, and throw it over a drawn background I scan in, so that it looks something like this:<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzXL7iRjr5l4PIuXDUJwM4Rsu5BxIkuL3DOi6hwu5OCKGzpK9ImFrDPtTOZRPG2xujZDZXrAG2gvcc_Ro4_7g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Then I export that new video to Flash, where I draw in guides for pupils, arms, legs, and mouths:<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxDwD64_MDB1gg94WTAcJSIqogZFhJxYzhduBBj7MWlctIHorLX-czwswNZmzGqnH8u6lJdmfmPx4JeOfYU' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Then I export that video as an image sequence, print them out, and paint over the characters:<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwqlvd9W6vkIjZ9nCw3dRhkAZi_wjyYeqnAQUJb7M3dwf6agLyLaooSMcZS_0JosDCeWVkpI1Ny9oKe21SUIw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />That's it... it's a lot of work, but since my storyline doesn't call for a lot of action-packed sequences, I can get away with a lot of cycling.Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4388087461908585913.post-76196773688053857292009-01-27T20:44:00.000-08:002009-01-27T21:41:31.499-08:00Puppets Painted!Over the break I worked on creating these puppets for my degree project: "The Armchair Detectives." They're constructed of a separated body and head (made from a light air-drying clay), which I'm using as a base to rotoscope over, so I don't need them to be very articulated. Anyway, I just finished painting them. I made the Russian boy awhile ago, sometime in October, and he doesn't fit in with the others as well as I hoped. I didn't put as much thought into his color as the others, and his construction isn't as solid, since he was the trial. But overall I'm pretty happy, especially with my fat, French girl.<br /><br />The African girl is bald at the moment (I'm still working on her braids), so she's looking a little frightening right now.<br /><br />When people have asked me what I've been up to, I've been telling them I've been spending a lot of time in my room braiding hair for my puppet-doll. So the termination of this segment of my project will hopefully bring a sense of relief to my loved ones. Don't worry everyone, I still have a ways to go before I become some creepy, loner puppeteer like John Cusack in <span style="font-style: italic;">Being John Malkovich</span>.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_vIuT7cFI/AAAAAAAAABE/cIlG9XKuDXM/s1600-h/PriorPaint.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_vIuT7cFI/AAAAAAAAABE/cIlG9XKuDXM/s320/PriorPaint.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296214619960602706" border="0" /></a><br />Unpainted Puppets<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_sdqLwYEI/AAAAAAAAAAk/-RHjkrVBN8k/s1600-h/IvanHiroshi.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_sdqLwYEI/AAAAAAAAAAk/-RHjkrVBN8k/s320/IvanHiroshi.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296211681094950978" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;">"Ivan," my first puppet, on the left.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_rc3-0rLI/AAAAAAAAAAc/SP_1M9a7Ek8/s1600-h/HiroPuppetPainted.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_rc3-0rLI/AAAAAAAAAAc/SP_1M9a7Ek8/s320/HiroPuppetPainted.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296210568107306162" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">"Hiroshi"<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_rcoaEPDI/AAAAAAAAAAU/CsAnQDs2FGE/s1600-h/KeeyaPuppetPainted.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_rcoaEPDI/AAAAAAAAAAU/CsAnQDs2FGE/s320/KeeyaPuppetPainted.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296210563926604850" border="0" /></a><br />"Keeya"</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_rcnvGshI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Vz4l_K68OcQ/s1600-h/PatricePuppetPainted.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N2d86aWUE1U/SX_rcnvGshI/AAAAAAAAAAM/Vz4l_K68OcQ/s320/PatricePuppetPainted.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5296210563746411026" border="0" /></a><br />"Patrice"</div>Stevehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12127994607333414616noreply@blogger.com1