"Turnip Takes a Stroll After Falling Off Truck" - Custom Munny
Here it is, my entry for tonight's Custom Munny Show at APW Gallery! Swing by if you're local to see plenty of custom goodness from a slew of participating artists.
One thing I learned from my third custom - if you live by the stencil, you die by the stencil. My designs are intentionally graphic by nature, so it's important that I get as clean a read on the toy as possible. I had planned on painting this one with acrylics but just could not get the fidelity and crispness that I wanted, so I switched gears and decided to try spray paint and masking. I'm happy for the most part, however, the overlapping layers became annoying. I was masked out and decided not to do the white clouds, partly due to the fact that the colours I could find for the sky and sky rays weren't as close in value and caused more contrast than the original design - so the clouds would have made it even more busy to read. I also toyed with the idea of a black outline to further delineate the character from the background. Perhaps I'll try this out on the next one.
Foggy Brooklyn Morning
I was up at the crack of dawn this morning - ok, so it was more like 6:40am - to photograph the Munny out in my backyard (Brooklyn Bridge Park) and was floored by the amount of thick fog we got before our first heat-wave of the Summer kicks in. It's supposed to get up to the mid 90's today! Check out more of these in hi-res at this Flickr set.
Custom Munny WIP - Day One
Just a small glimpse at the work-in-progress for this Saturday's Munny Contest at APW Gallery. I'll be posting a more thorough "making of" once the piece goes on display, so check back over the weekend for lots more masked off Munny goodness.
Takashi Murakami @ Brooklyn Museum
We finally got to see the incredible Takashi Murakami exhibit that's currently on display at the Brooklyn Museum. It's an impressive show, and the craftsmanship exhibited is stunning. Just don't expect to leave with anything reasonably priced. ($18.00 for a mouse pad? Yikes!) Definitely try to catch this one before it closes on July 13th.
Taking The Leap
Today is my last day at Guava. As I wrap up my 3-year tenure as Animation Director to pursue my independent work and Sketchbot venture full-time, one of my favourite images from the French artist, Yves Klein, "Le Saut dans le Vide" (Leap into the Void), is prominent in my thoughts. No vacation for me, though. Come Monday, I dive head first into the ongoing work on the Sketchbot prototype, along with completing my entry for the upcoming custom Munny show at APW Gallery. I've got lots of exciting projects in the works, and am looking forward to sharing the process of taking my 2d concept from the page to full-up, designer toy completion.
Custom Toy Lab
My first ever custom toy was accepted over at Custom Toy Lab this afternoon. Check out their great repository of all things custom!
Sketchbot Prototype Sketches - Batch 2
Here's another set of Sketchbot prototype sketches. I like to put the character through as many poses and actions as possible to see how well the volumes hold up.
Sketchbot Prototype Sketches
Getting the Sketchbot prototype started ASAP has been on my mind lately. Whenever I have a free moment, I'll doodle a quick sketch and start fleshing out how to turn the graphic 2d version of Sketchbot into a fully realized 3d volume. Some of these drawings started before I began modeling the 3d version in Maya, while others are further studies to see how the different parts might connect and respond to "real-world" poses. I'll also be undertaking a clay maquette in the near future and these drawings will definitely come in handy for that.
Handcraft Strikes Back
A quick shout-out to Smashing Magazine for including my Sketchbot buttons in today's post compiling varied forms of buttons, badges, pins and clips. Check out all the cool designs here.
"Art and Artiface: Examining Copyright" on ToyCyte.com
I was quoted in Jeremy Brautman's excellent 3-part article posted today on ToyCyte regarding copyright and pirated content issues. Give it a read when you get the chance (my contribution is in part II).
Sketchbot Ghostboy Custom Papercraft
I was invited to do a custom Ghostboy paper craft from Crossville X! Of course, I couldn't resist doing a 3d version and render. Check out the Crossville X blog for more customs.
Sketchbot Qee Photo Shoot
Thought I'd share a few shots from the impromptu photo shoot I did on the morning I had to turn my custom entry in for the APW show. I was heading into work and as I walked under the Manhattan Bridge overpass on the way to the subway, I saw this visually interesting stand pipe along one side of the overpass structure. I liked the harsh lighting and thought the character fit perfectly amongst the rustic metal and concrete, so I quickly shot a bunch of shots before catching the train in. I've added some of the better compositions to the sketchbot Flickr set.
MAD @ MPH
By now, most of you who are into designer toys (and, are local to the NYC area) have most likely seen MAD's show at My Plastic Heart. If not, you've got until May 16th to check it out. I've become a quick fan of Jeremy's work over the past year, as he's got a fresh, graphic style that's clean, bold and infused with his unique sense of humor. His MAD*l figure is also one of the most brilliant and fun shapes out there. I missed opening night the day before NYCC, but did get to see the exhibit last Friday night before heading over to the APW Gallery opening. I've posted a modest selection of pictures up on Flickr. Vince has a great Flickr set up from opening night.
"World Of Imagination" Opening @ APW Gallery
Last Friday's opening at APW Gallery was jam-packed and well received. It was great to put faces to the many names I've encountered on the various designer toy forums. Huge congratulations to Hans for assembling a diverse crop of talent for this show. Pictures up here on my Flickr, and here for Hans' photos.
Zamak 3d Character Design
I stumbled across this incredible site earlier today whilst perusing slobot's blog. It's in French (hey Jeff, perhaps you can translate for me?) Some of the most gorgeous and original 3d work I've seen in awhile. Definitely worth checking out!
"World Of Imagination" @ APW Gallery
If you find yourself wandering the Lower East Side tomorrow night, swing by APW Gallery and check out the "World Of Imagination" custom toy show! Artist reception is 7-9pm, with additional viewing hours 2-5pm on Saturday.
Sketchbot Qee Teaser
I'm burning the midnight oil putting the finishing touches on my entry for the "World Of Imagination" show at APW Gallery. What, you thought I was gonna spill the beans? Gotta hit the opening this Friday night to see how it turned out! ;)
NYCC Sketchbook Tags
Alright, one last post before hitting the sack and closing out the busy week. Since I've been attending these recent shows and conventions, I've noticed fans would bring a sketchbook dedicated to getting signed ("tagged") by their favourite artists. I, too, wanted to approach those I was interested in to contribute to my personal sketchbook, and occasionally, got to draw in theirs as a trade. Looking back over the 3-day convention, I was surprised that I got as many beautiful drawings as I did.
I've become a HUGE Jose Lopez fan, and was totally blown away when he asked if he could draw my Sketchbot character. What an awesome interpretation. Thanks again Jose!
You can view them in all their high-resolution glory at the following Flickr set. Enjoy!
You can view them in all their high-resolution glory at the following Flickr set. Enjoy!
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