Dakota Kid...finalized!

So here's some of the first finished character sheets for the "normal" look of the main character, DAKTOA KID. I've finalized the five other looks of the character, but yet to get them inked and colored. Since I'm the only one that's working on this short, I'm not really needing to do finished sheets like these, but to be honest, it makes me feel a tad more professional! So without further adooo, here's the first character design sheets:

A new direction...

If you read my last post, one would think that I was bringing this current blog to an end. This would have been correct, except that I decided to change the direction of this blog. Better yet, I wanted to focus this blog a little more. If you go to my website, you can see my blog that has more random life and career stuff. I've recently decided to FULLY plunge into completing another animated short. The catch this time, I want to do it right and hopefully finish with a product I really feel proud of. SOO...I'm going to use this blog to keep all you LOYAL viewers updated on the production. I have, and still do, enjoy finding blogs from other animators telling and showing their creative processes. Now maybe I'll get some animators that find encouragement from this blog...and if not..at least it's letting a few of my friends see what I'm up to!

So..I'll be posting some pre-production stuff on here soon.

Until laterz!

Change of Blogs...

Hey all!

Just to let you know that I'm posting more blog stuff on my website....

http://www.aliengraphicx.com/DakotaKid%20Corral%20Blog/DakotaKid%20Corral%20Blog.html

It's just easier to keep it going on there. I may still use this page, but for now, check my website out for new stuff about me and see newer work.

Until laterz!

Dakota Kid sketches...

So besides the modeling in Maya, I've been reworking my design of Dakota Kid. I thought I had him nailed down, but then I realized I wanted to make him more animatable. The design style he was in was more flat Cartoon Network style...I'm going more for a traditional "old school" style. As well as something that has a little more volume to him. Having a small, short, squaty little character (which for some reason I usually design) makes it harder for me to draw some poses; hard to keep him on model..but I'll get it worked out. I'm also trying to get his face a little more concrete...it'll come. But for now..here's where I'm at:



Until laterz!

Look ma..no arms..

and the arms are roughed in. Not sure how fast the updates on this project will be, but I'll try to keep plugging away. I may switch to doing my own character so that I feel like something more then just coping a pattern of someone else. But it's at least good practice.

Here ya go:



Until laterz!

He's got legs...

And yet another stage of the creation. I've now got the torso and legs going pretty good. To be honest, I am not trying to create the perfect model..I'm just trying to further my skills with modeling. But at the same time, this will really help my OWN characters that I've decided it's gonna be cheaper and easier for me to model them..at least if I really want them realized.

So here ya go:



Next time..you have the right to BARE ARMS!!!

Until laterz!

Some more definition...

Hey all!

Here's the latest render for Meepers. I tried smoothing it and it seems I've got some parts that aren't seeming together. We'll see if I can get it figured out and add the legs and arms soon. Looks like this might be a good basic body for one of my current aniamtion ideas...time will tell!

so..here ya go!



Until laterz!

Little by little

So for most of you, you wouldn't really see THAT much difference in the torso from the last post to this one. But believe me..there's differences. And not just one is cubic and the other is smooth. But that's not important.

Anyways..here's the updated image render.



More to come soon!! Hopefully some legs...or an arm...or something..

Until laterz!

Latest Challenge

Hey all!

Even though I still need to blog about my trips to San Diego and San Jose this last month, I've decided that blogging about my animation is slightly more important. If only to keep me on task. I've started to do a little review project in modeling and such, aka. the part of 3D animaiton I don't see as my strong points. So, this is gonna seem really basic to some and maybe amazing or tiedious to others. Basically, this is just what I'm doing right now. I'm following a book that uses the characters from Sony's "The Chubbchubbs" animated short. So, the design isn't mine, but the work is.

Here's what I've got as of now. Isn't it pretty!!



Until laterz!

Prepare Ye for the...SIGGRAPH 2007 conference

Hey ya'll!!

I know, I know...been a long time..and yeah, I have some good excuses for my lack of blogging. And I have a feeling I've lost some of my friends checking my blog out regularly because of that lack. But patients will be rewarded. I've been all over the world since my last bloggings...Taiwan, Rapid City, SD...and various other closer places. I've been busy with my travel as well as coaching my team girls at the gym, playing softball with the guys from church (and taking a few massive slides for the team..at which I was safe every time!!).
But the biggest thing has been trying to get my crap in a pile and getting ready for THE conference for animators, SIGGRAPH 2007 in San Diego, CA this Aug. I leave from Omaha next Sunday and return to Omaha on Friday after. Some of you may remember that I went to this conference while I was still working in Taiwan at "the company we shall not name". I am returning better then ever. Last time, I really didn't feel I had a reel that I could fully push at employers. It was more for the experience and childhood dreams that I'd be discovered...even though my reel did NOT show my true talent (something I think many young animators find before they get into that first job...or at least animators like myself.) This year though, I'm coming guns blazing!! My demo reel is getting tighter by the day (still working on it as of right now!). My biz cards have been redesigned and they look HOT! The nice thing is that my print portfolio has been my strongest part...and because of that, I'm not changing much in that. I just gotta find those extras..UGH! SO anyways...

Anyways..just wanted to send out a note to make sure you all that still occasionally check my blog know that I'm still alive and kicking! I'm just working away at trying to get that animation job that God has in store for me!! It just might be I'll be posting about an amazing oppertunity that God has brought into my life!!! like maybe a job at Disney Feature Animation??? Dreams may come true..in time!!

well..until laterz!

Been a while...

hey readers! It's been a very long time since I've written. My excuses are good ones. First off, I was out of the country for a couple weeks. I was visiting the isle of Taiwan for a good friends wedding. I'll go into that more later. While there, my wonderful laptop of three and a half years decided to once again burn it's logic board (the mother board for those PC users!). This was the second replacement I've had in six months. So when I returned to the states, I decided it was smarter to invest in a new computer...the funny part was that barely having that new computer for a week, the hard drive decides to go bad and I'm once again without a computer for a week. UGH! Hopefully tomorrow I will once again be able to work and catch up on all that I need to.

After coming back to the states from Asia, I had a week of coaching at the gym and then went to the BEAUTIFUL Black Hills for a week of High School Camp. In a word, it was AMAZZZZING!!! To be in God's beauty and wonder was again great, but just to see him work in those kids was even better! Plus, we had the best kick-butt cabin, Cabin 12!!! I'll share more about that when I get my computer and photos back!!

well, that's about it for now. Gotta start getting ready for SIGGRAPH 2007 in San Diego!

Until laterz!

Cartoonist Exhibit

I talked a few weeks ago about a Cartoonist Exhibit I was asked to be a part of. I had a blast getting ready for it (well..after I figured out what I would create for it!). I used the time and "project" to work through some character designs for two projects of mine. One being my company/personal identity character, Dakota Kid. I've had the image of him in my brain, and just couldn't get it out on paper. A problem I tend to have with many of my great ideas! :) Anyways, I was finally able to be inspired to create what I think is pretty close to a finished design. But I know that even great characters evolve in design through the years, so Dakota Kid could find more changes, but for now, this is what I've got! Look for him on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs to mud flaps...well..maybe not the mud flaps!

a little visitor

I was gonna post about this a couple weeks ago, but hadn't gotten to it. I was taking a break from working at my computer and looked out my window. Normally, you would see some of the wild cats (not REAL wild..but no one really owns them) or the cute little bunny wabbits...the same ones that mulitply like..well, rabbits. ha! anyways, back to the story. So you can understand why I grabbed my camera when i see this little fella (or girl) bounding around our backyard.

Until laterz!

13 Going on...

Current projects

Hey all!

I figured I should probably post an entry, so you guys don't think I've jumped OFF the bloggin bandwagon. I've been frantically trying to get some pieces ready for the "Sioux Falls Cartoonist Exhibit" that is happening here in May. My stuff is due to the people by May 1. That's not too long from now. Plus then add to that trying to get some things done and ready for my friends, Campbell and Linda's wedding, as well as, trying to get some "HELLO...HIRE ME!!" animation created and ready for the people at Disney to take notice...and then there's the work at the gym (ya know..the stuff that pays the bills!) and you pretty much have my whole life right there!



The image above is one of the pieces (I think) that I'll have in the show. (For some reason the image looks blue..that ain't right...but the true image is yellow!!) If I get another piece finished, this one might get bumped, but we'll see. After the opening, I'll post more on what I did put in, and how the show went.

Until laterz!

Cartoonist Day Exhibit

Hey all!

For those of you that are in the Sioux Falls area, the week of May 3-9th there will be a local cartoonist exhibit in Sioux Falls, SD. It's being held at Dunn Brother's Coffee on east 10th street. Myself, along with about 10 other professional cartoonists will be showing some work. If your in the area during the exhibit, check it out!

Where've I been??

Hey all!!

I realized I have tried to post a few times in the last couple months and for one reason or another, I didn't get it done. So, just to make sure you all know I'm still alive..here's a quickie. I've been pretty busy with work and coaching. The gymnastics season is coming to a close, so that's gonna make life a slight easier. I've had a few clients that have wanted some animation done, so that's taken most of my time. Now, I'm focused on a few personal projects and getting ready for a few trips this summer. I'm heading over to Taiwan for my wonderful friend's, Campbell Chang and Linda Way, wedding in June and then go to San Diego for this years SIGGRAPH 2007 conference and to catch up again with my friend Julie. I'll be posting more about these trips and about my next push to get a job at an animation studio (get ready Disney!!)

Until laterz!

Happy Chinese New Year!!

Today is New Years Day in the Chinese and other Asian cultures, the YEAR OF THE PIG! Happy New Year all! I missed posting on my birthday..then I forgot to post something on my MOST HATED holiday (Valentine's Day...yeah..well, do you blame this single guy???) and then realized that TODAY was Chinese New Year, so I drew up this image to celebrate with my friends in Taiwan! ENJOY the Holiday and week off!! Please tell me what all you guys did for the break!

Until laterz!

Oscar Noms Announced!

Early this morning, the Acadamy Award Nominations were announced. I'm excited for the three Animated Features (Cars, Happy Feet and Monster House) I have to admit I haven't seen "Monster House" yet, but will before the awards are handed out. But I am still behind "CARS"!! In my opinion it may not be Pixar's best flick, but it is the best of the year from these three.

I was also super happy to see "The Little Matchgirl", a Disney short. It was wonderful and if I remember right, it's been in production for a long time. I saw some of the pre-production stuff and LOVED the look of it. If you haven't seen it yet, you should try to find it. The AWN showcase has a clip and some stills. http://showcase.awn.com/showgallery.php?cat=778

In other Oscar news, even though "Dreamgirls" received 8 noms, it was shut out of the Best Picture catagory. But Jennifer Hudson was recognized (and my bet to win a golden trophy) for Best Supporting Actress as Effie White in Dreamgirls! I'm also happy that Meryl Streep was nominated for "Deveil Wears Prada" and Will Smith for "Pursuit of HappYness". The Oscar nominations always show me the movies I need to try to catch up on before the awards. And besides "Pan's Labyrinth" (which has yet to get to my neck of the world!!), I wanna check out "Half Nelson" with the Best Actor nom for Ryan Gosling. He's an actor that some people may know, and other's will as he gets more and more exposure. Gotta love those ex-Mouseketeers!!

Gotta start getting ready for my annual Oscar Party!! Whoo hoo!

Until laterz!

Yeah-but...

So the NEW YEAR is upon us and I decided I should make a post. This is a little illustration I just did today. It's a commissioned piece by a guy from church for one of our pastors that is leaving to go to a church plant in Custer, SD. I know, it took me a lot to create a NON-DISNEY character, but it's a paying gig! I do what pays the bills! :) It's actually an inside joke between the men that commissioned the drawing and Pastor, so I can't really tell you what the meaning of it is..except that the Pastor is most comfortable in his cowboy boots and hat.

Until laterz!