Visiting friends and family at Newquay Zoo

 Observing different species of birds, animals and insects.

Trying to quickly capture their characteristics and personality is easier said than done.

These are some of the sketches I managed to do while we were exploring the zoo.

Otters - love to cuddle, family bond is obvious, their prey/predator status shows in their movements, quick darting movements and slow controlled movements, playful yet cautious, have they're personal precious items (pebbles)

Penguins - when on two feet constantly falling forwards, legs barely seem to make it under in time, waddles, as if it doesn't take much to tip them over, flippers out to side for balance,

graceful in water, full control, confident movements, fast!

Squirrel monkeys - seem aware how small they are, vulnerable, privately curious, shy, wraps tail around body for convenience and comfort, cocks head from side to side, you can see them observing things, sit bunched up tight

The final outcome of my dance project

James Bay - Let it Go

Dancing by yourself

My new practice dance.

Finally did one with cleaner lines and I loved it.

It wasn't as hard as I thought to draw with cleaner lines and it really helps to work out the body proportions.

There are definitely things I can improve but for now,

I just love how you can almost make her dance to any song.

CAN'T WAIT!!!

Mark Shapiro ADVICE FOR FUTURE ANIMATORS | TIFF Kids 2016

^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^

The Sketchbook

I was looking around on a couple animation blogs when I came across a 2014 animation project.

The project is an animation short film directed by Chris Williams about a young soldier enlisting in WW1 in an attempt to be reunited with his father. 

Inspired by George Pratt's sketches of WW1 soliders the film would be a blend of 3D and traditional 2D animation. 

The aim is to tell a beautiful story and "create a living and breathing sketchbook" in honor of all the sacrifices made in the war and all the lives lost.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1623839531/the-sketchbook-an-animated-short-film 

George Pratt's drawings

I love the idea of bringing George Pratt's drawings to life.
The project unfortunately is far from their funding goal but hopefully they will get more pledges and this short will come to life one day.

I found it so interesting seeing how they are using loads of referencing in preparation. From drawing models in real WW1 uniforms in life drawing sessions to filming detailed reference videos to study how the cloth and uniform moves.
Chris Williams talks about how different clothes and how "everything affect how you move".
It was interesting because I remember Loyd Price (Aardman Director and Animator) talk about the exact same point during on of his lectures at the university.

Its fascinating how sometimes you can't see or imagine how much something can change the way you move until you try it or see it in real life.

James Gurney

James Gurney.

My childhood memories are decorated with his illustrations.

My parents love to read and shared this with us by filling our library with a wonderful range of books.

Learning to read was a struggle when I was younger so the books I bonded the most to were always to heavily illustrated ones.

Even though 'Dinotopia' and 'The voyage of the Basset' were probably some of the biggest and hardest books to read when I was little, the world was always there for me to explore with my own imagination in Gurney's illustrations.

As you can probably tell I am and was completely in love with his illustrations.

I've always thought it was the level of detail he used but now I think it was also how he made fiction blend with reality using colours too. There is no way humans can really know how to we would interact with dinosaurs/fey folk but his drawings make it seems like its our second nature.

By painting the creatures and environment using realistic lighting and natural tones, all the elements just blend together. 

It seems to gives the creatures a sense of weight and with that, life!

"It's like magic!"