Cartoons _ Storyboards_ Setups

Here's some work I did last year on a good ol' 2d animated cartoon called "Gasp", a production by SLR Productions in Sydney. It was nice to return to working cartoony. The show is lots of fun, about a gold fish and his pet buddies who get up to no good when the humans aren't around.

These are samples of Key Storyboard Set-ups that I did. Basically they are inspirational layouts for the storyboard artist to use. They provide geographical and action reference and ideas based on the script. Plenty of fun to do.

The show is animated using Flash, so it's fairly flat and limited. The background style was simple, but plenty of dynamic angles.

The set-ups or (layouts) below are from one 11 min episode. Gasp hears a noise from under the house and goes down to investigate. He finds a colony of termites have set up below the floor joists. The solution to the problem comes in the form of a nice exotic piece of rainforest wood from some furniture which the queen finds rather tasty.

note: the artwork and ideas depicted here are the copyright of SLR Productions Pty Ltd.

Gasp inside the wall cavity

catches a mini lift to under the house

comes across some termites busy

at work eating the floor joists.

climbs ladder to investigate

Pan down from the pets upstairs.

To the throne room of the queen

On the young queen termite,

looking bored

Gasp beseeches the Queen, she wants better

tasting wood.

The pets shove some pristine timber

from a piece of furniture under the house.

The queen tastes the wood, the termites agree to leave

with the promise of more and everyone lives happily ever after.

thumbnail Board - part 1

Here's a section of ruff board that I did for a recent project - The Fourth Magi - (in development). I find it's a good way to go into a first pass of a script sequence. You can get down a good chunk of story in a short time, focusing of the action, and the visual storytelling, rather than getting bogged down in details. As long as it's clear and easy for the director and other creative crew to review.

Set in Roman occupied Jerusalem at the time of Christ. Here the hero and his trusty camel get caught up in the crowds on the original "Palm Sunday" on the Mount of Olives. Just when he's about to reach his goal, (to find the Messiah), his long time foe, a Roman Centurian catches up with him, and a chase ensues into the city gates.

Thumbnail Board - part 2

Thumbnail Board - part 3

Thumbnail Board - part 4

Trail Blazer

Trail Blazer

Here's another Bush Ranger concept sketch. A quick digital sketch this time. Just exploring some ideas..nothing concrete yet. I will be exploring some completely different looking styles with this theme, and see what comes up.

An excert from a recent article I did for Storyboards and Comps.com,

Polished Storyboard Art for promotion of a film concept,
The Fourth magi.

Getting a film made these days involves an enormous amount of marketing and selling of the idea and the story as well as how it will look. Especially if it's an animated feature. This is where storyboard artists can come in very handy. The visualization of the film, key moments and ideas can be expressed in animatics and stills, going a long way to helping a film get the attention it needs without busting the bank.
Recently I was fortunate enough to be involved in such a project, a 3d animated film called The Fourth Magi. Go to Article

Bushranger, sketch

Bushranger
sketch

A sketch book on my desk will never get left alone. While I am working on other work I 'll pick up some scrap of paper, a sketch book or whatever, and start doodling...I have some ideas ticking away in the back of my head, and one of them is bushrangers. The best creative impulses often seem to come when you are trying to concentrate on something else. Often I'll do some completely unrelated sketch, and then get back to my real work with a clearer head, (Though it's not always possible when deadlines are looming rather large). I'm quite happy with this little sketch. It's simple, but I think the feeling and character are coming through. This bloke could be Captain Thunderbolt...or some other 19th century Aussie Outlaw. I might even do a painting of this one.
Pencil on paper 13x21cm.

Edward B. Gordon: Sir Charles Edward Williamson

I had to publish a link to this guys work. It's really brilliant and very inspiring!


Edward B. Gordon: Sir Charles Edward Williamson

Workbook

I worked for a while at Walt Disney Studios in Sydney as a Work Book Artist. Workbook is somewhere between Storyboards and Layout. It's actually quite fun, cause you get to design the shots, and figure out good staging, cuts and compositions, as well as lighting and mood. As difficult as it was working at Disney it was a worthwhile experience.
Below are some tonal pantone Workbook sketches I did for ...a.... er...Cinderella3...but drawing's drawing and I needed the money.

Painting, work in progress

Thought I may as well post this painting, that's unfinished...That'll get me motivated to finish it quickly, and I'll post as I go. Its Acrylic, (Atelier Interactive), so it blends after drying. Takes a bit of getting used to. This is a scene from the Blue Mountains, near Sydney where I live and grew up. Now my children are enjoying and exploring this wonderful place just as I did. These are two of my kids playing in the Sassafras Gully Creek. Happy to hear any suggestions comments, and yeah, the photo is poor.

Concept Art

Druids Trap

More Character Sketches, Pontius Pilate

For a Film Concept I was working on for some time, based loosely around the time of Christ. A couple of ideas of how Pontius Pilate might look. The brief was to make the characters caricatured, but not cartoony. Realistic but not real... so, caricature really.. anyway it was fun.

Character Sketches

Parthian King


A Parthian King or Ruler, from Roman times, Acrylic Sketch on paper (15 x 20cm)

Parthian Warrior

Here are a few loose ideas for characters on a film concept. Something to do with Romans, Wise men, and so on. Just a little taste.... These are quick pencil sketches. I do lots of these to get a feeling for the character and try alternatives.

Chinese Wise Man/Warrior

Indian Wise Man/Warrior

Omar, (faithful servant)

Storyboards

Here's a loose storyboard panel from a Personal Project. Quick sketch using Sketchbook Pro

Sketch Book

Lone Scribbly Gum, Leura, The Blue Mountains. Pencil 14x21cm


Life sketch. A sketch I did of a busy intersection on George St, Sydney. Taking a break to draw from my job drawing as a Workbook Artist when I was at Disney Australia back in 05.
Cnr George and Quay, 21x14 cm



I can't help drawing on Post-It Notes. I think I do some of my best work on them actually. There's something about them. It's a shame, 'cause they are a bit small to hang on a wall.

Bush Church, Rylestone NSW

Gethsemane- concept Art

Spying soldiers crossing temple bridge, Jerusalem. A quick digital sketch with Sketchbook Pro




Jesus betrayed in the garden of Gethsemane by Judas.

Storyboard, Concepts

A storyboard scene from a mountain fly through sequence. This drawing was done mostly in Sketchbook Pro with a bit of Photoshop for texture.


Some storyboard excerpts from a space fly-in sequence:

Concept Art, Black and white

These are film concepts done in black and white using a Wacom Cintiq and Sketch Book Pro with Photoshop. I find Sketch Book Pro better for line work in some ways. These high contrast drawings are a great way to limit your palette and focus on the composition and lighting. Well, they are more like glorified storyboards really. Kind of like key moments of a film done in a comic book style.

Concept Art

Digital paintings done in Photoshop using a Wacom Cintiq.

Far Eastern Magi/Wiseman

Reaping Pain