Lion King Pencil Test

You know that feeling when everything starts to make sense? Yeah, neither did I...until today. I caught this video of a Lion King pencil test, and I saw what our teachers have been trying to drill into our vacant brains! In this clip I found the expected, pretty cleaned up animation, but I also saw storyboards in the reel which are in the exact format that Nancy Beiman has been trying to teach us and the pre-paint, toned layouts that Scott Caple has been demonstrating all year.

Nancy has been teaching us that it is the acting, action, and staging that happens in the boards, not necessarily the cinematography. Scott has been showing us that it is the layout man who decides which type of fancy camera angle and/or move is used and how to execute it. It all comes back to Disney, and I think it's clear from this clip that our teachers know what the heck they're talking about.

Check it out...

Life Drawing Dump

It's the end of winter break, and much to my surprise I've actually taken a break. Wow, what a concept. In theatre school they demanded that any amount of time that was allotted as break time was to be used as such. Whether it was a 10 minute stretch or a three week holiday, we allowed our bodies to rest and our minds to relax. Most importantly, we focused on other areas of our lives that also needed attention, such as investing time on hobbies and with loved ones.

Although I have been doing some personal artwork, I don't feel that it's blog-worthy yet. Feeling, still, that I should post regularly I've decided to dump some life drawings. Literally. I tend to chuck out old drawings pretty quickly, so I thought I'd share these before they hit the trash.

Being introduced, gradually, to tone and drapery. These areas become much more exciting when costume is added. The technical can make way for the dramatic, or I should say 'supports' the dramatic. Above are three drawings based on the concept of Don Quixote. It was fun to explore, and helps me remember why I go to life drawing in the first place: to tell a story!

Earlier studies of drapery and tone.

Three-point perspective.

A few selections from my last portfolio.

Jürgen Görg

(Not my work, by the way...)


I experienced spring skiing in December yesterday! Drove all the way to the mountain to find it raining and slushy, so after two runs down the hill I threw my gear back in the car and pulled out my backpack of books and pencils.

Little mountain towns are perfect sketching locations, so I wasn't too upset about the lack of boarding. While looking for a comfy café I stumbled across an art gallery. They had the usual mass-audience style of work for sale, bar one artist: Jürgen Görg.


Görg is a German artist who uses inspiration from lovers, dancers, musicians, and masked personages to create loose and free graphite/oil figures. These pictures can hardly do the paintings justice, as it seems he has created a new medium. His oil work is so thin it could be confused with watercolour, and he isn't afraid to show his searching line in the rough stages. He is showcased in galleries internationally, so hopefully you'll get a chance to see his work in person.

And Scene

It's over and I'm alive! The end of term is here along with Christmas, family, and sleep! I thoroughly enjoyed the courses offered this semester, and I know why people say second year is their favourite at Sheridan. After learning the basics we're finally able to express ourselves more effectively.

I think of art school like learning to dance. At first, you have to stay at the barre perfecting your tondue and other simple steps, and it all seems really mundane. You're then allowed to grace the floor with a bold grand jeté, for example, and you feel the excitement of the practice. Finally, you're able to choreograph steps together, and all of the sudden you're dancing! You combine traditional, ancient motions with original moves of your own, and all the tedious practice at the barre has given you the language required to communicate exactly what you want on the stage. The technique doesn't hold you back, it allows you to be free!

These are two painted layouts that I allowed myself to explore a little more freely than in the past. The above morning view of a nondescript Chinatown was created in about two hours with ink and watercolour, while the night scene below was analyzed for several hours and painted with gouache. The thumbnails are below if you'd like to see the process from tonal to final. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages, so I suppose the trick is balancing spontaneity with overkill. Ha. Cinch.

My First Leica

Second semester is coming to a close, and after all the hours of sweat and tears I have a minute and forty-five seconds to show for it. lol Below you'll find my leica for this semester's storyboarding class with Nancy Beiman. It is, what I believe to be, the first full process from beat boards to moving pictures with sound that I have completed. I'm really looking forward to improving my skills with boards and am excited to see where Nancy takes us next semester.

Anyway, enjoy my first attempt at a mini-film!