Ice breaking

Hey people!
I've been away from the blogging for a bit so let me cut to the chase and tell you about some things that have been happening in my life...

Dark Cow Rises
In my previous posts you may have remembered I was working on a CG animation for a TV production company in Sweden. Well, production on that was suspended due to some major technical issues.
The good news is that the Cow will return as all the technical shizzle is now sorted!

DIY PC maintenance

She's back! Much more to come!

Graphic Design projects
I've been designing publications for a few businesses. It has been a worthwhile experience and challenge (especially when working on an office PC with 1gb of RAM!) and I've met some truly wonderful people. My most proud achievement was creating and designing a mascot for the children's cancer charity, Neuroblastoma Alliance UK.

Mascot for Neuroblastoma Alliance UK

Character development

3D version of their logo for possible 'bouncing ball' animation

Drawing, drawing, drawing
Recently, I've been asked to design a tattoo of an Egyptian sphinx (the part female, bird and cat one). Surprisingly, I haven't designed a tattoo before so it's a new challenge that I'm excited about completing.

Initial design for tattoo, flying lady with deadly sharp nipples

'Team Edward' cartoon. What's life without humour?

Run Forest, Run!

I've always been keen on fitness and challenging my physical limits but never keen on going for runs outside as a supplement. I usually preferred running on the treadmill in the gym as it put less strain on my body. However, since the beginning of 2012, I've totally scraped the gym and decided to go for regular runs outdoors as well as use breakdancing techniques to stay in shape. It's much cheaper anyway!

I'll also be dancing at the Paralympic ceremony (missed the main Olympic auditions) and rehearsals have been a lot of fun and met some cool people. That's all I can say on the subject at the moment because it's proper top secret and I'll be kicked out if I reveal more!

taking a breather after a run in the local park

strawberry picking my way!

3 is the magic number!

Sidetracking - Music

Music is so powerful that it has at times dictated my mood, saved me from woe, or been a catalyst for my emotions and expression.

There is also a beauty in silence. Sometimes I will turn off the music in my headphones and save it as a reward. Like with all good things, they're best to be taken in moderation.

I like to believe I have some sort of music juice in my blood. My dad is a renowned guitarist/musician back in Ghana and my mum used to be a  backing singer in the 60's and 70's. I never really had the discipline to stick with the piano or guitar, but dancing and art has always come more naturally to me. They all go hand in hand in my opinion - artistic forms of expression.

These are a few music tracks I'm listening to at the moment for work & play :

After a hard day's work,  I escape to South America...

   

Quad-biped cow designs

Some more character development for that cow that has now invaded my dreams.
Research on quadruped anatomy, not just cow anatomy, was essential.

closer to final design

Cockney Cow

Cow concept art for a recent project.
A cow with the personality and style of Pat from the British TV soap, Eastenders. A bit muddy and rushed, but just a concept. 'Av it!

Steaming turd

I've recently been doing a lot of research on cows. A hell of a lot.
The Coleman's advert has been a good source of reference for how to make a quadruped move like a biped. It was created by Aardman and shows off their animation prowess. Judging by the way it moves (no pun intended), it looks like they are using a biped rig and possibly some corrective blendshapes for the hind legs due to it's rotations at the leg root. Would love to see some behind the scenes footage...

BUT

As much as I'm impressed by the animation, the commercial as a whole leaves a little less to be desired.
I can't help but feel that the bull that leaps out of the hot gravy is too reminiscent of a steaming turd and this makes me feel uncomfortable as it bobs around. Also, the song 'I like the way you move' sounds cheesy and dated. The 'urban' dance moves are intended to be playful and humorous, but don't even match the rock/pop music.
The character animation is comical and believable; the commercial is obviously trying to get down with the kids, but this contrived piece has me reaching for the sick bucket rather than a jug of gravy.

Moo cow - caricatured designs

These are my early character designs for a recent project. The initial project brief didn't specify the characteristics for the cow so I explored many ideas. None of these will be developed further as we have now gone for a more realistic look.

very animatable

Yes, it looks more like a pig

??? Odd, but one of my fav designs

safe