Monday, January 12, 2015

Haldir

Well... Today is one of those art fail days, apparently. I finally gave up on trying to do anything important and defaulted to my go-to response to any art block I might have: portraits! It took me a while to find an interesting face for reference (I'm not overly clever with my google searches), but I finally did a sketch of Haldir, from Lord of the Rings.

Fan confession: Haldir is my favorite LOTR elf. I don't know why, the guy is barely in the movies. But I like 'im anyway.

Sunday, January 11, 2015

Book Time: The Storyboard Artist

I have two newer art books that I recently added to my shelves. I just read one of them today, so I thought I'd better write my thoughts, such as they are, while the book is still fresh in my mind. So, here goes!

Title: The Storyboard Artist (Giuseppe Cristiano)

Who should read it: Aspiring storyboarders, and people who work with storyboarders

Why is it awesome?:

When I ordered The Storyboard Artist, I was expecting a book filled with storyboarding tricks and techniques. You know, like your basic how-to art book. Do NOT expect to learn storyboarding basics if you order this book. The Storyboard Artist is similar to Your Career in Animation by David B. Levy, except you get a candid camera look at what it's like to be a storyboarder instead of a broader overview of animation as a whole. It provides a valuable inside look into the storyboarding industry from a veteran's perspective, so if you're hankerin' for some insider knowledge this is likely the book for you.

The Storyboard Artist discusses the behind-the-scenes goings on of film, TV, and advertising storyboarding. This includes tips on what to expect, cheats for certain situations, and advice for doing a good job and making a good impression. I think this information alone is pretty great, since it prepares you for stuff that you wouldn't possibly know about unless you'd already been there. But along with that information you also get chapters dedicated to other important topics, such as what tools you'll need, how to stay organized, how to promote yourself, and a section titled "Freelance Survival Tips". (That last one is probably good for ANY freelancer to know...) My personal favorite sections were chapter 4, which covers framing and camera movements, and the segments devoted to contracts and bookkeeping, respectively. It was nice to hear about some of the behind-the-scenes stuff that is a little more mundane, as I don't think that sort of thing gets covered very often in art books, despite how important it is to your future career. I also recommend checking out the glossary, which includes terms that aren't covered in the main text of the book.

One thing I should note that I found kind of odd: Every now and then, while you're reading, you'll come to a spot where it looks like someone forgot to finish writing. Random words, just sort of missing. It only happens a few times, but it happens enough to be noticeable. Otherwise, it was a thoroughly enjoyable read, and I would highly recommend this to anybody interested in the art of storyboarding.

Monday, January 5, 2015