Outstanding Short Animation: X-STORY - Vitaliy Shushko

I often think about ways I can use my character designs and artwork for animation—and in the past have even tried my hand at a few short animated videos using both 2d and 3d techniques.

So, I'm always on the look-out for outstanding and inspiring animations by others.

Fortunately—YouTube's "suggestion" algorithm has finally picked up on my interest and recently has been feeding my channel with a lot of new and interesting 2d and 3d efforts.

Today, YT suggested "X-STORY" by Vitaliy Shushko—and I must say this one completely pushed every button on my mental list of "must haves" for a successful animation:

Compelling characters, great color choices, awesome sound and music, fluid movement, tasty backgrounds, and an engaging story, to name a few.

X-Story has all that and much more—and throws in a satisfying plot twist at the end—and you'll find a video of it attached below.

Screen Capture From X-Story Attached Below

It's done in an Anime/video game style created in Japan—which I kinda over-looked while it became hugely popular with sooooo many young artists I know.

In fact, when I'm out sketching and they approach me and share their sketchbooks—you can see that influence all over their work.

Maybe I just didn't' get that style before—or X-Story just does it in a way that suits me—but either way I was engaged by this animation from beginning to end.

X-Story:  Screen Captures Of Various Scenes

A note before you choose to watch the video below:  

There is some cartoon violence and scenes that aren't meant for young peeps or others who might not want to be exposed to that kind of thing.  So please keep that in mind.

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OK—so you've read enough of my ramblings—let's get to the video!

Enjoy!




Thanks as always for stopping by.

Look for new original artwork soon.........

New Artwork: Pastel Pencils And A Regular Ol' Pencil Sketch

Hi,

My computer's operatin' system has informed me that my version will no longer be supported soon.

So I need to migrate everything to a new hard-drive/OS ASAP—and I've been deleting old unused files and programs, etc—both to make the migration process faster—but also so I'm not transferring a bunch of un-needed stuff.

It's amazing how much of that accumulates through the years—and it's been pretty time consuming.

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See News Update below. *

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While in the midst of that—I've STILL managed a little drawing time, and today you'll find a few new sketches using both graphite and pastel pencils.

Let's get to 'em!

Rex And Molly (Study) - Copyright 2019 - Jephyr! - All Rights Reserved

^ ^ ^ A LONG time ago I found a photo of a little girl and loved her expression and pose.

She was at some kind of event and was holding balloons—but she looked like she was NOT HAVING FUN!

I printed that photo out ages ago and have been carrying a copy around with my sketchbook planning to sketch it some day—and I finally decided to do a caricature of her recently.

Once I had her lightly sketched in using graphite pencil—I decided to expand my sketch—and at first just drew in the balloons she was holding in the photo.

I thought that her hand was already in a position that would make holding something else easy to do and quickly imagined her holding the leash of a BIG ol' dawg.

So, after searched for reference photos of dogs online—I combined several to create the final look of Molly's pal, Rex—and used some photo references to rough in a background.

I used to love watching the painter Bob Ross—and he often said that doing something to a painting was a "bravery test."  With that phrase ringing in my ears once I finished the sketch—I got out the pastel pencils and made my first dabs of color with them right on my drawing.

Once they're added—they're impossible to completely remove—so I knew I'd just committed myself to coloring this one (or having to re-draw it).

In the end though, I was happy with the final result—and am considering this a "study" for a larger version I hope to paint using oils some day soon.

BTW—I'd be happy to credit the little girl's photographer—so if you have any info please let me know in the comments below or shoot me one of them thar email-thingys:

jrcurt77@msn.com 

Heart O' Fire - Copyright 2019 - Jephyr! - All Rights Reserved

 ^ ^ ^   Just having some fun with exaggeration and character design in my sketchbook.

Had a blast letting my imagination flow and making her YUGE feet/boots.   😎

Fazazz! - Copyright 2019 - Jephyr! All Rights Reserved

^ ^ ^  Though I'm putting this one last, Fazazz one was one of the first of my recent pastels pencils.

When using pastel sticks, unless you press too hard you can create layer upon layer of various colors—and you can make numerous corrections and changes as you go along.

With pastel pencils however, they tend to build up very quickly—and after just a few layers it gets harder and harder to adjust things.

So there'd be a lot I'd re-work on this guy if I could—but I'm calling this one "done"—although I may eventually paint a version of this with oils as well.

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* Additional News:  I have just completed another extensive update to my website adding a LOT of artwork I hadn't shared there before.

The lay-out on my website shows thumbnails of everything I've shared in different categories on a single page (ie: digital art, sketchbook drawings, etc)—and clicking on any image will take you to a link to a page with a larger view of it, and often a few words about it or how to find out more.

All links below will open a new window:

Jephyr.com

Jephyr Digital Art

Jephyr Sketchbook Drawings

Also—I edited my Honors and Awards page—making it easier to read IMO.

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That'll do it for today.
Thanks as always for having a look.

See ya again soon.

New Artwork Soon - Until Then An AWESOME VERY Short Animation - EVE!

Hi!

As mentioned in my last post, I dusted off the pastel pencils and have been working with them in my sketchbook (along with a pencil or two as well of course : ).

One has expanded from a quick pencil drawing into a more involved pastel pencil image—and although it's taken a bit to do—I'm having a blast with it.

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A Screen Grab From The Video Below - EVE

Until I can finish that off and scan and post some of the new schtuff, I have another AWESOME very short animation to share with you from France's Gobelins - "School of the Image."

https://www.gobelins-school.com/

I love what Gobelins' students are doing for projects—and many of their animations include excellent and creatively designed characters, interesting lighting and color choices, and fluid, dynamic movement.

If I had the time and the bucks, it'd be awesome to go there (if my lack of speaking French wouldn't be a problem : ).

Anywho—the animation below is called Eve and is only about 45 seconds long (if you don't count the credits at then end) but has a story that I found engaging and thought provoking—and is a tribute to animator Evelyn Lambart, who collaborated with Norman McLaren on groundbreaking animations/films for the National Film Board of Canada.

A 2015 student piece, Eve appears to be hand drawn and uses creatively simplified characters and backgrounds—so from an artist/animators standpoint it's very interesting to consider those choices.

Hope you enjoy this too!





Thanks for stopping by.

See you soon with some new artwork.......

Cool Animation: Sturgill Simpson - Sing Along

I've been using pastel pencils again and am working with them on an somewhat involved piece I hope to share here soon along with some other new artwork.

Until then.....

I ran across a cool animated music video by Sturgill Simpson — for his song called, Sing Along—and have embedded it below, along with the lyrics underneath it.

A Screen Grab From The Video Below

While I'd change some of the words to better reflect my tastes and beliefs—the anime/animation in the video is pretty engaging and the music track adds to the imagery.

I've been wanting to do some animation of my own that would have this look and style.

Anywho—have a look/listen—and as mentioned above—check back soon for some new Jephyr artwork!

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—Please note:  While not explicit—this video contains some brief scenes of cartoon/animation violence and implied sexuality/nudity .





Sing Along - Lyrics

Words can stab as deep as night
And cut like razor thorn
Bitter air and winds of spite
Like the cold of winters scorn
Leaves may fall on sleeping ground
But the wind sweeps them away
Like hurt lovers in the final round
What once was in now decay

I can't go on living alone now that you're gone

A single strand of spider's weave
Just dancing in the sun
Please don't turn around and leave
You are my only one
Compromise is made out of peace
But history is made out of violence
After the war of words has ceased
All that's left is the deafening silence

I can't go on living alone now that you're gone
You done me wrong so here's your song
Now sing along baby

Well, I know you know that you're killing me
But its worth it just to see you smile
Tell em' to carve my name in the barstool baby
You know I'm gonna be here a while

A single strand of spider's weave
Just dancing in the sun
Please don't turn around and leave
You are my only one

I can't go on living alone now that you're gone
You done me wrong so here's your song
Now sing along

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Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon....................

AMAZING Digital Speed Painting - Marc Brunet

Video Below

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When I studied art history and took several drawing/painting courses a few years ago—it was interesting to hear about famous artists traveling from one city to another to study work by other masters.

Because of the great costs involved with travel—I must admit I was a little jealous that I wouldn't be able to follow in their footsteps .

Even though it was only 10 to 15 years ago—the internet was more in its infancy—and it was more difficult to find tutorials, speed-paintings, and large scale master-werks to study back then.

What a difference a few years have made.......

Just today, I watched an amazing time-lapse of Marc Brunet painting his piece, 'The Titan's Tomb."

Marc really has a great understanding of human anatomy, composition, and lighting—and although most of it goes by very quickly—I learned a ton from watching it.

A Screen Grab From The Video Below

It's like being able to stand at a master's elbow—and see them create a painting from early concepts to completion!

So check it out for yourself if you have a sec—and be prepared to be amazed.

☺

Please be advised:  This video contains artistic renderings of nude figures.
 





Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon......................

New Artwork 10-3-2019

Several non-art projects have kept me busy—but I have managed to slip away and do some sketching as well.

☺

So, today you'll find three new drawings from my sketchbook—all in the cartoony direction I've been exploring with my character designs lately—although admittedly, the last one is a bit "darker" in mood and tone.

Let's get to 'em.

'Song Bird' - Copyright 2019 - Jephyr! - All Rights Reserved

^ ^ ^ This silly sketch was begun way back in June before my surgery—but I only just got around to finishing it.

Even though I'd quickly scribbled in most of the bird's pose and entire body—I was feeling dis-satisfied with it.

Then while sketching at a coffee house recently, a young artist approached me and said she liked this one—and that encouraged me to keep working on it.

Within minutes of speaking to her, and on a whim, I added a smart phone and ear-buds.

Then I added the high-wasted, nerdy pants, and shirt complete with a tie and pocket protector, along with a city background with a hunched character skulking in the distance (his posture/mood contrasted with the 'Song Bird's')

A few notes swirling around the bird's head completed the composition and then all I had to do was tighten the whole shebang up..

It's pretty light-hearted sketch I admit—but the world needs a bit more of that IMHO.

'Union Sundown' - Copyright 2019 - Jephyr! - All Rights Reserved

^ ^ ^ This one was another loose scribble started eons ago—probably before my surgery as well.

I try to finish every drawing on every page in my sketchbook rather than leaving a bunch of stuff half-realized—so periodically I'll flip back through my sketchbook looking for something to work on—and recently decided to see what I could do with this one.

The basic shape of the eagle was already there (with a rough idea for the flag/background)—but I didn't like just having the eagle just sitting around doing nuthin'—so I was trying out different ideas for it's right-side weaponry—still trying to decide in my mind what it was holding or doing.

Then, when I sketched a claw/talons that looked like they were grasping something—and added a candle that had just gone out in it—the character/pic began to feel like it had something more symbolically going on than just being a cartoony sketch of an eagle.

After that I tidied-up everything up—and could finally call this one DONE.

Aspasaurus - Copyright - 2019 - Jephyr! -All Rights Reserved

^ ^ ^ While still a little cartoony—creating this "darker" feeling character/creature was challenging and fun.

Way back when—I'd scribbled some of the basic concepts—and as I mentioned about going back through unfinished drawings above—I decided to finally finish this page up one recent afternoon when I was out sketching.

Initially, I had the head and torso and tried to add stubby, lizard-like legs onto it—and worked with several ideas in that direction—but nothing I came up with was very satisfying.

So after a bit I gave up on legs—and erased them and roughed in a snake body—and when I swept some quick lines around the body indicating its tail—everything FINALLY began to "feel" right.

☺

Creating hands I was happy with was another hurdle to get over—and although I had some loose concepts sketched in—I took several photos of my own hands in various positions and used those as references to get the look I was after.

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Anywho—that'll do it for today.

Thanks for stopping by.

See you again soon.......