"Personality is everything in art and poetry"

I was just looking over some of the pin ups I have done.  Trying to be as critical as I can of myself without hurting my own feelings (It's a difficult process).  The styles that I weave in and out of I enjoy.  Each one comes with its own set of difficulties and works out a certain artistic muscle I normally don't get to stretch.  But I don't know what's my style or what is identifiable to only my work, my art fingerprint.  I just need to work it out, I think its something most artist struggle with (Fingers crossed).  If anything the more "realistic" works I have done I feel more comfortable with.  I just find them less fun and a bit lacking in artistic expression...  The struggle continues.  It reminds me of a story about an old virtuoso pianist who attends a kids piano concert.  The kid gives the old man a show.  Playing the old pianists music backwards and forwards, one upping his classics when he can. The old guy just sits, smiles and enjoys the show.  After he walks up to the kid and says "That was great, maybe your ready to write your own". 

The Human Voice is the Organ of the soul

So I listen to WTF with Marc Maron Podcast regularly.  In the Kevin Heart interview they mentioned "finding their voice" and Kevin Heart talked about early on in his comedy all he talked about was fart jokes and never really "said" anything.  That got me to think what do I say with my art?  Being an animator to create a piece it takes a good month and even longer if you really want to "say" something. When I get a chance to draw I usually do a pin up (like this) or my water colors are nursery rhymes mostly. Now I enjoy doing that and I am usually pleased with them but they don't "say" anything.  They have no voice, which means I have no voice.  This is how I express myself and I am not saying to much.  This is going to change.  This may be the last pin up I do for a while so I'll finish it and keep the girl drawings to sketches.  Now that I have more time since I'm done taking classes... For now... I can concentrate on being an artist and what artist I want to be.  I'll keep going with this thought as I complete the pin up.  It's going to take a bit more than one thought on this subject.

aLWaYs GoTTa KeEp BuSY or the VOicEs sTart teLliNg ME to dO wILd tHINgs

Getting back from Vacation has left me feeling behind. Now that I am taking classes at iAnimate and on top of that work it has left me little to no time for shenanigans but I feel like I am getting better at my craft (at least that's what I tell myself) I am working on my last scene for school and will post the two scenes I completed for class, rendered and everything (woooooo). It has been a fresh of breath air and a a bit of a challenge to concentrate on acting and facial animation instead of just body mechanics. I'm gonna give it the old college try and stay up on this blog. It will keep me honest and at least keep me producing things to show off. Animation to come soon.

In animation news a master animator has left Disney after about 37 years I think. If you haven't heard Glen Keane retired. That certainly left me visibly disappointed. He trained under the greats and certainly is one of them. Responsible for some of the most memorable Disney characters. Arial, John Silver, Beast, I can go on of course. His style is very fluid and always had feeling. He knew that the eyes can make you feel more than what the body could ever do. I've been figuring out this myself but (good) art should always leave you with a feeling and his scenes certainly accomplished that. Rumors are going around making conclusions that Tangled (a.k.a unbraided) being taken away from his vision might of added to his decision or if he will start his own projects. Which for me would be exciting. None the less his master skills won't grace Disney projects no longer. I watched Tarzan a million times while I was in school trying to study how he put so much life and character into a half naked guy. Just really inspiring and shows me that I have a lot to learn still. I'll leave you with this, it's from Treasure Planet and it certainly shows all the strengths of Mr. Keane. How a simple scene can be magical and moving just with a pencil and paper... Man I need to get back into 2D.