Animatics And Story Boarding

       Animation is diverse and has a wide-spread community; It may look easy but Animation have a long line process before they release the final product. Beginner Artists often forget the concept of storyboarding and just right into forming the animation. Not necessarily saying it's the wrong way to go; There is nothing wrong with jumping into a new project, But it is more ideal to start with Animatics and Storyboards to make an animation look more fluid in the final product.

                                            But what exactly is an Animatic and a Storyboard?

A storyboard is a graphic organizer in the form of illustrations or images displayed in sequence for the purpose of pre-visualizing a motion picture, animation, motion graphic or interactive media sequence.

While

An animatic is an animated storyboard. Boards are brought into an editing program and are cut together with the correct timing and pace of the film. They include basic sound effects, dialogue recordings and scratch soundtrack.

                                     How to write a storyboard animatic? How Does it Work?

A storyboard is a graphic representation of how your video will unfold, shot by shot. It's made up of a number of squares with illustrations or pictures representing each shot, with notes about what's going on in the scene and what's being said in the script during that shot. 

Here's how to make one:

Step 1: Create a Template. Draw a series of rectangles on a piece of paper, as if you were creating a comic strip. ...

Step 2: Add the Script. Under each rectangle, write the line of script or dialogue that corresponds to that scene.

Step 3: Sketch out the story. ...

Step 4: Add Notes.

Example:

Disney's Lion King Storyboard

Animatics are storyboards which have been edited to have rough movements to see what the supposed finished product would be.

animatic being compared to finished product:

Anatomy References : An Art Tutorial

     Anatomy;Many Artists especially Beginner Artists struggle with body proportions from time to time, whether it be when drawing poses or perspective. Most artists tend to use References in order  to make their artworks more dynamic and much more pleasing  to the eye. But what are References?

References are simply a pictorial of the object you want to draw. Drawing from your imagination is a learning process that requires you to learn several concepts from observation, perspective drawing, color interpretation, etc.

It’s an incredible amount to learn and typically the first step is to sharpen your “observational” skills by drawing what you see. This allows the brain to observe and pay attention to the details of the object you are drawing.

In using anatomy, there are a few tips to remember:

What is the general shape

Is the texture of the object?

How do I communicate this texture?

How do I communicate the form?

Where is the light source?

What angle is the light source coming from?

Proportion of the body relative to the head? 

What is the shape of the muscle?

What is the length of the arm? Leg?

What are the proportions of the body masses?

What is the the general shape of each body part? 

Keep these things in mind and You can improve art step by step!

SerVamp:Tsurugi Kamiya

Servamp Manga Cover

     SerVamp is a Japanese Manga series by Tanaka Strike, It is a shoujou manga,The story revolves around a boy named Mahiru Shirota who likes simple likes and dislikes difficult things. One day he picks up a stray, black cat he finds and gives it the name Kuro. He discovers that Kuro is a servamp—a servant vampire, named Sleepy Ash and the two create a contract. Mahiru is pulled into the complex world of vampires and the Servamp war between the seven deadly Servamps and their eighth sibling.The series has been serialized in Monthly Comic GENE since the year 2011 with ten volumes, six side-stories and five drama CDs to this date. The series was adapted into an anime in 2016 for a run of twelve episodes. But In this article I will be focusing on one of the series' minor characters-Tsurugi Kamiya. 

Tsurugi Kamiya

Tsurugi Kamiya is a 26 year old male,He is said to be the “Ace of C3” and is a  human experiment in an attempt to create a ninth servamp; What I find intriguing about him is his back-story; His story, in my opinion is one of the saddest back stories within the series which is rare for a comic with a light-hearted and comedic genre to have, Due to being a human experiment he is known to bare some sort of mental disorder;he remembers when he was  picked up - he wasn't able to eat, because he had no teeth, and he didn't even know how to drink from a baby's bottle. He was abused by his father and there is no mention of his mother. He was taken in by his superior by a young age, only to have Tsurugi mistreated in unspeakable ways; thus he had developed a Stockholm Syndrome towards his superior (feelings of trust or affection felt in certain cases of kidnapping or hostage-taking by a victim toward a captor). Being a fan of Japanese media, Characters with heart-breaking backgrounds will never be a surprise but it still grabs the attention of the audience. For me,what makes him an admirable character is not only his comic-relief instances and his astonishing moments; but his determination and quirky personality, He also puts his comrades before himself, Like protecting his long-time partner by using himself as a shield and by showing his highest of respects towards his team mates.

In a way I find his character relateable in various ways, but nevertheless This character will remain a favorite for me,even if he is an under-rated character.

Vent Art: A Memoir

     

      Vent Art. What exactly is vent art? Many artists have their own individual problems, and many of them have trouble coping with how they are feeling...Sometimes these emotions are too much to bare with; Artists have been known to be a box of mysteries; Many people do not notice what most artists feel and artists usually make ways to express themselves this called Venting.

                                Some write songs....Some draw...and Some even dance...

As For me, I vent through Drawing how it feels; its not only I that draws in such ways...I have some friends that do the same. Venting helps us cope with complicated emotions that we,as artists, cannot describe through words at all.

I have had my own good share of creating eerie and macabre illustrations, especially during my earlier years; specifically during my Elementary days and Junior High days. I wasn't the extroverted type and I didn't really know how to fit in thus many people I used to deal with didn't really made the effort to understand me, instead they judged me; It was hard to express the hurt I felt so I simply went about my ways and drew how I felt.

But ofcourse, Venting through art didn't stop during those days. I'd say it has always been a comfort zone for me since it allowed me to let out the frustration and anger I feel through my day to day life.

The Melody Of Art: Modern Broadway

           

      Art comes in many forms; pleasing our senses from our eyes to our ears, Art can be visual and can also be heard. As humans, music has always held a very special place in our hearts; hence we call songwriters 'Artists'. Today we have all genres of music from all over the world---From remixes to original acoustics. But the most interesting form of Music that swept me off my feet was the unique and diverse Musicals. Musical theatre is a form of theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance; Most of which are performed in big theaters; most noticeably performed in Broadway. A little background about Musicals; The first ever Musical created was A Trip to Coontown (1898) it was the first musical comedy entirely produced and performed by African Americans in a Broadway theatre (largely inspired by the routines of the minstrel shows), followed by the ragtime-tinged Clorindy, or the Origin of the Cakewalk (1898), and the highly successful In Dahomey (1902).

A few of the longest running classical musicals to be performed on Broadway is the well-known Wicked (which opened in New York in October of 2003 has performed nearly 5,500 shows to date), Les Misérables and Cats. The Musical industry kept on growing and growing since then; with every interesting story and forms of visual arts, music and choreography. Nowadays, Musicals continue to grow and tell more interesting stories; giving a wide-spread impact with audiences of all ages from children, to teens and adults. 

Musicals, I could say are one of the most extreme and unique way of expressing arts, The creativity is endless at this point. Modern Broadway is just as nostalgic as the classics; Reaching out to a wider audience, Musicals such as Heathers and Dear Evan Hansen have a storyline that Teenagers can relate to with, And we have another famous Musical based of the story of America's Founding Fathers, Hamilton. You can hear people as young as 12 or younger quoting lines from their favorite songs and such. As to conclude this review, I'd say that Musicals are truly an aesthetic way to deliver forms of art towards the audience.

The Basics Of MediBang Paint Pro : A Tutorial

      Digital Art is a diverse and wide-spread activity that is explored by many growing artists around the world; One of the many programs used is my personal favorite application so far, MediBang Paint Pro although it isn't as highly rated as Paint Tool Sai; MediBang Paint is a free paint app that turns your smartphone or tablet into a portable digital canvas, making it possible to create art almost anywhere. Despite the absence of a price tag, MediBang Paint doesn't include any adverts that plague some free apps, but you do need to sign up for a MediBang account to get the most out of it, it also has over 50 brushes and hundreds of materials, MediBang Paint is an easy and intuitive way to make art. On top of that, it's a powerful free app that isn't dragged down by ads. I shall be introducing you to a few techniques and tricks that help me whenever I create digital drawings. But reminder, I am not a professional but I do hope this tutorial will deem itself useful in a way.

1. The Basic Shortcuts and Getting to know the program.

    MediBang Paint Pro basically works just like any art application,It comes with an easy to use shortcut list to create quicker and less tedious art. Here are some shortcuts that I use:

                                           Ctrl + Z = Delete                 Ctrl + C = Copy

                                           Crtl + V = Paste                   Ctrl + T = Transform

                                           Crtl + D = Deselect             Ctrl + F = Close window

                                           Crtl + Y = redo                     Ctrl + N = New window

       Next is the Toolbar and it's Tools, there are two bars; one horizontal and one vertical. The tools on the vertical bar are the main tools such as Paint brush, Eraser, Select, Fill etc. The ones on the horizontal bar are the varieties of the main tools example, if you click on the rectangle/ shape tool, you are given the variants of Curve, Polygon, Circle etc. These tools have their own individual functions.

      The third thing you need to know is the bar containing the color palette,Brush varieties and the settings of the brushes, MediBang comes with a flawless pen pressure feature which is only available if you are using a drawing tablet. In this bar, you can adjust the colors, size and the opacity of the brushes; Brushes can also be customized by selecting the gear tool found next to the brush name.

      The final bar on the right, this is where you can adjust the layers opacity, add new layers, merge and delete layers, you can also manipulate the layer order and it has a small window in which you can see the overall of your progress.

2. Creating Artwork

     Now that you know the basics, Let's try to create an art piece with the features we've discussed above.

Here, I have a prepared sketch made with the pencil and pen tool, The trick I usually use is to sketch out the anatomy of the character with the pencil tool first and once done, create a new layer and set the sketch layer's opacity down to fade it out a bit so you can focus on the line art. The technique used for a clean line art is to use quick strokes.

As For Coloring, To speed things up I have created a coloring tutorial video below:

          Tips:

It's useful to use the Blur and Smudge tool to blend colors

Lowering the opacity of a layer can make for good details

Color by layers to avoid coloring over parts

The Finished Product:

                                                          And You're Good to Go :)

                                                          Now go make some art!

Art in the Forms of Technology

           Technology has always been a big part of our lives, evolving through the timelines of our history; Inch by inch we are slowly advancing with modern technology that used to be only a form of fiction, who knows maybe we might even invent the first Starship one day; Now is the rising point of modern technology, we have drones and even advanced smart phones but the most interesting creations that exists in our world is the generation of Artificial Intelligence. What is artificial intelligence exactly? well it is commonly known as the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as visual perception, speech recognition, decision-making, and translation between languages. The four forms of this technology are Reactive Machines, Limited memory, Theory of mind and Self-awareness. A further step towards the development of modern AI was the creation of The Logic Theorist. Designed by Newell and Simon in 1955 it may be considered the first AI program. The person who finally coined the term artificial intelligence and is regarded as the father of AI is John McCarthy. A well-known example of AI is "Siri" , Siri is an intelligent personal assistant, part of Apple Inc.'s iOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS operating systems.

         Artificial Intelligence is now one of the most talked about trends within the modern community; Unfortunately this new form of advanced technology has it's own ups and downs such as  AI may help create jobs, it will also cause some individuals to lose work. For example, Goldman Sachs expects self-driving vehicles will cause 25,000 truckers to lose their jobs each month, as reported by CNBC and The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) has pioneered a number of technological breakthroughs that have impacted our daily lives. The organization, which is responsible for developing new technologies to be used by the American military, was instrumental in developing the internet and GPS navigation -- they are no stranger to innovation. 

Are We Truly Free?

       The Philippines, A third world country currently under the laws of  the 16th president Rodrigo Duterte. After the election results; there have been a big storm in the media and net community regarding positive and negative feedback regarding his seating in the presidential spot. None can blame those that are against Duterte because of the sudden  flooding of news regarding the Extra- Judicial Killings and the increase of the rallies that occur almost everywhere. Some may say his new laws are for the better and others say that it is just another replay of the old Marcos Era. Aside from the repulsive way and offensive words our current president lets out, Is there really anything we can do? Are we truly free?

      In my honest opinion, I'd say No; The new laws that have been set upon us just made our country much more complicated than it already is. We have more people rallying, We have higher death tolls and issues in need of help are just shunned. How can we rise up from being a third world country if our own government has in-fights and arguments on a seldom basis? 

        As I type this article,I did my research and as far as I go, the news about Philippine politics get more and more disappointing; How can we be free of tyranny if the cabinet itself have their own set of issues such as allegations and fake news? I just hope In the next election, we can discover a new set of senate that can somehow fix the flaws the government has before they can fulfill the flaws of the country. I'd say, people are beginning to forget our history. We created history  for the purpose of reminding us and to help us avoid making the same mistakes; But we're neglecting history, we're stupid enough to repeat the same mistakes we have the chance to avoid.

Art Got Me Out Of My Shell: A Memoir

    

                                 Cosplay screencap-Akibento

    There are many forms of art and it makes us simple humans express ourselves through a variety of styles, media and many more; One of the many art aesthetics that I adore is the Art of Cosplay, What is Cosplay if you ask? Cosplay roots from the words "Costume" and "Play", It is usually known as a practice of dressing up as a character from a movie,game,book, television etc. which originated from Japan. This is no stranger to those that engage themselves in a particular fan-base, Cosplay helps a person devoted to a series or fictional universe express themselves with their own body by dressing up as a character. There are no limits in Cosplay after all. 

    Now my personal experience begins at a rather "rock-bottom start", At a young age I have always developed an admiration towards Cosplay although I have felt as if my past attempts before lacked the quality and that it wasn't 'Good enough'.  And with that mindset for a handful of years until the arrival of year 2017, It was a tough year for me and my family but during the early weeks of summer I had engaged myself with watching anime and getting to know people online that share same interests with me via groups from Facebook; That was when I had met a very good friend of mine, At first we only shared stories and exchanged out passion for Japanese animated shows until she  has invited me to attend a cosplay convention with her; At first I was nervous and I had no idea on what I was supposed to do with the offer, so I declined the offer. But after seeing my potential,she became persistent until I eventually agreed to think about it. I was nervous and a bit afraid when I asked my mother if I could go and much to my surprise, she agreed to let me go attend the convention, saying that it could be a new experience to discover myself.

   It wasn't easy for me however, since I grew up to be timid and a person that lacked self-esteem. Since my friend was experienced with conventions and in cosplay, she offered to help me out with my first convention. Being the excited individual I was, I had saved up cash for entrance tickets and I had also went an extra mile in sewing some parts of my costume for the convention; As I prepare for this event,I start to discover new ways of creating and I discover my inner potential. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months until.....Finally the Day of the convention had arrived. 

  I felt the pounding in my chest and the sweat trickle down my body under the many many layers of make up, as I make my way to the event place and I see countless people in various costumes and at first, I thought that they were all way out of my league but then they started asking for my picture too, The fact they recognized my character had my mind blown and made me flattered. I had met the friend that motivated me to attend the con and she is one of the best people I know now. Since that day my passion only grew more and more and I learned to use my new found talent to express myself freely as characters I desire. Cosplay helped me build up the self-esteem I lost in my early days and it made me feel more free and more confident whenever I am dressed up in a costume. That is how Art got me out of my shell.

The World Of Art within the Big Screen

          

        Based on a best-selling novel by Deborah Ellis and nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 90th Oscar Academy Awards; The Animated film "The Breadwinner" has earned over 94% rating from the known critique site Rotten Tomatoes,topping even the Academy's winning Best Feature Film "Shape of Water" with a 2% advance and earning over $228,056 in the Box Office after it's release on December 22,2017. The Breadwinner was directed by Nora Twomey and written by Anita Doron, who were also responsible for bringing "The secret of Kells" and "The Lesser Blessed"  to life; and was produced by "Tomm Moore"  who was the mastermind behind "Song of the Sea" and "The secret of Kells".

           The Breadwinner is about  Parvana, a 11-year-old girl growing up under the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. When her father is wrongfully arrested, Parvana cuts off her hair and dresses like a boy in order to support her family. Working alongside her friend Shauzia, Parvana discovers a new world of freedom-and danger. With undaunted courage, Parvana draws strength from the fantastical stories she invents, as she embarks on a quest to find her father and reunite her family. Equal parts thrilling and enchanting, The Breadwinner is an inspiring and luminously animated tale about the power of stories to sustain hope and carry us through dark times. The story itself is intriguing enough; with it's subject being about Women Rights and other important matters  as seen in the film but the fluid and creative way of telling the story through it's unique style makes it suitable for all ages to watch and endure in the story. With simplistic animation and a nostalgic way of delivering the message of the story. This makes a mark that even something as simple as Art through animation can strike big, Although films such as the nominated "Boss Baby" and "COCO" have also fluid and smooth forms of 3D art; Films nowadays within the Animation circle produce less and less 2D art that hit the big screen; That is where films such as "The breadwinner" and "Loving Vincent" step in.

Wolf walkers trailer screencap

     Tomm Moore and Cartoon Saloon's unique style is simply majestic and the color combinations give more life and perspective and use elements like lighting and shading to create the picture. 

     Song of the Sea screencap

     Patterns and character variety also helps to give more personality to the art style as well, for example: rounder and more soft designs help give emphasis on showing a more pure and cheerful trait to the character.

     Now moving on to another nominated film for Best Animated Feature "Loving Vincent", Also known as the  world's first fully painted feature film produced by Oscar-winning studios Breakthru Films and Trademark Films; A film made by a collaboration of more than 100 painters from all over the world, creating the 65,000 paintings used to animate the whole film, earning an 84% rating from Rotten Tomatoes. The film is based from the real-life story about the aftermath regarding Vincent VanGogh's unusual death and how life went on after the passing of the painter. Directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman and earning over $6,388,510 in the Box Office.

      Screencap of 'Loving Vincent'

           It is amazing how art can go in such measures of greatness,These films prove that Art is a form of escapism and it can be taken into the next level, making visual pathways to unlock the imagination and creative aesthetic we all yearn for. As we evolve, Art evolves as well; expressing ourselves through a variety of creative acts.

Screencap of 'Loving Vincent'