Sketches for a job I did a long, long time ago. Maybe I'll come back to them, one day.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Emotions Continued
Hello out there. These are the characters which will represent the main emotions; happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, disgust, and fear. Still fighting with the more cartoon-y vs "realistic". I didn't get to choose names or ethnicity for these guys, the guidelines were specific. What are your thoughts so far?I need to step up progress on this and other projects, the deadline looms ever closer. I have been asked to go back and teach a class or two-stay tuned on that front.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
(Pink) Troll Thursday!
The real trolls in Sacramento have slashed education spending and have eaten just about all of the flesh off of the bare bones school budgets across CA. I am doing my part to protest the direction the State has chosen to go. For more information check out Pink Friday and wear pink tomorrow.Get your pink on.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Interview'd
I get a lot of those email surveys and questionnaires from Facebook and LinkedIn and so on. To be very honest, I hate those things (really). I guess I am pleased you guys want to know so much about me but I really don't like talking about myself. So to quell these inquiries and because I know I'll never be interviewed by CDB, I have decided to post an interview that was done by the North/Central Ca Society Of Children's Book Wrters and Illustrators last year. If you don't like reading you can stop now and I certainly won't be offended. Enjoy...
According to the dictionary, an illustrator is one who illuminates, clarifies or uses the visual arts to demonstrate ideas. Whether robots, animals, ships, or you-name-it, animator/illustrator, Jeff S. Jackson imagines a concept, grabs his favorite #935 Prismacolor pencil or revs up his computer, brews a never-ending pot of coffee, then zaps life into ideas. Like many authors and illustrators, his art is done while multi-tasking other jobs, parenting, and volunteer work such as being the Graphics Designer for our Acorn online magazine.
After graduating from San Jose State College, Jeff has worked as both an animator and illustrator for a wide range of clients: Hallmark Cards Inc., The Nature Company, Wizard Magazine and the Seaside Police Department. In the year 2000, his first picture book debuted from Hoopoe Books, The Silly Chicken, a Central Asian tale retold by Idries Shah. In this book, Jeff takes his humor and love of drawing animals to a delightful level, partnering seamlessly with Shah's "the sky is falling" storyline.
Jeff started in animation as a traditional effects animator. He has taught storyboarding, figure and animal drawing as well as other subjects at Cogswell College in Sunnyvale. He also enjoys coordinating Zoo Sketch Crawl events (aka ZSCs) where students and illustrators spend a day at local zoos, sketching animals then critiquing their works. Check out Jeff's gallery at www.sonjebasa.net or his blog at http://sonjebasa.blogspot.com/
Here's Inside the Illustrator's Cranium, Jeff S. Jackson in his own words:
1. What's your favorite word?
I love words that have a sense of flow like slugabed, disingenuous, superfluous, mellifluous, and tensor fasciae latae. I also love onomatopoetic words like Blam, Whoosh, Boing, pow, and "kazzzzzzzzzzooooooooooshah!"
2. What's your least favorite word?
I really hate words that depersonalize human acts between two or more people like gifting or words that condense a group effort into a single moment that can be checked off on a clipboard like animations.
3. Describe your artist statement.
"Coffee. I love you, coffee."
4. Describe your work ethic in regards to your art:
Let's see, after the kid goes down for nap and when grading is all done, I jump into what I have on the board or on the computer and try to get something done…nuts, the kid's awake or the toilet is overflowing…guess I'll have to stay up (see number 3).
5. What is your favorite medium and why?
I work a lot in Photoshop or Painter now. My favorite tool is still a black #935 Prismacolor pencil.
6. Any tips on using that medium?
Buy Prismacolors by the box, it's cheaper. Try working on animation paper or layout bond paper.
7. Any tips on illustrating?
Try to learn something from each project, whether it's about the subject you are illustrating or about the medium. That will keep it from seeming like a job.
8. What's your favorite book?
This week's fav: Pi-Shu; the Little Panda by John Butler. The one I like to read again and again, Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.
9. What inspires you to create your art?
Other than the need to eat? I have been teaching a lot lately and I love it. To be able to relay concepts and see my students begin to apply what they have learned and get better in the process is very inspiring.
10. Who are your favorite painters and/or composers?
There is not enough room here to even begin a list. The golden age illustrators like Dean Cornwell always beckon to me, as do masters like Jose Jimenez y Aranda, Vermeer, Caravaggio and Velazquez and some modern day wonders like Joy Allen, Janet Stevens and Daniel San Souchi.
11. Who are your real life heroes?
My dad. He is such a great dad (and now grandpa) that he is the bar to which I measure everything. And anyone who doesn't use words like...gifting and animations.
12. What intrigues you?
Why on earth I would be asked to fill out this questionnaire when there are some many other truly incredible and talented folks out there who would be waaay more interesting than myself.
13. What profession/job other than illustrating would you like to try?
I have always wanted to work as an ice cream flavor tester.
14. What profession/job would you never try?
The person who squishes lemons for lemonade at Hot Dog On A Stick.
15. Assuming there will be an afterlife, whom would you like to meet and why?
Hmmm...see question 10. I would love to get J.S. Sargent, Charles Dana Gibson, N. C. Wyeth, Illya Repin, Rembrant van Rjin, Dean Cornwell, Bill Peet, Tyrus Wong, Edgar Degas, Howard Pyle, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and Marc Davis in the same room so we could all talk shop.
16. What is your favorite work motto/mantra?
Mind over matter-if I don't mind, it won't matter.
Wow, wasn't that great? That was actually edited, I think there were like 20 questions but article space and the fact that everybody kept nodding off forced it to be condensed. NPR actually interviewed Cookie Monster with the same questions, the best interview I have heard in a long long time. I tell you what, if you want to be interviewed by me, let me know and I'll be most happy to post it.
According to the dictionary, an illustrator is one who illuminates, clarifies or uses the visual arts to demonstrate ideas. Whether robots, animals, ships, or you-name-it, animator/illustrator, Jeff S. Jackson imagines a concept, grabs his favorite #935 Prismacolor pencil or revs up his computer, brews a never-ending pot of coffee, then zaps life into ideas. Like many authors and illustrators, his art is done while multi-tasking other jobs, parenting, and volunteer work such as being the Graphics Designer for our Acorn online magazine.
After graduating from San Jose State College, Jeff has worked as both an animator and illustrator for a wide range of clients: Hallmark Cards Inc., The Nature Company, Wizard Magazine and the Seaside Police Department. In the year 2000, his first picture book debuted from Hoopoe Books, The Silly Chicken, a Central Asian tale retold by Idries Shah. In this book, Jeff takes his humor and love of drawing animals to a delightful level, partnering seamlessly with Shah's "the sky is falling" storyline.
Jeff started in animation as a traditional effects animator. He has taught storyboarding, figure and animal drawing as well as other subjects at Cogswell College in Sunnyvale. He also enjoys coordinating Zoo Sketch Crawl events (aka ZSCs) where students and illustrators spend a day at local zoos, sketching animals then critiquing their works. Check out Jeff's gallery at www.sonjebasa.net or his blog at http://sonjebasa.blogspot.com/
Here's Inside the Illustrator's Cranium, Jeff S. Jackson in his own words:
1. What's your favorite word?
I love words that have a sense of flow like slugabed, disingenuous, superfluous, mellifluous, and tensor fasciae latae. I also love onomatopoetic words like Blam, Whoosh, Boing, pow, and "kazzzzzzzzzzooooooooooshah!"
2. What's your least favorite word?
I really hate words that depersonalize human acts between two or more people like gifting or words that condense a group effort into a single moment that can be checked off on a clipboard like animations.
3. Describe your artist statement.
"Coffee. I love you, coffee."
4. Describe your work ethic in regards to your art:
Let's see, after the kid goes down for nap and when grading is all done, I jump into what I have on the board or on the computer and try to get something done…nuts, the kid's awake or the toilet is overflowing…guess I'll have to stay up (see number 3).
5. What is your favorite medium and why?
I work a lot in Photoshop or Painter now. My favorite tool is still a black #935 Prismacolor pencil.
6. Any tips on using that medium?
Buy Prismacolors by the box, it's cheaper. Try working on animation paper or layout bond paper.
7. Any tips on illustrating?
Try to learn something from each project, whether it's about the subject you are illustrating or about the medium. That will keep it from seeming like a job.
8. What's your favorite book?
This week's fav: Pi-Shu; the Little Panda by John Butler. The one I like to read again and again, Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo.
9. What inspires you to create your art?
Other than the need to eat? I have been teaching a lot lately and I love it. To be able to relay concepts and see my students begin to apply what they have learned and get better in the process is very inspiring.
10. Who are your favorite painters and/or composers?
There is not enough room here to even begin a list. The golden age illustrators like Dean Cornwell always beckon to me, as do masters like Jose Jimenez y Aranda, Vermeer, Caravaggio and Velazquez and some modern day wonders like Joy Allen, Janet Stevens and Daniel San Souchi.
11. Who are your real life heroes?
My dad. He is such a great dad (and now grandpa) that he is the bar to which I measure everything. And anyone who doesn't use words like...gifting and animations.
12. What intrigues you?
Why on earth I would be asked to fill out this questionnaire when there are some many other truly incredible and talented folks out there who would be waaay more interesting than myself.
13. What profession/job other than illustrating would you like to try?
I have always wanted to work as an ice cream flavor tester.
14. What profession/job would you never try?
The person who squishes lemons for lemonade at Hot Dog On A Stick.
15. Assuming there will be an afterlife, whom would you like to meet and why?
Hmmm...see question 10. I would love to get J.S. Sargent, Charles Dana Gibson, N. C. Wyeth, Illya Repin, Rembrant van Rjin, Dean Cornwell, Bill Peet, Tyrus Wong, Edgar Degas, Howard Pyle, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and Marc Davis in the same room so we could all talk shop.
16. What is your favorite work motto/mantra?
Mind over matter-if I don't mind, it won't matter.
Wow, wasn't that great? That was actually edited, I think there were like 20 questions but article space and the fact that everybody kept nodding off forced it to be condensed. NPR actually interviewed Cookie Monster with the same questions, the best interview I have heard in a long long time. I tell you what, if you want to be interviewed by me, let me know and I'll be most happy to post it.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Amara's Work Continues
Hello, I thought I would post some more of Amara's work up here. As you have seen in previous posts she usually takes over when I'm on the computer and here's some recent work. I just ask her what colors she wants and we've gotten to the point where she tells me which brush to pick and so on. I let her do what she wants with the mouse or stylus (my poor stylus barely works, now). When she feels like she is done she says "new paper!" and I call up another blank "page".
I always ask her what she wants to call each of her finished "pieces" and she blurts out
This one is called, 'Gramma Bobby'
Here's, 'Grampa Bill'
And here's 'Fordinnacycle'. I have no idea where that one came from, but that was as close to spelling it as I could get. If you want to see some more of her work you can click here. Or see some new drawings here.
fine art is fun when you're three!
I always ask her what she wants to call each of her finished "pieces" and she blurts out
This one is called, 'Gramma Bobby'
Here's, 'Grampa Bill'
And here's 'Fordinnacycle'. I have no idea where that one came from, but that was as close to spelling it as I could get. If you want to see some more of her work you can click here. Or see some new drawings here.fine art is fun when you're three!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
WonderCon '09
I went to WonderCon in San Francisco today. I am still undecided if I like this con better or less than San Diego Comic Con overall but this year really was great. I went with my good friend Dave and saw lots of great stuff. This year was pretty easy going and one thing for sure, it's a lot less crowded in SF than down south. There were still folks who went all out to make great costumes as you'll see below but WC is also small enough (still) to get to chat with sellers and so on. Some well respected names in the animation industry were at their tables and actually had time to have a conversation. The guys I wanted to rub elbows with were the most approachable folks I've had the chance to banter with in some time. I mean where else are you going to get to talk with Emmy award winning Ben Balisteri about hockey? Or swap stories about your kids with Pascal Campion? Dave and I talked about Zoo Sketch Crawl and Sketch Crawls in general with Pixar story artist Enrico Casarosa while he and Ronnie Del Carmen were signing our books, congrats by the way, to you guys and everyone at Pixar for winning the Oscar for Wall-e.
I also spent some time chatting with the gang from ghostbot who were responsible for animating the Esurance commercials, some of the best "traditionally" animated commercials I have seen in a long time. Even better I very pleased to see my 'ol college chum Kris works there, it was great to see her again.
I always wanted to be a cylon but this guy actually was one complete with that crazy noise with red eye moving.
I've never wanted to be a big yellow bug but these ladies sure did with style.
Here's Fabian Molina a former student of mine doing us proud by doing up a kick ass sketchbook and serving up copies hotter than hotcakes to lumberjacks.
Here's my loot from the event, I was a strict budget this time but I still came home with awesomeness. What a great day. Only bummer was that hot dog from the cafe outside. Stay away from those, next time I bring my own lunch. If I saw you there, I hope you had a great time if I didn't let's make a point of going next year!
I also spent some time chatting with the gang from ghostbot who were responsible for animating the Esurance commercials, some of the best "traditionally" animated commercials I have seen in a long time. Even better I very pleased to see my 'ol college chum Kris works there, it was great to see her again.
I always wanted to be a cylon but this guy actually was one complete with that crazy noise with red eye moving.
I've never wanted to be a big yellow bug but these ladies sure did with style.
Here's Fabian Molina a former student of mine doing us proud by doing up a kick ass sketchbook and serving up copies hotter than hotcakes to lumberjacks.
Here's my loot from the event, I was a strict budget this time but I still came home with awesomeness. What a great day. Only bummer was that hot dog from the cafe outside. Stay away from those, next time I bring my own lunch. If I saw you there, I hope you had a great time if I didn't let's make a point of going next year!
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Body Under Stress
I know anatomy. I've looked at flayed cadavers. But I'll admit, I don't really know the internal organs very well. So when I had to draw up the figure displaying the inner workings of the adrenal system as in the "flight or fight" response I had to crawl waay back through the dark, swampy memories of that med school class I took way back in '94. The one I stopped paying attention to once we got past exterior layer musculature. Well, I also sort of stopped paying attention because I was surrounded by all of those nursing student babes.....good times.Ahem, anyway now I find that the notes I jotted down as far as relationship of skeleton to organ location actually helped after all.
So, as always I started with a quick gesture and ruffed in the skeleton, laid in the figure and then placed in the organs. The parts will be labeled as far as function, IE: the eyes widen, the blood vessels near the skin fill with blood, the mouth drops open for better respiration etc. I like this project!
Speaking of anatomy I didn't know before, but here's the limbic system. (I mean as an animator who is ever going to animate the limbic system?) But, just in case you were wondering where your amygdala and hippocampus live...
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