Rhino model is done! Here’s an occlusion pass and a software render with a basic 3-point lighting. Hopefully I would have the time to make my UV layout because I can’t wait to texture it and render with final gather.

Yeah! Congratulations! We won Graduate Prize for SCAD’s 2008 SideWalk festival!! This time, thanks to Viviene, the idea was to create an animation. No story but just a fun and innovative piece!

I can watch this again and again!

It has been a hectic week and for the last few weeks, I’ve been doing everything except making my thesis film. But there is always time to do some creature painting. Here’s the latest.

I overlayed a brown paper texture over the blue pencil sketch, changed the hue for the blue lines and added some digital titanium white to create some interest.

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I have been drawing cute stuff so much I almost forgot I could make sketches with realistic proportions. Inspired by some friends, and Jon Foster again, I took the liberty to sketch one that look like a movie poster montage.

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Sometimes I do feel that I’m too careful with using sketchbooks, keeping them too clean and tidy, while many artists are obviously having too much fun with theirs. So I took the first step to mess with the marker drawing I did last night by painting some dirty acrylic paint over it. I like how it turned out to be, but I was still too careful with messing things up.

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Shoot Them Up is a movie we’ve watched very recently. Simple plot - survival of the fittest. It’s like looking for a job… you have to beat the rest in order to win a place in the company - a crazy rat race. Anyway, finding a job is not everything in our life. We all know that paying the bills is important, but nothing beats doing something that you enjoy doing. Once you are doing something that you like, it’s not work anymore, it playtime everyday! That’s what I’m looking for.

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It has been nerve wrecking recently since the quarter began several weeks ago. This week is mid-term and I’ve not been really doing the “proper” work that I’m supposed to do. First we had the job fair so everyone including myself was busy preparing our reels and flatbooks. We have some nice companies participating the job fair therefore we reckoned we need to get out act together for once. All this while I was down with a flu. I wasn’t able to speak properly because I lost my voice. Making things worst, I was also running a fever when all the meetings with potential employers were going on. However I did gain a lot talking with the companies, and I know that in order to get my butt through their doors, I need to do much more.

Then I have another interview with Blizzard at Atlanta during the GDX conference. They liked my work. I was glad to have my voice back, and the 4.5 hours drive was easy with no traffic congestion. That was probably my first time traveling to an interview in another state. More work after the interview.

Finally we received a wonderful news from Disney. Our Imagineer Team got into the final among 6 other teams from all over the world. I couldn’t really speak when the news was revealed to us by a Disney representative over the phone. Furthermore the entire process was actually video taped. One of the team member broke down in front of the camera. Of course, she did the most work.

It’s all too much for me to take. I was then struck with bouts of fear yesterday night with one single question running amok in my head, “What if…?” I was fearful of not getting a job so I could get at least 1-2 years of experience working overseas. I was fearful of not being able to finish my thesis project when so many other things await me. This morning I was then reminded that it is already a great blessing to be here. My studies was sponsored. I got scholarship. I got to know friends from all over the world. It a dream come true already! My wife is with me. We got to travel. We go to see things, and most important thing of all, i got to see how God works in our life. Blessings after blessings! What more can I ask for. God is great!

And I believe more is waiting ahead of me.

Completing the speed painting.

Was reading an article on the internet about the first feature length animation made by Miyazaki:

The Castle of Cagliostro (Rupan Sansei: Kariosutoro no Shiro) was the first feature length animation by Japanese master Hayao Miyazaki.

“Released in 1979 and soon overshadowed by films like Nausicaa, Laputa and Totoro, The Castle of Cagliostro is often overlooked in Miyazaki’s oeuvre, but undeservedly so. It’s a terrific film and one of the most fun adventure movies I can recall, animated or otherwise.

It doesn’t have the extraordinary graphic sophistication of Miyazaki’s mature work, but the backgrounds are lush and beautiful, there are intimations of the wonderful landscapes that would grace his later features and the staging and “cinematography” are excellent. (I realize “cinematography” isn’t quite the right term for animation, but I don’t know what else to use to describe the elements of composition, “camera movement” and cutting that are the equivalent of photographed films.)

You’ll also see hints of Miyazaki themes to come: wonderful flying craft, mysterious castles, dramatic landscapes and a fascination with the architecture of European cities. Also Miyazaki’s beautiful drawing, rich color and striking use of night and twilight scenes are very much in play.

You won’t find the sophisticated and thought provoking themes of Miayazaki’s later works, but in their place we have a superb lighthearted adventure fantasy that has much of the feeling of those great 1960’s spy thrillers and thief caper movies.”

I would certainly want to watch this animation if I could get it. But first, let’s pay homage to the great master of animation by speed modeling one of the shot of the castle design and background. I took about 2 hours to get everything done to this stage.

I took about 2 hours to build this low poly model. Before I bring it into UV editor and texturing it, I am thinking of making a matte painting out of the geometry render that you see above. “)

Just wanted to do a speed painting. No other intention.

Found an old drawing stashed away in my folder and got inspired to color it. First I made an outline trace from the pencil scan, turn down the opacity of the line and colored on another layer with Painter. Finally over-layed with some textures to give it a old worn out look.

I kindof like the painting without the line work.

Coconut Cruncher - creature design and concept in response to Conceptart.org’s Creature of the Week activity.

(Click to see larger image)

Desc:
It must have strong teeth and jaw so it could tear and shear the tough coconut husk. Its tail has a sharp end like a stone flint knife that would cut through the outer skin of the tropical fruit. Sometimes it might use its strong legs to crush the fruit if it looses patience. Its feet are calloused and thickened so it would not be hurt while doing it. Besides, these body parts would act as a form of self defense if it is attacked by predators.

A Dragonosaur.

Blue pencil version:

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Actually I have been making creature concepts and designs before I was coming to SCAD. But after a while, there was no more incentives for making them because no one back home appreciates what I did. I stopped for a little while and went on to doing other topics. The portfolio review by a gaming company said I need more things that are sinister, and dark. So I tried making “bad” creatures again but couldn’t really shake off the stylized approach.

Happy Easter everybody!!
I had the greatest Easter dinner ever at a friend’s place. An american couple who hosted a delicious meal of Pot Roast, Ham, green beans, corns and cake to 37 international students. We ate to our brim. The best part was getting to know new faces and sharing how we spent our Spring break!

The digital painting above was done an hour before the dinner with Corel Painter just to get into the festive mood!
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Spring break and yet another car for the 3D portfolio. Created with Maya and Photoshop for texture map.

Click Image for larger version.
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I have been looking for a time to draw and sketch but I was just overwhelmed with school work. Finally, borrowing some spare time from work time in a class and a Cintique pen from a friend, I started doodling again. This sketch took just about 30 mins to make over a span of 2 classes, and I enjoyed every bit of it. I hope you do too!!
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Hey guys! Good news. Winter quarter is coming to an end and Spring break is around the corner. Class is good, in fact I was taking Portfolio class that requires us to built a personal identity in order to get ourselves noticed in the job market. Deliverables include a business card, resume, flat book, demo reel and so forth. I have my flat book done and ready to print. Even though it is one that contains my personal work, from digital artwork to traditional sketches, I am offering it at 12 bucks at Lulu.com. So hop on to the website and google or search for Don Low Portfolio and it will show up. Or you could follow the link below to get a copy for yourself!! Please support a starving artist! “)

http://www.lulu.com/content/2107453

You can get a preview too. If you do not want a print, you can also download a digital copy for just 3 bucks.
Actually I am not earning a big profit here. But all proceeds will be channeled to fund my upcoming comic book production “Tank Boy”, and a short animated film titled “Love=MC2″.

Well, what are you waiting for??

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Have I ever seen a lunar eclipse in my entire life? Maybe once. I can remember looking at the solar eclipse back in the 90s. I was pretty excited. The news were warning people not to look at the sun directly especially when it was full eclipse. I stole a quick glance with my eyes. But I was squinting “P Anyway back to the lunar eclipse. If I am not wrong, this was actually my first time looking at a full lunar eclipse. We stayed in the courtyard for the full one and a half hour looking at it till my neck ached. I couldn’t help but remember how the bible is describing that the moon turned to blood during the last days. Is it talking about a lunar eclipse? There was a tint of red that we saw on the moon though. Kat and I were like, yeah, the rapture is coming! Whatever it was, the experience was exhilarating, breathtaking and awesome. 3 massive bodies in outta space coming together forming a line while the earth was throwing a shadow over the moon. Awesome!!

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Experimenting with materials.

Henry Dreyfuss -
It must be borne in mind that the object being worked on is going to be ridden in, sat upon, looked at, talked into, activated, operated, or in some way used by people individually or en masse. If the point of contact between the product and people becomes a point of friction, then the designer has failed.

If on the other hand, people are made safer, more comfortable, more desirous of purchase, more efficient — or just plain happier — by contact with the product, then the designer has succeeded.
(Harvard Business Review, Nov 1950)

I got to know this man named Henry Dreyfuss through an art book about Jean-Michel Basquiat, who has reinterpreted Dreyfuss’ “Family Life Symbols”. I googled for Henry Dreyfuss and learned that he was a great Industrial designer in the 50s. His words above are cornerstone to good design management and management in general. They struck me in such a way that I have to rethink about design and design quality. I mean, for so long our lives are directly and indirectly shaped by the products we bought from the malls. Our lives could be made better or worse by the kind of products we used in the household or in the office where we work. Products are part of our life and products have become part of us. We are the products, in other words. Tell me, how of many of you have complains about the products you are using, be it from the simplest pens to the most sophisticatedly computer systems.

I was a designer but I have never thought of the principles of good design. All I know were functionality and cost, or aesthetics. Good design is safe and comfortable to use. It has to make people happier with themselves. As an individual, I have to think of what I do that affect others.

End note:
Somehow, we must find again our sense of individual values, lost in this century of enormous technological advance. This very freedom that mechanical aids are giving us has welded us into unmanageable megalopolises, where people are anonymous numbers and where communication with our fellow man seems a minus quantity. We must restore the warmth and spirit we had in the smaller community. I hope that, in our leisure time we will once again know our neighbor - and if everyone knows his neighbor and learn to live with him, the entire world will be at peace. - Henry Dreyfuss.
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A concept painting done in Painter in 2 hours for a Collab project.

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Winter quarters began today. I was pretty excited even though there was a presentation the first day. We have to make a pitch for the collab work we are going to embark on the the next ten weeks. The favored one would be chosen or voted to be the project. Well that went through quite well and I can’t wait to start. It is going to be quite a gruesome 10 weeks but I think I will enjoy myself.

Alright, here’s my motivation for the new quarter. Learn Maya character rigging and Mel Scripting on my own, and create a stunning portfolio for 2D conceptual work!! Last but not least, loose weight and exercise more!!

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The elephant seals were a great sight. They were all basking in the warm evening sun as we arrived at the vista point. We were up so close to them yet they were not even affected.

It is undeniable that the Grand Canyon was the most breathtaking experience for the entire road trip and places we visited. We were driving along the south rim and getting off the car at every vista point - but each time the canyon looked different. No matter how it changes, it remains majestic and magnificent. There was a moment when the horde of visitors were gone, it became so quiet and tranquil. Even though the wind was howling, it sat steadfast unmoved. Time seemed to have stopped. The sight was awesome. I felt engorged into the scene as though I was part of it. If not for the next horde of tourists, I would have stayed longer to savor that indescribable sensation of oneness with nature. What an experience!!

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After 8 days of driving and touring, we are now at Los Angeles, Hollywood Walk of Fame. Now this may not be my name but pretty near …. PS: I am not a duck!!

My first experience driving across America. I have been dreaming about driving across the continent for a long time. Now this is the best opportunity as I am having my winter break now. These is a series of pictures taken while in the car. Thanks to my landlord who loan his camera to me. The quality of the pics are really good considering it is just a point and shoot. Well, we are also driving his car. He has just moved from Savannah to San Fransisco and we are driving his car to him. So we took this great opportunity to travel across US in 2 weeks!!! More pictures in My Facebook!