White Rabbits

Limbo

2011-06-29T10:58:00.000+12:00

As per my last post I had decided to study animation. It was great - apart from being in a male dominated class. Just starting my 3rd week and then the 22 Feb Christchurch Earthquake struck.

Being in the CBD it was bad - our building stood up well but everything around us was in ruins. We had to walk for two and half hours to get 'home' (or in my case to my car). Walking through the city, the liquefaction, the collapsed buildings and other more gruesome sights - I couldn't comprehend what had happened. I saw the PGG building and only thought 'wow, look at that building' - there was no thought to the people who were trapped inside. Since then nobody has been able to get back into our building. All of us are in limbo waiting to get our lives started again.

I've been trying to improve my drawing/painting skills - but have been lacking the motivation to do so properly.

Anyway stuff to do,

Az

I'm Alive!!!

2010-12-23T16:59:00.001+13:00

Yes, I very much am in fact alive - apart from having a terrible head cold at the mo...

The end of 2009 was... well, quite frankly a bit depressing. But in the New Year (the start of 2010) I got my degree – Yay me! The events during the end of 2009 made me question what I was doing with my life? I decided after x number of years in school that I would take 6 months off to figure out my next move. Animation – is what I decided to pursue. Unfortunately by the time I had come up with this I had missed mid-year enrolment and my 6 month break turned into a full-year.

So, what have I been doing with myself you may ask? Or not – does anybody actually read this? Well, if you were to ask - my friends would probably say that I have been a bum, or a hermit – generally avoiding anything and everything. But I have quite liked it, having time to relax and think about myself that is.

Artwise, I felt like I had been neglecting my creativity for a couple of years (ever since high school) and thus had to revive it. For the 1^st half of the year I tried to sketch as much as possible, and be creative in new ways – e.g. decorating cupcakes and bookmaking! Mid-year I hit an art-block, so decided to sort through my sketches and colour any decent ones. Now that the year is ending I’m trying to finish all the little projects I started during the year and I even have a few commissions to do :D

Generally, I'm just trying to prepare myself for study next year. Animation, here I come

Az

P.S. I came up with my own little signature/logo thingy

Hipbra? - Don't ask it's safer

2009-07-12T23:27:00.001+12:00

I feel kinda slack with this blog. It’s just I’m not sure what I should type.... Well...

I’ve been working on animating my web zoo. Had a few difficulties with trying to have too many mouse events on one movieclip. This means I had to re-design the way users get to the ‘fact file’. Originally I wanted to have the user click and drag the animal from its habitat to a little (what’s the word...umm...) scrap of paper (what?) and then that would open the fact file. Unfortunately I’ve already got it so that the animal does funny little things if you click or double click on it – it would not allow dragging as well. Anyway, I decided just to have a link (a picture of the ‘fact file’ book) in the corner of the page to open the page(s).

Here's a hippo (wouldn't let me upload swf file)

I had another problem with having both ‘click’ and ‘double click’ options on a movieclip object. It won’t let you do both as the first click action, kind of cancels out the double. I found a way to do it though – I just put one action on a click and the other on the ‘mouse_up’ event. It seems to work, so I’m happy :) I had yet another problem with naming conventions. Long story short a hippo’s head was replaced with a zebras (not pretty). So I had to go through and make all my file names more specific for the type of animal or area they are being used.

Anyhoo, that’s enough about that, I discovered something recently. My old computer (as I have just bought a flash new one :) was incredibly dark. Now, I have seen all these things I missed in my artworks using that computer and I’m horrified! One of my entries for the wacom contest, it was terrible! Granted I was in a rush to meet the deadline but I almost wish I hadn’t entered that picture... There were so many things wrong.... Anyway, just wanted to say ‘I’ve seen the light’ and hopefully my next works will be a little more error free.

I hope this is enough for now. Back to work I guess...

Az

Progress on Zoo 'Thing'

2009-06-22T10:46:00.000+12:00

The web zoo ‘thing’ is coming along slowly. I keep having more and more ideas for it and it muddles me up. I need to make a ‘to do’ list with everything I want to put into the site. I’ve also spread the work on several computers which doesn’t help when I’m looking for a certain file, so I need to consolidate my resources immediately.

I think I’m going to use a little bit of my actionscript knowledge to make things a bit easier (for me) and hopefully a little more fun for my audience. One section of my site will be the area photos – all the featured animals will be moving and users will be able to interact with them using the mouse i.e. clicking, dragging (maybe).

Anyway, back to it.
Az

Zoo and Flu

2009-06-09T12:31:00.000+12:00

Hello!

Working on a new website now – this one is basically a zoo. It has four areas (as well as a home) – Savannah, Glacier, Forest and Desert. Each area will have a selection of animals that you can learn about. It should be cool, as long as I can get it to work. I have so many ideas, I hope I’m not overreaching.

I entered the Wacom contest on DeviantART. Didn’t get anywhere, didn’t really expect to but it was fun. I want to upload some more works but I’m just mentally swamped and can’t bring myself to work on any artworks.

Recently completed a milestone in my life, I had my 21st. It was fun, except I’ve had the flu ever since. Yeah, that's all...

So, back to work.

Az

Short (& sour...)

2009-05-06T11:19:00.000+12:00

Back to work now… (like I ever stopped…). Done my exam (it was horrible) and submitted my many assignments. I’m so ready for a holiday :(

At least now I have a little bit of time to work on my contest entry. Started colouring today, yay! <- (maybe not yay, I’m can’t make up my mind what on what colours to use). Yeah, I’ve run out of things to say… bye.

p.s. Enjoy :)

Finished web site

2009-05-06T11:13:00.000+12:00

From April 30 - forgot to upload ;p

Had great fun doing this site, had a few complications at the start but it all turned out ok in the end. Love drawing penguins in their many predicaments and I hope to do some good versions when I get a little time.

Here’s a screenshot:

Artwise, I haven’t had a lot of time. I’ve got until May 19th to enter the Wacom contest on DeviantART. I have an idea of what I want to do, so hopefully it works out. Colouring ‘Desert’ and working on ‘Away’ themes, of the 100 theme list. Maybe upload them before Christmas…

Well, I have been rushed off my feet lately - doing assignments, studying for exams and other assessments happening in the next few weeks. Meant to be having a holiday but I think I’m doing more work now than I have been doing during the term.

That’s all. See ya round.

Imaginary Holidays

2009-04-15T10:00:00.000+12:00

Hello. Long time, no blog.

I’m meant to be on holiday now. I use the phrase ‘meant to be’ because I think I have more work to do now than I have had to do all term! It is ridiculous! So, I’m kinda going crazy with stress at the mo.

In my art world I have decided to enter this really cool competition on DeviantART. The theme for it is ‘Good vs. Evil’ and the prizes are so cool. Hopefully I get time to do a piece for it, but at this stage it is not looking good (stupid assignments!).

Two good things about holidays I can share with you. 1. I get to sleep in! No more waking up at 5.30 am, at least for the couple of weeks of so called holidays… 2. I cleaned my room. I can see my floor, yay!

Oh, also I want to start playing around with the css of this blog - just warning you that it may look funny in the near future.

Anyway, back to work (grumble, grumble),

Az

Lost Floor (and other curiosities)

2009-03-30T16:30:00.000+13:00

Yup, hi.

Well I have been trying (and failing) to come up with a template for my portfolio. My first attempts are too horrific to really talk about. My second attempt was boring. My third attempt, I actually like. I decided to stuff the rules and treat it like one of my artworks. I just a few spaces I have to fill then the template will be all done! Yay!

The copyright thing is not going so well. I have fallen a little bit behind on it, so yeah, not happy about that. But then it is not the only thing I’ve fallen behind on (…can’t see the floor in my room…).

As for art, I have been drawing more penguins. I have yet to find the time to colour them. I’m also working on a ‘desert’ pic. I’m trying a new shading technique for that one, so it is taking a wee while to finish.

That’s it.

Az

Portfolios & Penguins

2009-03-12T19:10:00.000+13:00

Yes, hello (very tempted to say ‘yellow’ instead)…

I have decided! I am going to make a portfolio for my website project. I really want one, and since I have to make all the content myself it seemed a perfect choice. I was considering doing a guide of some kind but I think that can wait till my next project. Anyhoo, I have been reading through the ‘design brief things’ we were given but have not started my own… Just can’t bring myself to get anything down on paper. It’s annoying… I’ve also been looking at some other peoples portfolio websites, trying to get ideas. I quite like Nati-art. Simple and interesting.

For my research project (the copyright thing) I’ve started reading the NZ copyright law. Did you know it’s nearly 250 pages! And it is so boring. What have I got myself into?

Artwise, I have started drawing penguins. I don’t know why. Started to doodle and now I can’t help myself. It all started with this little guy (look down). I decided to play with him in photoshop.

Buh bye,

Az

Welcome to Me

2009-03-03T17:57:00.000+13:00

Well, here goes. My first blog…ever!

Hello peoples.

I guess I will tell you about the work I’m doing at the mo. First of all I have decided on a topic for my research paper. I am going to write about the influence the new copyright law has on… somebody. I haven’t decided who that somebody is yet. So check back for my progress on that. Next, I am yet to decide on a topic for my web page. I’m not really all that interested in potatoes. Maybe a portfolio would be good…? I’ll think about it. I think that is all for class work so far.

My personal work (aka art/cartoons) has come to a standstill since I started back at poly. I feel that any talent I may once have had is regressing. This is for two reasons. One, it is due to the fact that I suffer from long periods of a lack of inspiration. Two, when inspiration does strike I am too busy to make a note of it (and then I forget because my memory is pretty much non-existent). You can check out my artwork by going to my DeviantART profile. (I might post some here next time)

Anyways, hope this will do. White rabbits, and blog to ya later.

Az