Week 8

No animation assignment this week. Just posing. Something "strong". Some mentors aren't letting their students utilize any props, but thankfully, Charles (Alleneck) is not so ascetic. I didn't actually get a critique from my mentor on it though, because they don't really have the capabilities for some reason to pull up our sketchbook materials in the eCritique tool. Hopefully that will be worked out later. I've noticed that not much is said in general about the sketches we do. Not that that deters me at all from doing it.

I'm hoping that all the sketching practice will help me learn to animate traditionally (with a pencil that is) after I learn how to do it in the computer. I mean, the principles are exactly the same, but the application is obviously going to be different and there are fewer people with the drawing skills or patience to do it anymore. It's on my list of things to do before I die along with seeing the Eiffel Tower and being able to do the splits...

Another part of the assignment was to observe and sketch people walking. I did so at Newport Beach in California. It was a strange day, because we got there and a man was injured and had drowned. Rescue workers tried to resuscitate him, but he was gone. Fifteen minutes earlier he was enjoying an afternoon at the beach, but large waves and a blow to the head from a pile-on changed everything in a split second.

So I see these sketches on the beach from that day, everyone playing so carefree and invincibly. Life does indeed go on, and with more fervor I would hope in the face of our frail mortality.