Drawn with Coffee

Courage is...

2011-12-29T18:15:00.006-08:00

A post for 2011, with 2 days to spare *phew*. Happy New Year Everyone!

Sometimes...

2010-09-12T20:31:00.002-07:00

New York, New York!

2010-07-20T12:04:00.006-07:00

My finned friends will be visiting Brooklyn, New York this coming July 31. Yepp, Abstraxion - Vampyros Lesbos is being screened at the 2010 Animation Block Party!

I thought I'd share some sketches of the fishy denizens from my initial story pitch so you can see how they've.. uh... evolved!

2Up Tracks

2010-05-10T23:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you wondering what I do for fun besides making coffee, drinking coffee and playing Warcraft, here's part of the answer. A couple of summers ago, I started touring the region with Oliver on his motorcycle.

We documented most of our rides with photographs and satellite tracks via GPS. Over time, we decided to build a website to share our adventures.. so here it is!

While I designed it, Oliver did most of the backend coding for the site, including a nifty autohotkey script that grabs pictures from a folder for a particular ride and generates the page from a template.

Stay tuned, because there will definitely be more rides to come as the weather warms up!

Abstraxion - Vampyros Lesbos

2010-04-26T12:40:00.007-07:00

Last August, the talented Abstraxion of Biologic Records contacted me about animating a music video to one of his tracks, Vampyros Lesbos. The liquid, hypnotic sounds captivated me right from the first listening and conjured these images in my head. I hadn't had the opportunity to do traditional pencil-on-paper animation since my student film at VFS so it was great to be able to dust off the animation desk and practice flipping again. This was probably the most fun I've had drawing and scanning stacks and stacks of paper.

If you have speedy internet (or a lot of patience), please do watch it in full screen with HD turned on. I'm really amazed at how far streaming video has come in preserving the integrity of original videos - I could hardly tell it apart from the final high resolution render.

Rethink Happiness Goes South...

2010-03-30T12:09:00.010-07:00

...Literally! I just found out that it's been chosen to be part of the Reel Earth Environmental Film Festival in New Zealand this May. So if any of you happen to be in or around Palmerston North next month, please drop by!

Back to The Beginning

2010-03-01T17:41:00.005-08:00

One of the things that's kept me busy these past few weeks is a collaboration with Amanda Healey and Taura Hanson on their final project. They're both students in the VFS Digital Design program and are building an interactive version of "In the Beginning" for mobile devices.

On my end of things, I'm illustrating the book of the story which ties in with the interactive games via Augmented Reality. The illustrations will serve as "tags" that the camera on your mobile device picks up, triggering an action in the game. It was an interesting challange to create these illustrations because the cameras needed clean, sharp edges and clearly defined black and white spaces in order to recognise the images. Too much detail or not enough contrast and the camera won't respond reliably.

This clip was inadvertently made by Amanda as part of the game. It's bunny doing what bunny does best... hopping.

This little gem aside, they've done an insane amount of work to transform the film into an awesome, interactive, bunny infested universe! Bunny pinball anyone?

VIFF 2009 Trailer

2009-10-10T14:17:00.007-07:00

This is the trailer I directed & animated for the 2009 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Rethink Happiness

2009-08-08T12:45:00.003-07:00

Here it is! This is the environmental public service announcement I made for this year's Animation Block Party.

Thanks again to the good folks at Animation Block for commending the Bunnies and awarding me this chance to make another film for them.

If you like it, show it to your friends! Show it to your mom! Heck, show it to your mom's friends!

Spread the word... Rethink Happiness! =)

To watch it in its full HD goodness, click here.

Hidden Elephant

2009-07-28T23:32:00.007-07:00

I'd never thought of a turkey baster or a vacuum cleaner hose as musical instruments until I saw the Robert Minden Duo's performance of "Hidden Elephant". Using an incredibly imaginative mix of words, song and "found sounds" the duo told the true story of two circus elephants who were separated for years and were later reunited in a sanctuary.

I recently had the privilege of working with the duo as they composed and performed the soundtrack of my newest film - "Rethink Happiness". In exchange, I made them these drawings!

Fish & Chicks

2009-06-19T11:42:00.002-07:00

Tracks

2009-05-14T01:07:00.002-07:00

Procrastina....

2009-05-13T11:35:00.003-07:00

I used to think having a blog was a great way to procrastinate.. until I started procrastinating my blog updates too. I guess I'll just stick to colour coordinating my shelves.

But hey, all that procrastination has paid off! Finally some sort of art! These are a couple of variations on a background from my next film.

Home again, Home again...

2009-04-21T20:07:00.003-07:00

I have no real excuse for the lack of posts so I'm making up for lost time with lots of pictures! I just haven't really drawn anything post-worthy in a while but hopefully that will change soon.

Valhalla!!!!!

2008-11-12T23:29:00.003-08:00

Not quite my usual style but this image was in my head just before I fell asleep 2 nights ago and I was compelled to reproduce it. Along with it was a voice that kept shouting "VALHALLA!!!" over and over again in my semi-conscious brain. I'm no expert on Norse mythology but I guess it's got something to do with war.. and battle... and stuff.

Fall...

2008-09-30T23:20:00.004-07:00

My seabus drawing for the day to commemorate the change of seasons. I've always wanted to know what it felt like to jump into a giant pile of leaves....

Bunnies on the Block

2008-09-01T18:08:00.005-07:00

Wow... a whole two months without any updates. Things have been pretty insane and I'm glad I finally managed to catch a breather this Labour Day Weekend. The biggest news on the animation front for me had to be, first of all, the Bunnies making the screening list for the Brooklyn-based Animation Block Party, and then taking home the "Best Student Film" award!!! It was such an honour and my thanks go out to the organisers and jury at ABP. Thanks also to the marketing guys at VFS who posted an article about the event on the VFS blog.

Also, Bobble & Sqweek and the Bunnies both made it into Stash 47 thanks to the awesome guys at Channel Frederator - yet another high point of the last 2 months!

More updates to come soon (I promise!!!)

Summer Cleaning

2008-06-22T15:05:00.002-07:00

With the weather finally warming up, I think I'm starting to awaken from my winter coma.. right in time for the summer solstice! So I've been scrubbing, cleaning, organising and I found these videos which upon re-watching, didn't make me cringe so I thought I'd share them.

This was made for my Grand Aunt, Lily Ong, who was diagnosed with lung cancer when I was in the last stages of making "In the Beginning" and passed away the day after I completed it. Because of the tight deadlines and the crazy amount of work I had to do on that film, I never made it back to see her or to attend her funeral so the least I could do at the time was to make a little animated clip for her memorial service. She was born (and also died) in the year of the pig and collected pig figurines and memorabilia obsessively throughout her life. By the time she passed away, she had amassed thousands of those little guys.

And some pixie dust I animated for an FX assignment in VFS.

I'd Like to Thank...

2008-06-15T23:09:00.005-07:00

To everyone who voted for Bobble & the Bunnies in the 2nd Annual Channel Frederator Awards, a big THANK YOU from the bottom of my squeaky rabbit infested heart. You know who you are - every last one of you. Without you guys, I wouldn't have these awesome Freds standing guard over me as I sleep .

Kudos to the crew over at Frederator for putting together such a cool episode announcing the results!

"..."

2008-05-30T14:08:00.003-07:00

Could it be that I miss Ye Olde Arte offe Typographie?

Today...

2008-05-19T22:13:00.003-07:00

51 Weeks early!

2008-05-17T14:53:00.004-07:00

I made this for my mom for Mother's Day... a week late.. or 51 weeks early, depending on how you look at it. To my mom, who knows a lot about germs.. from me, who thinks they look like rugs and have articulated limbs.

When All Else Fails...

2008-05-07T17:35:00.006-07:00

...Watch British Panel Shows until inspiration strikes....

So Wrong.. and Yet...

2008-05-03T19:34:00.005-07:00

This is Baggy the Anorexic Elephant. I think it needs no further explanation save to give credit to Colin "Captain Hair" Mochrie for making that brilliant throwaway line...

Bobble & Bunnies on Fred!

2008-04-13T12:34:00.007-07:00

I just found out today that "Bobble & Sqweek" and "In the Beginning" were nominated for the 2nd Annual Channel Frederator Awards!!

They were nominated in the "So Cute it Hurts Award" category and the "Bad Ass Bunny Award" categories respectively. If that isn't an honour, I don't know what is :D Voting begins April 16th so if you think Bobble & Sqweek are cute enough to give you stomach ulcers or the rabid exploding bunnies are indeed Bad Ass, do vote for them!

Thank you Fred! <3

Natty Dread Rides Again

2008-04-09T11:47:00.003-07:00

If Jared owned a Vespa...

By the Beard of Moose!!

2008-03-02T20:01:00.007-08:00

This blog was becoming so stale from the lack of updates it was starting to smell like unwashed socks. Soooo.. here's some freshly laundered animated goodness for all to enjoy!

These are 4 bumpers that I worked on with the 1337 animation crew also known as By the Beard of Moose , a ragtag bunch of vfs classical animation alumni (and one instructor!) who got together for the trick17 stop motion competition in November and have since been joining forces to take over the world, one frame at a time. This time, we stormed the Mytoons front for the Mytoons Bumper Blastoff in the hope of attaining eternal glory In the Name of His Mighty Beard (and maybe some cash too :D).

Kudos to (in no particular order): Tzanko, Michelle, Ian, Tammy, Jim, Jared and Temris for awesome work on this project.

Seabus Sketchery

2008-02-02T12:36:00.000-08:00

I take the seabus everyday to work and it's by far my favourite part of the morning. It's also the most ideal mode of public transportation to draw on (in my experience). It doesn't make frequent stops or sudden turns, no one gets on or off for 15 minutes and at the time I take it, there's always plenty of room so I can draw without the constant scrutiny of my fellow commuters. Also, most people are so busy enjoying the view they don't notice me staring while I scribble their likenesses :)

Northwest Film Forum

2008-01-28T18:45:00.000-08:00

Here's a little collage I made to commemorate my trip down to Seattle this past weekend to attend the Children's Film Festival organised by the good folks at the Northwest Film Forum. "Bobble & Sqweek" was showing on Saturday so I got free passes to see the whole show which was about an hour in total.

After the show, Liz Shepherd (one of the organisers) asked me and Aniwa Marisawa (who also had a film in the show) to do a little Q&A for the audience. One of the questions I was asked was where I got my ideas from. If I had been completely honest, I probably would have said "I watch a lot of TV and drink a lot of coffee" but I didn't think the parents would appreciate their kids hearing that. Some of the parents said they liked my film because it didn't make their kids cry... which is always a good thing I guess lol :)

So here's a special thanks to the Vancouver Film School for submitting my film to the festival & to the Northwest Film Forum for picking it!

You Ire What You Eat

2008-01-05T20:59:00.001-08:00

This image was in my head this morning as I spent 2 hours between hitting the snooze button and struggling to figure out if I was awake yet or not. Apparently my subconscious finds reprimand from anthropomorphic lettuce amusing...

Only this and nothing more.

2008-01-05T15:21:00.001-08:00

"Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December..."

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-24T13:55:00.000-08:00

Season's Greetings from me and my squeaky friends. Hope everyone has a good one!

Men in Pen II

2007-12-21T19:16:00.000-08:00

The men are back!

....and a random doodle of Morpheus.

I've also (finally) updated my list of friends and to-be friends. All of them super talented and cool, so check em out if you have time.

Ode to Snow

2007-12-06T13:01:00.000-08:00

"Not all ideas are good ones, and not all images are good ones. They shouldn't be expected to be." ~ Scott Morse.

I recently acquired a copy of Scrap Mettle, a collection of "fast art" by Scott Morse a super awesome talented artist whose works I drool over on a regular basis. Thanks to his inspirational words and pictures, I've decided to delve into the perilous world of water and colour again.

This was inspired by the magical snowy weekend we just had which passed all too quickly when the weather went back to 12 above and the pouring rains washed it all away.

Bird on a Wire

2007-12-03T16:47:00.006-08:00

I was clearing out my trusty Canon PowerShot and found this little nugget. I don't remember when or where I took it though...

Bujar

2007-11-26T20:18:00.000-08:00

Here are a bunch of sketches I did of Bujar Llapaj (pronouced Boo-yar La-pai if I'm not mistaken) - a man of diminuitive stature but larger-than-life presence. He's one of the conductors of the West Coast Symphony which I joined a few months ago.

He's really not an angry person as the pictures may suggest. He's just more fun to draw that way :D

Back to Life

2007-11-26T17:15:00.000-08:00

Wow, November almost slipped by without me posting anything. I'm definitely laying on the slackery here.... nothing like short days and long rainy nights to keep one inspired.

Finally got a chance to attend life drawing again after a hiatus of several months. Here are some of the results.

30 secs. Pitt Oil on Newsprint.

5 min. Pitt Oil on Newsprint.
5 min. Pitt Oil on Newsprint.

Head Over Heels in Lovebird

2007-10-22T21:48:00.000-07:00

As much as I enjoy animal life drawing, the only creature I have access to on a regular basis is Dili's psychotic lovebird, Hassan. As one can probably guess from the drawings, he scratches himself a lot when he's not busy screeching and attacking my moving pencil.

Men in Pen

2007-10-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

So I've managed to make at least 1 post a month since the inception of this blog which is about as consistent as I can be. For now. Here's to greater consistency!

About Face

2007-09-16T16:54:00.001-07:00

5 minutes, Pitt Oil on Newsprint

Flight of Pink Fancy

2007-09-09T18:58:00.000-07:00

Meet Mimi the Pink Dragon. I was introduced to her last night in a dream where she took me on an amazing flight through lush green forests. (I know Mimi is a lame name for a dragon but as I've learned awhile back, my subconscious moves in odd, odd ways.) I hope I'll get to meet her again somenight.

Beginning the Beginning

2007-08-28T20:35:00.000-07:00

Here's a little yarn I spun (with pictures!) based on true events about how the bunnies came to life. Thanks again to Frederator for posting my stuff!

RE-FREDERATED

2007-08-15T22:45:00.000-07:00

Wow, i can't believe it.. again!

Straight to the Head

2007-07-30T20:39:00.001-07:00

So somewhere between gawking at Adam Rogers drawing in class and studying Dean Yeagle's awesome sketches, i learned how to draw humans. Real Humans. Kinda.

GOOOOD DOOOOGGGGGG

2007-07-30T20:35:00.001-07:00

Aww look! Fifi wants to shake!!

Talking to THE FREDERATOR

2007-07-29T14:06:00.003-07:00

My first interview ever! (Unless you count that reporter who asked me what i thought of Jurong Bird Park when I was 8... )

WOOOHOOOO!!!!

2007-07-25T10:34:00.000-07:00

Thank you channel Frederator!

Tongue Got Your Cat?

2007-07-22T21:26:00.001-07:00

hehe.. hehe.. heh...

My demo reel

2007-06-30T14:37:00.001-07:00

Here are snippets of stuff I worked on during my year at the Vancouver Film School

Character Design

2007-06-23T17:12:00.003-07:00

Life Drawing

2007-06-23T17:12:00.001-07:00

Animation Keys

2007-06-23T17:10:00.001-07:00

In the Beginning

2007-06-23T15:54:00.000-07:00

And the film i made by drawing on tonnes and tonnes of paper.

Bobble and Sqweek

2007-06-23T15:53:00.001-07:00

First up, the flash film i made at the Vancouver Film School.

And so it begins...

2007-06-23T15:42:00.000-07:00

I've finally decided to crawl out from under that rock of technophobia i've been living under for years now and *gasp* start a BLOG! It'll be awhile yet before i even start considering the realms of facebook and the like so yeah, be patient with me... i'm sure i'll eventually catch up :)

I'll mostly be using this blog to post my work since i never got round to making a proper portfolio site. There might be the occasional rant but there'll be more pictures than words i promise.