Hi, I'm Jordan and this is my art journal.
A place for animation, 3d modelling, doodles and design.
Bout Ye’
I had some free time today after clearing up some After Effects shizzle. What did I do with my spare time? Same thing I usually do…doodle!
Very random but it was fun working on something light-hearted today. Oh yeah, check out the art of Willie Real - he is awesome.
Ochi!
I’ve been animating a lot recently, so last night I thought it would be refreshing to mix things up with some doodling and painting. The result? Meet Ochi (click for the full version):
I feel like I’m still trying to find my own unique style, it’s fun experimenting with different brush strokes and colours. I’m attempting to learn how to capture the ‘essence’ of a character without making things too complex. Check out the work of the very talented Lindsey Olivares. She is awesome at capturing emotions, character and subtleties without actually relying on a lot of details - a very difficult thing to accomplish. I love her work, she is a big inspiration to me!
Do I feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?
A very quick update to give you a sneak preview of what I’ve been up to. Last night I started modelling a stylised cartoon head for my new animation short. He still needs hair, moustache, teeth, eyebrows and a lot of texturing. I kept the default lights so you can see his silhouette as the camera spins. Check it out:
Eventually this guy will be a big goofy cowboy. There is going to 2 hombre’s squaring off in a tense show-down - funny events will ensue folks. Stay tuned.
Hello, shiny new doodle book!
A rainy search around Belfast today ended with me replacing my lost sketchbook with a sexy new Moleskine. I love them, but my debit card does not. I thought that I would welcome this bad boy into the world by taking some time to doodle this afternoon. I doodle a lot, probably when I should be doing more important things, it’s very relaxing for me. Isn’t ‘doodle’ such an appropriate word for what it means?
Very little time is spent on each doodle, I like to work quickly. By limiting my time; I’m forced to make more meaningful lines on the page - this is a great way to improve. I decided to include my scans within the body of this journal, I think it will brighten the place up and make your time here more visually interesting.
My plan is to start working on my new animation this Monday - I’m real excited about it. The upcoming week will see me sketching out characters, environments and putting the finishing touches to the story. If it turns out anything like what’s in my head then I will be McLoving it. I’ll post my progress every step of the way, so make sure to check back regularly. Have a great Easter!
Hey Jordan, what have you been up to since University?
If we were in person then I would shake your hand. Nice to meet you! So, what’s the story? Well, I graduated from the University of Ulster in the summer of 2009 - completely unprepared for what was about to happen next. My degree was in ‘Interactive Multimedia Design’ and focused heavily on web design, with The Web Standardistas taking the helm. I had a fantastic college experience.
It’s been about 9 months now and I have yet to find permanent employment, I know I’m not the only person who has yet to find a steady job, so I am in no way complaining about it. I like to look on the bright side of any situation and some months ago I made the decision to turn my attention exclusively to animation. I have a long way to go. But I’m trying, and everyday I learn more. Animation is something I would love to spend my life pursuing. I love it. Right now I’m seeking to find placement - whether it’s paid or as an intern.
Last week I created a very short rig and walk cycle test for my first 3d character. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, considering it was my first try at modelling, rigging, texturing, lighting and animating a character. Check it out:
Not bad for a first attempt - but my next project will be a lot better, both in terms of character quality and visualisation. In the works is a 30 second short inspired by traditional Japanese art. It’s gonna’ be a funny one, you might actually wet yourself a little. Ok, I exaggerated, but If you’re interested to see my process then please check back each week.
I have attached a few links to this post (those orangey’ circley’ thingies’ to the right - I should probably come up with a better name for them, eh?). The bottom one is a link to ‘Small White Bear’ - my final year thesis and the one above it is a speed painting I did a few weeks ago. It’s quickly becoming apparent that this journal will be very random, but it’s all good, I like it that way. So now you have a flavour of what to expect and hopefully you will come back to see what I’m doing! Cheers for stopping by.
