Squastacle Course: Part II

After thinking it over, I decided to do something a little more involved with this. Figure it'll give me more opportunity to play with squash/stretch.

Planning doc:

First dirty pass:

As always, comments are welcome.

Week 5....wait, what? Week 5? Already?!?

Indeed.  Week 5 is upon us.  This term is really flying past.

At any rate, just chucking initial planning sketches up here for this go 'round.  Two assignments this week include animating a ball through an obstacle course, using anticipation/squash and stretch, and another pose with everyone's favorite melon head, Stu, with this week's emotion to depict being "devastation."

Here're the sketches so far.  Rip 'em up/share your thoughts if you're feelin' so inclined:

And here's the initial blocking for the ball animation:

Dueling Spheres: Fin

I think I'm calling this one done for the week.  Here's the final rendition, after much tangent tweaking to get the rotations/drop rates to look more realistic:

(Incidentally, those physics classes from 18-19 years ago actually came in handy, after I finally forced my brain get out of the way of fighting Galileo's case studies. :) )

I feel pretty okay with it.  Still a few minor things I'm convinced I could noodle to death to get looking "better", but in the grand scheme I'm not sure anyone would even notice them.

Beach vs. Billiard--

Just chucking up my initial blocking/tweaks for this week's assignment. Input is always appreciated if you are so inclined.

Planning:

First pass:

Rio = Win!

So, my bride and I just got back from catching "Rio" this evening. Really, really enjoyed it. Story wasn't exactly groundbreaking or fantastical, but the animation WAS.

All the "arial dance sequences" were excellent and among my favorite shots. So much going on, but it was so fluid and meshed so well with the music. Favorite sequence though? Easily "Bird vs. Monkey!!" Hell, all the squirrel monkey stuff was great, actually.

Looking forward to finding out what shots my mentor at AM,(Scott Lemmer), had a hand in on Tuesday.


(Full disclosure: I'm pulling for "It was the monkey stuff", Scott. Cuz monkeys rock. :) )

Quick Render Test

Probably getting way too fiddly here, but I've tweaked out a handful of poses in an attempt to get rid of the "twinning" feel of Stu's arms in this before I submit it as final(don't want to keep noodling this to death, no matter how fun it may be. :))

Any input is appreciated.

Stu-sain Bolt

Throwing up the first pass I took at this week's posing assignment.  We were to sketch a bunch of different poses that would evoke the feeling of "excitement."  I chose to take a swing at the one that I used a photo of Usain Bolt crossing a finish line as reference.

What say ye?  Swing and a miss?  Solid single?  Ground rule double, maybe? :)