Discovery

I have learned the magic of brushpens. Artists like Henrieke use them for the purposes of giving some great line width and shape. I figured its been ages since I've worked in real media, so I'll try my hand at it. SO here is the result!! Click the images for larger views!


Image: Headshots
Notes: These are some headshot doodles of Orla, Cougari and Sid and inked in brush pen. I really REALLY dig the thickness of the line in places and the thin-ness in others. It's pretty much the most AWESOME thing I've encountered. I was messing with expressions on this as well. I find that this style works for HAPPY FACE best, but the others look good too!

Image: EEK!!

Notes: Once again, trying out expressions. Did a little bit of shading in the tail, the far leg and the far shoulder. It's not very noticeable, but I really dig the effect you get with it.

Image: Alan and Cougari!
Notes: Alan doesn't like Cougari, at least not as much as she likes him! HAHA! Anyway. Trying two characters in that style. It works out pretty fantastic!



Image: Cougari Presents!
Notes: Here it is! COUGARI! She's like TADA! so...TADA!



Image: Cougari the Princess
Notes: I was listening to the Enchanted Soundtrack the other day and was inspired to draw this! Rarely is it that Cougari will put on a dress, but I have it on good authority that when she's in need of showing her girly side, she goes all out. Obviously.



Image: This is Halloween
Notes: Cougari is decked out in her finest Dracula Costume and ready to go Trick or Treating with the best of em! This image is inspired by some ideas I've had as well as the ideas of Jen Seng for the costume aforementioned.

This is all for this update! I hope you've enjoyed what you've seen here. Please also remember that there is ONE WEEK left for the Cougari Plush Preorder. Please go to Animated Visions Store to pick up one today!

Updates!

font-family:Verdana, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">Hi there everyone,

Here's a bit of an update to let you know how I'm doing lately. I've had a cold for the last week, which has had me under the weather. I did a few doodles in OC which I've posted up here, and am currently sketching the last of my model sheet work so I can begin inking and coloring.

There are still about 3 weeks to preorder your Cougari Plush. Some of you already had, but not nearly as many as had expressed interest in her before I ordered her. Status on her, I received pictures of her all tagged up, the whole shipment ready to come to me. I ordered shipping cartons, I finished making the print that will only be an exclusive with the plush preorders and just need to make sure I have enough postage ready to get them all mailed out. I thank everyone who's ordered one so far, and if you want to order yours go to Animated Visions Store

My website is live. Check it out Animated Visions!!

Other than that, I hope to get back to regular streaming soon, probably tonight. I really need to get caught up so that I can take more commissions and maybe do some $5 sketch commissions.

LOVE YOU ALL!

Now to the art!

Image: Sapphire
Notes: I did a little something for a friend of mine who was going through a rough time! I wish that I could do more!



















Image: Disney-verse Brian Griffin
Notes: A couple of weeks ago, Family Guy had its premier where on it there was a bit about two minutes long where everything looked as if it had been animated by Disney. Aside from the usual "Disney Hates Jews" joke they pulled at the end of it, it was rather beautifully done and a great homage to the business. Here's a quick OC doodle in that style.

New News!

I have good news! My Website www.animatedvisions.com has gone live! There you'll find links to my gallery, store, here of course, and email information to contact me! I am pleased with the outcome and the effort. I wouldn't have been able to do it without my friends, Balaa and Dax!

I've changed my look here a bit to coordinate a little better with my site!

Now for the art!

Image: Castle Fanart!

Notes: I'm a fan of TV, and so is Cougari! When she's not face deep in cookies, she's usually watching something on TV. Castle is a great TV show, I encourage you to visit the following site www.castletv.net

Images: Top: Red Panda Sketch Bottom: Red Panda Colored

Notes: Top: Henrieke was taking sketch commissions and so I paid to have her draw this adorable version of my Red Panda character, Nanook. I liked it so much that I colored it, that is the bottom image you see! GO TO HER BLOG! She's so awesome!

Cougari Plush PREORDER SITE UP!

The moment we've all been waiting for is here!!!

http://store.animatedvisions.com/
http://store.animatedvisions.com/
http://store.animatedvisions.com/


***COUGARI PLUSH PRE-ORDER SITE OPEN!!!***
***COUGARI PLUSH PRE-ORDER SITE OPEN!!!***
***COUGARI PLUSH PRE-ORDER SITE OPEN!!!***
***COUGARI PLUSH PRE-ORDER SITE OPEN!!!***

Thanks to dax_daz for setting up the storefront!

Click on the thumbnails for larger views of her! Note that if you pre-order, you will get the limited edition 5x7 print, signed by me! These are limited to 250pcs and will not be run again! Get her while you can! I have not been given a date that they will arrive here in the states, but as soon as I do, I will send out an email to anyone that pre-orders and update the site!

I hope that the interest is still here for her! You have plenty of time to take advantage of the Pre-order special! Remember all prices include shipping in the US, if you are international please make sure you select the proper drop-down for shipping!

Plush Preorder Website *COMING SOON*

http://www.animatedvisions.com/

I will be taking preorders for my limited edition Cougari Plush very soon!

Keep an eye out on that website!

Cougari Plush Prototype With Images

Good people! I have the images of my prototype. I didn't want to post them until I had a 100% go ahead on it, but I can't wait. I'm anxious and well, I just want make sure EVERYONE who said they were on board is on board. This is a big step, and I am VERY pleased with the result.

Without further blathering...

I present...

COUGARI in Plush form

~She's 8" tall approximately
~She's cuddly :D
~The colors are great
~She's got wacky hair (which I love XD)
~She's going to have heart pawpads on hands AND feet
~Special Tags
~LE to a run of 250 ONLY.

I STRESS this is not the final. All she's missing is her heart pads and a few touchups as well as her tags, ear and tush, which I have to design.





My stomach is in KNOTS over this. I love it, but I'm afraid no one else will. Its unique and different, and for a 3D rendering of my work, its damn good!

I hope you love it as much as I do!

Sketchdumps and YOU! Pt. 2

It has been quite some time since my last update, so much so that I have quite a backlog of sketches and works to show you!

SO I'll just get straight to the point!

Image: Sketchdump16
Notes: What you're about to see is a collection of sketches that I've been hording. I've taken only the best of the best here people!! There in the lower left you see a sketch of Cougari, Kipper and Goldenrodfox all dressed as characters and styled in the amusing and whimsical style of A Pup Named Scooby Doo. It was one of my favorite cartoons growing up and I'm sure one of yours if you think back.

Image: ZOINKS!
Notes: This is the final version of the sketch above. Just a little inks and colors can make any piece just leap right off of the canvas!

Image: Sketchdump24
Notes: Here are some more sketches. There are a pair of foxes sitting on a rock wall there that I'd like to talk about. The characters names are Goldenrod Fox and Orla. They are absolutely adorable together. It started as a sketch that I inked in open canvas 1.1, as seen in the center. Below you'll see the final product.

Image: Orla and Goldie
Notes: This is the final version of the sketch and inks above. This is one of the first and only pieces fully colored in open canvas.

This is all I'll post for now, I don't want to kill the page! I'll post more certainly over the coming days/weeks. God knows I have enough to keep us all occupied for many many months to come!

Sketchdumps and YOU!

Image: Sketchdump11
Notes: Here's a bunch of sketches I did over the last few weeks. You'll see a few styles that I tried out for fun. A Pup Named Scooby Doo and Pound Puppies are shows that I miss profoundly. Thank goodness for DVDs. These were mostly drawn on ustream over the past few days! ENJOY more below.

Image: Sketchdump12
Notes: A running joke in all of my UStream sessions is that I don't like to draw pants. I feel like pants waste time for so many things. There are some sketches of a fox character named Orla who has effectively become a member of my 'ragbag'. I have been trying to get the feeling behind her. Also Pound Puppies is love. I drew a bunch of sketches of Cooler.

Image: Sketchdump 13
Notes:Above are more ustream sketches. I think I was trying to practice more drawing multiple characters in the same image. There are a few up there that are like that. More playing with that Hanna-Barbera style and drawings for friends above as well!

Image: Sketchdump14
Notes: More sketches. The Rhino is for a contest on Don Bluth Animation's Message Board. I have never drawn a Rhino before and god knows I tried really hard. There are some more sketches of Orla, just trying to get a feeling for her. Some other sketches of my friends character's wearing suits.

That's all for now!

Arting!

Image: Sketch Dump 9

Notes: Yes, there were 8 more of these prior to this and if you’re good little bloggers, I’ll post em up. Anyway, to the sketches. I have been doing a lot of UstreamTV lately. On there I sketch, and the people that come to watch me, who are the best in the world, ask me to put them all together. Some of them never see color, some of them do. Either way, you get to see what it looks like rough.

The first image in the top left was drawn using a picture drawn by another artist, Evana Love, as reference, just in case people ask about it. I did it for funsies, with no malice or intent to harm reputations. It was FUN.

Other than that little disclaimer the rest of them are pretty self explanitory. ENJOY THEM!

Image: Sketch Dump 10

Notes: The sketches in the green are of a friend of mine named Betsy’s character. I draw a lot of inspiration from her. Her style is so lively and fun, I hope that I captured her well. The rest are pretty self explanitory. I’ve been really trying to think a bit more expressively lately.

Image: Betsy!
Notes: I colored one of the sketches above. YAY COLOR!

A Cougar Likes Movies

Image: Cougari in Bluth Style
Notes: Just as the image suggests, I delve into a style that has greatly inspired me. Don Bluth. This guy is a genius. His art is rough and smooth at the same time. His style is simple and complex at the same time. It makes me stare in awe and wonder if I could have ever been a part of that era in animation. Anyway, if you know me you know I love styles, I can't help but TRY to emulate that style.



Image: The Force is Strong With This One
Notes: Yes, I like Star Wars. I like light sabers. I like Jedi and Sith, I like Wookies and Cathar. Don't judge me. Anyway, I wanted to draw my character dressed as a Jedi. Her light saber is named Cosmo and when she turns it on instead of the usual hum that a light saber makes it sounds like this "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE". << That is a running joke for my friend Greg who built me a light saber, which is awesome. I know, I know...You're jealous. Just try not to hate me too much.

Why Hello There

Image: Why Hello There
Notes: This is an image I drew on Ustream the other night and liked so much that I colored. I usually am at a loss for backgrounds and as such I simply applied the characters over a picture I took when I was at Disney World in 2007. Ignore the old guy on the bench in the background. He's ignoring you. HAHA! This was sketched in OC and colored and mocked up in PhotoshopCS2. Enjoy!

Small Commissions: Badges

Image: Faux Paw Roo
Notes: This was a small commission for a con-badge for Faux Paw Roo. I drew this on Ustream while chatting with friends. I don't draw too many different kinds of critters it seems, but I try to draw what the customer wants. The best part about drawing this in ustream is that I get constant feedback from the customer as I work on it, so I can change anything as I work on it. I enjoyed doing this as the pose to me is basic Roo. Tail Bouncing for the win!

Image: Goldenrod Fox
Notes: This is similar to the above in that it is a badge commissioned on ustream and drawn and colored as the client watched. The best part about this character is that I've drawn him so many different ways that it's hard not to love him. The customer asked for a bit of attitude in the face, and what better than an eyebrow arch and smirk? I love the brightness of the colors and that pineapple shirt is his trademark. I had fun with this one.

Who Ya Gonna Call?

Image: Who Ya Gonna Call?
Notes: So this was bound to happen eventually. The buzz of the new video game and the potential for new movies and simply reviewing the old ones have sparked me to draw my character Sid the mutt dressed as a Ghostbuster. I can't tell you how much that movie made me think about paranormal activity. Don't get me wrong, I think a lot of it was pretty silly, but how awesome would it be if what you saw wasn't really what it was? Who would you call? Your family would think you're insane. Your friends would probably have you committed. Only the Ghostbusters are "Ready To Believe You". Yeah. Think about that.

Sketched in Open Canvas 1.1
Inked and Colored in Photoshop CS2

Silver Bou'

Image: Silver Bou'
Notes: A friend of mine asked if I would make her a badge that she could wear with her costume. She makes the most wonderful costumes. www.furrhappens.com Go there for all your costuming needs! You'll find this character in the hooved creatures section of her gallery. This one was fun. I tried a lot of new things, and made a few changes, you'll also notice a new signature logo. Enjoy it!

Ustream Artwork

Image: Anyone Get the Number of That Truck?
Notes: This was a sketch I used to show off my process for inking and coloring in Photoshop CS2. At first the sketch was an expression of self emotion, but it quickly grew into an homage to a classic cartoon gag. If there was one thing I always liked about toons, it was that they can take a lot of abuse like this and still get up smiling.

Image: Ottah!
Notes: This was sketched in Open Canvas 1 and inked and colored in PhotoshopCS2 while on ustream last night. I asked what I should draw and the first suggestion was OTTAH, and thus this image says OTTAH!

Istream, Ustream, We all Stream for...

Free video streaming by Ustream

I have joined the slog of people that have gotten into ustreaming their artwork. So if you see it's 'On Air' then please stop in and say hello!

Every Day is Special

Image: Every Day is Special
Notes: This is a piece I sketched while watching the Oscars and talking to my good friend Greg on AOL instant messenger. Its times like these when I sit up and think about it that I realize who my friends are. Greg's is one of the truest I could ask for. He's always there to reassure me when I'm down, always there with a kind word or a new song that I haven't got in my collection. He's always there with a smile (yes I can tell in the text...don't you judge me :P) and if he were here on the East Coast I'm sure he'd be here with a hug. This one's for you, Greg ol' Buddy.

Sketched in Open Canvas
Inked and Colored in PhotoshopCS2

Tiny Toons Cougari

Image: Tiny Toons Cougari
Notes: So I was sitting down last night messing around on Youtube when I came across some old Tiny Toon Adventures clips. That show was one of my favorites in the 90s. The colors were so vivid, the characters, no matter how crudely drawn at first were lively and expressive and the stories were well written. I was always a fan of Bugs Bunny and all the Warner Bros. Cartoons when I was growing up. It was one of the driving influences of my style back when I was learning how to draw. Here's my homage to Tiny Toons.

Image: Progress of Tiny Toons Cougari
Notes: Here's my usual process. I sketch the image in Photoshop or Open Canvas or on paper and scan it in to the computer. I open up photoshop and create lineart based on the sketch. Then I add flat colors and shading and highlighting. To make it more consistant with an animated style, everything is very simplistic.

We're the Chipmunks

Image: One Chip and Two Misses
Notes: The title for the piece is a play on a title of an old Chip and Dale cartoon from Disney called Two Chips and a Miss. I do so love character design. When I was a kid, I had the VHS tape of 'The Chipmunk Adventure' and played it constantly. I now have the DVD and play it in just the same fashion. The Chipmunks, those lovable squeaky voiced scamps, made my imagination run rampant. I found, through searching on the internet, someone that was selling scans of the model sheets used to make that movie. The model sheets tell in detail how to draw the character from various angles so that any artist can draw the characters in the style required for a feature film. I was fascinated by these sheets. I studied them a bit and decided I wanted to draw my own version of mine and my friends' characters as characters from the Chipmunks. This is the result. PS: The sheets also included the Pantone color charts for the characters. I feel like it was a great find, and I would love to do more art using those sheets.

Let's Go Surfin' Now

Image: Surf's Up!
Notes: Anyone who knows me knows that I like to push the realms of expression. In the chill of winter there is nothing I find more pleasing than going to a place in my art that makes me feel warm and fuzzy. The animal pictured here is a Red Panda and he's surfing. What's more warm and fuzzy than that? I'll also add that I really suck at backgrounds. Most of them are very minimal, very simple and plain. For this piece though I feel like it fits. SURF'S UP DUDES!

Cougari Model Sheet

Image: Cougari Model Sheet
Notes: Over the years, Cougari has gone through many many changes and revisions. Many characters grow with the artists who design them. I originally designed this character back in 1997 in my last year of high school. Cougari started off as a fan character from the Walt Disney film The Lion King. Over the years I tried to grow away from that and made her into a character who, to me, has become something of her own presence.

About the Character: Cougari is just a fun loving little cartoon cougar. She's expressive, wild and friendly with a love for sweets, television and movies, music and games. You can always find her perched in front of a television with a bowl of popcorn or sitting in a movie theater in similar fashion.