Creatures, Sculptures, and Playstation Controllers, Oh My!

Wow, life has been BUSY! Lucasfilm is really keeping me on my toes! Overall I've been enjoying the job, but I gotta say that the hour and 10 minute commute to work everyday is really killer! Oh well...I've just gotta suck it up for another 7 months. Somewhere in the midst of spending countless hours in my car and balancing a somewhat mild social life with my new work routines, I've found time to squeez in a little personal creativity over the last month or so. I have a bunch of new artwork, and this entry is all about show and tell. It seems as though this blog is turning more and more into a place for me to post my art and other creative works!

First up on the list of "crazy things that have come out of Cooper's active imagination" are more creature concepts. I continued with my "plant creatures" theme, and produced a few interesting little guys that I find really amusing. =)




And now, I have some cool pictures from a sculpting class that I'm taking at Lucasfilm! I've never sculpted before, and so far the class has been super awesome. The guy teaching, Richard Miller, has been creating sculptures for Industrial Light and Magic ever since the original Return of the Jedi, so he really knows his stuff! Here are a few pics of my male sculpture in progress:



And last but not least, I've finally had the opportunity to get back into my 3D modeling again! I decided to model my Playstation 3 controller as a sort of "warm-up" model, with the intention of doing more elaborate things in the future (and believe me...there will be more elaborate things on the way hehe). For those of you who aren't familiar with 3D modeling, think of it as sculpting, but simulated on a computer. Here are a few pics of the semi-finished model:




And that's it for now! As always, I'll have new things to show in the near future. I've already started working on a few new illustrations, and let me tell you that these next few are going to be more epic than anything I've done before. I'm a little intimidated to be honest, but hey...art is all about challenging yourself to do things you haven't done before, so you can learn how to do them. Good times indeed. =)

Until next post!

Coop

New Art!

Finally, an art update!!!

I've been working on some artwork over the last month or so, and now I finally have time to show it. It's been kind of tough to get stuff done, as I've only been able to work on things for an hour or so during weeknights, and then a little more on Saturdays and Sundays. It's been tough to keep a decent pace with the new job and all, but my creative spirit refuses to quit on me! And with that in mind, I'm very pleased to present three new digital paintings. Check 'em out!

This guy is part of an ongoing drawing project a friend and I are currently engaged in. Every week we'll pick a theme, and this week's theme was "minion." I wanted to do a more cartoony looking dude, so I ended up with this big-headed medieval guard!

This creature is part of a series of drawings I'm doing to exercise my imagination. The series is "forest creatures," and there are several more in the works and on the way.

I'm very proud of this one. Took me quite a while to finish it (although I'm still not sure it's completely "finished..."), but I'm very pleased with the results! The concept and look were inspired by the video game Super Mario Galaxy (amazing game with incredible art direction). It's meant to have an illustrative air about it, which apparently is the case because one of my friends at work said it reminded them of Le Petit Prince. However, the most important thing is that it's meant to tell a story. I have my own ideas, but what do you think it means? =)

One of my buddies at work has kept urging me to update my blog, so I'm going to do my best to keep posting stuff from time to time. Hopefully the next post won't be too far off! In the meantime, let me know what you think of the paintings! Peace!

The End of Art School?

Hi everyone,

After a very tumultuous March and April, I finally have some free time on my hands! I wish I could have posted more over the course of the last 4 or 5 months, but the circumstances of my life were just too hectic to allow me to do any blogging. In any case, I'm back with an update on recent art projects and events in my life, and I plan to continue these posts as regularly as I can throughout the course of the year. =)

Today was my last day of art class...and possibly my last day of art school. ...At least, for a little while. There are a few reasons for this. 1. I've come to believe that I can obtain a similar if not better education at a much cheaper school (The Academy of Art University is a private institute, and boy it ain't cheap). 2. I've got a new full-time job working at Lucasfilm Animation. And 3. I don't need the connections anymore - one of the main reasons I chose the Academy was because it had links to the entertainment industry...and now I'm in!

I think I'm just going to focus on the new job at Lucasfilm for at least a year, and then see whether or not I should go back to school to improve my creative abilities. If all goes well, I might be able to teach myself everything I need to know, and move into a more creative position at work. I'm a firm believer that the level of one's artistic abilities has a direct correlation to the amount of thought and effort that person puts into their work, and that one's ability to draw is simply a result of how much time they spend doing it. I.e., I believe that given time and dedication to the craft, a person can improve their artistic abilities without the need for academic training (although it never hurts, and you definitely need critics and mentors!!!). My plan right now is to do just that - to teach myself to the best of my ability with the thoughtful input of others. I'm incredibly fortunate that I'm able to work in an environment that fosters creativity and houses some of the most talented artistic minds in the entertainment industry...it will certainly help my own abilities tremendously.

All that having been said, I've been working a lot on my own stuff recently. While my figure drawing class was really awesome, it was getting to be pretty draining because ALL I ever did was figure drawing. If I wasn't drawing something in class, I was working on a 10 to 40 hour homework project. I need variety; specifically, variety that feeds my imagination. Hyper-realism just doesn't cut it all the time...at least not for me. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm EXTREMELY excited about cranking out some cool concept art and 3D models over the course of the year! Maybe I'll even animate some characters? We'll see hehe....

The most recent batch of concepts that I did were created within the theme of "cave creatures." Don't ask me why I decided to do cave creatures, but it seemed to have to do with the mood I was in at the time. Maybe I had been playing some old Nintendo games haha. Anyways, here are 4, some still works in progress:

Shell Soldier (unfinished)

Rock Eye Monster

Glow Worm (unfinished)

Cave Crawler (sort of unfinished)

I've got a few more Pokemon-ish dudes planned before I move on to the next theme. I'm actually going to create 3D models for a couple of these guys, which should be fun. Now for some more traditional drawings...a few of the final homework pieces that I did in my art class. I'm so glad I don't have to worry about this stuff anymore!!!

Final Homework Drawing #1 - Female Lineart

Final Homework Drawing #2 - Female Rendered

Final Homework Drawing #3 - Male Lineart

Final Homework Drawing #4 - Male Rendered

4th Homework Assignment - Rembrandt Master Copy

There was a lot more in-class stuff that I did for figure drawing, but I don't have the stamina to post all of it right now haha...maybe I'll save the rest for a later date.

Hope you enjoy the artwork, and as always, let me know what you think! Until next post... =)

Art School - Weeks 5, 6, & 7

Time for another art update! This post will cover the last three weeks of class.

First up is the last major homework piece I worked on - the final rendering of my Grace Kelly photo. Overall, it took me about 3 weeks to complete. I really like the way it turned out...soft, gentle, and absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. This one is for my Dad.


Next up are a couple pictures I've worked on in class. The first is a head drawing of an African American woman. The process I use always involves starting with carefully proportioned lineart, and then moving on to blocking in shapes and values. Observe:

Step 1: lineart with construction lines clearly visible

Step 2: the final rendering

Again, a similar process when drawing the figure. Here's my work from the most recent week of class:

Step 1: lineart

Step 2: shapes and values have started to be blocked in

More artwork to come! I'm doing another Rembrandt copy for my next homework. Should be pretty cool. I'm also working on a 3D model in my spare time...I'll post it here when I'm finished so you can see some of the fancy computer graphics stuff I'm into.

Whew! So much to do, and so little time. Until next post...

Art School - Weeks 3 & 4

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't updated in a while...this month has just been super crazy. I'll try to get you caught up on everything I've been working on at The Academy over the past couple weeks.

For week 3, my homework assignment was to create another master painting copy in black and white. This time, I chose to do a Rembrandt. Here's the original:


And here's how my version turned out:


Here are a couple pics from week 3's in-class long pose:



For week 4, we began what is supposed to be a 30 hour homework assignment. It's being stretched over the course of 3 weeks, so the breakdown is 10 hours a week. The project is to make a copy of an old black and white Hollywood photo, with the goal being to get the copy as close to the original photograph as possible. I've chosen to draw Grace Kelly. She was an absolutely gorgeous actress, and I'm simply amazed by her beauty every time I look at her photos. Believe it or not, she actually went on to become the princess of Monaco after her acting career! How crazy is that?

After getting my instructor's approval, I originally chose to copy this picture:

I finished the lineart on it...


...but unfortunately, there was a bit of confusion when I showed it off in class. It turns out that my instructor had accidentally approved the wrong photo. I'm now working on this photo:


While I don't like it as much as the previous picture, I still feel a good connection to this one. Lots of emotion, especially in the eyes...I think it's going to be really awesome. I just finished the lineart tonight, but I don't have a photograph on my computer yet. I'm a little behind now, but I can't wait to finish it. ;)

I'm actually moving this weekend (that was part of the month's craziness), so I may be MIA for a bit. But neverfear...there are most certainly more art adventures to come!

Art School - Week 2

This past Thursday marked week 2 of my art class! Time is really flying! 

The homework assignment for this week was to make a copy of an old master drawing. I chose to do this:

It's a painting by a guy named Sir Joshua Reynolds. The title of the painting is "Hope." I felt like I really connected with this painting for some reason...maybe it was the surreal nature of it, or the flowing cloth...I'm not really sure. Either way, I really enjoyed drawing it, although it took me a really long time. I think I probably put about 15 hours into this one. Here are some pictures of the work in progress:

Hmm...never did get to finish the background. Oh well. My instructor seemed to like it, saying that he could tell alot of time went into it. However, he didn't like the fact that the edges were clipped. He really wants the homework to fill the entire page. I'll do better next time.

After everyone got to class, we taped our homework to the wall so everyone could see.

Here's the main drawing I did in class...it took way longer than it should have. I think I'm getting better though!

And that's it for now! Next week's assignment is to do another master drawing copy. Hopefully I'll find something a little easier this time around haha...

An Art Student

Wow. I'm really excited about my art class this semester. Last Thursday was my first day of class, and it was awesome.

For starters, my teacher is great, I've already learned a ton, the homework doesn't feel like homework, and just drawing in a class setting again feels very refreshing. Also, I'm really loving being in the city. My classroom building is right by Fisherman's Wharf, which provides a wonderful scenic view of the Bay and the Bay Bridge. The only downside is that from where I currently live (way down south of San Francisco), the commute is about an hour and a half! Regardless, I'm so thankful for this class and the fact that I've really committed myself to doing what I love. I can't wait to see my progress this semester.

Here are a few pics from the day:

Sunlight hitting San Francisco buildings in the morning

The entrance to my class - room 201

A view of the studio where we draw

Another view of the studio...this is where the models pose

Here are some of the drawings that I did in class...all were done from live models:




My homework for this week is to make a charcoal copy of an old master drawing. I'm thinking about doing a Da Vinci, but I'm not sure yet. Maybe I'll do a Michelangelo or a Rembrandt. Man, this is so cool! I'll update again soon with more stuff! =D