RC in HK

Found this online today at disneyandmore.blogspot.com. The new Toy Story area just opened in Hong Kong, and the art I helped on for Disney Paris is featured there as well. Pretty cool! See the previous post about the drawing here:RC Paris.

Great CalArts mentor

So sad to hear the news of Cornelius Cole's passing. Corny was always such an uplifting and encouraging teacher - and he was hilarious. He would share stories at your cubicle, help with a walk cycle, then later you'd hear his unmistakable voice saying "Where's my mocha?!" This of course was what he'd accidentally (or not) spill onto the butcher paper on the floor as he was teaching gesture sketching/life drawing, and then use a stick to get an even better artistic effect with the spilled mocha! He still defines my early-90s CalArts experience, and I hope we can all continue to share his infectious enthusiasm for this crazy and wonderful art form. God bless you, Corny.

Back to work!

Apologies for the long delay - I've been quite busy. The big news is that Disney has been gracious enough to hire me again!! I'm a character artist designing merchandise and collectibles exclusive to the Disney theme parks. It is such a joy to work on old and new characters, and to continue their stories as they relate to the attractions and environments of the parks and resorts. I'm also excited to be working with some of the best artists and designers in the business, who also happen to be great friends and fellow Disney enthusiasts.

Lightning's Big Race cover

Here's a cover illustration I did a while back (just the line art - not the paint). The grey car next to Lightning is actually a character named "Otto" from one of the video games.

Goofy and Max illustration

This is an illustration I made for the Goofy mini-golf area on the new Disney Dream cruise ship.

Pencil test

One of the highlights of working at a small studio (I was at Project Firefly in Orlando from 2004 to 2007, following the closing of the Disney Florida studio) was getting to wear different hats for different projects. On the "Curious George" film, I was one of the character animators (both rough and clean up) - and it was an absolute joy. Every scene, such as the one here shown in an early pencil test, presented new challenges for me. I was thrilled to have had the opportunity.

It's funny - whenever I draw Woody from "Toy Story" for a children's book or on theme park merchandise, I have to be careful not to start drawing Ted (the Man with the Yellow Hat), whose features I  find to be slightly similar in some regards. 

Next children's book

This is the cover for another "Cars" children's book I illustrated for Random House, which will be coming out on August 9th. This will be the third I've done for them, and I'm very excited to have had the opportunity. These little books are very enjoyable to work on.

Pirate Mickey magnet frame

This was fun to design, and also a bit of a challenge. The actual frame has to be able to slide into and out of Mickey's grasp, so not only his hands but also his boots had to conform to its shape in just the right way. So, I made sure to use the grooves and folds in his boots to their fullest advantage. All that to say I wanted the frame to stick. Side note: I made the hilt of his sword resemble the classic "D" in "Disneyland".

Another pencil test from "Curious George"

One of the interesting things about working on this film was that you animated every character in the scene, instead of being assigned to one particular character. It was also the first time I'd had the opportunity to animate professionally. After a decade of working as a clean-up animator at Disney (embellishing the rough drawings of the animators), it felt good to loosen up a bit. Also, working together at Project Firefly - formed after the Florida studio had closed - felt very much like the old days at CalArts. Definitely a lot of fun!

Meeting Ollie in '91

I had the opportunity about 20 years ago (!) - to meet and get the advice of Ollie Johnston, one of the famous "Nine Old Men" of Disney animation. He was at the animation art gallery at the Disneyland Hotel for the release of his and Frank Thomas' book about the making of Bambi. It was early and barely anyone was there, so I asked if he'd be interested in giving me some animation advice. "Sure," he said, so I ran all the way back to my car in the Disneyland parking lot (now California Adventure) to grab a couple of my primitive flipbooks. Back at the gallery, he graciously flipped through them, said that they needed "more squash and stretch" and wished me luck, as I had told him that I was applying for CalArts. A wonderful and endlessly inspiring person, for whom I will always be grateful. He passed on in April of 2008.

Enchanted Garden menu cover

I created the final art for this menu cover, featuring the flowers from "Alice in Wonderland", using Illustrator and Photoshop. This restaurant, aboard the new Disney Dream cruise ship, is called Enchanted Garden. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of the "Bread and Butter-fly" - one of those obscure characters I never imagined getting the opportunity to illustrate.

Aquaduck art

I had the great opportunity of illustrating some art for the Disney Dream, the newest ship in the Disney Cruise Line. Among them is a set of panels I created that is seen in the queue for the Aquaduck, the fantastic water ride that adorns the ship's deck. After consulting some reference, I drew the images on paper and scanned them into my computer; using Illustrator, I digitally inked the linework, which I then painted in Photoshop.

New book

Today, another book I worked on becomes available - another "Cars" Step into Reading book called "Go, Go, Go!" Here's one of the spreads I illustrated for it, featuring Trevor the train.