Ghoobist

Coke Siege Superbowl 2011

2011-09-22T21:43:00.006+12:00

About a year ago, I received an email from a friend asking if I was available to join them in an exciting project that involved "an orc army and some nice hairy creatures". That description in itself was enough to make me drop everything and jump onboard. I soon found out that the project was for a Coke ad that would be screened during the Superbowl 2011!

As with most ads, this project moved along really fast. I had a couple of days to come up with as many sketches as I could for the characters, which was more realistic in style than what I have usually been contracted to do. The characters in the final ad do not look like any one particular drawing of mine, but I'd like to think some of my ideas may have shaped the look of the characters along the way. The entire project took only 3 months to complete, which was very impressive! I shall share some of my contributions on this project in the next few posts. For now, enjoy the full clip below...in FULL SCREEN.

Directors: Fx&Mat

Production Company: Nexus

Coke Siege Development 1

2011-09-22T21:00:00.003+12:00

Orcs are some of my favourite things to draw. There is just so much fun in making something all ugly and fearsome. But they are also really difficult as far as originality is concerned. A lot of these drawings represent initial ideas that have yet been fully explored and developed.

Coke Siege Development 2

2011-09-22T20:57:00.003+12:00

In the original script, there was a character named Balfour who was going to be the protagonist of the short film. He had a furry coat that protected him from the icy environment he lived in. There was also an idea that snowboard and ski-like contraptions that he had made by hand were his means of travelling quickly from one place to another. The brief for this character specifically called for a friendly and likeable character, "but absolutely NOT CUTE". I admit that in the midst of furious brainstorming, at least two VERY cute versions of Balfour managed to escape my vigilance and made it onto the pages. I shall have to post these another time.

Coke Siege Development 3

2011-09-22T20:41:00.008+12:00

I developed basic facial expressions for some of the more promising Balfour concepts to give the directors a better sense of the character's personality. These are a handful of my personal favourites.

The Princess

2011-08-11T22:47:00.003+12:00

'Out of the mansion walked the most beautiful princess Raja Rajawali had ever seen'.

This is one of the earliest sketches of Princess Sinara. It was highly romanticized; the princess looking like Italian beauty Sophie Loren flying out from a Spanish bell tower to meet her lover on a hot Mediterranean afternoon. Not quite South-East Asian, but it was the beginning of a vision that led to the following image.

Personality Is King

2011-07-13T22:36:00.018+12:00

Designing Raja Rajawali was an interesting challenge as he needed to be portrayed as a clever king, one who could still command respect from his royal subordinates, and at the same time, provide the chuckles in the stories through his eccentric antics. He was very much a hero with all the characteristics of a sidekick. He had to be a lovable character that needed to appeal to the readers right away. I wanted him to be somewhat flawed in his design with a non-threatening appearance so the readers could relate to him easily. The decision to make him a little overweight felt just right (and this could be logically attributed to his fondness for all things durian). The following sketches came very close to how I had wanted the raja to 'feel' like. This would have been my choice of the king in a different universe.

Buffalo

2011-07-02T16:33:00.003+12:00

Covers

2011-07-02T11:21:00.011+12:00

The image above is a draft of what I had imagined the cover of the 1st book to look like. I wanted the title design to capture some of the essence of what I felt was the 'Sultanate of Malacca', which seemed fitting for the era and location of the imaginary world of Raja Rajawali. Intricate wood carvings with flora motifs were often used to adorn the doors and windows of the royal palace, and this idea formed the foundation on which design decisions for the title were made. I was very lucky to have the assistance of some very talented friends with amazing design sensibilities to help develop, refine and execute the idea. The following 2 images are what the covers of the first 2 books finally look like.

Raja Rajawali

2011-07-02T11:18:00.004+12:00

I was commissioned by Scholastic at the beginning of 2010 to work on a series of children's books by Lansell Taudevin called Raja Rajawali. I have always wanted to illustrate for books, so naturally, I jumped at the opportunity. The Raja Rajawali series had a cast of vibrant characters that immediately appealed to me, and I felt very fortunate to have been able to work on a project that I was able to fully immerse myself in. I was only involved in the first 2 books of the series, but I believe there are more 'episodes' in development with a different illustrator.

Leap of Faith

2010-11-27T05:37:00.007+13:00

This was completed a few weeks ago for a character design competition hosted by AnimationRigs.com. The theme of the competition is "Master & Student".

I only found out about the competition 2 weeks after it had started. It took a lot of restrain, but I managed to refrain from jumping in immediately with the first ideas I had (which were all completely cliched anyway). I knew I would need a strong idea that I cared about if I wanted to finish the race. It would have to be something worth sacrificing sleep for and worth doing even if it didn't win. The competition was merely an impetus to actually get something of my own done by a definite deadline. Of course, winning a Cintiq (or an Ipad) would have been really SWEEEEEET too!

The idea I eventually settled on tells the story of a young piglet who receives flying lessons from a reluctant old goose. On the big day of the piglet's first flight, however, they run into unexpected dangers that put the little piglet's courage and faith to test.

I thought a lot about what I wanted (or did not want) in my piece. I wanted to steer clear from any Oriental martial arts theme. I also wanted to make sure that no one confuses the relationship for a parent and child's (not that it wouldn't be acceptable). The idea of the characters being of two different species (or ethnic backgrounds if they were humans) grew out of this thought.

Anyway, I'll be happy to hear any of your thoughts on this. Congratulations to all the winners! Their winning pieces can be viewed here.

Complete Buzzy Bee Reel

2010-10-18T02:45:00.004+13:00

I finally got 'round to uploading this online. I wonder why I didn't post this up earlier...

This is the complete collection of all the shots I animated on the 1st season of 'Buzzy Bee and Friends'. I am responsible only for animating the characters. Everything else (including the multicoloured 'rainballs') were done by the rest of the wonderful team at Flux Animation.

Kitchen

2010-01-31T23:24:00.005+13:00

A background drawing I did for a short animation idea I had. The idea was first conceived about 2 years ago when I took up a dish washing job at an Italian restaurant in Auckland. The animation industry was going through a very dry spell at that time, and I was driving myself mad without a job to focus on. It was a pretty mind numbing position, scrubbing pots and pans, which meant I was left with a lot of time to let my imagination run wild!

Eat Your Greens

2010-01-31T23:15:00.005+13:00

Eat your greens,

sprouts, lettuce and beans!

All things green,

to keep your bowels clean!

Captain Osko

2009-11-24T20:38:00.002+13:00

Unleashed

2009-11-24T20:31:00.003+13:00

This is a concept done for Lifeway College. It was intended for the college's brochure, but the idea never took flight.

Maymun

2009-11-07T06:54:00.007+13:00

Turkish for monkey.

Doodles

2009-11-07T06:46:00.001+13:00

The result of an afternoon of mindless doodles.

Eat Your Greens

2009-10-27T07:34:00.008+13:00

Eat your greens,

sprouts, lettuce and beans!

All things green,

to keep you happy and lean!

Helmets

2009-10-23T07:12:00.007+13:00

I decided to dive into a series of helmet studies a few months ago as a result of having too much free time in my hands. This is a study which I have put off for far too long. I have previously just drawn perceived ideas of what I thought armour looked like. Although those purely imaginative sketches have often turned out pretty cool, it's high time a sense of reality was brought in to make what's fantastical believable as well.

Other Subjects

2009-10-22T22:01:00.008+13:00

I sometimes end up drawing other people at life drawing sessions.

Rickshaw Run

2009-10-16T05:31:00.005+13:00

This was done as part of a fundraising campaign for a friend who is doing a charity race in South India.

Scrambled Eggs

2009-10-16T05:28:00.001+13:00

Indian Doctor

2009-10-16T04:04:00.001+13:00

London Sketchcrawl

2009-10-16T02:19:00.005+13:00

I managed to rally a small group of Londoners recently to participate in a Worldwide Sketchcrawl event.

This woman was particularly interesting to draw. She was clearly very amused at her older son's lack of grace as he made an attempt to rollerblade with the help of the father. Her younger child, despite all the excitement around him, was determined to have his afternoon snooze.

On Break

2009-07-15T03:19:00.004+12:00

I've been away the last few weeks traveling in Europe with my girlfriend, hence the lack of activity on my blog. My creative batteries are now fully recharged! There are 3 more weeks left of this break. I will start posting again as soon as I return to NZ.

Demo Reels

2009-05-20T22:34:00.027+12:00

Let me know what you guys think!

Buzzy Bee

2009-05-20T17:04:00.005+12:00

Buzzy Bee and Friends was a project I worked on at Flux Animation Studio Ltd towards the end of last year. The frame rate that we had to animate at was set up to simulate stop motion animation. The final result is stunning. The shaders and textures on this show are particularly gorgeous. Every wear and tear on the paintwork on these classic toy characters has been meticulously researched and re-created in CG. I'm very proud to have been a part of this project.

Buzzy and Friends is currently playing in New Zealand on TV2, weekdays at 3.25pm. Each episode runs for only 5 minutes, so don't miss it!

Nightwalker

2009-05-02T13:54:00.003+12:00

As dawn approaches, the nightwalker quietly slips away into the shadows, leaving no evidence of its visit. The town will soon come awake, when the final echo of its song slowly comes to a still.

Faun

2009-05-01T23:26:00.005+12:00

I textured Faun a couple of weeks ago. Laying out the UV was painful at first. I spent a couple of nights just laying out the UV for Faun's face. I thought I was progressing quite well, until a fellow tutor stopped by my station one evening and showed me another way to go about doing things. He literally unwrap Faun's face from scratch in about 10 minutes! I'm now going through the painful process of watching rigging tutorials and trying to stay awake throughout the videos. I'm doing rather well so far, considering that I've narcoleptic tendencies.

Curios for the Curious

2009-04-15T23:17:00.005+12:00

A friend of mine has just started a new online shop. Feel free to drop in for a browse:

"Curios for the Curious is an online habitat for things we find in our adventures abroad, from far away and not so far away, we fill up our suitcases with curiosities just for you...

Irresistible things! Objects that call out to be whisked away to a better life! Curios that emanate good juju! This window of old and new bric-a-brac is updated regularly, so come back soon to find more well-travelled items with us!"

*Free worldwide shipping*

Website: http://www.curios.bigcartel.com/

Faun

2009-03-24T22:49:00.005+13:00

This is the furthest I've ever gotten in getting a character modelled in 3D. My previous attempts usually ended before I could even finish the head. It is far from perfect, but it sure is a milestone for me!

Faun

2009-03-22T22:58:00.002+13:00

Initial sketch of Faun the girl-satyr. The name could have been less appealing, like Panny...

Minotaur

2009-03-22T22:46:00.005+13:00

These exploratory sketches were made for a 3D modelling exercise I was attempting a few weeks ago. After much consideration, the idea of the minotaur was shelved in favour of a satyr, which gave me the opportunity to model a human head and torso.

The Phantom's Opera

2009-03-21T22:13:00.005+13:00

Some may rule this out as a commercial product, its characters mere mascots that sing and dance. But was the Phantom of the Opera not written with integrity and heart when it was first conceived, before it gained commercial success that begged mass production?

Angel & Child

2009-03-21T22:10:00.001+13:00

Herbert

2009-03-04T22:50:00.023+13:00

It's finished! Finally!

It took a while to get started on the polishing after leaving it for a couple of months after the competition. I took as much as I could from the Critique without altering the original intention of the animation. Even so, about 90% of the animation had to be redrawn to accommodate even the most subtle changes. The changes may not be apparent, but I feel this definitely has a better flow in the animation than the first one.

I'm now ready to start on another piece. The track will be from the December competition of the 11 Second Club. I love that track!! I was too busy at that time to enter, so I will now pursue this in my own time. The goal is to have this conceived in 3D. I'm re-learning a lot of the things in Maya at the moment. I'm tired of missing out on job opportunities because of my handicap in 3D.

The backstory of the December soundtrack has already been explored and thought out, so I'm really excited to get things started. I shall document the progress of this little project here as often as I'm able.

Halflings

2008-09-25T21:54:00.012+12:00

This was painted to entertain an idea that had been brewing for a couple of months. Based loosely on The Hobbit, this self-pleasing piece gave me the opportunity to live out a childhood fantasy to illustrate for book covers.

Coincidentally, this was painted while I was teaching a class of 1st year animation students who had started the course in the middle of the year. To avoid confusion with another 1st year animation class that had started at the beginning of the year, these July intake students had been 'fondly' referred to as the Halflings.

The Sweet Shop

2008-09-25T21:24:00.009+12:00

This is what the final emblem looks like after the finished illustration has been treated with a layer of noise and colour filter to give it a quaint storybook look.

The Crown and the Shield

2008-09-25T21:22:00.002+12:00

The Maori Girl

2008-09-25T20:59:00.002+12:00

The retro and sometimes cheeky nature of the commercials concocted by The Sweet Shop are probably best represented here by this topless Maori lass in a pose very much inspired by 50s pin-up beauties. She was probably the hardest element in the emblem to get right. Her skirt was especially tricky as I had wanted to give it a woven look without looking like it had been overworked.

The Moa

2008-09-25T20:31:00.004+12:00

A relative of the emu and cassowary, the giant moa has never really been depicted as a demure creature. We were hoping that the viewer would find amusement in this departure from the more common majestic poses often seen in books and museums.

The Seagull and the Trout

2008-09-25T20:19:00.002+12:00

The ridiculous size relationship between the seagull and the trout is one of the elements used to reflect the rather playful and whimsical quality of the company.

The Butterflies

2008-09-25T20:12:00.003+12:00

These are some of the butterflies that appear in the final emblem. They are actually really tiny in the final illustration, but I painted them on a fairly large scale in case The Sweet Shop wants to use them as individual elements in the future.

The Fantails

2008-09-24T19:49:00.002+12:00

I was contracted by The Sweet Shop a few months ago to produce an illustrated emblem for their company. These two fantails are just some of the elements that appear in the final illustration. I thought I would post these close-ups first before posting the finished emblem. I shall post the other elements in the coming days.

Niue

2008-09-21T22:38:00.004+12:00

Amid vast ocean the islands scattered, as if by careless hand;
She waits upon a distant promise, no tide doth sway Niue,
Her feet fall steady, her gaze holds true,
Born of sea but breath'd on land;
Of sands that warm each absent kiss, take flight! saith my Niue

-Rebecca

eCritique

2008-08-21T23:17:00.002+12:00

Principal's Office

2008-08-07T12:15:00.002+12:00

These are the 2 final backgrounds that appear in my 11 Second Club July entry.

11 Second Club

2008-08-06T20:07:00.004+12:00

Yaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyy!!!!!!!! http://www.11secondclub.com/competitions/july08/winner/

Librarian

2008-07-07T16:39:00.009+12:00

A test that was done to satisfy a craving. Click on the image to see the animation.

Autumn Leaves

2008-07-06T15:09:00.002+12:00

This is another digital painting demonstration that I did as a 'bonus' subject for my current 2nd year animation students. I had originally wanted her to be a bit of a snow queen character. I even had pictures of icebergs on my screen for inspiration. But alas, I got carried away with my colour correction in Photoshop and ended up with this woman (who smells of damp cupboards and mothballs).

Lovely Lady

2008-07-05T21:13:00.001+12:00

This was painted as a demonstration for a digital painting class I conducted a couple of weeks ago.

Cocoon

2008-06-17T09:19:00.004+12:00

Painted from a photograph by I. Arndt.

Rrrrib-bit...

2008-06-14T14:26:00.003+12:00

Flames

2008-06-10T14:03:00.003+12:00

Simmering wrath can often result in explosive bursts of killer flames.

Amazonian Amphibian

2008-06-03T22:43:00.003+12:00

A quick painting based on an I. Arndt photograph.

Owl

2008-05-02T20:11:00.005+12:00

Another quick colour sketch. This one is done with reference from a photograph taken by B. Lamm.

Spring Morning

2008-05-02T20:11:00.003+12:00

I've been doing a couple of quick paintings for practice lately. They are usually done with reference pictures from a stock photography book of nature and animals that I have. I believe this particular picture is taken by a photographer called M. Rugner.

Painting Do's and Don'ts

2008-03-14T23:24:00.004+13:00

I don't usually paint that much, but when I do, I wonder why I don't do it more often.

Cod Liver Oil

2008-03-02T14:20:00.004+13:00

Mum used to make me take cod liver oil against my will. It was completely gross! Thankfully, a child-friendly concoction hit the shelves a few years later. It was orange-flavoured. I thought it was the most brilliant invention ever! My battle with cod liver oil ended henceforth.

Nude Studies

2008-02-29T09:49:00.003+13:00

Here are a couple of drawings done from yesterday's life drawing session.

Longings

2008-02-16T15:19:00.005+13:00

Mermaids and I go a long way back.

Fat Cat

2008-02-15T20:54:00.000+13:00

An old sketch done with a reference.

Ogre

2008-02-15T11:09:00.000+13:00

I don't like being hungry. It makes me cranky.

Imaginary Life Drawing

2008-02-15T11:00:00.002+13:00

A bit of an oxymoron, I know, but I did this as a test to see how well I understood anatomy a couple of years ago.

The Final Chapters

2008-02-12T10:53:00.000+13:00

I finally got my hands on a copy of the final Harry Potter book from the public library. I've put this off long enough, and I risk exposures to spoilers with each passing day. This is THE last book. I'd better savour this...

Airport Fatigue

2008-02-11T23:14:00.000+13:00

Here's another sketch done while waiting to catch my plane.

Dwarfs

2008-02-08T13:54:00.000+13:00

Here are some designs made for an animation exercise that I hope to carry out in the coming weeks.

Drawing Life

2008-02-07T18:51:00.000+13:00

I went for life drawing this morning. The only drawing that I was pleased with from the whole pile was this sketch of the lady sitting across from me.

The Flight of the Dragon

2008-02-06T22:51:00.000+13:00

This is one of the drawings I've made for a friend who's thinking about having a tattoo on his back. It'd be cool to see one of my drawings etched permanently on someone's skin!

Airport Wait

2008-02-05T14:36:00.000+13:00

Here's a sketch of a man waiting for boarding at the airport when I was going home in December.

Dinner Menu

2008-02-03T23:16:00.000+13:00

I made this menu for a recent dinner we had together as housemates at the house in Parnell.

Lamb Stew

2008-01-31T18:50:00.000+13:00

I Was Adorable Once...

2008-01-30T15:28:00.000+13:00

A character concept for an 11 Seconds Club competition.

Valjean

2008-01-28T15:16:00.000+13:00

An abandoned painting exercise.

Late Bus

2008-01-25T14:56:00.000+13:00

Here are two characters waiting for the bus in the rain.

Haughty Woman

2008-01-22T22:43:00.000+13:00

It's been a while since my last post. I took a break and went back home to see my family and friends. I'm now back in New Zealand fishing for my next employment.

Anyway, this haughty woman emerged while I was developing some ideas with Mrs. Gooseberry. I ended up doing a series of characters with umbrella, which I shall upload in due time.

Mrs. Gooseberry Feeds Her Cat

2007-11-29T23:35:00.000+13:00

An Hourglass Lass

2007-11-27T22:54:00.000+13:00

It's been a while since I last posted anything. So much of my energy was channelled into my last job that I was often left drained by the time I got home. It was a necessary process that I had to go through to grow as an animator. I can only hope that my next job would allow me to grow in the same direction.

This post is a drawing I made at a life drawing session I attended a few months ago. I quite enjoyed working with the minimal tones I had with me. If I remember correctly, this drawing was made with just blue and red colour pencils.

Eponine

2007-08-26T18:22:00.000+12:00

Javert

2007-08-20T23:02:00.000+12:00

Tatou

2007-08-11T20:42:00.000+12:00

I'm finally drawing again! This one started out as a test for a brush I made in Photoshop. The inspiration for this sketch came from French beauty Audrey Tatou.

Tantric Dancer

2007-07-24T22:25:00.000+12:00

Mrs. Gooseberry

2007-06-23T20:06:00.000+12:00

It's time for you to meet Mrs. Gooseberry. I've been working on her design for a short animation exercise I'm hoping to get started. I've gotten as far as filming references for the scene as well as thumbnailing her actions for the animation. A recent change of job has distracted me from this project, but fingers-crossed, I may resume work on Mrs. Gooseberry once I get out of the euphoric state this new job has induced.

One Frosty Morning

2007-06-12T21:16:00.000+12:00

The Bhangese Evolves

2007-06-07T21:59:00.000+12:00

This version of the Bhangese explores the possibility of the creature being amphibious. As food becomes scarce on land, the Bhangese develops frog-like physiology to make hunting for food under water possible.
Link: http://ghoobist.blogspot.com/2007/04/bhangese.html

Siblings At Play

2007-06-04T09:54:00.000+12:00

In Transit

2007-05-26T19:15:00.000+12:00

This woman was checking the boarding time for her connecting flight.

Robin of Loxley

2007-05-26T14:29:00.001+12:00

The warmth of the summer afternoon descends upon the outlaw like a spell, coaxing him into peaceful slumber under the shades of the forest.

Bus Driver

2007-05-26T14:25:00.001+12:00

A rare sketch of the man behind the wheel.

The Search For The Bhangese

2007-05-25T14:15:00.000+12:00

These are stock image studies for the Bhangese.

Link: http://ghoobist.blogspot.com/2007/04/bhangese.html

Late Nights

2007-05-22T23:10:00.000+12:00

I've often wondered how other people have managed to keep from drooling when they fall asleep on public transport. I could never seem to master the delicate art of snoozing stylishly on the bus.

The Danish Dad

2007-05-21T07:50:00.000+12:00

During our stay on one of the Fijian islands, we were put in a bure next to a Danish family living in a tent. By some bizarre coincidence, the father of the family was always in some state of undress whenever we happened to look their way.

I, Robot

2007-05-21T00:20:00.000+12:00

My friend and I travelled to Fiji last June. Most of the Fijians we met were full of warmth, grace and good humour. That was probably why we found this particular Fijian girl to be so fascinating. She was a staff member at one resort we were staying in on one of the Yasawa Islands. The somewhat mechanical reception she gave us made her one of the most memorable characters we came across during our trip there.

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

2007-05-20T22:09:00.000+12:00

A zoo sketch.

Sparrow

2007-05-20T21:56:00.001+12:00

A study from a stock photograph before attempting a bird design for Bonny Portmore.

The Stud And His Steed

2007-05-20T13:39:00.000+12:00

The stud and his steed
Indeed, have you ever seen a more handsome pair?
Fair maidens in need, do not despair
For here comes the stud, here comes his steed.

A Bird In Distress

2007-05-18T09:13:00.000+12:00

Another developmental sketch for Bonny Portmore.

Broccoli

2007-05-18T09:08:00.000+12:00

Broccolis have tonnes of anti-cancer properties.

The Man In The Painting

2007-05-16T21:38:00.000+12:00

If I remember correctly, he appears in the first chapter of Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.

Indian Woman

2007-05-16T21:32:00.000+12:00