me

So, I'm 26, birthday's May 6 1981 and i'm about 6 feet tall. My dad was always cracking jokes about how tall I am, oh and i'm also only 145lbs. I have probably a very abnormally high metabolism, as no matter WHAT I eat, and how much of it I eat, I'm always skinny, I have been for my whole life! Which also means I'm really fast. I have pretty strong legs but only best when sprinting. But I was never in track or anything, that just didn't interest me.

Anyway, I've always been really into art, and I guess probably back since I convinced my mom to draw me a picture of garfield.. And this is a funny story because now it's said I got my talent from my mother, but back when she was in school, she FAILED art, C's and D's, even F's.. she was never ever considered an artist, but one day when I was about 8 or so, I asked her to draw me a picture of Garfield(and I forget why..) And while she was wary about it, she gave it a shot. The picture ended up turning out almost identical to the original, and yes Garfield is easy to draw, but she was supposed to be a terrible artist.. So from then on she kept recreating other works, duplicated of other people's art, and then she finally decided to take a class in it. All the while I watched her, and was always best in my art classes at school, looking forward to them over anything else. Things after the elementary and middle school's just took right off after that. In High school I took a total of about 7 art classes, including photography and something called "Artist In Residence" which was a program for only 25 kids in the whole school, that you have to be nominated into, and basically you work with a local artist each month on a new project thats totally different from anything you've ever done. Like Welding (which I suck at) and Cloisoinee(I have no idea how to spell it) which is basically painting with glass. It's EXTREMELY complicated, but I don't want to take up the space here. If anyone wants to know, contact me and I'll tell you.

So I've Taken tons of art courses, plus having my mom as an artist (who now runs her own animal portrait business) AND having the ablility to mess around with photoshop for about a year and a half before coming to Pittsburgh (where I went to college), has really paid off. Whats even more amazing though, is how much progress I've made since coming going to The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. The classes were rough, and you were basically forced to get better in a very short amount of time. If you didn't, you failed. Plain and simple.

Now I'm doing something much different to what I was used to in high school, animation and character development. In High School it was still lifes and big long rendering projects.. but now it's "draw as fast as you can, and make it damn good". I must say it's quite the change, and it's taken time to get used to, but it has made me a million times better. Animation is great because after you do 300 drawings of some character, odds are that you've got that character down and can blast it off in no time. Plus then you take what you learned from make that character, and apply it to new ones. Of course, you have to have the patience for that.. and most people in this world don't enjoy drawing 300 drawings.. but Normality is always overrated!

Thats all 2d animation though. Now what I do, is 3d. 3d animation is quicker, but only in the animation aspect. Because first the character needs to be built, textured, lit, rigged.. and THEN animated. So it can be extremely time consuming. But all worth it, in my opinion. 3d gives you far more control, and it's so much easier to tweak. If you have to move the arm lets say, a little higher on the swing, then you just grab that keyframe and move the arm. But in 2d, you would have to redraw however many frames the arm needs to be moving on. So that can be a pain. 3d can be a pain when things just won't work. For no reason. Or for some reason that you just don't KNOW about. Unfortunately, that happens alot, but thats computers for you..

So thats me and my art life thus far. Well, the abridged version Cruise the site and you'll learn more. In fact, just look right below this text and you'll find lots more.Though some might be outdated.

If it isn't dead obvious, I really like art, and that falls into passions too, and heck, it goes with my life because thats what i'm at AIP for after all! isnt it? But i'm not confined here to just talking about drawings and paintings, oh no. I mean, the whole wide range of what we all consider "art".

The Visual(drawings, paintings, etc)

As I've beaten this into everyone's head's all throughout this site, i love drawing! Since being in CAM i've been told to work in sketchbooks as much as i can, and just keep drawing more and more because thats what companies really like to see. But of course, if i didn't like doing it, the drawings wouldnt look all that great would they? you should be able to go through this site and look at the things i've done and hopefully be able to see that for most of them(not all, some i just dont like doing) i put effort into and it looks like i enjoyed drawing that picture. My biggest problem i have with drawing, is motivation. Some days i just dont feel up to it, and so i don't draw. If i forced myself to, they would most likely be lousy because i dont WANT to work on them. Get the idea? I think this pretty much goes with everything. After all, someone who hates their job, is less likely to care about doing a good job at it, rather than someone who loves it. I treat most of my school projects not as things for a grade(though that does factor in), but as my works, and therefore if i really enjoy it, i will work as hard as i can to make it the best i can. My animations are a dead giveaway at this fact. I put a CRAZY amount of work and time into my animations for my level. Because at a point, it becomes more than just some grade, this is my project, this is what i've been working so hard at, and i MUST make it great. If i slack, then i show people and they think "wow great, this kid's a slacker" and i am by no means that. Plus, (and this may sound concieted but..) i dont like to be thought of as at everyone else's level. Some things i am, or even below in some cases (like knowledge with 3d studio MAX) but there alot of kids who suck at drawing, or cant animate wirth a damn, and i do NOT want to be considered one of them. On my big aniamtion projects, i put everything i have into them, and so far, it's shown through to everyone else who calls me "totally nuts" ^_^

Ah but enough about what i like TO do with art, I really like many other people's works too. Even though currently i'm pretty bad at it, i totally love computer aniamtion, or just CGI images. they just always tend to look amazing(when done right of course) and my personal favorites are from Squaresoft (final fantasy makers if you know who they are) the cut scenes in those games.. and the rendered backrounds.. they're just awe inspiring.. i cant WAIT for the new movie to come out! So i really love CGI work, when it's done properly of course. But, i like "traditional" art too, like paintings, but NOT the abstract slops of paint on paper. that, is trash. And anyone who dissagrees with me and reads this, is VERY WELCOME to fight me about it, because i cant stand "art" thats total crap, takes no talent to create, and just plain looks god awful. However, i kinda waver on this, because i don't hate ALL abstract art, like Dalhi for example, rocks. His stuff is abstract but you can damn well bet it took TIME and TALENT to do it, and that, to me, makes a piece worthwhile. Yet, morons with too much money for their own good, shell out thousands of dollars for some piece of trash huge canvas that some freak took jars of paint and splashed them on the canvas. "look at me! I'M an astist! *splash* MY MASTERPIECE IS COMPLETE! now i'll just sell this for a couple thousand dollars and..." THOSE people are the reason i didnt go into fine arts.. good art rarely sells. It's the stuff that looks like absolutely nothing, that has so much "deep meaning to it" blah.. and i wont go off on a rant.. anymoreso than i already have.. so.. moving on..

My last visual art i adore, is the world itself. I look in books with just pictures after pictures of these amazing lansscapes, and i can't help but just wish i was there to see it. The always random beautiful sunsets we see every year, the brilliantly colored rocks on the shores of lakes and oceans, the swirl of colors all put into one to make the lands, the sea, the air. You may think me corny for saying so, but i think the world we live in is the greatest art of all. If you ever just sit back and look at the complex and intricate colors that go into everything around you, especially in nature, where humans haven't screwed it up, it truely is amazing. That, is my greatest inspiration.

The Musical Arts

Well okay, i really like visual arts, we all know that. But what about my musical interests? Since my visual liking is pretty extensive and wide in variety, it might not surprise you that my musical interests pretty much follow that trend. I like, just about anything but country, tennyboopers, or extreme techno music. I mean really, thats about it, other than things like jpop and such.. but nevermind that.. But, in areas within that, there are bands that i like, and dont like in a genre. Like for example, i like the hard yelling loud beats of Limp Bizkit or korn, but not slipknot. and i dont care for rap that much either, but i CAN tolerate it. LB is basically rap, yeah, but it has that rock added into it, and thats really why i like it. Loud, hard, really earsplitting music is cool. but, i also like the mellow stuff, like say, Sugar Ray or Stroke 9. And then again, i may like even more mellow, like, 3 libras by A perfect Circle. That song is VERY mellow, but i really like it. All and all, it depends on my mood at the time. If i'm pissed off, and having a bad day, give me hard metal or rap-rock all the way. But if my day is going slow, and i'm kinda tired, i'd rather more mellow. And that leads into one more genre i haven't mentioned yet. Game music. Just saying that usually gets me some bad looks, but for you non-gamers out there, the game music of today is far different and much much better than the *beep beeps* of the past. Example of my favorite game music, is from Chrono Cross, a game by squaresoft. I loved this music so much, i made a CD of all the songs. 3 CDs actually, because it's that long. The tracks, are all fully orchestrated, or at least sound that way. Every single one has a certain mood to it, and you could almost guess where it would go if you never played the game. But they all sound like an orchestra is playing right there. I would totally love to hear these songs in a concert situation, like Mozart's works and such. But then again, we go flip side here because i also love the music from the Descent games, which ranges from hard core loud stuff, to semi-techo, but NOT orchestra by any means. So you see, i have a wide variety of likes for music. And it's impossible to ground me in one style, because my vareity is just too big that if you said i only like screaming loud stuff, you'd be dead wrong because i like "classical" type music as well.. ^_^

The Written Art

This is of course, books, poems, and things of that nature. I have great apprecaition and respect for someone who can tell a story only through words, and do it well enough that you can envision everything in your mind, providing you have an imagination.. Books to me, are the things that force people to use their imagination. You read a book, and you always envision the character looking like something, right? or maybe a scene is described, and even if there is a total lack of description, you always make up the rest. It might be wrong, but if the writer didn't describe it well enough for you, then you didn;t have anything to go by in the first place. But books are the window into imagination for sure. I can draw from my mind, yeah, but if i read about something first, or it's described to me, i can envision it, THEN draw it, which is usually alot more effective. But really, this is totally wide open. Only thing i dont like is way overkilled descriptions, and fragment poems,or just extremely sick or depressing ones. I will never forget reading the scarlet letter, and having Nathaniel Hawthorn take 2 PAGES to describe ONE SINGLE FIREPLACE! the teacher went on and on about how wonderful it was.. "oh the mood of....!" and "see how he details the.." I was furious as to how .much of a waste that was. there IS a point where it becomes overkill, and he was WAY freakin past it. Off on a tangent here.. one thing i hate about some people that RP(roleplay if you missed that before) is when they over describe EVERYTHING. especially things that dont need it. like:

"::walks in with a slight push of the door, dusting himself off of the dust that drifts down from the old doorframe and strides slowly over to a chair. Removing his black leather trenchcoat with a drop of his shoulders, he places it neatly on the edge of the seat and dusts his muddy boots off once before sitting down. A small smile played on his lips as he turned to the barkeep and nodded his head before speaking::"

Now.. i dont know about you.. but that to me, is MAJOR overkill. The same thing could be said as:

"::walks in slowly, dusting himself off from the old dustly dorrframe overhead, and stides slwoly to a chair. taking off his black trenchcoat and placing it neatly on the chair, he turned and nodded with a smile to the barkeep before speaking::"

or even MORE cut down..

"::walks in slowly, dusting himself off as he strides to a chair. Removing and placing his black trechcoat on the chair, he smiled and nodded to the barkeep before speaking::"

So yeah, you lose some detail, but really, with a situation dealing with other people, prolonged discriptions are totally not needed.. One of my big pet peeves.. if ya can't tell..

So anyway, another thing i dislike about some writings is BS hidden meanings.. example, my teacher gave us a short story, and we're talking 1 page type short.. and heres the whole story:

wife thinks her husband is dead, is at first sad, but then happy, and goes downstairs, finds him alive, has a heartattack because she wished he was DEAD. END OF STORY.

Yet, from that, my teacher derives enough MEANING to go for 45 minutes talking about it. How "the stairs symbolize her climb to happiness, and then her descent back into depression!" and "the window she looks out of is her freedom, she's free from her husband, a new world awaits her!" even the damn CHAIR rocking back and forth symbolized her unsureness of feeling.. ever single sentence was symbolic.. i swear. and the teacher felt really strongly about this BS too, i however, refused to even read the story, or take notes on that crap, and well, failed the test. -_- But i really dont care, but that was some of the biggest BS i've ever heard, and i totally refuse, and refused, to go along with it. Hidden meanings are great sometimes, but more often than not, they're overused, made up, and total BS.

I keep going off on these rants... well anyway.. the point is, written art is really great.. yeah.. I think it's just as good as music, or drawings. you tell your story, just in a different way, with words.

Looking ahead: From past to present and some future guestimation

Past:

I'm kinda jumping ahead here but with all that unintended ranting.. i may re-structure this section around..

Anyway, where do i plan to go with all this schooling and talent? I'm in computer animation, but i'm kind of uncertain of my skills for that. Drawings i like, but do i really want to DRAW a billion something frames for real big time animation shows or movies? Or would i rather duck out of animation is just do character or backround designs or something of the like? will i ever answer these questions, or just keep asking more..?!

Well, with my life i always just ask more, but for you people, i'll stop and answer.

I definitely want to stay with animation, and eventually i dont know where to end up, but i want to be a name in the credits of some well known feature (game, movie, show, etc) where people can point at it and say "hey! that kid! i used to talk with him online! he had a site up where he showed everyone his stuff!"I want to be someone that people will be able to say how cool it is they knew, or still know, that guy in the credits. But i really dont know much more than that, theres just too many options.. Like with CAM, which was my main reason for coming to this school, to get into computer animation, theres a wide variety of roads to go with that. And right now i really have no idea where i want to go with it since i'm not confident with my ability in CAM. I look at people who have had a long time with MAX or similar programs, and i just cannot compare with them, but if i want to go into CGI, then i HAVE to compare to them, and it's pretty damn hard, near impossible with some. So on the other end of the stick we have 2d, flat work, drawings, etc. And that i know i can do, because i can draw, i just have to get better at animating, and thats nothing but practice. And i like doing it, but the problem is, how many drawings i REALLY have to do. TV and most film speed is 24 frames per second. thats 1440 frames for one minute, 43,200 for a half hour and 86,400 for an hour. are we seeing the problem? that is ALOT of drawing.. and i love animaton.. but i dunno if i want to DO that much drawing.. Only time will tell.. when i first got to this school, i hated doing 15 drawings, now i bust out 15 with little effort at all. So i guess it will all depend on how much my mind can handle before it says "ARRRRRRUUUGHHHH! NO MORE! god.. no.. MOOOOOORE!" and i collapse. So right now, my future is clouded,and totally undecided. hopefully by the time i graduate, i'll have a SLIGHT clue..

*update- 10/9/01*

It's my last quarter! Yes, I have finally almost escaped from AIP, and in a few short months, I could be off working for some huge company.. or a small one.. or.. Well obviously, the choices have not changed since I worked on this part of the site last. But i'm at least more certain abut what I want to do now, which is good.. because that will be useful when I graduate.

The word so far, in my mind, is that I want to be an animator, and I'm leaning more towards 3d, but at the same time i'm not exactly sure. See I love 3d animation, really, The things you can do in such a short amount of time is downright amazing.. but, it' COMPUTER Animation, and I tell you, after last quarter's hell, i've pretty well declared that computers are the devil.. Don't worry, you'll see what happened when I get my Rant page up and running. But the whole computers thing.. inches me more towards 2d. Why? A pencil can't CRASH on you. You can't lose weeks and weeks of work because the projector wasn't working. PAPER can't be defective, and CORRUPT your animation. Do we see where i'm going with this? Basically, If things go wrong with 2d, it's more than likely your fault. It wasn't drawn right, you lost frames, you shot it wrong. Not, oh the computer just decided to DELETE everything and now you're screwed.. have fun! So as I said, ANIMATION in general, is what I'm really looking at. But I can model damn good (in the COMPUTER, not in person!) and i'm fairly decent with textures. But animation I really like. I actually had fun, animating last quarter.. I mean, it was honestly fun.. Not like modeling, which i'm damn good at, but get bored with sometimes.. Animating the bipeds was so awesome.. It would rock to do that as a living! So thats what I'm hopefully looking to get into.

But, theres alot of aspects to "Computer Animation" and the biggest is how many different places it's used. It's conceievably used in all aspects of entertainment, education, hell.. I could go as far as to say you could use Animation in ANY method or job out there. So what am I looking into? Well, I was looking at 2 places when I got to AIP. Movies, or Games. Now, both of those are not the easiest to jump into, and each industry has layoffs ALL the time, so it's not very stable either. Nevertheless, I've actually leaned more towards games, because artists in games are appreciated FAR more than in movies. Lets take certain movies like, oh.. say.. The Final Fantasy Movie. That movie was a marvel in computer animation. NEVER have I seen such realism, in all aspects. The plot wasn't so great, but the movie was mindblowingly amazing. But what happened? It bombed, getting beaten down by things that just make me sick.. like.. Legally Blonde. The same thing happened to Titan AE which is currently my favorite Animation movie right now. I expect to get replies to that saying that ANY anime is better than that movie, because anime is so awesome and blah blah blah. But what I loved about Titan AE, was how much personality the characters had. They were sarcastic, funny at times, able to be serious, and they didn't deviate from their personality (except when they betrayed eachother, but thats different..). That movie just shows how important good voice acting can be, and I was just blown away by how good the characters were. But you know what happened with that movie? It almost shut down Fox Studios, for good. So thats two, pretty damn good movies, that practically shut down the animation companies.. Though, Square Pictures DID shut down, so there you go. What does this tell us? That Art is NOT appreciated in Movies. Things like Tomb Raider, which i heard was a HORRIBLE movie, made over 100 billion, easily. And why? well partly because of horny men wanting to see Jolie, and.. wait... no, that was all of it.. And then there's Legally Blonde, which got tons of money from the airhaid teenage girls, who look at it and say "oh! she's like, just like me!" And i'm turning this into a rant now so i'll save it til later.. Anyway, my POINT is that movie goers do not appreciate art in most movies, ESPECIALLY animation, which is ironically looked at as something for kids. When in reality, Not even most adualts, let ALONE children, could do animation.

So where i'm looking at, is games. Gamers appreciate the work that went into these games, and you will NOT get a million dollar game with a pathetically bad premise around it. Legally Blonde could never make a good game, and it's 5:30am and i'm starting to ntoice myself making less sense here.. as well as more typos.. But my point (if i had one) is that games are not one sides like movies. You can sell a game on graphics alone, plotline, replay value, etc. With movies, you pretty much have to have a DAMN good movie that everyone knows about, or be backed by a massive fanbase. With games, this helps, but it isn;t crucial. Plus, gamers appreciate the work that goes into these things, unlike movies, where photo realism seems the standard now, and people think nothing of it. Some CG movies can be blockbusters though, Shrek anyone? Toy Story? So I mean, It can happen, but not usually.So Yeah.. i'm done now.. I forgot what I was talkin' about so thats my cue for bed.. GoodNight all!

*Update 7/15/02*

Since graduating college, I've been bouncing around to many different things, but it's all been near impossible to find work.With the state the economy is in, and the high demand on artists now, everyone wants 2+years of expereince in the industry, or a BA degree. Both of which, I don't have, but I'm trying to get the experience. It's all a catch 22 though. "We won't hire you until you get experience.. but WE won't give you any experience.. and no one else will because you don't HAVE any.. so I guess you're just screwed." So it's been hard, but I'm about ready to head off to CA and then hit SIGGRAPH withina months time. Over there, armed with 30 tapes and resumes, I will hit all the companies I can find. The goal is obviously to get a job within that time, and if I have to move to CA.. well hell, so be it.

California.. Here I COME!