Episode 6: March of the Pixels

Hello, dedicated viewers!

I realize that I broke my promise of at least a blog a week, and I'd like to apologize. Life always has a funny way of doing things to you so that you can't focus! 

Before we get started, some good news!
Finally traded in my dusty old Xbox 360 in for a PS3. [FlayminPopsikL is the PSN name, of course.] Still playing through Catherine until my next paycheck rolls around, it's one heck of a ride!
PASSED THAT INTERMEDIATE 3D MODELING CLASS!! It may have been a C [proud to say that's my lowest grade earned since I've been  at the Art Institute], but passing is passing nonetheless. 



Okay, now down to business. I have ALWAYS been a big fan of old-school games made with 8-bit graphics and music, so in turn, I'm a big fan of pixels altogether. Pixel art takes time and precision and is just truly amazing in my eyes. From a small little icon like a Mushroom from Super Mario Bros., to a fully detailed cutscene from the likes of Ninja Gaiden [the very first few on SNES], pixels have surrounded us. Some may be foolish enough to believe that with the advancement of technology in the past couple decades, pixel-style games and art have died out. Well you would be terribly wrong, my friend! While I am a big fan of big titles like Modern Warfare and the like, it never hurts to return to my roots. I grew up on Pokemon, Megaman, and the Sonic Advance titles. I even find myself playing new-school 8-bit games like Tower of Heaven [PLEASE check this game out, it is so good] and Super Smash Land[ If you're a fan of Smash Bros, you'll love this]. 


So what does all of this mean? Simply put, I'll be trying my hand at pixel art so that I can add that to my endless repertoire of skills. Every now and then, I'll post up a small little image that I'm working on, feel free to comment and criticize! I'm using Pixen, a free open source program for Macs.

So until then, stay tuned! And Happy Wednesday!
 - Jason B. Russell

Episode 5: As Promised! [and Future Projects]

Hello, viewers!

I understand that I'm a little late on my promise [the 14th DEFINITELY isn't the 8th], but here it is! My animatic from Storyboarding! It's not my best work, but eh, it's something. 
 




So, there it is. I plan to go back and re-do the whole thing; there were so many things I wanted to do with it. But that's for later.

I've got a lot of stuff on my plate for this break [since I FINALLY get to take one]! I'm gonna start working on my level design work, since that's basically what I want to do when I get out of here; I still have to take the class and find out for sure. I'm also working on some character models, most likely in the style of Genndy Tartokovsky because I simply ADORE Dexter's Lab. It has been too long since I've actually sat down and designed a character. Also, working on a mascot for my favorite frozen food!! Can't reveal too much, don't want anybody entering the contest and winning instead of me, right?

Happy Wednesday! And stay tuned!
 - Jason B. Russell

 

Episode 4 1/2: Art History Timeline

Here it is, folks! If you're really interested, then give it a watch! If not, that's fine too. It's basically just 6 minutes of pictures.

Happy Wednesday!

- Jason B. Russell

Episode 4: Under Construction

Hello, dedicated readers!

I'm aware that I expressed to you all last week that I would have a storyboard to show you today!

However, between an Art History project [which I did spectacular on] and modeling this Joan of Arc, the granpappy of tutorials, I have been swamped for time. However, it is STILL being worked on and I'll probably be posting it up either before or after class when I upload it to YouTube! It's going well now that I have a better grasp on how to use Adobe Premiere. I had to go through Hell and high water just to get a TRIAL version!

Anyway, in the meantime, enjoy my Art History Project [included in next blog]!! Got a 99 on it, might as well. And thanks for your patience, I'm working hard over here!

Also, Happy Wednesday!

 - Jason B. Russell

Episode 3: The Grand Re-Opening!

Hello, my readers! This is me, Jason B. Russell, here to update my blog for the first time in 2 months. Way too long since I've blogged, and considering the fact that I want a job in the video game industry. I mean, they update almost every day with something cool! So here's the deal, folks. I update at least twice a week, and you guys just keep on reading and bring your friends so that they can read. Deal? Awesome.

Well, without further ado, here's some work from my Storyboarding class! I'm not gonna post all the storyboards up here, just a few that stand out as my best work among them.

The hell that is Cybero City.

Watch out, Snakes!

...Too late.

Time for a game of Chicken.

Well we see who won!

Think about it for a second.

Ohh look!

High in the sky!

Well, the whole animatic is turning out pretty well! As soon as I get over this cold of mine, I can record voices and I'll be putting together the sound effects this weekend as well! Be on the lookout for Chaos Heroes to premiere here FIRST, on Wednesday, September 7th! Or the morning of the 8th, gotta take Murphy's Law into effect.

Until then, Happy Thursday!

 - Jason B. Russell 

Episode 2 - No Pictures, Please!

No posts at all in June huh? It's been a while, readers. I was definitely waaaay too busy during this last month to even think about blogging. School, relationship troubles, and the lack of a personal laptop does that do you. 

But enough about the past! It's now July, the sun is hotter than ever, even here in Virginia where I'm posting this from, and new things are happening. For starters, my old rusty LG Rumor finally gave up on me last month. The phone would only charge if I somehow jammed the charger into the phone, which would only happen if I either sat there and did it myself, or squeezed my phone in between a couch and the edge of a table. Both very inconvenient, and it was only a matter of time before the charger actually broke off into the phone, rendering the electronic brick utterly useless. Also, as stated in Episode 1, my MacBook mysteriously went on the fritz out of nowhere back in February. So without a phone and a computer, I felt as if I was effectively reduced to the status of a caveman. Terrible.

However, as of now, I have a brand new phone AND a brand new MacBook Pro [a testament to this blog, as it is being posted from it]! How glorious this break has been. Also, come to find out that I did a lot better than I thought I would in my classes this quarter: 3 B+'s and a B, still maintaining my 3.5 CGPA. Beautiful.

Here's some work to show off!

Project 2 for Intro to 3D. Looks nice, eh? 

Final project. My co-workers in Virginia still aren't convinced that it's not a real box!

Gumball machine mesh in the works, something to keep me fresh with Maya 2012. Look for finished model soon!

Sketched background designs for composite project for Background Design.

The one our group ended up using, laid out by me!

Just a few things that I was working on this quarter. You know, as much as I love drawing, I couldn't help but fall in love with Maya. I think I may have found my career path already, but it's gonna take some time for me to be completely sure. That's cool though, still got some time left before I graduate!

Well, that's basically it for Episode 2! Be expecting more blogs more often now! Next time, we ransack the Mona Lisa and draw her a beard! Stay tuned!

The WINGED BACKPACK MK-1!

Hey, everyone! Not here for a full episode just yet, don't have much to talk about. However, I do feel compelled to share with you, my latest and greatest creation: the Winged BackPack MK-1! For those of you who haven't been keeping up with me and my blog (and shame on you for not doing so), this is my second project for Background and Character Design and the accessory for my character, Joshua Baker from The Wingman. 

Blueprint work for the backpack. 

Color marker studies for the MK-1. Old man face by James Goff.

Final concept art of the Winged BackPack MK-1.

The scans didn't really do justice to the light gray tone that's present in the final rendering, but that's okay, you get the gist of it. I actually LOVE the way that this came out, and I REALLY can't wait for this next project I have due in to weeks. Stay tuned for Episode 2 of The Wonderful Symposium of the Flaming Popsicle, and leave comments! Adieu, my friends!

Episode 1: Admission is Ten Bucks

I've been meaning to keep up with this blog and update it regularly... however, the world always finds some way (or several, in this case) to stick its righteous foot up my ass for yet another time. Maya this, draw that, render this! Not saying that I don't enjoy these things, cause Lord knows I do, but I would at least like some room to blog every now and again!

So, an update on things. For those who don't know, my MacBook Pro has been shot to hell and for the moment, I am computer-less. So I have to spend a lot more time at school nowadays instead of doing work and procrastinating from the comfort of my home. No iTunes means I can't update my iPod (which I can't even find at the moment), and this saddens me because that new London Elektricity album, Yikes!, is the bee's knees and needs to be overplayed on my iPod on a daily basis. Also, apparently Musiq released an album yesterday... I used to be all about my R&B until my main go-to artists started falling off the spectrum. It's sad when I don't want to listen to John Legend...

But I digress. Besides the whole computer-less-ness and the music-less-ness that I'm clearly suffering from, life goes well. Working on all A's from my classes come mid-term, and that goal is definitely within reach. Frickin' Art History is the biggest piece of cake I've had since 2D Design; all it is is a "write this, watch this" type of deal, and while it can be boring, the A's on the essays speak for themselves.

2D Animation Principles (or Flipbook 101, as I call it when people ask, "what is it?") is fun and challenging at the same time. Well, minus the pendulum and ball bounce, those were as easy as some easy thing. But these walk cycles are tedious, but worth it in the end. Sometimes I think about considering to maybe switch over to Animation instead of GAD, but then I'm like, "NO! Too much drawing!" (LOL). Inbetweeners go through hell and back just to make an animation look good, and I'm not trying to have gray hairs by the time I'm 30. I mean, I'll probably to Flash anims on the side once I'm proficient enough to do so, but full-on animations won't be my forte, I can see that well enough.

3D Modeling is a tricky class to put a finger on. At first, I thought I'd be overwhelmed by everything that Maya has to offer, and that though only compounded when it came to me doing my first project in the class, modeling a locomotive. You should see how in-depth that thing is! I have no choice but to get an A because I'm a stickler for detail and stuff like that. Anyways, after modeling this train, I actually see that I'm going to enjoy Maya a lot, especially the modeling aspect, because Maya is so extensive and broad! It's like having limitless creativity in your fingertips, and all you have to do is imagine it and you can make it.

Background and Character Design is the tip of the iceberg for me when it comes to my classes. It's like they took my Drawing for Animation class, cut the sculpture clean out of it, required more extensive drawing (which, truthfully, I needed to start doing anyway) and replaced the teacher with someone more down-to-earth. I personally bought a brand new sketchbook just for this class (and for personal sketching, of course) and I plan to have at least half of it full before the end of this quarter. My character for the class turned out very well; I earned a B+ for the first project overall, which is definitely not bad! After hearing Mr. Bell critique my work, I now better understand my flaws when it comes to drawing. I'm gonna have to lay off of the anime for a while (even more than I already was, because I'm pulling too much from it). I try not to use anime as an overbearing influence for my drawings anyway, unlike a lot of new people that walk into the school thinking that they're gods of art. Here are the scans of my artwork, in case you haven't seen 'em on my Facebook:

Joshua Baker (aka Wingman) color turnaround. Personally think it looks better in person.

Costumes.

Facial expressions.

 I think Wingman turned out just awesome! Next, I have to work on his "object," which will probably be some sort of glider-backpack thing. I'll most likely be posting sketches within the next few days and the finished blueprint will be due Tuesday, so I'll scan and post it next week!

Also, I'm working on a web comic, something I've been meaning to do since before I even got here at the school. For those of you who even remember back that far, ScamMan is making his return! For those of you that haven't been with me that long... prepare yourself. Hilarity ensues.

Well that be all for this week's installment of The Wonderful Symposium of the Flaming Popsicle! Tune in next week when we kill a dead rubber chicken! So long and God bless!

Did Someone Say 'About Time?'

I've been at the Art Institute of Atlanta for a bit too long to not have one of these blogs for myself. For all who don't know (and shame if you do not), I am Jason B. Russell, a 4th quarter student at AIA, studying Game Art and Design (GAD). I pride myself in my work, and strive to keep myself on the Honor's list or above at all times. Life goes well.

Anyway, today begins my first day as a sophomore in college, and I'm pretty excited. It's about high time that I set some important goals for myself, so I decided to buy myself a 110 page sketchbook. By the end of this quarter, hopefully, half (or more) of the pages in it will be filled with quality sketches. I'm aware that I'm not beast-like like some of my colleagues, but I can at least try my best to fake it, right?

In other news, what's up with Georgia's weather lately (actually, all the time)? Yesterday it was warm and nice outside and I wore shorts and flip-flops, and when I left Nick's place last night, my feet were covered in water! Tornado watches and flood warnings and whatnot just appeared out of nowhere and slapped the east coast so badly that I couldn't even go home. So much for sleep, I guess. Especially considering that I have three 8am classes this quarter...

Well, I guess that's about it for this installment of The Wonderful Symposium of the Flaming Popsicle. Next time, we show off sketches and bake hard drives!