I happen to come across this signage, I think is quite interesting.

Labels: Inspiring Image Album

Finally, I got the chance to take a break from work. I went to Hong Kong and ShenZhen for 5 days. I gain a lot from this oversea trip: new concept ideas, advertising ideas, animation ideas and of cos their architecture designs, theme park designs and what type of fashion are in for them. I took a lot of photos. Hope these photos can bring sparks of inspiration to you :)

Labels: Inspiring Image Album

I went to 2D Professional Track 2 Days seminar which was on 16 and 17 June. This seminar content is on the pre-production work for films and games: the concept art and digital painting. The speakers are Feng Zhu and Tony Kieme. Both of them show us some of their cool and amazing works they have done like Transformers, etc. They have also talked about how the big boys like EA, Industrial Light+Magic, and top directors like George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and Michael bay works.

I think is really worth going to this seminar as I learnt alot from them, especially Feng Zhu.

After showing us his works, he demonstrates how he do cool digital painting in just 30mins! and he also show us how he do the HARD CORE industry concepts - is all perspective lines.

Some of the useful stuff he mentioned during the seminar:

(1) For inspiration and referencing, look at real world pictures, not other artists' or designers' work, as normally you will take the style of that artist or designer. Two useful photo reference sources he used are: www.corbis.com and www.airliners.net.

(2) When doing digital painting for a composition, always rotate around and flip horizontally your artwork to make sure is balance and perspective is accurate.

(3) When rendering for reflective surface, for example car, make sure you know how reflection works and how different materials and textures reflect light.

(4) Even you do character design, for example, robot, you can apply real world knowledge into the design so that is workable (if really need to build up) and believable.

(5) Is good to go down bookstores or library to look for photo referencing and inspiration. If affordable is good to buy the books. Feng Zhu has lots of books, and this is where he got most of his ideas from.

(6) Eyeballs = Cash. This is how google earns their money. Do graphic book or novel, as you will get eyeballs, in other words, people got to know you.

(7) Feng Zhu said that 3D concept artist is very HOT now and future. That person must be good and fast modeler. (maybe I can, haha)

(8) Do not use tablet to draw first, start off with cheap pencil and paper. Buy a big but cheap table, so that you can anchor your elbow on the table to draw long straight lines.

(9) Practice 5 months on drawing straight lines, another 5 months on drawing circles...

Before end of the seminar, he advised us to (1) work hard, and he means really work VERY HARD, he explained that there is really no secret, just spend time on your drawing: how many hours you spend on it, you will see you have improved by how much - is just that simple. (2) Try to expand your network as most of his friends or even classmates end up are his clients, and (3) mix with people that will give your friendly competition so that you will continuous upgrade and push yourself for the better.