| Andrus |

2012!

2012-01-08T09:49:00.000-08:00

Seaport Morning - iPhone Camera+

Here we go! A new year ahead and lots of things to look forward to. Overtime is kicking into high gear at work, so usually that means less and less photography time. Managed to grab this image while walking back from the gym.

Thinking of doing some small studio setups at home. To help vary the content, and give everyone a break from landscape photography. Sketching up some ideas and will start shooting in the next couple weeks.

2011 coming to a close

2011-12-11T20:19:00.001-08:00

Photo by Sabine Scherer

2011 is coming to a close. You can usually read here how fast the year has past, and how busy things have been. That hasn't changed, if anything those two dials have been turned up yet another notch for 2011. But am very grateful to have had this year's journey.

For one, Lindsay and I were able to have a wonderful wedding with family and friends in San Francisco! A day we both will look back at with big smiles on our faces. Grateful for another year of growing and learning as animators at the studios. Being a part of these animation teams mean so much to Lindsay and I.

DreamWorks provided a great volunteer program through the Second Harvest Food Bank in San mateo county. It has become an extremely rewarding adventure to take part in. Each time we attend, the staff at the Food Bank tell us just how many meals have been getting to the local family's in our communities.

As we all have so much to be grateful for, its wonderful to take a moment and give back to those who could use a smile, a meal, a helping hand, or just someone to listen to. Below are a few links that have been great resources to Lindsay and I over the years. Giving abit of time or money can help make those smiles appear, fill an empty stomach, and help to provide some shelter

http://www.shfb.org
http://www.kittenrescue.org
http://www.childsplaycharity.org
http://www.charitynavigator.org

Hope that everyone is finishing up this year on a good note, and looking to the New Year with excitement!

DreamWorks Animation - Group Photography Show

2011-11-20T11:57:00.001-08:00

Ready to ship!!!

Just finished up printing/framing the set of photo's for a group photography show taking place at DreamWorks Animation on December 15th. Onur Yeldan, Adam Dotson (Two awesome animators down at the Glendale Campus) and myself did a gallery show a few years ago and had alot of fun putting it together. Its great that the studio allows it's artists to put up small gallery shows in different locations across their campus's. Can't wait to see the guys prints all framed up!

Now the hard part comes into play...shipping... Need to get these prints down to the guys in one piece :)

Also, Squeak decided to help out abit. He was making sure those pictures wouldn't fall over while getting this shot. He is good like that.

Catching Fire

2011-11-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

Catching Fire - Nikon D7000, 2 hand blended exposures.

Taken last Saturday morning on the bay in Foster City. I was hoping that the added moisture in the air would help catch some light. But, I didn't expect what was about to happen. Just before the sun started to break the horizon, a sliver of orange started to form. Over the course of 4 to 5 minutes the light started to roll over the cloud bands! Almost as if fire was rolling along the sky between the ground and the cloud ceiling above. Then as quickly as the light advanced it pulled back extinguishing the oranges as the sun broke the horizon.

Needless to say I had to work fast and metering off the changing light was tough. Its always fun setting up in the early morning waiting for the light to put on a show. Looking forward to some more shoots around the bay as winter sets in up here.

Hope you enjoy :) Thanks for stopping by!

Flush with Color

2011-11-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Shoreline, Foster City - Nikon D7000, 2 Step NDG Filter

Woke up early on Saturday to try my hand at some photography with the passing rain storms we have been getting. Luckily the rain stopped as I walked out to the shore line and was able to find a setup. Once the light started to break, it was quick! Only had a good 3-4 minutes with the light getting caught up in cloud bands running over the bay. Will be processing one more exposure from that morning's shoot.

Now that winter seems to be setting in I hope to get out and do more shooting. Really enjoy walking out to crisp air and heavy clouds. Work is ramping up alot, but we did just hit a mile stone on Madagascar 3, 50%!!! Time is really flying these days, and can't believe we are in November now.

Morning Walk

2011-11-04T23:37:00.000-07:00

Poipu, Kauai - Nikon D7000, Two blended exposures.

Taken while on a morning walk near Poipu Beach. Kinda missed the real light show that morning, and found this composition after it started to fade. Next time I need to set the alarm earlier!

We are now starting to get some rain in the bay area so I'm hoping to get out and do some shooting this weekend around the water. Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Hilo - Rainbow Waterfall

2011-10-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Rainbow Waterfall - Nikon, Hilo

Lindsay and I stopped by this waterfall just outside of Hilo one morning. Its amazing just how many of these breathtaking sites are just up the road or off a trail in Hilo. There were some cool trails that lead upstream from the waterfall to rock pools. But the mosquitos were winning out and we had to retreat.

Was hoping to get to this location early to catch some morning light but we got side tracked with some food. Easy to do when in Hawaii :)

Black Sand

2011-09-12T21:43:00.000-07:00

On our Hilo Volcano Tour, we were able to stop off at a Black Sand Beach! Really amazing, hardly anyone was around, and had a moment to just relax. Which was a nice break after a day of running around site seeing. Really wish I had the tripod on me... Had to bracket the exposures by hand.

Black Sand - Nikon D7000, Big Island.

Na Pali Coast

2011-09-11T14:16:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I were able to take a dinner/sunset cruise on our last full day on Kauai. The crew were awesome, and they did a good job of passing out the food (which was great!) and giving us insight into coast line. A must do if you find yourself on Kauai.

Going to be working on the next photo tonight. Looking at one of the shots I took of the black sand beach we visited!

Seaside cliffs - iPhone, Waimea Canyon.

The View - iPhone, Na Pali coast cruise.

Spine - iPhone, Na Pali coast cruise.

Waimea Canyon

2011-09-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I drove up the Waimea Canyon road and stopped along the way to take in the views. Its an amazing location where you can from sea level up to 4000 feet into the clouds.

Waimea Canyon - Nikon D7000, Two blended exposures.

Shipwreck Coast

2011-09-03T21:36:00.000-07:00

Taken while walking the Shipwreck coast line during the sunrise. Such a great location to take in the morning, your able to watch the tide smash into the coastline. Just at the break you can watch Sea Turtles come up for air, then dive down to feed.

This exposure is made up of two shots. One exposure was balanced for the ground and sea. While the other was balanced for the sky. It was tough getting a single exposure to balance all those elements in one go. I had my Cokin Filters but it just wasn't balancing it well and the extra filter in front of the lens added extra flare.

Hope you enjoy the shot :)

Poipu, Kauai.

Kauai part one.

2011-08-31T16:29:00.000-07:00

Lindsay and I got back recently from our trip to Big Island and Kauai! Words and pictures cannot express just how amazing these two locations are. The people, the food, and most importantly the islands themselves. We had the great fortune to meet up with amazing guides who gave us a glimpse into local lifestyles and historical facts. All which were captivating.

I'll try to post more images as I can process them on the blog/flickr pages. More to follow :)

Grand Hyatt - iPhone, Shipwreck Cliff.

Clouds - iPhone, Grand Hyatt's beach.

Waimea Canyon - iPhone, Main Lookout.

Morning with the boys - cinemagraphs

2011-07-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

Came across this photographer/designer's site (frommetoyou by Jamie Beck) a month or so ago which blew me away. Not only are many of the photo's great but the "Cinemagraphs" stopped me dead in my tracks!

A cinemagraph is a great way to highlight a moment. They are highly polished animated GIF's, that really give a nice extended tone. So needless to say I jumped into action to try this out. Granted my first take is very tame compared to their much more complex and interesting executions. Below is a quick moment of our cats resting with the morning bay breeze coming in through the blinds. If you watch the image closely you will see the slight movement at the window while the rest of the moment is frozen in time.

4th of July weekend!

2011-07-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

The fourth was great this weekend. Got a chance to meet up with a bunch of friends at different times through out the weekend, and enjoyed a nice firework show up in Sonoma.

Below are a few shots that I was able to get while out Saturday/Sunday morning. Hope you enjoy!

Goodmorning!

2011-06-18T13:41:00.000-07:00

I'm going to make it a point to update this blog more with my photography work. In hopes to keep this blog moving. These two shots were taken in the morning around the Bay Area. Enjoy!

Feel free to see more of my photography over on my flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kandrus/

How To Train Your Dragon - DVD/Blue-Ray!!!

2010-10-12T21:10:00.000-07:00

How to Train Your Dragon will be released on DVD/Blue-Ray this Friday 10/15!

I can't speak highly enough of the cast and crew who helped craft this film. And am very grateful to have been a part of it! If you didn't get to see it in theaters take a moment to relax on the couch and get taken away to the Isle of Berk.

Below is a video giving an inside look into Dreamworks Animation Studio's! A fun glimpse into the awesome group of people I get to learn from and work with. Enjoy! :)

R is for random...

2010-08-21T14:46:00.001-07:00

Some random sketches from a couple nights ago.

Figure drawing class/illustrator

2010-08-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

Just a couple pages from figure class this week. Mix of 3 to 5 minute poses. Also did another pass on the illustrator project below as well.

...

2010-07-26T21:41:00.000-07:00

Sketches

2010-07-17T20:43:00.001-07:00

Dusting off the Copic Markers. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

Gesture Class

2010-05-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

Couple more pages from this weeks class. Hope everyone is doing well!

Figure

2010-05-15T12:51:00.001-07:00

Some quick 2 and 3 minute poses.

Sketches

2010-04-10T07:57:00.000-07:00

Here are some sketches from the figure sessions at work. Feels good to be back into figure drawing! Also there are a few sketches from my desk thrown in too. Enjoy!

How to Train Your Dragon! (March 26th 2010)

2010-02-27T09:07:00.000-08:00

In just under one months time. How to Train Your Dragon will release in theaters! (March 26th,2010) All of us at Dreamworks are really excited and can't wait for the public to see the film.

Poster:

Working under the directors Dean Deblois, and Chris Sanders was super inspiring. Being on the animation team for the film was amazing. The crews involved will look back on this film with great pride and accomplishment for sure. Myself and a couple members of the Dragon's team recently went back to Ringling College of Art and Design to showcase some of the work. The response was fantastic! As you can see I can't speak highly enough about the film and the crews involved. Hope you all enjoy spending some time on the Isle of Berk :)

Last Trailer:

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-12T09:19:00.000-08:00

Hello Everyone,

It's that time of year agian! 2009 was a crazy blur of production and overtime for Lindsay and I. But we both will look back at these productions for many years to come with alot of pride.

Just wanted to post up a couple links to some charity organizations that have been great resources to me over the past few years. Its been a tough year economically, but giving even just a few dollars or a few minutes of volunteer time helps immensely. Adding to the usual list of links this year is Kitten Rescue. It's become an organization that Lindsay works with often. We both can't speak highly enough of its staff and contributors. (Kitten Rescue is a non-kill shelter)

http://www.kittenrescue.org
http://www.childsplaycharity.org
http://www.charitynavigator.org
http://www.redcross.org

Hope everyone is having a great holiday season!

How To Train Your Dragon!

2009-11-02T22:32:00.000-08:00

Our first trailer is online. The crews are in the final stretch, and we are having a blast! It's been amazing to be part of the animation team on this film. Enjoy!

Its been awhile...

2009-10-18T16:49:00.001-07:00

Things have been super busy around here at work so my blogging for drawing and photography has gone down to very little. After doing some cleaning of the old room I found a few sketches that might be nice to put up.

The one of the guy running was someone I saw about a month ago running down Brand... I was surprised his flip flops were holding on! The girl with the bike just came from a couple random drawings I had at my desk. Lastly the gestures are from a monday lunch figure session a couple months ago.

Hope everyone is doing well and should be back to more blogging soon. Enjoy!

Eagle vs Shark

2009-06-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

I have watched this film twice now and have really enjoyed it. After watching it the first time I drew this quick sketch of Lily.

The magic number is three!

2009-06-05T20:23:00.001-07:00

Today marked three years at Dreamworks Animation! I have to say its been an awesome three years at that. Getting to work along side the talent at the studio has been inspiring and fun.

I'm participating in a photography show on campus later this month with Onur Yeldan, and Adam Dotson. We are titling the show 3. We are in the final stages of getting the shots framed and ready. More updates to come. Have a great weekend everyone!

...

2009-05-16T11:39:00.001-07:00

A few longer pose studies. Have a great weekend everyone!

figure

2009-05-10T19:24:00.001-07:00

stand by me

2009-04-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Lindsay sent me this recently. Can't wait to see the film the clip is from. Enjoy!

few sketches/assignment work.

2009-02-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

The last few drawings that I have scanned in from the caricature class with Jim. I have started messing around with some acrylic washes over toned pastel paper which I hope to get up soon too! Hope everyone is enjoying the weekend.

caricature class part I

2009-02-20T20:14:00.001-08:00

Six weeks went by super quick but the Caricature class at work was awesome! I'm gonna keep running with these ideas and try to make some regular posts on caricaturing some people. Hope you enjoy. The images below are from the final drawing we did. I also have a cut out/simple shapes study of another individual I'll post later this weekend.

1-2 min gestures

2009-02-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

This model was great! He even was playing instruments while holding poses. Enjoy.

Monsters vs Aliens trailer during half time!

2009-01-31T17:12:00.000-08:00

Have your 3D glasses ready and watch for the

Monsters vs Aliens trailer during half time!

sketches

2009-01-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

A couple pages from this past weekends trip to MA.

Sullivan, John

2009-01-21T23:42:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a caricature drawing class at work and wanted to try a few of the tips out. The reference is from a boxing book I have titled The Encyclopedia of Boxing by Gilbert Odd. I flipped through the pages that covered fighters from the 30's-50's. I came to a picture that stood out to me. So below is a take on the fighter Sullivan, John.

"Many do not regard Sullivan as being the champion of the world, because those fights in which he won the title were fought under Prize Ring rules. However, he did box with gloves, even if it was only in his last fight in which he was knocked out in 21 rounds by James J Corbett..."

I'll try to post more of these drawings as they come. But please bare with me, I have a tough time pushing the shapes while keeping a likeness! Hope you enjoy and thanks for stopping by.

drawings

2009-01-19T16:32:00.000-08:00

Here are two quick sketches I worked on this weekend.

sketches

2009-01-14T22:28:00.000-08:00

A few from the sketchbook. Enjoy!

drawings coming soon, but in the mean time.

2009-01-13T22:02:00.000-08:00

I'm scanning some pages from the sketch book tonight. And will hopefully put them up in the next couple of days. I'm excited to be taking a caricature class at work! I haven't done much in the way of caricatures so I'm interested in hearing someone's approach and workflow. Hope all is going well for everyone.

Below are a few shots from a walk I took over the weekend up near Lindsay's. We lucked out and had a clear and calm few hours as the sunset. I hope you enjoy.

2008!

2008-12-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

Wrapping up a few odds and ends here before Lindsay and I head off for some much needed vacation. This year went by so quickly, but it was full of great people and times as it blurred past. Here are a few sketches from the backlog.

Also while your out and about shopping try to stop and donate to a charity if you can. (local or global organizations / volunteer time or money) Every little bit helps.

Wishing everyone a safe happy holiday season and new year!

figure

2008-12-09T21:48:00.001-08:00

Just a few drawings from past figure sessions.

scanner is up and running again!

2008-11-02T15:11:00.001-08:00

A few old sketches that I had laying around. I hope to get in and color some of these...

sketches

2008-10-29T22:56:00.000-07:00

Some sketches from airport hopping and reference poses from the LA Zoo.

PCH and WJG

2008-09-30T22:37:00.000-07:00

Finished up sorting my PCH photos from two weekends ago. It was fun to take the drive with Jason. I think he enjoyed the drive very much and the views will stick with him. Lindsay and I made the drive once before but I didn't have my camera on me at that point. So I hope these shots will interest some people.

I have a stack of drawings I have been meaning to put up...I'm hoping to get some time this weekend to tackle that. Also I feel I need to push this blog away from just my usual figure drawing posts.

Just read the latest post on Jacob's blog and really enjoyed his approach to the basics on ball bounces. If you get a chance stop over there and check it out. I hope to see more exploratory blog entries into animation. Expect much more from Jacob's blog for sure.

sketches

2008-08-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

Some recent sketches from figure sessions over the past couple weeks.

Shining eyes

2008-07-25T11:14:00.000-07:00

This TED talk really made an impression on me. I have found myself rewatching and listening several times over. What he talks about really does touch on how an artist or artform can captivate, and how one can transfer their passion to an audience.

GET READY FOR AWESOMENESS!!!

2008-06-03T22:12:00.000-07:00

Opening this weekend on June the 6th is Kung Fu Panda! I didn't get a chance to work on this project "but it is, for lack of a better word" AWESOME! All the crews working on this film did an amazing job and has been receiving rave reviews. I can't say enough, so join me friday night for a screening near you.

backlog part II

2008-05-18T18:14:00.001-07:00

Additional drawings from Dave's gesture class, and figure night on tuesday nights.

western at lunch

2008-05-11T19:29:00.001-07:00

Its been awhile sense I last posted and I have a backlog of images to put up. So I'll try to play catch up over the next week or so. Enjoy these western themed sketches from another fun drawing class during lunch. Thanks dave!

Figure

2008-02-13T22:43:00.000-08:00

Here are some quick sketches from this weeks figure session. We had a new model who hit some fun poses.

Falling Slowly.

2008-01-09T23:08:00.001-08:00

Lindsay and I stubbled onto the movie Once which turned out to be really fun. The most impressive aspect of the film was the performances of the songs which take up a good percentage of the screen time. The actors are full time musicians and quickly blow you away with wonderful performances. While listening to some of the music I did a little PS sketch.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2007-12-31T22:40:00.000-08:00

A quick post to help ring in the new year! This is my first real attempt at using Illustrator to do some clean up and color work... But its allot of fun I have to say. I hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!

The sketch of this piece came from a cold day here in the studio, where I saw a girl rushing from building to building with a scarf. Granted there isn't snow on the ground in valley right now but it sure did feel close to freezing that day hehehe.

Berkshire Eagle!

2007-11-08T19:01:00.000-08:00

My home town newspaper did a write up of my involvement with Bee Movie! It was very nice of them, and they were great during the interview. Seeing that I have never done anything like that before(I was nervous hehe). Its crazy to summarize the past 7 years leading up to working on my first feature film animation... Here's hoping for many many more to come over at DWA.

-Article, from Berkshire Eagle-

Also Lindsay has received word that she has won an Animago award for "best idea" of a short film. Even a year out of school and that thesis is still clamming awards hehehe. RCAD will be happy to hear the good news. Congrads Lindsay!

"I wanna rock!"

2007-10-22T21:14:00.000-07:00

Welp, one of my friends at work is doing some character designs using hair metal (gotta love the 80's) as inspiration. So while waiting for renders...I tried my hand at some too.

past few weeks of figure class.

2007-10-21T22:18:00.000-07:00

Here are some past figure drawings from a few classes this month. I have some sketch book work too I want to post this week so hopefully I can get to that before wed night. I'm also getting some Hong Kong photo's up on my flickr account so look for updates there too!

One for the road.

2007-08-29T20:48:00.001-07:00

I'll be heading out of town for the next two weeks and wanted to put up a couple figure drawings that have been collecting dust.

I'm very excited about the next couple weeks where I will be doing as much drawing and photography as I can fit in! I'll be stopping at home for abit where I hope to get in some watercolors and landscape photography. Then its off to Hong Kong with Lindsay to visit her cousin and to see all that architecture which has enthralled me sense the very first glimpse of its towering buildings from photos. If all goes well I should come back with some nice additions to the old blog and some new perspectives over on flickr. Hope everyone is doing well, and see you all in two weeks!

huntington library.

2007-08-26T19:24:00.001-07:00

Just spent some of the day over at the Huntington Library! Great place, and the grounds are HUGE. As the day went on it got hotter and hotter so we ducked into some of the AC'ed galleries and I managed to do a quick sketch of a sculpture I found to be very cool. They had great displays of paintings, to books, to the different gardens hidden around the grounds. I'll be going back but when it cools abit. I'll be posting some of the photography I snapped there too in the coming days over on flickr.

Heather, Chris, Gottie, and Jack.

2007-08-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

Heather and Chris have two awesome dogs! Big ol Gottie, and Little crazy Jack. Heather asked if I would want to try my hand at doing a photo shoot with them and the dogs. I jumped at the chance! Being my first shoot I didn't really know what to expect with lighting, posing, or even what heather might of wanted. But they were all really open to just having fun and trying my best to capture some fun moments with their boys. I hope the images came out nice and it was what they were looking for.

Thanks to Heather and Chris for letting me try my hand at this, and good luck up in San Fran.

Dave's gesture class.

2007-08-12T08:57:00.000-07:00

Few more drawings for the old blog. Enjoy!

One year, two months, and 10 days.

2007-08-10T15:42:00.000-07:00

That is the time spent working on the first film of my career. Bee Movie here at Dreamworks Animation! Today I "wrapped" animation on the film, granted over the next couple weeks I might be doing small fixes here and there. To sum up my experience here... It wont fit into a single post but I can say it has been one of highlight's of my life thus far. Just a little over a year of leaving Ringling I have had the chance to work with amazingly talented animators, artists, and yes even Jerry Seinfeld. All on a daily basis!

I owe allot of thanks to the crew, Ringling, and my family. I can't wait for November 2ND to hit, and actually see it all together. I'm extremely proud to have been a part of it. Now its onto the next film, and to continue to push my animation skills.

Here are a couple pics that Travis Price (artist/resident photographer at DWA) took of the anim crew.

This was a quote from one of my fellow animators that has stuck with me sense my first weeks, "Believe in the characters you work with."

Catching up round 2

2007-08-06T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here are a few sketches from Tuesday night figure sessions and Dave Pimentel's gesture class. More to come.

A couple sketches from the break side.

2007-08-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, I know its been awhile sense I have updated the old blog! BUT, here are a couple sketches. Hope everyone is doing well, and had a chance to make it out to Comic Con. It was crazy! In a week or two things should calm down abit at work (the film should wrap in animation!) and my posts will be more frequent.

Lindsay and Nemo

2007-06-20T16:44:00.000-07:00

Little behind the scene's clip of the new ride that opened at Disneyland which Lindsay worked on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tatJfWJA3Hw

YEAR ONE!

2007-06-12T15:35:00.000-07:00

Just passed my first year here at Dreamworks Animation! Can't believe that just a year ago I was leaving Ringling to head out to LA for my first film gig. I'm looking forward to this upcoming year here at DWA, and exploring southern Cali abit more. Hope everyone is doing well!

More posts with drawings, watercolors, and photography to follow soon. I'm still tyring to figure out the best way to put up the photography. I'm doing a back and forth on flickr to google's photo albums.

Texas and back!

2007-05-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Just got back from SUGARLAND! Robin, and Jared's wedding was wonderful. Below are a couple quick sketches I did on the plane ride out to see everyone.

Bjork "thank you!"

2007-05-22T21:36:00.000-07:00

Back from another fun filled weekend. This time fitting in a concert with Bjork, and a drive up some of highway 1 towards Halfmoon Bay. I added some photographs of the weekends trip under my photography link. I will be posting more photo's as I get them processed. I have to say getting into photography has been amazing. Really allows myself to switch the mind into a different gear and think of one frame instead of a string of sequenced frames. Yet many rules still apply that work with both animation and the camera which is great. I'm hoping that maybe a few of us at the studio can start up a photography club of some kind.

With the long weekend approaching Lindsay and I are getting ready for wedding invite part two! Should be fun, can't wait to see many of the RSAD crew again. Well below is a quick drawing I did while waiting for my plane ride up to San Fran. Well if I don't get to post again before the long weekend, have a safe one!

Figure after work.

2007-05-16T21:15:00.000-07:00

Like usual some more figure hehehe. On another note this weekend I'll be seeing Bjork in concert! I'm pumped about that, sense I have heard from so many people that she puts on a great show.

first take.

2007-05-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

A few shots I did last night after work. Just trying to get the hang of all the settings.

Someone's watching...

2007-05-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

Have a great weekend everyone!

GREAT NEWS!

2007-05-07T15:16:00.000-07:00

I just received word that my option pickup with DreamWorks Animation is a go for another YEAR! It's great that I get to finish out Bee Movie with the team, and roll onto a new film there after. Its been an amazing first year, and I owe allot of it to the people I work with.

Break during sunday hours.

2007-05-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

Took a quick break while at the studio this weekend. Was a great day out so getting to sit and relax with a drawing was great!

Dave's gesture class. ROUND ONE!

2007-04-02T19:21:00.000-07:00

Today we had our first class during lunch with Dave Pimentel. It was a blast, and the arm was tired at the end of the session. Here are a few of the stronger drawings from the pile I left with. More to come!

random shapes = the puffs.

2007-03-31T19:57:00.000-07:00

Random shapes + little eyes = the puffs. Just did these while at work today.

Post its & water color sketches.

2007-03-26T19:04:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post of some loose sketches around the office.

Fresh out the oven.

2007-03-20T21:46:00.000-07:00

Some work from tonight's figure session. I think my game plan will be to keep working with value studies during the figure sessions to help me get a better grasp on light and form. I'll work on some color studies in my daily sketch book while I'm out and about.

Mandatory saturday sketch break!

2007-03-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Wow that was a long title for just one sketch. Just a quick pen drawing while taking a break last Saturday. I'm getting close to finishing up block of shots that I have had allot of fun working on. Tomo and I had to step away from the computers to get some air. I'm thinking of starting a sketch book of just location drawing around the studio...

Lindsay and I are going to attend the Nucleus galleries next show this weekend. Should be a really fun, and we hope to see ya there! Also this video below is one that my office mate K-Mac showed me a few days ago and I have watched it at least 10 times. Good stuff!

Figure and some Color!

2007-03-15T22:43:00.000-07:00

Its been a little bit sense my last post, but I have made the choice to start using color more in my daily sketches. I'll be traveling with some watercolors and will be hitting up the painting opportunities at work more starting next week. In the mean time here are a few figure drawings and one watercolor of one of the corners in my apartment.

Tonight's figure painting.

2007-02-21T21:41:00.000-08:00

Tonight I jumped into some figure painting. I wasn't too sure if I was up for it cause to be honest I really have no clue as to what I'm doing with paint. I'm using acrylic for now and will most likely jump to oil very soon. Sense I like the "feel" of what some of the guys produce each on wed nights. hehehe granted those guys have some major skills! For now my application of paint is light and this kinda feels like an underpainting....

Work is coming along as well. Its been tough but its been a blast and I think I'm starting to see things I really need to work on. Spacing is something I feel is weak in my shots. Along with facial animation which is leading me to some research in expressions and such on off hours.

Mr. Box and Lonely World.

2007-01-31T22:04:00.000-08:00

Messing around with watercolors after looking through some of Donnachada and Chua's old posts. Can't help but be inspired by those fun drawings!

Cheesecake factory!

2007-01-28T18:06:00.000-08:00

Just a quick drawing while at the table chatting with some friends. I don't know what I was doing with that marker but it was making sense in the dim light of the restaurant. hehe.

giraffe?

2007-01-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

After looking over my friends group blog...got me wanting to just relax and draw. After a few lines I realized it was kinda looking like a Giraffe. I think it has something to do with Lindsay saying she wants to take a animal scultping class and make a giraffe.

Don't let the fact bother you that he is off center and a little tipsy. I need to work on that...

Long day...

2007-01-24T19:45:00.000-08:00

Today was a long day for some reason. I'm starting on a new set of shots which I'm really pumped about. BUT...The first one is a real task for me, and is really testing me. So after a day of trying different things and not getting what I wanted. I went on down to the figure session going on after work. Its always a nice break from being in front of the computer for so many hours to just sit down and draw from life. Its also great to listen to the other guys who are regulars there talk art, animation, and film.

Figure class.

2007-01-23T21:08:00.000-08:00

Just a few drawings from figure tonight was having problems with faces tonight so I ended up having fun with one of drawings below with some crazy visor thing...I know I will be doing more head studies in the coming weeks.

Figure class.

2007-01-17T21:13:00.000-08:00

Just dopping in a few drawings from tonights session of figure.

Things are getting busy!

2007-01-16T20:46:00.000-08:00

Back from a nice 3 day weekend! Got a chance to check out PDI up north, and see some of my friends who are working on Shrek 3. Lindsay and I also went whale watching Saturday morning out in Monterey. We got to see a Humpback, and a pod of Grey whales which was just amazing. Then we spent most of the weekend buzzing around the bay area. I really only got to sit and do one drawing, and of course it was when I’m waiting for my plane to board Monday night. Sadly I think I’m drawing at airports waaayyy to much lately.

First post of the new year!

2007-01-11T20:42:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday break! Below are a couple sketches to start things off. During lunch a few guys from work went over to draw some horses and I have to say it was a blast. One of the animators at work Tomo gave me this great pen from Japan on his trip home there during the holidays, and was great for drawing the horses. I hope we get to do more location sketching during the lunch breaks as the projects roll on. The other image is of sketches done during meetings, and dailies. Gotta love the classic office post-it.

Also got a chance to see Children of Men...Really great film, and how they pulled off those long shots is beyond me.

Its getting to be that time of year!

2006-11-27T21:27:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving was great, and getting to meet up with the Ringling crew was non-stop laughs. I hope everyone’s thanksgivings went smoothly as well. Below is a quick sketch I did of a restaurant that Lindsay and I hit up during the holiday weekend. The next few weeks I foresee my posts getting sparse, but work is going to be getting extra hours in the coming weeks.

Also as its getting closer to the x-mass time and I just wanted to post up a couple links to some charity organizations that have been great resources to me over the past few years. One of the links (childsplaycharity) was shown to my by my old roommate Jason, and we both have been active with it for a few years now. There are plenty of places to give a little to and these are just a few.

www.childsplaycharity.org
www.charitynavigator.org
www.redcross.org

Happy Holiday’s everyone. Keep drawing, and be safe!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2006-11-22T07:45:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to wish everyone a safe holiday weekend. I have a few figure drawings that I'll put up later tonight. I promise to get some solid drawing time in this weekend as well. Have a good one!

Boston & Back in 25 hours.

2006-11-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

Lindsay and I were able to hop some flights over to Boston to visit with my family. It was great to see Patty and Scott fitting into the new roles as parents so well. Needless to say it was all worth it though, the lack of sleep was just like the old days back at Ringling.

Here are some sketches I did while waiting for flights. They are all a blur really, some from Burbank, San Fran, and Boston.

FIgure class.

2006-11-08T21:49:00.000-08:00

Here are some sketches I did during figure classes this week. I will put up some animation tests when I get some free time. Work is getting into gear, and I'm tring my best to keep up with the team.

A full weekend.

2006-11-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

Lindsay and I did alot of running around this weekend. Managed to fit in a few mins of location/people sketching in there though. Didn't get to draw at Disneyland on Sunday because we stepped off Splash Mountain and were handed these badges that allowed us fast pass any time on all the rides. So, needless to say we basically ran from one ride to the next getting in as much as we could while avoiding the lines.

Also Patty, Sophia, and Scott are all back home from the hospital. Everything went smoothly after she was born and they are settling in back at the house.

Flushed Away & Bee Movie Trailer

2006-11-04T17:01:00.000-08:00

Flushed Away hit theaters this Friday. Also before the movie is the first trailer for Bee Movie. I hope everyone gets to check them out this weekend.

On a side note one of the animators who worked on Flushed Away (Jeremy Bernstein.) Did this awesome caricature of me during a meeting before lunch. Check out his blog and you will see him drawin people like a machine. Hehe. Thanks Jeremy.

A NEW ADDITION!

2006-11-02T14:07:00.000-08:00

Just got word that lastnight back in Mass, my brother and his wife just welcomed in their baby daughter Sophia Andrus. Mother and daughter are doing great, and I think my brother is holdin in there too hehehe. More info to follow, and I can't wait to get back home to see her. I wish Patty, Scott, and Sophia the best. Drew this quickly while talkn to family on the phone after my dad sent me a picture of her.

Relaxin weekend.

2006-10-29T20:14:00.000-08:00

Lindsay and I ended up taking it easy for the most part this weekend. Caught Dreamworks Animation screening of Flushed Away. The teams who worked on the film did such a wonderful job. It was great to see the names of some of the animators I work with at the studio, and to see their shots up on the big screen. Also while waiting to pick Lindsay up at the airport I did a few sketches.

We decided to hit up Disneyland again on Sunday just to get a few rides in. We also tried out the "how to draw Disney characters." Sadly we left without our drawings, but we were instructed on how to draw Donald.(Where I also learned that he has been in the most animations of any Disney character...) Next time we shall save the drawings.

Tonight after getting in from the park I did a quick tweak to that bouncing ball with a leg test. I tweaked the ending so that he lands toe, to ball then heel. Then added a little hop back, sense today there was this kid at the park who jumped off a railing and hopped back due to his landing. Thought it might be something to add in. So after a few mins of messing around. Here it is.

One down and One more to go!

2006-10-24T18:18:00.000-07:00

Just got word that Lindsay got her contract extended until march. Which is great sense it will take her through the entire Subs project! I'm sure she has a long career path ahead of her up there. Great work darlin!

BallMan_01

2006-10-23T21:52:00.000-07:00

This is another quick test I did tonight. It needs some extra snap in the jump up and abit more ease at the end to soften the recover.

San Fran 10.20-22

2006-10-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

Getting back in from a wonderful weekend up in San Francisco with Lindsay. Got to meet up with Meng, and Nara for a late lunch. HAPPY B-DAY TO MENG! Did a few quick sketches while relaxing around different areas of San Fran. Now I'm off to play me some Tetris DS for the night.

Quick 2D test.

2006-10-19T22:22:00.000-07:00

Quick 2D test. Sense the painting wasn't going that well I jumped over to some animation. (Dialup users this might take a min to load.)