Man vs Art Episode 015 Jim Lujan and I recap the Animation Getdown Plus A Man vs. Art look at the mindset of the artist, and some tips on how to hold your pencil.
By Raul | January 26, 2010
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:08:52 — 63.0MB)
Who's this Jim Lujan character? Security!!!
The Animation GetDown at Geeks Comics in Whittier California was a total blast We had a full house and the cartoons were awesome! I’d like to thank the following people for helping make the 2010 Geeks Animation Getdown making the Animation Get Down a sucess, Jim Lujan, Gracialla Rodriguez, Steve Sievers, Dahveed, Scott Essman, Kevin Cross, Nuvein Foundation for Literature and the Arts
Enrique Diaz and Renato Aguirre. Who I believe has the coolest last name I’ve ever Heard. I’m Just sayin’.
Sal Felix the owner of Geeks Comics.
Sal Felix the the owner of GEEKS Comics provided us with the wonderful venue and refreshments!, Geeks Comics the best place to scratch your comic book itch! 6747 Greenleaf Ave. Suite A ,Whittier, CA 90601. 562 – 696 – 9393
My lovely Wife Hortencia completes me.
My wife the lovely and vivacious Hortencia Aguirre for providing candy grab bags for the audience and her expert photography service!
Thanks to my Brother Ricardo for showing up! Is it just me or do we look like….
This means something.
I’d also like to thank everyone who attended the show.
- What a great time!
What should mindset as an artist be?
I say you need to be enthusiastic, passionate and dedicated. Most importantly you must have the love. If you don’t love drawing, I mean really LOVE IT! You won’t last. Sorry. Look, creating art is hard. You must love your art enough to get through the tough times.
In the art world you’ll encounter mainly 2 types of negative people. Douche Nozzles and Dumb Asses. How do you spot who is a “Douche Nozzle” and who is the “Dumb Ass” depends on who you ask. One person’s “Douche Nozzle” might be another person’s “Dumb Ass”.
It sometimes happens that when a person disagrees with us, we want to label them either an uppity “Douche Nozzle” or a Lowly “Dumb Ass”. They are too stupid to see things “our way”. Or, they are too stubborn and “uptight” because they refuse to appreciate something we admire. But are these people really a Douche Nozzle or a Dumb Ass?
Everyone entitled to an opinion.
It’s how you express it. Be polite and gracious that’s all.
How to hold your pencil when you draw.
Some useful pencil wrangling tips!
2 Books that are Man vs. Art required reading.
1. The Natural Way to Draw by Kimon Nicolaïdes
THEE BOOK!
This is a must for anyone serious on learning how to learn to draw. Get it? This book teaches you how to approach your study of drawing. This book is a solid beginning and only for for the dedicated. NO POSERS! Do the exercises, the best you can but more importantly draw. Draw everyday. Some will complain, “Awe man it will take me years to do this!” What do you plan on retiring your pencil the day you learn how to draw? It doesn’t take years, it takes a lifetime of hard work to learn how to learn to draw.
Chuck Jones followed it, as well as Shamus Culhane who wrote the next book.
2. Animation from script to screen by Shamus Culhane
No. B.S. approach to making cartoons!
During my internship at Walt Disney Feature Animation in 1994 my first Animation Mentor Dave Zaboski recommended this book by Shamus Culhane, and it was a blast! Shamus animated the famous Pluto and the Flypaper sequence and “Honest John” Foulfellow the fox and Gideon the dopey cat on Pinnochio. He worked at Warners and UPA and is considered a master. He makes it possible to learn animation from a book. Covering every aspect of film animation, from basic mechanics to giving creativity full play, and including writing, recording, acting, dialogue-even how to mange an animation studio of one’s own, Culhane fulfills the promise of his title-”from script to screen. This book contains more than 130 illustrations, graphic exercises, and sketches for an honest hands-on experience for the novice.
Man vs. Art animated promotional video.
Man Vs. Art Episode 014! So you want to be an artist? 5 Unavoidable truths about being an artist.
By Raul | January 9, 2010
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:37 — 50.0MB)
Drawing is a skill ANYONE can learn whether or not they possess “natural talent”.
And I do mean anyone.
Yes. Even a guy like Bernie Lipshitz.
Bernie Lipshitz Rookie Artist at large.
If you are serious about learning how to draw, there are a few things you need right off the bat.
The desire to to learn, education, patience, dedication, and most important of all,
you need tons and tons of practice!
Before embarking on your lifelong quest to master drawing, you must be aware of what I call ” 5 unavoidable truths of being an artist.” If you can’t accept ALL of these, perhaps you should try something other than art.
Let us face up to what to many, is “un-face-up-to-able.”
UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH #1
Never underestimate how dopey we all can be.
You are going to screw up.
Repeat. You are going to screw up both royally and often. It’s part of the process. Don’t beat yourself up if your drawing of Marylin Monroe looks more like Marylin Manson. Chin up! A good artist quickly learn to recognize his mistakes and learns from them.
Avoid being too self-critical. No one can be as good as Michelangelo on Monday morning at nine am their first day as an artist! It will take time for you to develop. Which brings us to the next truth.
UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH #2
You must dedicate a significant part of your time to practicing how to draw.
If you aren't making funny noises with your mouth, you are not drawing HARD enough!
People always ask me, “Raul, how do you get to Disney ?
My answer. ” Practice.”
Every single artist has at least a zillion crappy drawings within him or her. The sooner you get them out of the way or “exorcise” them the better. Get it? I myself am already on my two zillionth one.
UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH #3
You must learn to accept criticism from EVERYBODY.
Ignore the douche nozzles!
You must learn to accept criticism from EVERYBODY.
Always accept a critique with a smile and a thank you. Even if you think the critic is blind or high.
It’s up to you if you follow up on the criticism or not. Arguing with a critic is like arguing with a drunk. Pointless. Use logic not emotion to determine your reaction. That’s being a pro.
UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH #4
Competition between artists is a waste of time.
Don't waste energy on being competitive. Be the best you can be.
You feel jealous towards your artistic rival, your Lex Luthor, because he just sold a big painting, that you know sucks. A Unicorn running on a rainbow?!! In outer space?!!! Forget Lex Luthor! What the heck does he have to do with you becoming the best artist you can be? Competitive behavior is a waste of time. Use that energy on your projects! Besides, everyone has a different background, as well as tastes, and visions! We are all unique and special. Like little snowflakes!
UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH #5
It's not the pencil that makes the drawing.
I hate to break it to you all, but in the early stages of an artist’s career, the quality of the drawing implement has little if nothing to do with the sucess of a drawing.
A rookie will get the same results
whether he uses a chewed up golf pencil he found under the couch.
or the $375.00 Porsche Design P3150 Collection – Black Leather Pencil. That’s right i said a Porsche pencil. It comes down to the skill of the artist weilding the pencil.
I wonder how fast this Porsche pencil can draw?
Eventually you’ll want a couple of decent wire-bound sketchbooks.
A good wire-bound sketchbook is essential for an artist!
This will help you keep organized and most importantly help you chart your progress. At this stage you don’t need anything fancier. In fact I highly recommend you not buy any fancy pencils, pens, paper or leather bound sketchbooks. There will be plenty of time for that later when your Draw FU is stronger. You’ll be too afraid to screw up with the fancy stuff and it WILL affect your drawing.
Speaking of STRONG DRAW FU…
Back in my days at Walt Disney Feature Animation, a good friend of mine, The openly Canadian Supervising Animator Mike Surrey used a yellow #2 pencil to animate his scenes.
Here I am with Mike Surrey at the Walt Disney Feature Animation TARZAN Wrap Party
He’s the guy that gave us Timon, Clopin on Hunchback, Terk on Tarzan, Commander Rourke on Atlantis and Buck on Home on the Range. One of the most brilliant animators ever. He was my mentor for the four years prior to my working with Glen Keane. It was thanks to his teaching and patience that prepared me to be Glen’s assistant.
Mike is a great dude with a killer sense of humor, who was always willing to give me a few minutes to go over my scenes. He taught me how to approach animation with confidence! I found his lively and expressive drawings to be quite an inspiration! Yet he drew these Disney masterpieces with the same pencil you take the SAT with.
Mike Surrey Master Animator!
Here is a recent audio interview with Disney Animators Mike Surrey and Mark Henn.
PRX THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG: Disney animators talk to Andrea Chase
http://www.prx.org/pieces/43057-the-princess-and-the-frog-disney-animators-mark-h
Check out the 2D traditional animation demonstration Mike did here!
For those that don’t believe me about Mike’s penchant for Yellow number 2 pencils, check out what he’s drawing with in the vid.
During my 2005 trip to Europe I had an interesting encounter with a rookie or “rook” as I like to call them.
- This kid was determined to be an artist.
I was befriended by a German kid thatwas really interested in what I was doing.
The kid ran into me while I was sketching fellow passengers aboard this ferry on the Aegean Sea. We sat and talked for quite a while. IT turns out I was the deciding factor in his choosing to become an artist. I guess announcing his decision to me made it official or something. BTW His voice wasn’t as dorky as my ” dramatic reenactment.” But as you all know, here at Man Vs. Art, we like putting extra salsa on the tacos!
GEEKS COMICS PRESENTS:
ANIMATION GETDOWN 2010!
Everyone is invited to Geeks Animation Getdown 2010! I teamed up with my friends and fellow animation artists Jim Lujan, Graciella Rodriguez, and Scott Essman and we are are putting on a show! Sal the Owner of Geeks Comics in Whittier CA, has been kind enough to provide the venue! Once you watch our cartoons, you can’t unwatch them!
Check out the promotional video I made.
How to draw an Elf going postal for Christmas with The Ramones! Plus a 2D animation of a dancing girl.
By Raul | December 24, 2009
A little holiday revelry!
Lily Feliciano at The Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood runs a website called Sketch Theater.
They celebrate the process of sketching! Can you believe that?! So awesome! They invite professional artists and film them from above as they draw. Then they speed up the footage and add some cool music making a performance video out of sketching!
Lily just posted my Postal Elf sketch and I thought I’d share it with the Man vs. Art minions for Christmas! Because you guys rock and deserve nothing but kick ass stuff!
Great Christmas tune by The Ramones perfectly complements the sketch I made of an elf going completely postal.
Also here is a little animation test I did of a girl dancing. I used ToonBoom and a Wacom Tablet. Which turned out to be easier than I thought. It is myfirst rough pass, but I think it works pretty well. Now I just need to clean it up and color it!
So sit back with your tequila and bourbon eggnog and enjoy!
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Man Vs. Art Episode 13! Part 2 of Indy Comic Book Creator Geo Brawn IV Interview!
By Raul | December 19, 2009
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (43.3MB)
Plus The 2009 Man vs. Art Christmas card and more!
But first Geo Brawn IV
In today’s podcast I present you guys with part two of my chat with my friend and esteemed colleague Los Angeles Indy Comic Creator Geo Brawn IV. We get down to brass tacks about Geo’s technique and approach!I learned for example he uses Tuxedo Black Acme Bic markers. A pretty common pen you can pick up at any office supply store for your drawing needs.
Keep it simple with BIC!
BIC Mark-It Permanent Markers, Ultra-Fine Point, Tuxedo Black.
Ideal for small spaces and detailed crafts. Textured rubber grip is engineered for comfort and control. Marks on glass, metal, CD’s, coated paper, photos, plastics. Long cap-off life. Vivid, quick-drying ink resists water.
- Holy Crap what a wonderful pen! Too bad it’s gone!
I was a Victim of Circumstance!
It’s a good idea to use a common type of drawing implement. I unfortunately got hooked big time on these wonderful disposable fountain pens from Pentel way back when I was at Film Roman in 2003. These are AWESOME! They give you a consistent Crisp thin line that you can make thicker by applying the slightest pressure.
When I was wrapping my short Hero Heights at Nickelodeon in the summer of 2006 I discovered the pen had been discontinued! The Horror! I couldn’t find them anywhere anymore.
One day I walked into a local Mom ‘n’ Pop Art Supply store near my home in Downey California and asked the guy if he had any of those pens. He opened a drawer and there were like about FIFTY of them! I was happier than a poet on pay day! I bought them all and have been using them since. I’m down to my last dozen or so and need to ween myself off of them like real soon!
So let that be a lesson. Be careful of what tool you choose for drawing. You don’t want to wake up one day and find out they stopped making them.
Anyway……
How about taking a gander at a couple of Olivia’s beauties!
- Sweeeet!
Hellooooo nurse!
The famous Pin Up artist Olivia, who’s wonderful illustrations of beautiful women have been gracing the pages of Playboy and Heavy Metal for years! Well, as it turns out, she is a big influence on Geo. I can see why! I mean wow! Just look at how stunning her pieces are! Wonderfully executed works of art that really capture the beauty of women that we all love so much!
Ahooogah!
Big Guys of the world UNITE!
Geo and I share many things in common. Besides the whole artist writer thing we are both also big intimidating looking dudes with deep voices. We look like fugitives from a Wookie convention. We get crap from people all the time. The cool thing is when we get tired of it we just squash the little runts. Most guys like us are bouncers, cops and hired muscle not artists! So we throw people off everywhere we go. I like that.
Geo by Raul
Remember in the last podcast, we found out people mistake Geo for being Samoan! That’s a group of folks famous for their size and ferocity!
So the next time you a see a huge goon. Be careful. He might draw your picture.
Sheila called.
If you check out the podcast you’ll hear me taking some calls from the audience. We had a great call from Sheila from West Hollywood. She runs a “petite” girl’s boutique on Melrose called “The Girly Cue.”
Man what a crazy broad!
What’s on Raul’s desk?
I thought I would share with you guys what I’m currently working on.
First up is a character design for a show I created called Cuddles King of Congo Island.
Meet Dr. Gideon G. Granola.
The Old New Age Guy
Dr. Gideon G. Granola
He’s the eccentric , some say senile, gazillionaire philanthropist, extreme environmentalist, militant vegan, pacifist, wildlife expert, Dr. G. Gideon Granola.
A relic of the sixties now pushing seventy. His family owns the famous Granola Discount Freight Company and with the profits from said company Dr. Granola funds his crazy expeditions.
And why not? He is after all the world’s top authority in Eco- Biology and officially holds the title ” World’s Oldest Tree Hugger.” If you want proof there is a picture of him at the Smithsonian hugging General Sherman, the world’s oldest and most gigantic Sequoia Redwood, when it was only a sapling! He is into all things hippie and new age and has a strange but very Zen way of looking at stuff. Meditation is a big part of his life, and he does it often, both on purpose and otherwise. He goes in and out of “Zen” like trances and after a long, sometimes uncomfortable pause says…….. “What?”
He is mellow for the most part but gets really really excited about nature! I mean really excited. He loves nature and everything about it! Even the stuff that could kill you. All the bugs, plants, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals are all equal in his mind. On the other hand if sees someone harming nature it becomes personal.
His eagerness and spirit have not diminished in his old age. Dr. Granola likes being in the field where he can make things happen, and where his flatulence is less noticeable.
He is forgetful and a little flaky. Did I mention his gold medal in “funny old man Tai Chi?” Its true!
World's oldest tree hugger.
When he announced he would be leading an expedition to find the fabled “Congo Island” everyone laughed and called it folly. But he knew better! Now that he’s found it, he plans to study and catalog as much of the island’s wonders as he can. Secretly Dr. Granola is searching for “The Fountain of Youth” Yes that one! He has reason to believe the fountain is on Congo Island and he’s going to find it.
From Fartsy to Artsy. A fine art commission.
This is the charcoal value study for a portrait I have been commissioned to paint. I just finished the drawing last night and am priming my canvas right now.
value study for a portrait commission
Sketching as a performance?! No really I swear!
And here you will find something really really cool that I got involved with Lily Feliciano at The Gnomon School of Visual Effects in Hollywood runs a Sketch Theater.com. A celebration of the process of sketching! Sketch Theater invites professional artists and films them from above as they draw. Then they speed up the footage and add some cool music making a performance video out of sketching!
Recently I went in to be filmed and Lily just put up my first video!
Check it out!
And now a moment of reflection for the Holidays.
Las posadas by Raul Aguirre Jr.
Each year I make a Christmas card for my wife and I to send out to our friends and family. Here is this year’s card for you Man Vs. Art minions to enjoy. It depicts the Mexican Christmas tradition called Las Posadas or “the inns”
Las Posadas is a yearly neighborhood tradition for Catholic Mexicans that symbolizes the hardship Mary and Joseph endured before finally finding a place to stay where Jesus could be born. From December 16th to the 24th each family in a neighborhood sets up a nativity scene and acting as innkeepers will schedule a night for the Posada to be held at their home. The neighborhood kids portray pilgrims (peregrinos), who seek lodging by going house to house singing a traditional song.
All the pilgrims carry small lit candles in their hands, and two kids carry small statues of Joseph leading a donkey, on which Mary is riding. At each house the resident sings a refusal for lodging until the weary travelers reach the designated site for the party, where Mary and Joseph are finally recognized and allowed to enter.
Once the “innkeepers” let them in, the group of guests come into the home and kneel around the Nativity scene to pray the rosary.Then it’s time for a good old fashioned Christmas hoe down Mexico Style! Children will break open piñatas by striking these colorful paper-maché (traditionally terracotta) objects with sticks while blindfolded to obtain candy hidden inside, and there will be a feast of tamales, buñuelos, and atolé!
Isn’t tradition awesome!
We here at ManVsArt.com would like to wish every single one of you and your loved ones a joyous holiday season and thank you from the bottom of our hears for making Man Vs. Art your choice for art related shenanigans and fun!
Raul and Che.
Man Vs. Art Episode 12! Interview with Geo Brawn IV! Creator of “The Untold Chronicles!
By Raul | December 4, 2009
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (45.6MB)
Ok folks!
Big Show!! Lots to share.
First up, I am proud to present part one of my two part chat with local Indy Comic Creator, Illustrator, and Samoan Impersonator Geo Brawn IV.
Geo_Brawn_IV being suave.
Here is the initiation ceremony where Geo and Luis Escobar were sworn into the Cartoonistas!
Geo had his hand on a hardcover of Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns and Luis used volume two of the essential Spider-man!
Inside info about Geo’s Epic Vampire tale The Untold Chronicles!
For thousands of years the stories have remained untold… until now. We’re talking serious stuff, with a heavy duty hook.
Bloody hot!
The image above scares the living s*** out of me in a good way!
You gotta check it out!
Godzilla!
Dorky Kong!
King Kong Vs. Godzilla! Oh yeah it's on Kong!
A promo piece for the movie from 1962!
Kong Designed by homeless guys. Still more fun than Peter Jackson's WTF version.
In the Bottom Pic of Kong, what’s going on with the raised leg? Two Knees? Gotta dig the cheese factor people!
It’s what separates us from the monkeys! That and the flinging poo thing!
PLUS!!!
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Elvira
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Bruce Lee!
The horror Hostess with the Mostest!
Bruce Lee the man, the myth
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Eli Wallach. Greatest Mexican Actor who is not Mexican! Ever.
Tuco Benedito Pacifico Juan Maria Ramirez
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Shogun Warriors!
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Tom Hatten!
In Los Angeles during the 70’s and 80’s Tom Hatten hosted a cartoon show called Popeye and Friends, where he showed old toons and drew pictures of the characters!!! He also hosted “The Family Film Festival” which showcased classic films with guys like the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, Bob Hope and Bing Crosby, and even Jerry Lewis! Good Times!!!
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A guy named Ariel!
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Cosby!
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Australian d***k wrestling!
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Alan Moore!
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Childhood memories and trauma!
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- That’s right! I got stretch monster as a kid! I was once little! I swear!
A little holiday fun and memories.
Music and sound effects up the waz! Almost an hour of fun and insanity all for the price of, well….FREE! You can’t beat that!
You’ve heard the podcast!!! You Can’t unhear it!
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