Thoughts on Creature Design - FSU Presentaion Relection

On Wednesday afternoon, I did a short lecture/presentation to a class at Florida State University regarding creature design. I also forgot to take any photos, so it will only be words today. Kieth Roberson, a former professor of mine, asked me to come to talk to his animation students. The students are working on creature designs that they will model and then use motion capture to animate. How things have changed since I graduated twenty years ago. Twenty years ago, it was a constant fight to show that monsters were ART. Now they have a class where students are designing them and animating them.

It has been several years since I have been back in the art building of FSU, but I can not tell you when the last time was. It was a little strange being back, as one feels whenever you return to a place that has such time-specific memories. It was the same, yet oddly different. Subtle things were out of place. Similiar faces in the crowds to my memories, though the people in my memories have been gone from there twenty years. I expected to see some familiar faces only to remember they were dead. The usual mix of emotions when you return to a place from your past.

I felt like I flew through my presentation, but it was an hour or more. I shared designs and process for creature work, both personal and for clients. Talked about designing for film, games, and books. Not sure if I was boring anyone to tears, but I would have murdered to have been in a presentation like the one I gave twenty years ago. With all of the opportunities and options now available with online course, week-long workshops, conventions, and information at your fingertips, it is amazing how younger artists, as I was, don't know where to turn to for guidance. Not that they were clueless, not at all, when I was in school, there were nearly no options, now there are thousands. It can become overwhelming. I hope I did not overwhelm even more.

An hour was by no means long enough. If I should do this again, I will need to allow for more time to talk, look at students work, and take part in a critique. My schedule was not very flexible on Wednesday, and I regret having to run out the door when I did. Hopefully, I will be able to return to spend more time working directly with the students. It has taken me twenty years to feel like I am a competent creature designer. That can not be conveyed in a hours presentation. 

Not really sure if this post ended up going where I meant it to, but here we are all the same. Whenever I find myself in a school or instructional situation, I feel a pull to get involved and start sharing my experience. I might go as far as to say I feel like I want to instruct or guide in these situations. Always something to think about.

* UPDATE - I checked and I was at FSU way back in 2009 when I gave another small presentation. Apparently, it has been ten years since I had been over on campus.

That is all for another exciting week on the blog, see you next week! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com

Upping My Frame Game

Since I have shared two new paintings in the last two week, I think this is a good opportunity to share some of the stuff I have been doing behind the scenes to create an overall more professional finished product with my paintings. What I am focusing on right now is upping my frame game. I look to my friend and fellow artist, Sam Flegal, as a guide on how to up my frame game. On top of being an amazing artist and businessman, Sam has great taste in frames and presentation. A lot of what I am doing to better my own frame game is learned directly or through observation from Sam. Recently, I have gone that extra step and started to finish off the backs of my framed paintings...

Choosing the right frame for the right painting is part of it and I am constantly trying to find ways to better frame my work in a cost effective way. When someone is buying a painting you want to give them a finished complete item, so sometimes that means addressing the parts you don't always see.

BAM! I have started to clean up and finish off the backs of my paintings.

I have had custom stickers made so that my branding and info is clearly presented on the back!

Made sure to put little rubber feet on the bottom of the frame for a better hanging experience.

In the end this was not as difficult step to take as I first imagined. Once you have the supplies to do it, which were not terribly expense, it comes together quickly and easily. It is just a matter of taking that extra step to invest the time and effort to make a more finished product. To be honest, I didn't realize this was even an option for me until recently (thanks to Sam... THANKS SAM!). When I started painting, I didn't even think this was necessary, I was just thrilled to be painting.  In my opinion, for what it is worth, I feel that the presentation of the painting is enhanced and it now feels professional and finished in a way my open backed paintings did not. My only regret is that I have sold paintings before I started doing this and I wish I could go back and finished off those paintings. BUT, this IS a learning process and you can't expect things to be perfect immediately.

That is all for another exciting Wednesday on the blog, see you back here on Friday! Until then...

For more samples of my work or to contact me regarding my availability head over to my website: www.christopherburdett.com