HERE AGAIN!

Just in time for the holidays, I'm back.  Getting caught up in work and not posting is a very bed habit that I get into.  Today let me do a quick tip on baking Super Sculpey.  Recently I re-sculpted my Big Violent Rabbit character.  The original big sculpture from 2001 was sold long ago so I made a new one.  The toaster oven I use for baking my sculptures is really nice one cubic foot of interior space, plus a timer.  It's a Hamilton Beach it might still be available through Amazon. 

Taller sculptures fit nicely, but I have to be aware how close the top of the sculpt is to the heating element.  In this case I will create heat shields out of doubled up foil, then alligator clips on armature wire to hold them in place.  All the baking with none of the burn.  Also I use a separate thermometer for temperature accuracy.  There is another piece of wire holding up his arm just so it doesn't sag, then after it's done I filled in the hole with a bit of epoxy putty.

He turned out nice, but still big and violent.

DAVID PRESSLER ART TO LIFE, LIFE TO ART!

A fantastic 3 part series where I am interviewed about my art, process and other nonsense produced by Eric Minh Swenson is up and ready to watch here.  The first part I talk about animation and my

first efforts in stop motion animation.   The other two video are about
sculpting, and my general philosophies on the Pop art scene in Los
Angeles.  Enjoy!

Take Your Robot For A Walk!

Take Your Robot For A at the Gabba Gallery is my next group show.  I'll have two new pieces in the show.  

The ultra flat paint sheen is what I go for, I mix gesso as well as matte medium into the paint as I build up the layers then finish with a flat varnish.  I will be at the opening hope to see you there.

EPISODE FOUR!

The latest Episode of How To Do Everything With Garrick And Marvin is up.  How To Cook is the subject.  For this episode I wanted to rig an actual flame device for Marvin to light the coals.  A butane torch with an extended hose did the trick, ignition was achieved by a lit votive candle hidden in the fire pit.  Kevin Clash was on hand to puppeteer the monster.

We ended up having to cut a much bigger hole in the stage to accommodate the puppeteering.

 

Intern Sydney with a monster hand, that's the way she is normally.

We will be working on more soon Garrick And Marvin will be back.

NEW EPISODE!

How To Do Everything With Garrick And Marvin has a new episode here.   The latest craft trend of rainbow loom bracelets doesn't seem to be too difficult for most people.  This was shot using about twenty thousand rubber bands.  At first I ordered five thousand thinking it would be plenty, they didn't even bury the characters.

Also getting the bands not to move around unnecessarily near impossible, so at a certain point we just move forward and make the show.

The monster puppet was made by my good friend a master puppeteer Kevin Clash, I was lucky he had time to help with my little production.  I made rough sketch and he was able to interpret the shape and make an awesome monster come to life for the show.  I rigged LED lights for the eyes, and sculpted the teeth and horns out of L-200 a dense yet flexible foam.  Kevin made the body and inner head and fur.   The monster is just the embodiment of mean, he will be making more appearances in future episodes.. 

Stay tuned! 

NEW ROBOT ANIMATION!

I've been so busy on my latest project there's been no time to write about it.  "How To Do Everything With Garrick And Marvin"  Is my latest series of shorts for DreamWorks TV.  Garrick and Marvin, two enterprising but not very bright robots try to teach simple “How To” lessons using strange inventions and their lack of common sense. Also their efforts are occasionally sabotaged by a monster that inhabits their workshop.  Currently there are four episodes the first "How To Draw" is up now.

All of the animation and fabrication is done in my garage below my studio.  The animation puppets were sculpted molded then cast in resin for durability.  They were going to do a lot of action and get bashed around quite a bit.

The set was keep relatively small I wanted it to all fit in one half of my garage close to the tools and workshop.  The shooting of the animation was done with a Canon D5 Mark III  on the Dragonframe program.   The digital age is my friend I could not have done this even 5 years ago.

Check out the latest episode and I will have more behind the scenes info on the making of the shows.

GHOST BUSTERS!

This Saturday May 17th Gallery 1988 Ghostbusters Tribute show.  All of the 80's special effects movies have a special place for me, it was the last big decade of practical Special Effects.  1994 was when I got involved in the visual effects industry and it felt like CG had really changed the business by 1998.
The piece I painted: "I Don't Feel So Good" is a tribute to the fading days of that specific time in movies.  Not on the nose symbolism but hopefully the overall feeling is there.

 

Of course I needed my vintage Slimer for reference.  Lately I've been painting with a more gritty loose style with more texture.  I will try some translucent colors for the background on future pieces.

I am about to embark on a big new project that I will be able to talk about in the next couple months, stay tuned for more info.

EAT YOUR ART OUT 7 GRINDHOUSE INFERNO!

I will have a piece in this very awesome show that benefits the Angel City Derby Girls. Last year I had a great time at the show.

The idea of a cheap Sci-Fi horror movie poster.  I would actually like to see this movie!  This piece will be up for auction 8"X10" Acrylic on art block.   Get more info on the show HERE!  Hope to see you there.

GALLERY 1988 10 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!

Amazing!  It's been 10 whole years since I first met Jensen and Katie for my first show at G1988.
Nov of 2004 it was myself, Joe Ledbetter, Luke Chueh, Thomas Han and Peter Gronquist. for the fist Vivisect Play Set show.  The Endorphins where the main characters I was exploring at the time, I wish I had better pics of the installation.

Right by the front door of the old Gallery, I painted the back wall and hung the rest of the pieces.
The energy was always fantastic and I'm looking forward to this Friday for the 10th Anniversary show "The Subtle Art Of Pop-Culture" and I'm hoping that some of the artist from the past are there.

I just finished a new piece for the show titled; "Onward And Upward" a tribute to a favorite film of mine, as always portrayed with Robots.   Coming up soon is the Ghost Busters 30th Anniversary Show, lots of anniversaries.  That is a traveling show with the Los Angeles show on May 17th I will reveal the new piece I have done for that showing soon.  It's great to have been part of so many creative shows with G1988 and I'm looking forward to many more!  Congrats to Jensen and Katie and the entire crew.

INKING ANYONE?

Sometimes I'll think up a "How To" art related topic, then second guess myself, thinking "This idea is too simple, everyone knows how to do that.."  "That" being any art skill that you can think of.  Recently I had the same self editing thought about Pen and Ink.  Since I finished 100 Robots using old school pencil pen & ink would there be interest out there to see a little tutorial on how I make those pieces?   My energy is coming back, and I was in my home office all of last week.  There's a short step ladder with a pillow on it to support my leg while I draw at my desk.  Then I have created some paths to roll my chair to any point in the studio, so I'm mobile enough to do some more blogging.  

MY BIGGEST CHARACTER DESIGN PET PEEVE!

In my years of character designing there is one issue that always comes up from time to time  when I have designed characters for animation or puppetry.  The best way to describe the issue is through illustration:

This is Hank, he is outgoing and a real story teller.  Phil is Hanks other friend.  Phil is a glass half empty kind of guy, but always there when you need him.  Then there's Julie, the cutest girl in town. She sees the good in everyone.   These would be my initial rough ideas for the characters.

After I turn the art in for approval here is the typical first response from the art director, producer, or network.  “Great we love hank!  Phil is so funny and gloomy!  We like Julie, but how will people know she’s a girl?   Can we give her hair?  Put a bow on her head? Or maybe big eyelashes?

CRAZY MAKING!  This note comes from men and women.   How is this an interesting or good story telling or design choice? Any boy / man character can be a lump, a ball, or a bucket.  The second it’s a girl we must feminize and give sexuality to the character.   In my career I constantly fight against this outdated notion, if Hank and Phil are basically lumps and that is the world we have established then Julie needs to be a lump too, with a feminine character voice thoughts and behavior.  That’s how we know she’s a female.  Even when we were making Robot and Monster an executive wanted me to make J.D. more slim and “Sexy”.  What the exec didn’t get was she already is the sexiest monster in the show, exactly how she is.  The exec was projecting their own ideas of what is attractive into the Robot and Monster world and story.  Needless to say I did not let that happen. 

This whole idea can fall under the banner of “Make Interesting Choices” when you are designing, Illustrating etc.   And don't fall into this unimaginative trap.


P.S. I'm recuperating nicely and starting to ease back into working.  Thanks for all the well wishing!

WHAT'S NEW FOR 2014!

Welcome to 2014 It feels so futuristic!  The year has started off a little rocky for me, ending 2013 with the Very Robot Christmas Show was excellent.  Thanks everyone for coming out and seeing the show.  Unfortunately I wasn't able to be there for the closing.  During Christmas break me and family were in Telluride Co skiing and enjoying the snow.  New years day I was skiing an easy run, I was in control not going to fast when i caught an edge and tumbled over.  Normally this is not so bad, a regular occurrence for some of us not elegant skiers.  he problem was I was close to the edge of the mountain and when I fell I went over the side.  Now it wasn't a rocky cliff wall, or like Homer Simpson jumping Springfield Gorge but a steep incline going down into the woods.  My right leg was probably broken on the first big fall, then as I tumbled out of control down the hill it kept getting re-broken again and agin.  All in I think I rolled down about 30 ft and finally stopped when I hit a deep snow bank.  Luckily some people had sen me crash and called the ski patrol. The ski patrol was awesome they had to do some fancy maneuvering to get me down.  My right leg had a broken Tibia and the Fibula broken in two places.  When I was laying on the gurney in the emergency room after they got all of my gear off I saw my right foot was hanging down at the 5 O' clock position, I don't think it is supposed to do that.I got shipped off to a nearby hospital to have surgery, now I have a titanium rod in my lower leg and a month of crunching around in my future.

This  year I have some cool art projects planned and will be loading up the store with more prints an original art for purchase.  Keep checking back, and Happy New Year!