Taking The Leap

Today is my last day at Guava. As I wrap up my 3-year tenure as Animation Director to pursue my independent work and Sketchbot venture full-time, one of my favourite images from the French artist, Yves Klein, "Le Saut dans le Vide" (Leap into the Void), is prominent in my thoughts. No vacation for me, though. Come Monday, I dive head first into the ongoing work on the Sketchbot prototype, along with completing my entry for the upcoming custom Munny show at APW Gallery. I've got lots of exciting projects in the works, and am looking forward to sharing the process of taking my 2d concept from the page to full-up, designer toy completion.

Custom Toy Lab

My first ever custom toy was accepted over at Custom Toy Lab this afternoon. Check out their great repository of all things custom!

Sketchbot Prototype Sketches - Batch 2

Here's another set of Sketchbot prototype sketches. I like to put the character through as many poses and actions as possible to see how well the volumes hold up.

Sketchbot Prototype Sketches

Getting the Sketchbot prototype started ASAP has been on my mind lately. Whenever I have a free moment, I'll doodle a quick sketch and start fleshing out how to turn the graphic 2d version of Sketchbot into a fully realized 3d volume. Some of these drawings started before I began modeling the 3d version in Maya, while others are further studies to see how the different parts might connect and respond to "real-world" poses. I'll also be undertaking a clay maquette in the near future and these drawings will definitely come in handy for that.

Handcraft Strikes Back

A quick shout-out to Smashing Magazine for including my Sketchbot buttons in today's post compiling varied forms of buttons, badges, pins and clips. Check out all the cool designs here.

"Art and Artiface: Examining Copyright" on ToyCyte.com

I was quoted in Jeremy Brautman's excellent 3-part article posted today on ToyCyte regarding copyright and pirated content issues.  Give it a read when you get the chance (my contribution is in part II).

Sketchbot Ghostboy Custom Papercraft

I was invited to do a custom Ghostboy paper craft from Crossville X!  Of course, I couldn't resist doing a 3d version and render.  Check out the Crossville X blog for more customs.

Sketchbot Munny Concept

I couldn't resist mocking up a Sketchbot Munny as I work on a few ideas for APW Gallery's upcoming NYC Munny Contest.  I've already done a Sketchbot Qee, so for now I'll save this idea for a rainy day.

Sketchbot Qee Photo Shoot

Thought I'd share a few shots from the impromptu photo shoot I did on the morning I had to turn my custom entry in for the APW show. I was heading into work and as I walked under the Manhattan Bridge overpass on the way to the subway, I saw this visually interesting stand pipe along one side of the overpass structure. I liked the harsh lighting and thought the character fit perfectly amongst the rustic metal and concrete, so I quickly shot a bunch of shots before catching the train in. I've added some of the better compositions to the sketchbot Flickr set.

MAD @ MPH

By now, most of you who are into designer toys (and, are local to the NYC area) have most likely seen MAD's show at My Plastic Heart. If not, you've got until May 16th to check it out. I've become a quick fan of Jeremy's work over the past year, as he's got a fresh, graphic style that's clean, bold and infused with his unique sense of humor. His MAD*l figure is also one of the most brilliant and fun shapes out there. I missed opening night the day before NYCC, but did get to see the exhibit last Friday night before heading over to the APW Gallery opening. I've posted a modest selection of pictures up on Flickr. Vince has a great Flickr set up from opening night.