smudgedragon

Last month was sort of not here.

I know Xmas was suppose to happen but it kind of never did for us. We didn't have the money to get gifts for folks, and told everyone we didn't want any. Mom, of course badged me with "What do you want for Xmas?" that I finally broke down and said, "Just get me a pair of warm socks." Don't get me wrong, I actually need some new socks. And I knew even if I didn't ask form them, she'd get me socks for Xmas anyways. That's just how things work. No complaints here. So we made plans for me, rindis and Baron to head up to my folks for a Christmas dinner with my whole family, Mom-god, Dad, my brother Dave and his wife & daughter, and my sister Debbie and her husband Steven. But as the day slowly approached things fell apart. First the dates got moved. Then Dave and Co. had to bow out due minor operations. Then Deb and Steve got stuck working. And when the day came we were suppose to drive up to my folks, Baron got deathly ill. Poor Mom-god and Dad got stuck sitting alone with a bunch of Cornish game hens sitting in the oven. As it was, Baron got a roast for Xmas dinner and invited a good friend Dr. Fox, aka Blondiewood, over for dinner. I think we stayed up until 2 in the morning just chatting. It was nice. No pressure, no expectations, just a little quality time with a good friend that had no other plans that day either.

We did, however get something very important accomplished during the Xmas week. All the paperwork to the state and feds that BackBreaker is no more has been filed and the bank accounts closed. While Baron and I have a table at FC this year, we'll be doing it under a temp business permit. All of the last of our stock will be at sale prices(TBD). Yes, we'll be doing sketchbooks (that's how we eat at shows). We have no panels at the artshow. For the most part - we're going to be treating this as a relax-o-con. We have one panel this year - Coffee, Tea and Menes. Please come and bring your brains; they will be throbbing by the end of things. Do come by the table and say "Hi".

Art is being a little stressful right now. I've got the Blanc painting almost done. While it's not the best thing I've every painted, it does not suck either. But it's very frustrating that what I see in my head simply is not making it to the paper. Just need to work harder I guess. I have the next Adventures of Blanc inked and in the computer waiting for color. However, it's been sidetracked by a TOP-SECRET project that I can't talk about just yet, except to say that I'm behind schedule and it's driving me batty. Pray I make the deadline guys, I'm going to need it.

More later - need to get back to other things.

So ... I've finally feeling well enough to start poking at some of my animation projects again. Digging though the archive, I deleted a bunch of non-relevant test anims to try and squeak a few more megs out of my too-full hard-drive and finally dig up the last render of "Longing for Home". Well, that's as good of a place to start as any.

Here's the current move as it stands --
And here's what I started with back in 2005 --

Current to-do list for the film

Backgrounds/Texture maps --
1) Star field needs to be replaced. I had originally asked Baron to paint a nice one up for me but RL nixed that. Maybe I should bug Pat Duke for one instead. Hummm.

2) Need to paint up the grassy field too. Have a drawing of it that I need to scan and then its Photoshop O' Rama time and pray I just don't destroy it entirely. As you can see, I have great confidence in my painting abilities. ;p

3) Forest needs to be replanned. As you can see in the video, there's a weird error that's occurring with the toon line where it intersects the transparency of the tree models. Not good. I'll probably have to render the shot with three separate passes: The background trees, Rose, and the foreground trees that pass in front of her, then compile the entire shading-ding in my editing program. Oh, and I should think about repainting the trees and background too.

4) Cliff painting. Right now it's just a bare model with a flat colored surface for a place holder. Need to pant a nifty sky too. Maybe with some little puffy clouds... and pray I don't look like crap.

5) Need to texture the ship. Badly.

Animation --
1) Well, I new that I needed to "touch up" the recorder playing animation, but on review of the file I suddenly realized that it needs more than a touch up... since I animated the hands in the opposite position from how you play. DOH! Not so bad for most of the shots, but for the first shot where she pulls the pipe out... Oh-boy, am I in for a rough time. That first shot has a lot of constraints that it's dancing between and it mean I'll have to redue most if not all of those connections. Fun, fun, fun!

2) I still wish I could find the sheet music for this music. It'll make animating so much easier. But alas, for now it means that I need to try and match the notes with my own recorder that I can barely play and hope that I'm not too far off. Because I guaranty you, that within a month of putting a fork into the project and calling it done, some wise-ass piping fanatic on the internet will come forward and tell me all the thing I did wrong with the piping. My only consultation is that I'm not trying to do a train ....

Let's see how much farther I can get this thing. Done would be nice. But RL has a nasty habit of getting in the way. Dang, I wish I could make money at this. It would solve a lot of problems and keep me focused on finishing these much better. Alas - like in most art endeavors, there is no money in being an independent animator doing your own thing. Doesn't mean I can't wish, can I?