Motley Crew

More pics are coming in every day.
Bonus: Here is a download link from Rodney's Marching Art band of the music at the parade ---> MUSIC

These were taken by James Tworow, his photos can be found here on FLICKR!

My roomie, me and my buddy KT --> Motley Crew.

High Performance

 They keep going and going.

THE PARADE WAS DEFINITELY FESTIVE!

A group of friends and I took part in the parade, we were lucky enough to the tail of the event.  We followed a fantastic band, the music made it magical.  Not only did we have a blast and make new friends but at the end the honourable Mayor Naheed Nenshi was accommodating enough to allow us to get a photo with him just before he had to leave.

 

 (Photo by Doug Wong)

from left to right: Audrya 'the fox' Corbett, Ray 'Bear' Kruger, Mayor Nenshi, Asya 'the organizer' Barker, Brian "Bunny" Batista, Karilynn 'wolf riding hood' Thompson.

There were tons of photographers on route and a live video stream on the High Performance Rodeo website <--(click this link for more info) during the event. Like the Pied Piper, the parade attracted many followers. The quiet riot at the Hyatt was the only low key portion where many onlookers in the +15 system were not shocked by the surprise.

This photo was taken by photographer James Tworow of me on the outdoor portion of the parade where I was also photographed with a beautiful Sikh couple in their wedding garb. Congratulations and blessings to them. All and all it was an amazing way to start off the week-end. Let me tell you I am not one to  "kiss and tell", but it has already been a phenomenal week-end for me!

THE PARADE IS TODAY!! & RABBIT SHIRT PROOFS

The Chinatown +15 Parade is today, check it out if you can it will be a blast!

 
Friday, January 21, 4:00-5:00 pm
Downtown Calgary +15 Walkway System
Starting at Sun Life Plaza (144 4th Ave SW, Central Court)
Ending at EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts (2nd floor, 225 8th Ave SE)

 _____________________________________________________

The Taoist Tai Chi Societies Year of the Rabbit Shirt Proofs are in. I think they look great, especially on the blue color they chose.  I can't wait to see them in real life!

!

Publicity Parade

 YOUR FACE HERE

 I'm in the Fast forward this week. Just remember it's entertainment!

Well there is no point in looking back now.  You have to be extremely careful when you agree to an interview with the media, but I should have already known that. I have been written out of context a number of times, but who's counting. All publicity is good publicity in the end! Honestly,  I was hoping most of that wouldn't end up in print. But it makes for good reading. I guess the hippy part is kind of funny and I got to name drop important organizations like EMMEDIA, OYR and Burning Man. My ACAD job took most of the space, good thing I took the job. As for the rest of it, you decide, I promise, if nothing else it's a good read. I'm getting props already, my phone and facebook have been off the hook.


SEE THE ARTICLE HERE

Year of the Rabbit - Finished images for T-shirt prints

Here are the two final images for the Taoist Tai Chi society t-shirts that I designed. I cant wait to see them in real life. The colors this year are black and robin's egg blue.

One rabbit will be on the front and the other will be on the back.

 

 They will be available at the Taoist Tai Chi society Main office just off of crowchild once the Chinese New Year has been ushered in.

Year of The Rabbit - Steps explained

Keep in mind that I work from biggest brush and loosest strokes to the smallest brush and finest details. This should explain the secrets of quickly completing a commission in acrylic more clearly;)

1) sketch out and block in your design.  Fill in with a watered down wash of the final color, very rough and quick. This step defines the shape you're going to paint.

The next steps add mass and form: You will work from dark to light. (the reason is darker colors are more transparent and white is the only true opaque color in paint)

2) Block in your dark tones & the shadow areas but leave areas from layer 1 showing thru near the edges (it enhances the finished painting)

3) Apply your main colors (the middle tone) use a medium size brush with gestural brush strokes to give it life, dont just block it in or it will read as flat (unless that is what you want)

4) Add in all your lighter tones and highlights.

               any additional textures or patterns that may be present.

Give your eyes a rest, sleep on it and finish the painting off tomorrow.......

5) Revisit your darkest tone and lightest tone and use the smallest brush you like to give it crisp details and edges where you want the viewer to look the most (so not the background)

6) Don't forget to sign it!


Hopefully this process will help you create your next work of art!

Year of Rabbit - Part 4

The next phase after giving my eyes a rest, consisted of punching up the darks and bringing out the highlights.

 

The detail level is increased with the reduction of brush size, down to a number 4 round to detail the fur and crisp up the edges.

I  used zinc white thinned down for the highlights because it is more transparent less chalky than titanium white.

My next step is to cut out all the blue backgrounds in photoshop. from there I turn the images to eps files and email them to the Taoist Tai chi society so they approve them for printing.

Year of the Rabbit - Part 3

I blocked in the main parts flushing out the rabbit's body mass using burnt umber and titanium white.

I changed the ears and filled them in and on the next painting threw in a blue background.

Highlights have been introduced and now I just need a fresh perspective to put in the finishing details.

Year of the Rabbit - Part 2

So here is the second phase of the three rabbit paintings.

 

I blocked in the darks with a number 4 flat brush.

 

The paintings begin to get some form and depth with the application of the darkest tone.

Blocking in the eyes adds life and a focal point. I decided to change the ear on the first painting to give the profile a bit more mass.

Year of the Rabbit

I began painting 3 options for shirt designs for the Taoist Tai Chi society this year. Here is my introductory process.

I painted them with Stevenson and Golden acrylic on canvas.  My first step was to sketch out my preliminary drawings taken from sketches base of photos I found online.

I used a grid to blow them up from my sketchbook to the two sizes of canvas I selected.

I then roughly brushed in some light and dark browns to give each fuzzy body some form.

Walk the Walk - Year for Bunnies!

 Year of the rabbit, and with a nickname like Bunny, it must be my year!!!!

I have been invited by  One Yellow Rabbit  to take part, along side Calgary's Mayor Naheed Nenshi, as their mascot in the +15 Chinatown Art Parade happening January 21, 2010.

I'll be there with ears on!

+15 CHINATOWN ART PARADE

...Friday, January 21, 4:00-5:00 pm
Downtown Calgary +15 Walkway System
Starting at Sun Life Plaza (144 4th Ave SW, Central Court)
Ending at EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts (2nd floor, 225 8th Ave SE)

Celebrate the 100th anniversary of Calgary’s Chinatown with a parade in the +15s!

The +15 Chinatown Art Parade will feature costumes, dancers, floats, music, hand-painted lanterns and much more. This unique event will be a colourful collision of traditional and urban culture, bringing an energetic rush to the +15 system during rush hour – and everyone is invited!

For more information about the +15 Chinatown Art Parade, visit www.hprodeo.ca, call 403.294.7411 or e-mail info@hprodeo.ca.

Additional info can be found on the facebook event page HERE.

Year of the rabbit

Here are a few preliminary sketches for the Year of the rabbit shirt that I was asked to design for the Taoist Tai Chi Society. I designed their year of the tiger shirt last year and rumor has it...it was a hit, being their best selling T-shirt to date.  That is a lot to live up too. A guy like me with a nickname like 'bunny' shouldn't have a hard time designing a year of the rabbit shirt after all.

So do I go for cute, graphic, realistic, conservative? Je ne sais pas......

Got to hand it to 'em

 Yeah, more hands. Now, that was in NO way an exercise in futility. I challenge anyone who likes to draw or past, present or future student of animation to practice by drawing Preston Blair styled hands. If you don't have a reference book, use my sketches to work from.......... no excuses, get to it!

Great reference to have and it was good practice at my craft.
Now to move onto mudras maybe even int he Preston  Blair style.

Give me a hand

Preston Blair hands. Always a useful thing to practice and even more useful to master if you are an animator. I think it was John K., creator of Ren and Stimpy, who recommended drawing an entire page of Preston Blair hands. So, I did some last night.

The method is to draw a circle, add an area for fingers and a thumb so it looks like a mitten. Add a bit more flesh around a thumb. Then flesh the rest out. It is also extremely useful to draw cartoon hans by looking at real hands.

In the meadow...

...we can build a snowman.

I'm sort of getting into the holiday spirit, but only because a vacation is near and I'm looking forward to seeing my family. I figured I'd use my Copics and Prismacolor and spend a little more time on a drawing in full color in my sketchbook.

 Here it is after night one, before heading to bed. I just couldn't commit to color at this point so this is all done in copic. The next day I found my prismacolor and completed the drawing below.

Brrrrrrrrrr.  I think I may do a little more blending later on the backgroun snow to smooth it out.

Whacky indeed

The other day I was reading the news and there was this story about a peodphelia ring that got busted. It turns out one of the head guys was a part time clown. Need another reason to hate clowns? How fitting. I did a quick sketch and used office markers and supplies to make it a little more appealing.  Below is a whackybox drawn in HB but entirely without a ruler.

Topless fairy girl

Here are some sketched I did while watching some animations after work last night while waiting for my dinner to cook.  I didn't want to ink this on in because my copics bleed through this particular sketchbook paper and I don't want my blue lined figures (yesterday's post) being obliterated in the process.

figuratively speaking of course

Worked with my newest addition to drawing and animating tools..... the  Color ENO 0.7 red, green and blue (RGB) mechanical pencils by Pilot. Yes, they come in many, many more colors, but these aren't for coloring like pencil crayons,  but for planning pose to pose animation and doing preliminary planning sketches. The best part is, is that thy are refillable mechanical pencils!

Here are some sketches I did while studying Chris Hart's Figure It Out! The Beginners Guide to Drawing People. And boy do I feel like a beginner. There are so many good helpful hints and explanations to make drawing figures easier. I just want to be able to do it without a model or reference. even better would be able to do it with my eyes closed. Some can, and they have an amazing knowledge of anatomy.

Up in the corner is a reference to BOTERO and somehow it developed into this Metropolis~esque construction. I am a little nervous about drawing an inking it in.

Small self portrait with hair

As I'm sitting here preparing for tomorrows lecture on squash and stretch, I pick up a small mirror and my trusty Bic mechanical pencil and do this little self portrait. I really am in the awkward stage of getting hairy.   I thought growing a beard was a good idea, but I'm definitely doubting it right now. I am one hairy man.

Blackfoot Crossing

Took the Aboriginal Youth Animation participants to Blackfoot Crossing for an off site field trip.

I have always loved the smell of sweet grass (Sipaattsimaan -Blackfoot). I'd like to be able to go out and gather it myself in the respect of tradition. On of my participants is a member of the secret buffalo horn society and gave me some to smudge with. While in the Blackfoot crossing museum I had the chance to study how sweet grass looks before it is harvested. Maybe I'll find it on my own while in the wild sometime. Here is how it looks, I haven't colored the drawings yet, and I only had the one pencil while at the museum.

The eagle fan is a sacred/ritual object of beauty.
I'd like to make one, but it's use in my reality is very limited.

More heads are better

I took a few books out of the library in order to polish up some sketching skills.  I realize that on some level I have a really difficult time drawing heads and bodies entirely from memory. Even more difficult is drawing beautiful women. I do a lot better looking at references. I need some models to come over;P

I am going to keep on my path to improvement, as much as it changes every day in terms of subject matter that interests me.... I'm still moving my pencil across the sheet.

Here are some examples from a book on the head and figure.

In contrast, here are some deer drawn from a reference photo. The blue pencil shows my construction method.  These are loose but feel complete.

Question and answer

What a treat to be asked by a former participant of a program we run at the Quickdraw Animation Society for some help on improving his work. respect.

Q: I was wondering if you could help me not be so picky about the quality of my drawings. I have alot of ideas for animations, but I lack the confidence in my own drawing to actually make them.

A: The Best advice I can give is: Draw. Draw. Draw.

There is a drawing teacher I think has a lot to offer to the animator. I think you can find videos for FREE on You tube. His name is Mark Kistler and he had this show called "the imagination station" It is a great teaching aid, I am currently using his lessons in my AYAP class. I bought some books for really cheap on Amazon.

I find remembering this one thing helps in not being too picky about drawings is this FACT: It takes 24 frames per second = 24 drawings per second, as far as I'm concerned that means every drawing is only on the screen for 1/24th of a second and should not be regarded as TOO precious, as long as the movement looks good. This can be seen in Disney works in the past, you'd be surprised what they got away with in terms of sloppy sketchy line work. But it does work.

And don't forget about Don Hertzfield an Bill Plympton, look at their work.
Good luck and keep on rocking!

Good News + 24 More drawings, this time from 2000

I just got confirmation that I have a Calgary Allied Arts Foundation St[art] 4Five Residency!

I applied to work full time in the studio on completion of works for my upcoming solo exhibition "Sacred Images" at the Untitled Arts Society in June 2011.
This will be in for a 3 month residency from April 1 - June 30, 2011.

****************************************************************
I uploaded about 24 more drawings to my website today from a sketchbook I made back in 2000.

Here is just one example. The rest can be found HERE on my website- Brianbatista.com under the Portfolio/past > drawings >2000.

Sketchbook uploads

I just uploaded two sketchbook collections to my website under the Portfolio/drawings tab.
The two sketch book examples are from  2003 - Isatanrabbit (17 images) below and.....

1999 - The A/B mini sketchbook.(40 images)

In the past, I tended to have more writing or titling on each drawing. This really helps to categorize and list pictures. The dates on the other hand are a little more elusive.

NOTE TO SELF and note to others out there making drawings. It may not seem important, but now that I look back on over 2 dozen sketchbooks I'm wishing I had done this tiny little thing more often.

Argo-nauts

Here is a sketch I did while my class was working away, I found it in an old National Geographic. I love drawing boats, there is something about the power of the ocean that is a big draw as well.  Look at the mighty waves crash and how they are harnessed by man an his need to explore and discover new places.

In Greek Mythology, the Argo was the ship on which Jason and the Argonauts sailed from Iolcos to retrieve the Golden Fleece. It was named the Ἀργώ after its builder, Argus.^[1]

Blind Contour

I almost forgot about the fun of blind contour warm ups. I have been teaching drawing to my new AYAP class this week.  For warm up I had them take their sketchbooks, place  them out of sight but still within reach so that they are able to draw while looking at another participant. Here are 2 pages of blind contours I did while explaining the exercises.

 

I always like how these turn out. The line work seems so sincere and is one with confidence I rarely find I can maintain when drawing regularly. In this case we were drawing portraits but still life, family pets and crazy people on the bus all make for great subject matter.


I love this drawing tool. Great ideas can arise from these exercises.

Botero Show at the Glenbow.

Went to the Glenbow my AYAP class on a field trip this Friday. The museum really did a good job this time. There was a Fernando Botero show and the collection of grand scale baroque paintings and stellar bronze pieces was amazing.  I had been looking forward to seeing his work in person and I was impressed to say the least. They were so simple in their majesty, soft rotund characters in bold colors on a grand scale. This exhibition inspired me to work on larger scale pieces in the upcoming spring.

 Here are a few quick sketches I made while in the show. It was busy and I was running around supervising my students so I didn't really get a chance to draw as much as I would have liked.  My pens all ran out, so I had to work in ball point. C'est la vie. My Faber Castells have been retired.

I got the last copy of the BOTERO book sold at the show, it was damaged so I got 10% off. Not a great deal, but it was the last one and if I hadn't picked it up then I probably never would.  All the works in the show are in the book, including his masterful sketches on paper specially made for him by hand.


Ran into an old friend John Will, who also had an exhibition there, did a little catching up. It turns out he has a studio by my place in Ramsay, I'd like to go over and visit him sometime soon;)

Dr. Phil(McCRACKen)

This guy is a total crackpot, I can't believe he has a television show.
His quips of wisdom in that southern accent are truly inspirational!

Remembrance day - 21 Sketch salute

Here is a blast from the past. In no particular order.

This is my ode to Remembrance day - A 21 Sketch salute of sketches one when I was 21;)
These were made when I was in a period of HB mechanical pencil, free flow surrealistic ideas an straight ahead with ink drawings (no pre-sketch or erasing permitted).