Canadian Animals

As I liked a lot designing the Atlantic Puffin, I did later some other design based on Canadian Animals as I think most of them are really cute and representative of Canada, and further I'll add some new other. At the moment I'm experimenting turning them in cookie cutters through kym's new 3d Printer and making cookies out of them (see next post)

character Design

drOctopil_traced_with_rough_study_02, a photo by kym.watts on Flickr.

I'm learning the basics about character design since a while, it will be helpful on my job as a character modeller (finger crossed!)
so Here you can find most of my "homeworks" and hopefully we'll see some progression along the way!

the sun song

Ok, I am so busy lately but I still have a old post I can put on for the 3 friends that actually follow my blog ;-)

I got myself a Snowball microphone on boxing day, and yes, it took me few times to get this, as I was learning the wonderful world of Garage Band.

Then I realized i can do also base, loops of my guitar (otherwise it's terrible) and multiple track voices!

Anyway, my singing is a bit rusty and I won't spend further time refining it (I take care of my neighbor NOW), but I hope it can give you some push into this free software that come with the Mac.

The song I'm sharing here, is a cover of "La canzone del sole" from a classic italian singer sadly gone few years ago, Lucio Battisti, (it's one of these songs Italians always sing and play around the bonfire). At the end there are tons of voices, but it's just like the original, I'm not being really creative here :-P
Well, have fun!

35 Sketchcrawl in kensington Market

well, I ended up making a new blog so that everybody can be connected through it at this address:

http://sketchcrawltoronto.blogspot.ca/

but you can check our results on the FORUM as usual, anche chek even what the rest of the world did as well!
Anyway it was super FUN, we had 13 peope coming and had great time inside the new pizzeria "Via Mercanti" on Adelaide and Baldwin.
Now I'm looking forward to see the video that Jeremy (green military jacket) will come out with!

a video for 35th Sketchcrawl inToronto

SATURDAY 21st April 2012
Hi everybody, friends and acquaintances!

If you never joined a sketchcrawl, that's your chance! 

You'd like but you have kids? bring them with you! You don't know to draw but have a passion for Photography, music, videocording, or just like to be there? Come over!
For this event I decided to make a video (documentary kind, between 5 and 10 minutes) about Sketchcrawl Toronto. I need movie makers volunteers and as many sketching participant as you can involve!
So basically if you are a professional or aspiring director, editor, music player or just like to draw and sketch and meet new people in Toronto, I'd like to hear from you!

Exposure is great because there are people from about 120 towns in the world participating every time, and they all share their results on the Forum. It's a great way to get to know new people doing what you really like!
In the video we should talk about what's cool about Toronto (Environment, multiculturality, artistic culture etc) and what's fun about meeting up and doing shetchrawl (you'll be able to tell it towards the end of your sketching participation if you never come out to this event)

So, WHO's in?

If you don't know what is a sketchcrawl, here the website!
http://www.sketchcrawl.com/
Basically people meet in a place and time (set up on the Forum) and draw whatever they see and like for as long as they can stay. Sometime we migrate in other places nearby after an hour or 2, so if you plan to get there late make sue you have a phone number to call.

You can either write me back -or- reply publicly on the FORUM (this is the link for TORONTO)!

I just moved recently to Toronto, so I'll need the help you can give me in spreading the word.
I also made a Facebook event about it, so you can easily invite your friends. 

thanks!

They printed my Frog!

Discouraged by the scarcity of 3D modeling opening now days, I told to myself, what could I do if I was not a 3D modeler?
Well, I have an ability about reproducing things. I always plaid with dash and modeling mediums, I can draw... So well, I checked online what are the uses today of reproducing abilities and I encounter many options, until I crossed this 3d printed figurine. And then it was clear again. I am a 3D modeler. I then modelled a tree frog as modeling test, and ask people online to print it and share info and pictures, in order to understand what each printer can do, and what are the limitation of a 3d model for printing, as production modeling for animation is quite different than this kind of modeling. I got a good response, and I hope many other frogs will follow!
Anyway, if you want to see more, this is the link to the original post, while you can see lots of other 3D prints on Thingiverse.

Cupcakes decoration!

                   Well, I had a curiosity about how to use my modelling skills elsewhere than 3D, so I though about cake decoration, which lately got wild in shapes and colors. In order to understand something more I decided to do a 2 hour saturday morning course at LeDolci (with my friend Kathrine), so I experimented with stamps and fondant colors. I actually got some idea of how to transfer my 3D digital modeling knowledge to the making of these, but it's a surprise for later on.

I also did some new clay modeling, after I went to the ROM few weekends ago, there was the Maya exibition (open until April), where I got enchanted by this incense burner with a very nice stylized design of the sun God and some Imix monster, and so I did this candle older cutting off the eyes of the monster. Then I did some sketches of the stuffed animals they have over there (an amazing collection I have to say), so I did the turtle, converted to a pencil holder. At least these sculptures are useful!

old Salt Dough sculptures, still so cute!

some old Xmas gift for my relatives and friends, you can see other at this LINK
Materials: salt dough cooked (flour and salt with a bit of water and oil) , painted with tempera paint and coated with Vernidash.
I made many more in the past, but I didn't do photo to all of them as I considered them only as a game, and other are too blurry. Still, the quality of these photos sucks, so I had to work with sharp mask and noise reduction to bring out something from the blur!

Terracotta chinese

I went to the ROM for the Chinese new year, they were having some interesting show about traditional chinese arts, like dances, martial arts, music and dragons.

One drawing I did was this ensamble of Terracotta, and then I though it could become much better with some Photoshop filter, so here a couple of test.

34th Sketchcrawl in Huntsville

Huntsville is in Ontario, 3 h north of Toronto. Might sound familiar to you because of the G8 in 2010. Although it's also famous because is landscape of many paintings of the Group of Seven.

As I was going to spend the weekend there, without doing snowboard like Kym and my friends, it come handy the fact that was Sketchcrawl weeekend! So I did few sketches. I hope you'll like to experience Sketchcrawl pheraps in your town or in your holiday place next time! 

Huntsville e' in Ontario, a 3 ore Nord di Toronto. Puo' suonare familiare per via del G8 nel 2010. Ma prima di tutto questo posto e' famoso per via dei paesaggi che hanno ispirato il Gruppo dei Sette.

Fatto sta che io non faccio Snowboard, ma fortunatamente era il fine settimana del 34 Sketchcrawl, e dunque ho fatto degli skizzi! Se sei interessato magari la prossima volta puoi partecipare anche tu nella tua citta' o nel tuo luogo di vacanza.

Tim Burton Exibition

Argh, I was almost forgetting about this one! The show was really cool with all the maquettes and sketches and letters and videos... So entertaining! If happen you get the show in your town, GO! Here some of the original art.

Dr Sketchy Toronto was back! (and then gone again)

 I couldn't join it for long as I had all my relatives visiting right during the 2 month of summer when Dr Sketchy Toronto re-open doors for the last time. It's surely missed and I hope somebody else will be that committed to restart it as it bring so much life to the Toronto's art venue. More pictures on my Flickr album of Dr Sketchy.
If you're interested of other lifedrawing dressed class in Toronto you can join their Facebook page as the Toronto Cartoonist workshop organize something similar.

Observational sketches

Yes, I neglected my blog, but it really takes lots of time getting these pictures from my albums to this page. Anyhow, for who though I stopped drawing, I can ensure I'm still crazy sketcher and still enjoy make use of my watercolors and pencils. Other pictures from my travels are loaded on my Flickr page, mainly in the travel and portrait sections..

Recipes illustrated from varius Nonne (and Mamma)

Yes, I do like cooking and I do like to learn traditional recipes even more now that I live in Canada.

 Most of the times that I go to visit my family I ask for some recipes so that I'll be able to do them later when I'm hosting people for dinners.

In order, we have Grape pudding (sugo d'uva) from my Nonna Albertina, Gnocco Fritto from Simona's nonna, Lasagne Verdi from my Nonna Anna, and Spaghetti with Sardine from my Mum.

Going for museums

For who doesn't know yet, at the end of October I become Canadian! And now it comes with a treat: a card offer from the Institute of Citizenship that allows to go for most of Canadian museum and parks for FREE for 1 year. This is the best gift ever! As you can see I already started to make good use of my citizenship :-)

Canadian animal deformed

I had in mind this Canadian animal project and so I'm putting down some design for further developing. I think this come out with a really aboriginal feeling.

Oh, Canada, some sculptures for Halloween.

 Some extra sculpty I did in September

Auguri Mamma

Ecco il regalo per mia mamma, sperando che indossando questo ciondolo possa ricevere un sacco di auguri da tutti i suoi clienti.

Here a gift for my mum, hoping she'll get lots of wishes on her birthday.

Good-byes

Our friend Alex left today to go to Montreal, so I did a funny card for the people of Movie Night crew. It come out better than I hoped!

Funny animal beanies and other crafty stuffs

 Last winter, with my friend Annie, we did 6 beanies for Christmas gifts. Our friends were enthusiast. Other friends told us we should have make more and sell them. 

Annie is great figuring out the pattern for realizing my ideas. We simplified some old design, and made some new one. And now...our beanies have PAWS and WINGS!

Getting something from a design to a real wearable hat is really fun.
Unfortunately we didn't find anybody that would buy them, so we now have a lot of new gifts right now for family and ourselves.
Annie got really enthusiast and with her friend Pam does also some mini hat, rings, magnets and now I am starting with some sculpty modeling for pins and whatnot as well. For updates you can check here the beanies and the magnets/pins