Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Production Designs: Plush Toy Concept Sketches

I found a disk containing many of the sketch designs I did while working for Nanco.
Most of these are well over 10 years old. Our New Jersey Amusement Plush Division of Nanco was the leader of Amusement Plush; those are the stuffed toys you see in all sizes; from crane machines to the gigantic "how-are-we-ever-going-to-get-this-into-the-car?!" sizes. 


Warner Bros. Marvin the Martain designed as a Knight.
The challenge is to create a new look, while respecting the character and the brand

My job at Nanco was Creative Director, which meant creating designs, getting approvals from licensors, overseeing production overseas and acting as Art Director. Every sketch you see had to be approved by the licensor first, then go to the China factories for samples, usually in 3 to 9 different plush toy sizes. Then every size had to be approved, changed and re-sampled. So you can imagine the amount of work when we had 30-40 licenses, each with an average of 4-6 characters and each of those being done in 3 to 9 sizes. That's a lot of plush . . . 

Kermit the Frog as a pirate. This was one of about 6 Muppet Pirate designs.
It's important to also consider the character's persona. Since Kermit is the leader of the Muppets,
it makes sense to make him a Pirate Captain and dress him as one.

Nanco had many licenses such as: Sesame Street, Jim Henson's Muppets, Warner Brothers, CareBears, Nickelodeon, Dreamworks, M+M's, My Little Pony, Simpsons, Family Guy . . . many, many more. First, for each licensed character, we had to create an original, fully approved, "master" plush pattern. Then each following year, we would create themes to freshen-up and dress-up the approved characters. Doing this helped sales since we were introducing new items to appear in the amusement parks each year. We had themes like Pirates, Circus, Birthday, Medieval, Beachwear and even Holiday themes like Christmas, Easter and Halloween.  

Vector color version concept design, Doing the sketch as a vector design allows quick color changes if needed.

These are concept sketches. The concept sketches for plush toys were almost like doing fashion designs, only instead of fancy clothing, we were dressing the characters in cartoon theme related clothing. I would add notes and color call-outs to help the plush designers understand anything the pencil lines could
 not easily convey.

Original design Smiley Spider.
This was done as a follow-up to the very successful Smiley crab design I did the previous year;
but this design was too bulky and expensive to produce.

Occasionally, I would create original characters, (usually with a beach theme since some of our biggest buyers were from boardwalk amusement areas like the Jersey Shore.)  This character is one example that was a nice design, but it was just too costly to make.
One of the many things I learned as a plush designer is that a round ball-like head is more expensive to make because:
#1.) a ball takes a lot of stuffing to fill.
• More filling = more weight = more shipping cost.
#2.) Rounded shapes take up more room in a shipping carton -- adding a lot of wasted empty space. (Think of all the empty gaps of space between balls when they are stacked up.)
• Takes up more space = less items ship in a given carton = very expensive to sell.  


The underbelly of the Smiley Spider design. I felt I needed to show this angle of the toy so that the plush designers I Shanghai could see how I was imagining the character and it's ligaments.

In the future, I'll show more concept designs and licensor approval follow-ups (which I call side-by-sides)

Monday, January 13, 2014

Daily Quick Sketch: Pigley

Today's quick sketch is a little pig I call Pigley. As always, my challenge is to draw a pig differently then I have before. So on this little guy I gave him an egg-shaped body, huge eyes, forward pointy ears, wide flat snout, a non-curly tail and hockey puck hooves. 
Pigley, quick sketch done with Copic markers on Canson marker paper
This sketch was done with markers.
There much lost when scanning markers. I believe the scanner's hard light makes the paper more translucent then it actually is; so the blending of the markers, (like the pig's hind leg) tends to look more blotchy compared to the actual drawing.

For this reason, I doubt I will ever do a complete picture book in markers, because the transfer to print is not truly accurate. (But making images this way is still very nice when you see the actual work.)

The original pencil sketch of Pigley

Monday, January 6, 2014

Pencil Line + Marker Comp Technique II: Fwog the Frog

Here's another example of combining a marker comp of color with the black + white lines of a pencil sketch. I found doing this really helps define an image, especially when viewed on the Internet/monitor. I'll show the different techniques and compare styles below:

I've been doodling over the weekend and wanted to get back to my roots of designing, which is weird, silly and goofy looking characters. I've been playing with an idea I had of small critters having a war in a typical suburban backyard. The character below is Fwog, he is the trusty mount for one of the heroes in the story.

There's something lost whenever I go from pencil to pen. With pencil, my control seems looser and more detailed. Once the image goes to ink, much of those details are lost or simplified. Ink makes an image cleaner and better defined for print . . . but there's something about the original sketch line that has more detail and character.




• The Original Pencil sketch of FWOG. Again, like all of my sketching, I want to create something new
and different from what I've done before. Here, I wanted a warped looking frog, giving him odd and
humorous features. The pose was actually forced due to the limited space on the sheet of paper - but in this
case, I think it worked out very well. The pose has a graceful-clumsiness to it.

• The inked version of FWOG using a Faber-Castell black brush pen (B).
Knowing this was to be combined with a color comp, I tried to keep the image clean and less busy.


• Combining both the pencil sketch image on top of the color comp image.
I believe this gives the best results with a nice balance of outline and color.
• Color comp image using Spectrum Noir markers and a white Gellyroll Pen (8) for highlighting.
The original drawing looks good on paper, but much is lost when scanning to the computer.
Without a solid holding line, this image appears to be sun bleached and faded.

• Combining the inked image over the color comp image - creates a nice bold image.
I feel this is too much black line. Note the slight error near the tip of Fwog's snout that was
altered during inking; the line work does not properly sync together with the color comp below.
It's important to stay consistent on both images when using this technique -- or errors
(as seen here) will occur and ruin the complete effect.

If you want to see another example of how I use this technique, with a little more detail on the process, go to the link here.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Daily Quick Sketch: Lil' Whale

This is a character I pulled from my sketch pad.

Occasionally, I think of an animal and try to create a new version, different from how I usually draw the animal. This forces me to think outside the box and it sometimes helps to discover a whole new style or technique.

Here I made a more angular body, longer mouth and placed the two eyes together and higher up than what I usually do. I also added more texture with the horizontal lines on the body/tail and the under belly's ribbing.

Lil' Whale under the water? or leaping into the sky?

The background I did very quickly in Photoshop, using several splash and cloud brushes. 

The original scan of the Lil' Whale doodle from my lil' sketch book

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Daily Quick Sketch: Little Toucan

Just another quick sketch using markers and ink. This time using a black pen brush. I like the pen brush, but the trouble with using them is that eventually the brush tip wears out and doesn't hold a fine line anymore. You can see around the sides of the toucan's feet, the brush point split, causing the tiny gaps. 


Saturday, December 21, 2013

Daily Quick Sketch: Korky

Yet another testing daily sketch using my new marker sets.

This time, I wanted to create a sidekick for one of my oldest characters, Chef Gordon Baloo. Keeping to the theory that dogs and their owners tend to look alike, I created the character of "Korky" based upon key features of Chef Gordon Baloo.

Daily sketch of the hyper puppy, Korky, made using Copic markers and a Faber-Castell "B" brush pen


The key features I took from Chef were his stout frame, wide pointy-chinned grin, baggy + googly eyes, bulbous nose and circular ears. Hopefully doing these similar (but different) features makes an automatic visual relationship between the two characters.

Chef Gordon Baloo: One of my oldest characters and the key influence to designing his sidekick, Korky
UPDATE:
Added the original pencil sketch seen below.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Pencil Line + Marker Comp Technique

This post is used to show an example of a technique I use when creating new characters. It combines a pencil sketch with a separate marker color comp to create a final image. 

First Step: The pencil sketch
Starting with a pencil sketch, I scan it into the computer at usually 200 dpi or higher. It's important that your images are at least 200 dpi in case you ever want to go print. Once the image is scanned into Photoshop, I use "Level" 
settings (CTRL+L on a PC) and adjust the image to clean up any smudges or erased lines that may appear. This also can darken the sketch lines, which is important for the final look.
Original sketch using a pencil, which I find to be the most adjustable and comfortable way for me to create
Second Step: The Color Marker Comp
Once the scan of the sketch is cleaned up, I print out a page to use as a guide for the marker comp. The reason I do this is to not ruin the original sketch, because the markers for the color comp will probably soak through the sheet and ruin the image below.

For this color comp, I will be using Bienfang 100% Rag Translucent Marker Paper because it is a great smooth surface that allows alcohol markers to spread evenly. It's also thin and light -- but still strong and durable, so the paper won't rip if you erase too hard or go over an area multiple times with a marker. 
Another reason for this brand of paper is that it is also transparent, like tracing paper, which is very important. 
A color comp of the the sketch, filling in all the color without any black holding lines
I take the print of my sketch and place it under a sheet of the marker paper. This will now allow me to color-trace the sketch. I color the entire image without drawing any holding line or outlines. Once the inner areas are colored, I select a darker color marker (in this case green) and outline the entire image. For final touches, I add shading textures to the skin, wings and belly area.

When the comp is finished, I scan it EXACTLY with the same settings as the sketch. This way they are the same size and should easily combine together.

Step Three: Combining the two together
I now have the two drawings scanned into Photoshop. I copy and paste the sketch image over the color comp image. [Note: The sketch image layer MUST be over the background color comp image.] Select the upper sketch layer, then change it to "Multiply" in the Layers settings. Doing this allows all the white areas to become transparent leaving only the sketch lines.
The 2 images combined: a nice effect with some color bleeding that creates a slight aura around the character
You should now see the two layers combined together, but you will probably need to rotate the top sketch layer for it to align with the color below. To rotate the sketch layer, select the "Move" tool (shortcut "V" key in Photoshop) and click on the sketch layer. If "Shown Transfom Controls" is select in the top menu bar, you should see the movement handles appear around the sketch. From there, go to any corner and click when you see your mouse icon change to a rotate icon - then simply adjust the sketch to fit the color below.
So there you have it, two hand drawn images of the same character, scanned and combined in Photoshop. It creates a nice effect AND allows many alterations and adjustments in Photoshop. It's now very easy to add a background under the character; or change the colors to something completely different.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Illustration Friday: Spirit (Updated)

Illustration Friday: Every Friday a word is given on the website, IllustrationFriday.com. Artists and illustrators then submit an image that represents that word all during the week.
This week's word: SPIRIT

Marker and Ink image of Santa for Illustration Friday's word of the week - Spirit
Thought Process:
First thought was the "Christmas Spirit" since it is the middle of December. This made me think of Charles Dicken's "A Christmas Carol" which as everyone knows -- is loaded with spirits. But I didn't want to draw a ghostly figure . . . instead I was looking to show the emotional spirit of Christmas. So who better to do that than ol' Saint Nick. 
Pencil sketch of the Christmas spirited Santa. The original idea was to have him in his red long-johns.

But I didn't want to draw just another Santa image. I wanted the image to show Santa's Christmas spirit on a more personal and emotional level.

By taking away his coat and hat made it seem like Santa was casually relaxing at home; This is not the business-like gift delivering Santa . . . it's the happy and jolly "Thank God that's over and I have 355 days off from work" Santa. 


UPDATE

The background was pretty bland for a cheery spirited Christmas image. And just for good measure, I figured adding a snow storm in the background would help instantly convey that this dancing fool was indeed Santa. (Though, skipping around in a snowstorm like that without proper clothing - it'd be a miracle if he didn't catch pneumonia!)

UPDATE UPDATE

Okay, this is weird.
Somehow either someone or some program turned my non-snowflake falling PNG image into an animated GIF. I found it animated like this several days after I uploaded my original non-animated image to Google+.

Perhaps Google does this to some images automatically? I doubt it, since that could be a few legal problems I'm sure Google lawyers would warn against.

So I think this snow effect is something that Google+ does automatically to snowy images. I've seen several images on there that have this same animation - so i'm guessing that is the answer.

Real nice touch . . . Thank You, mystery animated GIF making app or person! 


My Santa drawing that was mysteriously turned into an animated snowing GIF image



For those interested, I found a webpage that explains how to make this snow effect.
Link: 
http://www.vlogg.com/13203/convert-photo-snow-falling-animated-gif-using-google/

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Illustration Friday: Pattern

Illustration Friday: Every Friday a word is given on the website, IllustrationFriday.com. Artists and illustrators then submit an image that represents that word all during the week.

This week's word: Pattern





Thought Process:

I do many patterns as a designer for toys, pet, costumes and novelty items. The patterns I make are usually graphically simple, because busier patterns don't sell as well as something clean and simple.

I thought about the many patterns I created over the past decade. I wanted to come up with an idea to alter my artwork slightly and make it funny. Then it hit me, several years ago in Shanghai, I was asked by the product developer and buyer of PetSmart to create patterns for pet blankets. They were looking for something different, not the typical paw print pattern you see everywhere. So I created about 8 patterns to show them.

As usual, I didn't have much time to develop the designs, but as I was sketching and doodling, I came up with this playful puppies jumping fences pattern. I know it doesn't make much sense , but it was still cheery, silly and playful. (PetSmart never bought this design, it's was too comical for their brand of products. But I still remember liking the colorful playful pattern and rhythm it created.)

So I thought, lets break that rhythm, ruin the perfect pattern and have a solo dog doing what usually comes natural.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Illustration Friday: Refrain

Illustration Friday: Every Friday a word is given on the website, IllustrationFriday.com. Artists and illustrators then submit an image that represents that word all during the week.
This week's word: REFRAIN

Sesame Street's Cookie Monster refraining from eating a big delicious cookie
Thought Process:
This week's word was tough. The first definition to come to mind is "to hold back" which makes me think of curbing one's appetite. I tried to think of characters that couldn't control themselves, especially with food. Wimpy from Popeye was my first thought, but he's pretty old school. Pac Man was another, but I don't think people generally think of him as a compulsive eater (and again old school.)

That's when I thought of Sesame Street's Cookie Monster.
Here's a character that usually has no control over his appetite for cookies. He's still brings back childhood memories of enjoyment when he chows down on a pile of cookies. Though in past few decades, Cookie Monster has been learning to eat healthier and cookies are not his main go to food anymore.

I understand the urge to have children learn to eat healthier -- but I find it sad to see Sesame Street alter a favored character simply for a simple moral spin. Kids understand he is over the top, that's what makes him so lovable and enjoyable. 
Seeing cookie crumbs fly all over when he eats is parts of the fun.  Having vegetable leaves fly all over when he eats? Not as funny.  
Original pencil sketch of the Cookie Monster concept for Illustration Friday's Refrain word of the week
Drawing Process:
The focus is on the huge forefront cookie that stands out on a bright foreground with Cookie Monster centered directly behind it. I decided to have Cookie Monster posed grimacing, head in hand, gazing over the cookie which is less than an arm's length away. The motion lines around the character help express his urges to pounce on the cookie. In the background, a radial burst of energy is center to the head of Cookie Monster to help pull the focus to the center of the image.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Illustration Friday: Shadow!

Illustration Friday:
Every Friday a word is given on the website, IllustrationFriday.com. Artists and illustrators then submit an image that represents that word all during the week.

This week's word: Shadow

A promotional image for the short online cartoon: Slojo, Ex-Clown

Thought Process:
 Shadow This made me think immediately of a little cartoon I tried to animate in 2000 called, "Slojo: Ex-Clown". It was to be a small online cartoon about a sad sack individual who used to be a circus clown. The twist (or gimmick) was that Slojo was always unlucky and suffered the consequences usually in a chain of events. In this case, all he is doing is standing around . . . and he's about to suffer for doing so.

I was just beginning to learn animation and thought doing a solo project like this would allow me to practice and hone my skills. The animation was very crude and rough, almost is a stop motion style. Fortunately that year, I was hired to animate and design websites. Unfortunately, I 
no longer had the time to finish this project.

Background story: This image is strange to me when I see it.
While I did make an animated intro for the cartoon, plotted and story boarded 
an entire 3 minute episode -- I do not remember ever doing this image. Yes, It is my work, my style and character . . . I just don't remember planning, sketching or working on this particular image.

This was not the first time that has happened to me. When I was younger, I would sometimes wake up with completed sketches of characters that I didn't recall creating. There were also times when I would dream up complete stories. I would try to write those dream stories down as soon as possible, for it seemed like the stories started to fade away as I woke up.

The subconscious
 mind is a strange, confusing and wonderful thing.

I will try to post the original Slojo animated intro soon on the blog . . .

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Daily Quick Sketch: Halloween Jacko

Happy Halloween everyone!!!

Having a hard time making new costumes for Target's toddlers for 2014. It especially difficult when redesigning something so traditional like a pumpkin costume. I believe I have designed over 20-30 pumpkin costumes for babies, toddlers, adults and pets over the past 8 years. Coming up with something fresh, new and cost efficient is a big challenge. 


Jacko, sketches in pencil, colored in marker and inked with a black brush pen
When trying to clear my mind, I usually create new characters in hopes that doing so it may inspire a new look for Halloween costumes. I feel it's important to step away from the work when faltering and look elsewhere. Sometimes the slightest things can help inspire new concepts and great designs.

Because of this sketch, i'm thinking of making a Jack O' Lantern design for toddlers . . . hopefully it'll look interesting when I'm finished.