PreVis

Incredible class I took from Brian Pohl. Brian was a PreVis supervisor at Persistence of Vision studios. http://www.brianpohl.com/

https://vimeo.com/8208316

It was a bear using Maya, After Effects, and a little bit of Photoshop. Plus, just coming up with the idea, storyboards and  timing for the chase. In other words, generating content while mastering two software packages.

3 Point Perspective

Quick sketch out of my head while having lunch at the Choza Mama across from NBC. Tweaked hastily in Photoshop, work in progress. Mister "show biz" indeed! I was daydreaming about some seedy, tropical getaway place while having some grilled chicken and salad. Just trying to show my students how important it is to try to capture an idea, or just a mood, and then develop it. Looks like I have to follow my own lesson first!

Basic polygon modeling tutorials

Here's some basic polygon modeling tutorials on screencast.com http://www.screencast.com/users/roskotron

Online Comics-Intrepid Escapegoat

Guilty pleasure time! I finally got to read the first adventure of the Intrepid Escapegoat by Brian Smith. http://www.briansmithcomics.com/news/I missed it on free comic book day. Classes start Aug. 31st, so I'm squeezing in some goof off time. The Intrepid Escapegoat is the copyright of Brian Smith http://www.comixology.com/ 

Olympic Phoenix

I watched practically none of the Olympics, but I enjoyed the closing ceremony performances. Seeing the Phoenix rising while the Olympic flames were going out moved me to sketch this up starting in Autodesk Sketchbook and finishing in Photoshop. Nice to think the flame will keep going...
( The Olympic logo is  the copyright of the International Olympic Committee)

10,000 page views!

Thanks to all my readers for taking this blog to 10,000 page views. A very modest number for a blog, I guess. While I try to provide technical and artistic material here, it does turn into a scrapbook, or just a grab bag for things that are on my mind. Keeping focus is tough, but working with computers and animation takes me into areas outside the regular studio situation. Thank you again for sorting through all that. Thank you to the Animation Guild for setting up the computer lab, and to Woodbury University for allowing me to teach, and get my hands on some amazing technology.

Early Basic Maya work

Okay, a chicken walks into a bar...Basic polygon modeling and lighting to show students how to get started.

After the Fox animated opening credits

Dick Horn animated these titles for the Peter Sellers movie "After the Fox". I always liked films from the 60's with animation in the opening credits. Dick also worked on "Yellow Submarine. "http://www.animatormag.com/archive/issue-12/issue-12-page-25/

Flamingo Dancer roller skate waitress

A flamingo waitress on roller skates, but I got this great pose of her using Maya. Haven't worked on her in a long time, was having trouble with her rig.

Cabin

Missing Canada already...

Labyrinth built in Maya using Turing patterns

Took a Turing pattern off the internet, converted it into an Illustrator file, then imported it into Maya. From there, lofted the geometry from curves. Done!

Three Musketeers minus one

Herman Bear and Obsidian as swashbucklers! Ruff sketch

Captain America sketch art

Hello, was traveling around Parry Sound Canada, here's a quick sketch of Captain America

Memorial Day commemorative dog-tag art

Artwork I did for one of my first clients in LA: commemorative dog-tags of WWII, Korea and Vietnam. I appreciate the sacrifices made by all soldiers. The decisions made by our politicians, not so much.

Over the Mountain characters as Green Lanterns

Gaia, Obsidian, Cubcake and the Bio-Soldier are accepted as alternate, "backup" Green Lanterns. All, except for the Bear. Stay tuned to find out why!(Green Lantern copyright Time/Warner/DC Comics, Over the Mountain characters copyright Ken Roskos)

What's new in blogging?

I am experimenting with a new blog. I'm trying to post something everyday. I'm also trying to learn how search engines and bots find blogs. I'll see if this gives the new blog more popularity. http://adorablediabolicals.blogspot.com/

The 99%

This is a job for...

Logo design in Photoshop.

Remembering Andy's Armenian Burger near Universal

Miss that lamb sandwich wrap he made. They paved paradise, put up a parking lot. (Photo courtesy of Bill Ohanesian)

Over the Mountain #4 Rough Comp

Blog baby, blog!

Okay, here is a cover for Over the Mountain comic #4

Happy New Year 2012!

Pressing on, even tho' things are falling apart.

These guys are cool though.

The Strange Case of Dad’s Missing Head

Halloween 2011

Hello blog, haven't been here in a while; better late than never.
Sketched some quick Jack O' Lanterns, that's supposed to be Vincent Price in the middle page of sketches. Got into the spirit at the last moment last night.
Next stop, Christmas!

Kirby Lives! or is it the Borg?

Here's a Kirby-eque chamber filled with lots of "greeblies", or "do nothing machines". I drew some lines with a straight edge and circle template, and futzed with it in Photoshop. I like it, it adds a lot texture to the inside of the alien machine that traps Herman Bear, along with his airship.

Hope you all enjoy it!

Ken R.

Rosko Toy Company

What if Cthulhu was a beatnik? Cuulthulu!

I think it would look something like this.
(Still a rough version)
Like, prepare for your doom, daddy-o!

2011

Updating Guild Lab; secret project at Woodbury wearing me down...

The Mighty Thor

Powerful people want us to cave in,

Average people want to be rewarded for mediocrity,

Angry people want us to be afraid and confuse rage for strength.

Here's what I say to them, inspired by of Bill Mantlo, John Buscema and Joe Sinnott in the Mighty Thor number 241.

(Copyright Marvel-Disney)

Merry Christmas!

Bill Melendez Charlie Brown Christmas

A great privilege to meet Mr. Melendez.
Got his autograph, (forgot the date)

(copyright Paramount, now copyright Warner Home Video)

Missed seeing this on TV this year, my VHS tape still plays, but it's wearing out.
Now I'm reminded of seeing this originally on CBS with the Coca-Cola ads, and the Dolly Madison ads...

It's been a stressed out year with the economy and hostile fat-cat politics.

I did begin upgrading the Animation Guild Computer Lab, will try to get more new gear and software in 2011.

Here's to better days,

K.R.

CTN Expo

That's me, on the job for Woodbury University.

More fish and starfish acting

This exercise is just to show basic blocking and timing, but I like the starfish going "Huh!?" as the little fish slips past him. I should push the poses harder.

CTN Expo, year 2

Here it is-if you're in the business, you're on your way.
If you're not in the business, it's still tough to break in-
or if you're trying to get back in...

CTN

http://www.ctnanimationexpo.com/ctnx/ctnx2010/

Dr. Spectrum, or, no more spandex.

One reader of my comic said he was tired of spandex-clad heroes.
(Of course, who knows what some of Herman Bear's foes wear on their off-hours;)

Not so friendly faces

More scribblings...

Coffee fix-Doctor Who style

Peguins

Hello blog, its been a long time.
This sketch is from last year.

Maya in a nutshell

Some thoughts on teaching a basic Maya class:

Maya- student is climbing two mountains, technical and creative;
each factor affects the outcome of the other.
Student may go off in different direction.

Students may have very rigid preconceptions of how their 3D projects should look
Some students become hung up on using very specific menu commands and/or procedures that distract them from easier work arounds.

Students are very resistant about buying Maya text books

Learning interface,

Modeling polygons; polygon components

animation, graph editor

lighting & rendering

Putting final reel together

* * * * * * * * * * *

Subjects for projects, General catagories:

Monsters, soldiers, action
Cute characters
Castles, temples, furniture, landscapes, dungeons
Effects-fire, lightning, fog
Photorealism (rare)

Bear Airship Comic

Since it's the day after Thanksgiving, (or "stanksgiving" as someone on Facebook said)

And since everyone is bloated, right?

My thoughts turned back to my bear's airship. Yeah, blimps aren't practical since they can't travel far, can't travel fast and strong winds can destroy them.

BUT...

They do have a longer "loitering" time than an airplane does, and they stay airborne after an EM pulse. Plus Herman would have some kind of techno-magic to get the ship to do impossible things...

Did a little research, the issue seems to be the wind resistance created by such a large, broad volume moving against the atmosphere. I came up with the "vortex Drive" that would create a partial vacuum in front of the ship, and therefore drag it forward.

Sort of like the warp drive on the Enterprise...

This is an old sketch of the airship Utopia in its hangar after Herman (and Professor Behrman) have finished it. They live in a more magic world, but there has to be some believability in its mechanics.

http://www.google.com/search?q=the%20manned%20cloud&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=iw&start=0
http://www.hyperblimp.com/future-hyperblimp/

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2008/q3/080708c1_pr.html

The Creative Talent Network Animation Expo 2009

...has left the building. It was fun, met some cool people, and even a few old friends...

But,

How do we help animation people get back to work?

Moon over Los Angeles

My photo from 2009, up on Mulholland Drive.
http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/moon_phases.phtml

The Iron Giant lives! 10 year anniversary reunion.

Got to see Brad Bird and the other top artists that brought this great film to life.
This blurred picture is my only decent snapshot of some of the crew that was there that night. Trying to avoid being a total fan-boy, I let the younger fans and animation students get autographs and pictures taken with Brad Bird. Almost near the end, I was able to shake his hand, but Brad was distracted, and Warner Security was trying to herd us towards the exits. They also turned out the lights, so Brad couldn't see who I was. I tried using the flashlight in my cell phone, but that was not effective.

I'm still disappointed, but not surprised, when big corporations have to cajoled into producing gems like the Iron Giant. Some have complained that the animation isn't on a Disney level, or that the scenes are too talky. I say look at "Home on the Range" or "Treasure Planet", and ask which of their worlds draws us in.

Still, it was a privilege to be there, and I got to speak a bit with some of the other artists, especially the one who developed the cel-shaders for the Iron Giant in Maya. He gave the CG a more hand drawn look, and he was working with one of the early beta-versions of Maya. Gotta tip my hat to him!

Over the Mountain comics sold in the Los Angeles area

I would like to thank these shops for carrying my Over the Mountain mini comics!

http://hidehocomics.com/

http://www.meltcomics.com/

http://www.artoffiction.com/HOS_index.html

Hope you can check it out.

Thank you to all the shop owners for giving shelf space to Herman Bear.

Will Eisner Halloween Spirit

Herman Bear as Will Eisner's "Spirit". Someone at the union thought he was dressed up as "Indiana Jones". Well, that works too.

This is still a rough sketch; tried laying in the "ink" using the lasso tool in Photoshop. Still not satisfied.

Halloween 2009 Ruff Cover

They won't stay buried!

Halloween 2009, Rough comic thumbnail

The Characters discuss the place of androids or cyborgs in their world. This is really a mess, I'm using comic-sans type face just as a place holder.

Over the Mountain #3

So...nearly done, learned the hard way that jpegs need to be RGB. For Blogger anyway.

The TAG Lab has landed.

Before:



Okay, its not the Apollo Lunar Mission, but I am so glad to get the Animation Guild Computer Lab settled into our new digs. No damage, no data loss that I could see.

And I am grateful to get it done before my trip to Ohio. It's my parents 50th wedding anniversary.





After:











http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/scenes-from-moving-day-part-2.html


Here's to a great future!

Signing Off

Well, this is my last post from 4729 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.
Hopefully, the new building will be fine.
Just saying farewell to the old place, since I have to take our only internet station off line.

Good luck to us at 1150 North Hollywood Way, and many thanks to 4729 Lankershim. You've been a good port in the storm.

Cheers,

Ken Roskos

Over the Mountain #2 now on sale!!!

Many thanks to Meltdown and Hi-De-Ho Comics in Hollywood and Santa Monica respectively; they've been Herman Bear's guardian angels.

And House of Secrets in Burbank too!

The summer is going by fast, have to get this done.

KR

L.A.M.B. Lupus Aggression Management Battalion

I'm claiming this, sort of a tribute to Gerry Anderson's UFO; except little lamb-guys run around in cool tanks and jets blasting the hell out of nasty wolves.

Will Weston's compostion class July 2009

Got distracted by my comic book business. Finally got one decent composition done.

I like it, Will said it needs more definition in the basic shapes. Yes, but I still want a dreamier edge to it, it's not "Tailspin" or something like that.

Will's classes at the Animation Guild are definitely worth taking!

http://www.willwestonstudio.com

Over the Mountain # 2

Almost ready, still shopping issue No. 1 around to more comic shops.

I have to be better prepared the next time I approach a comic shop cold. I was hoping to make a sale at Golden Apple, but they said only if I could could get in with other artists when they make their personal appearances...

Definitely have to work on that!

Sunset

This has kind of an Autumn feeling to it, and I did it on May 31st.
Just a ruff sketch colored in Photoshop, lot of lasso tool and radial blur filter for the sky. Herman Bear and friend admire the sunset at the end of a long day.