Friday, September 27, 2013

Award Winning Short....


RINDIN THE PUFFER

This short won several awards including Family International Film Festival in California, 2D or not 2D Animation Festival in Washington, Hampton International Film Festival in New York and two Gold Telly awards in 2007. I had fun working on it and I hope to be able to do lots of shorts like this one.

Enjoy it!


Thursday, September 26, 2013

Chuck Jones and Me....

Hi!

This photo was taken I think in 1991 when Chuck Jones came over his wife to visit  Don Bluth Studios in Ireland. It was a dream come true and a honor to be able to talk to him and hear the stories about his studio and the early days. He was so nice and even gave me his card under his hat and asked me if I wanted to work at his studio in California. I was shocked and so overwhelmed but a month later, I wrote him a letter to thank him for coming over and offering me a job but I really want to work with Don at the time and that I had still a lot to learn. A couple of months later he responded with a thank you and a drawing signed, which I treasure to this day.

Only a few people know about this story and I wonder how my life would have been like if I had accepted his offer and moved to California in 1991....

Oh well.....

Cheers


Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Under the Sea.....

Hi guys!

For some reason I have been fortunate to be able to work with underwater related themes from Illustration to a award winning short to restaurant kids place mats or just my own stuff. Here is some the stuff I've done....






Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Very inspirational



There are many people that I admire. But there are few great character designers out there and one of them was Harald Siepermann. I know he past away almost 9 months ago but his work is always going to be remembered for I consider him one of the greatest character designers ever. One of the great things about being an artist is that you leave so much behind for others to enjoy.




Thank you, man!!!





I met Sandro in 1987 at Briquet Studios in Sao Paulo, Brazil where he was their only animator. The first day I was there he took one of the scenes he animated for a chocolate commercial and took all the inbetweens out and gave me the scene to inbetween. I was very raw at the time but I did it anyway. We became friends and I used to go to his house once in a while which was a couple of hours away by bus. He showed me his drawings and said that one day he wanted to work at Disney Studios. I believed that he would for I thought he was that good and I really looked up to him. We went through a lot of stuff together, including a car accident with his uncle and aunt, and in 1990 he invited me to go to Ireland with him to work with Don Bluth Studios. After a "No way" I changed my mind and decided to go.... On May 25th, 1990 we left Brazil under our parents tearful eyes to pursue our dreams.

After working in Ireland for 4 years and moving to the US to work for Fox Animation for the next 2 years, we finally parted when he got his dream job at Disney as an animator. I was so happy for him because I knew it was going to happen. He turned out to be one of Disney biggest assets and he became very successful not only professionally but in his personal life. He ended marring my oldest friend and it seems that we are all a big family.

Our lives went in different directions and we don't talk to each other as often as we should, but I have a lot to thank him for what he taught me, for all the support we gave each other when we were so far away from home, for helping me develop and grow as an animator when I started and for just being the nice guy he is.

So I want to start this new blog by thank you Sandro,  because after 26 years since we met the first time, I still look up to you today as much as I did then.

Cheers




Monday, September 23, 2013

WELCOME!!!!!

Hello!


Welcome to my new blog. Wonder why I didn't do this before but here I am. I want to start posting something I shared on Facebook that might help artists like myself to embrace who you are and what you do.....



Hey Guys!

I have always striven to be better at drawing and learn as much as I could but in one way or another I've wished I could draw as well as that guy at Disney, or that famous illustrator or even some of the guys I worked with and looked up to..... I was not necessarily being competitive, but I wanted to draw like the guy I really admired so I could be more successful and just be...you know...THAT good...

The thing is, everyone has limits and it's up to you to find yours and never, never let anyone tell you what your limits are. We are always learning and always trying to do our best but I do believe that at one point or another you have to embrace what you do. Yeah, I'm no Glen Keane or Frank Frazetta but I love the way I draw and although cartoony, it's pretty appealing and solid, and after a life time of drawing and 25 years in Animation, I finally feel more comfortable about my drawing ability. I still want to draw better and although I use other artists work as reference, I stopped comparing and I'm happier this way. Not everyone will like my style, some love it.....the important thing is that I Am Happier with it. My drawings are me and I am my drawings. Although it might be obvious to some people who know my work, I finally feel like I have my own style. It was there before, but it felt like I was still searching for it...

Well....I found it....

Cheers