When you are in a meeting at the office, you can always look around and see that people have paper and pen in hand scribbling as other people are talking. One would assume that they are taking notes, and often that is the case. When you work in an animation studio, however, the scribbles are very likely doodles – doodles that usually have nothing to do with the topic at hand.
I first started doing this years ago. I used to sit in meetings, and would have trouble keeping my eyes open. In order to stay alert, I would let my hand wander on a blank piece of paper before me. Sure, I’d sketch something now and then that had to do with the meeting at hand, but this was my way of staying alert.
I know what you are thinking, “How can you pay attention to a meeting when you are drawing something else entirely?” Beats me. It’s something I discovered I could do back in high school. I would be doodling away on my notepaper, and yet when a teacher would call on me, I’d be ready with the correct answer. If my hand is silent, my mind tunes out.
So, all you really need is a ball point pen and a pad of Post-It notes. Then, let the parade of the imagination come forth! Here are a few such doodles that spilled from my hand in a recent meeting.
There’s no rhyme or reason to whatever spills forth from the pen in a random doodling.
Well, today over on the TIM the Movie Facebook page, we have just unveiled a contest to win the original art seen here! This drawing was inspired by something in our script that I was working on this past week with my pal and Director Brian Joseph Ochab. I created the 8.5×11″ drawing over the weekend with black and purple Prismacolor pencils on some nice textured paper, and both Brian and I signed it for whichever one of you may possibly win it!
Below the art are all the rules about how you can win this art! Enjoy!
Nothing excites a young goth lad like a shrunken zombie head I always say.
Welcome to the first ever TIM the Movie spectacular contest!!
The prize? We’ve gone all out to create a very special one-of-a-kind original pencil drawing by TIM’s co-Producer/Art Director Chad Frye signed by both Chad AND Writer/Director Brian Joseph Ochab worth $350!* It’s a drawing of our lead character Timothy Todd dressed as his hero while gleefully holding a shrunken zombie head.
To be entered into a drawing to win the, ahem, drawing, all you need to do is to make a monetary pledge of $10 or more to our film through Kickstarter between now and Thursday night, 11:59pm Pacific time on February 24th! The contest is open to ANYONE who makes a NEW pledge during the contest period, so the odds of winning the drawing are up to how many of you participate!!
And the best part of it is the drawing will be sent to the lucky winner NEXT WEEK – you won’t have to wait until our fund drive is over on March 29th like you do for the other Kickstarter rewards.
Here are the only two things you need to do to enter the contest:
1. Go to http://www.TIMtheMovie.com and make a monetary pledge to our film there on Kickstarter for $10 or more. You will be eligible for whatever rewards package you choose from the list, plus be entered in this special contest.
2. After making your pledge, you must send an e-mail with “TIM CONTEST” in the subject line to: WonderMotionStudios@gmail.com and tell us:
• your name
• your Kickstarter screen name
• and an e-mail address where we can notify you if you are the winner.
Keep in mind that these are just pledges. You are not charged any money right away. When you make a pledge on Kickstarter, you are only charged at the end of the pledge drive IF we have raised our total amount by that time.
The contest ends promptly at 11:59pm Pacific time Thursday evening, February 24th after which time one winner will be randomly chosen from among all the new pledges. The winner will be contacted to see where we need to send the original art!
Last year, as part of my Drawn & Quoted series, I created a pencil drawing of a wide-eyed fuzzy monster that just exuded optimism (If you’d like to see it again, just CLICK HERE!) It received wonderful reaction from folks. It is fun to know that such a positive pencil drawing elicited such a positive response. I got to thinking that perhaps this purveyor of positiveness should see the light of day in full color!
So, fresh from my drafting table just today comes this turquoise Joyful Beast in living watercolor paint and colored pencil:
The pessimist in me thinks the monster is noticing his own reflection in the mirror, while the hopeful optimist in me thinks he’s met his perfect match. What do YOU think is floating his boat? Leave a comment!
Well, here we are – Day 31 of 31 days of Monster Month – a fresh and tasty brand new monster drawing each day in the month of October. I truly hope you have enjoyed looking at each creature as much as I have enjoyed creating them. There will be other monsters here on the blog now and then along with other art that keeps me busy, so please visit again to see what is new!
We all have them in our lives – a person who is there just to suck every last bit of childlike wonder we have inside. They say things like “You wouldn’t eat THAT would you?” just as you are about to take a bite. “Those haven’t been in style since MC Hammer!” as you are walking around in your favorite pants. Or “You can’t drive BACKWARDS on the freeway!” when you clearly are navigating your vehicle quite well on your own.
All I have to say is, don’t let them bring you down!
There’s always a killjoy in every sewer, isn’t there? Sheesh.
For those of you who have been following my Monster Month drawings, you will have noticed that I tend to lean toward the cartoony and humorous style of beastie. That’s my nature – a glimpse into my inner core if you will. Last week I was issued a challenge by an artist whom I deeply respect as he is quite an original himself. Ralph Steadman wrote “As a rule, monsters have got to be almost so obscene they need to be scary – too scary to look at. Avoid the cartoon monster- smell the sweat!!!”
After giving Mr. Steadman’s mandate some thought, I came up with this toothy monster. What is scarier than an otherworldly creature who preys on sweet innocent little kitty cats? (Yeah, I know – I had to get something cartoony and humorous into the picture, too.) Ralph, this one’s for you.
The teeth are one thing, but that horrendous halitosis will kill you first every time..
Well, I know the above monster doesn’t necessarily smell of sweat, but it’s a step in the right direction. In order to make my drawings more sweat worthy, perhaps I’ll have to think of scarier things to get in the right mindset. My current mental scare tactics aren’t working – tactics like what if you have to squelch a burp in church, or getting up to the register at the grocery store only to realize you left your coupons at home.
Then again, for some of us, those thoughts can be pretty hard core scary.
I have a beard. Primarily I have a beard because I lack a fondness for shaving. Shaving is a painful inconvenience. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with a little facial fuzz. It sprouts there on it’s own, so who am I to hinder its existence.
Now, this fella, on the other hand, has issues with his stubble – it’s sharp. I suppose that is prone to be the case when your “stubble” is really yellow horns protruding from your chin. A standard razor can’t do the trick on this one. He probably needs a hedge trimmer to cut through those barbs. The only trouble is they grow back in overnight and the routine starts all over again the next morning. Actually, now that I think about it, you had better steer clear of his 5 o’clock shadow as well.
Of course, after Hank shaves, he uses refreshing Aqua Velva even though it stings.
This past weekend I spent several nights sleeping in a hotel in the Phoenix, AZ area. While the room appears clean when you first arrive, you always wonder what those cleaning ladies may have missed. With the current bed bug scare in the United States, you hope desperately that the preceding traveler didn’t leave behind little guests of their own that enjoy room service.
Thankfully I didn’t have bed bugs (that I know of), but it still didn’t stop me from sketching this drawing right there in my room of what could have been. Oog.
