floating landscape by skyrunner
available on t-shirts prints posters
at Redbubble

link

                                                                                                                                                   

creature toy “ big ”
inspired by the designer toy industry
available on a black tee and other colors at Redbubble

link

                                                                                                              

creature toy design - by Skyrunner
( inspired by the designer vinyl toy industry )

available on a black t-shirt from Redbubble

link

                                                                                            

 

character designs at  iconhero
folio site in progress

link

 

art work is copyright – all rights reserved

please note
i find i can no longer support the above product, as doubts have been
raisd by some, about the product

ill leave the comic on line for now,
as an example of my work

thanks ..

Anyone out there wanting to get in touch, try the following -
 
dropapple@hotmail.com

                                                                  

                                                                     Porco relaxing on the beach                         

 

skymondo review

I Recently purchased Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso, to play on my new Samsung  80cm / 32” wide screen, HD television.

Wow ! if the mountain of all mountains is often in the clouds ( following post ) ..

this movie spends half its time in the clouds following ariel dog fights and delicious high altitude camera shots of vintage aircraft !

This is one of  Miyazakis’ early masterpieces, nostalgically set in the Italian Riviera, pre 2nd world war.

When the action does get down to earth, you can almost feel the warm sand between your toes, the crisp white light of the mediteranean, the torqouise blue sea, and the intense hue of unpolluted clear blue skies.

Attention to detail surprises and delights – from the glint of sunlight on flying glasses,  to the shadows of airplanes cast on the sea – i simply  run this movie in silence mode, like animated wallpaper, to browse the amazing visuals in traditional 2D  – the styling reminds me of the vintage Tin Tin graphic novels  by Swiss artist Serge’

 

Porco is the oddest of heroes for an animation movie too, an overwieght cigarette smoking pig / human – who leaves dirty ash trays lying around, kicks over his wine, and loves flying his airplane, but is a bit slack in the maintenance dept – for all that, Porco is by no means lacking in gravitas and charisma – he’s like a smouldering Bruce Willis, in disguise.

 There is a final fisticuffs battle between Porco and his chief  protagonist at the end of the film, that no film maker would get away with today in a G – rated movie. The fight seems to go on forever, the two protagonist inflicting on one another,  painful bruises, welts, black eyes and blisters, that are a far cry from Disney’s  “ culture of cute ” – its more like “ Fight club “ stuff , and is somewhat surprising even in this movie  – The story is kind of odd and eccentric as well, but that’s Miiyazaki for ya !– there is always humour in the details and the asides, and the visuals are a delight !

Maybe i shouldve lashed out and bought the 100 cm screen ! – anyways, if you don’t already own this movie,  buy it for your “ must have”  collection of  great animation ! 

skyrunner

 

                                                                                                                       

one of my fav. photographers at Flickr is – Pumpkin Chief 

She’s an avid photograpaher who seemingly photographs everything around her – food, markets, stalls, restaurants, friends, festivals, posters, toys, children, people, pets, plants, washing on the line, shadows on walls etc etc etc .. you get the picture?  its like she has a camera permanantly glued to her arm ! 

She works hard to get her shots too – not just a “ shoot comfortably from the shoulder ” kinda gal – if you look carefully, many shots are made while lying flat out on the ground !

She has an unwavering eye for detail, colour, and composition – accompanied by a sense of fun and exuberance for living, that permeates her work. Her  “ Daily series 1 ”  is as good a place to start as any. There’s over 1000 shots in that category alone !

you’ll have a nice time getting to know the photo world of  Pumpkin Chief

link

Go to Kurt's own site for the full effect. From his home page, proceed to 'Gallery of Works', then to 'Street Painting'. Kurt makes his own pastels ( the commercial versions are too chalky ) Also go to his FAQ page for a better understanding of his art - he is one of the World's best at what he does. Kurt will paint you up an original illusionist perspective piece, right smack in the middle of your own private courtyard ( should you have one ) You might have to wait though, he's heavily booked !

 link

                                                              

                                                                 

 

When I first heard Pixar was making a movie about Cars - I must admit I was an unbeliever .
c’mon guys .. a movie about cartoon cars !  Well now I have to eat my words.

 

Pixar has lifted the bar yet again – and that’s saying something after " The Incredibles "
From a visual perspective “ Cars ” is simply amazing !

Awesome  racing sequences, incredible editing, dynamic camera, great styling, luscious rendering and lighting, including neon reflections and night sequences, and of course the usual high quality animation, the movie also has an engaging and acceptable story that's full of fun.

 

A number of underlying themes give the film a little more depth than just being an entertaining  romp.
Here’s a few
“ no Car is an island ” 
“ we all need our friends and a sense of community ”
“ besides chasing success, take a rest from the fast lane ” 
“ small town America cares about its own ”

 

John Lassiter is some kinda genius. Just think what he’s achieved for animation in America – not only does he run a great studio that fosters talent, and allows other artists and directors to soar ! when Lassiter sits in the directors chair himself, he can deliver by the tankload !

 

Don’t miss this fast moving, turbo charged, petrol guzzling, oil spilling, tar spattering movie
on the big screen !  its simply accelerating ! 

                                                 

                                                           

 
Moonlight City is a city night shot in wide screen  ( awesome on your 19" - 24" ) complete with flashing neon lights, traffic driving by, big city sound effects, and a haunting musical soundtrack that can actually be played over and over again, without getting annoying

and right in the middle, an elevated televison billboard  plays cut scenes from  Final Fantasy  

You cant ask for better than that can you ?

and its all free - from Metal Tear

link

Skymondo – devoted to “ amazing Visuals ”

 

                                        

 

most dynamic and luscious photo of wine, ive ever seen !

found at Flickr when browsing one day – cant give you the source link though – too long ago – best clue is “Rebecca” at Flickr – if i find it again i’ll post  – she had some other great photos in the batch too – if anyone finds the link, please let me know – Rebecca deserves full credit and attention without a doubt !

i highly recommend Flickr for finding some great photos ! but you gotta be prepared to search

Skymondo - where the focus is on -  “ amazing visuals ”

and today its webcam 4 – at Times Square !

It may not seem amazing at first glance, but Earth Cam’s  cam 4 at Times Square, presents a living, streaming image of folks  24/7  – so anytime it takes your fancy, you can go take a peak at who is strolling by, night or day – winter or summer – rain hail or shine. 

as such the cam presents a unique record of humanity at this most famous site in America

                                                                               

Some folks know the cam is there, so they stand in front of the camera and wave while calling home on the mobile no doubt “ hey mum ! here I am at Times Square ! ”

Ive checked out the other earth cams from around the world and cam 4 Times Square is the best of all – true streaming video, the cam is close enough to the people to feel engaged with their lives momentarily ( shades of Andy Warhols 15 minutes of fame -given the world audience this cam.  must have )

In movie terms, the streaming video looks like it captures about every 10th frame, giving the folks those odd jerky movements that animated puppets have on stop frame animation – cool !  and it’s all free

link

 
Beneath a Steel Sky

beautiful and creative photographs of new York, in honour of photographer Philippe Flores :
see the work while its still available at the DQ  site, in a stunning and thoughtful Flash presentation

link

                                               

 

Miyazakai - My Neighbour Totoro

 

My Neighbour Totoro, is one of the most charming animation features available for family viewing  –

In many ways anchored in recognisable reality, but juxtaposed with the magic and mystery of the forest and the hidden creatures that inhabit them ( playing the natural world against the supernatural, being a hallmark of Miyazaki films ) 

 

The values are solid,  nostaligic and old world, good neighbourlyness, respect for others, care for children,  and Totoro, the mythic creature of the forest that only children can see, is one of the most enduring animation characters ever created for the screen – all accomplished without Totoro speaking one line of dialogue.( he does however offer a few grunts, groans and roars )

 

The film has moments of wonderful fantasy ( the arrival of the Cat Bus for one ) and other moments when Miyazaki reminds us that the seemingly ordinary, can be magical – the sequence when the children give Totoro an umbrella, and Totoro discovers the echoing plops of rain drops falling on a stretched umbrella, is absolutely masterful film making from Miyazaki - and there are many other wonderful moments in the film that reveal Miyazaki's careful observations of humanity and character, and the master's touch in conveying these through animation. One has the impression that there is not much going on around him, that escapes Miyazaki's watchful eye.

 

The character Totoro with his gentle charm, wins over children and adults alike and over the years he has become an icon of popular Japanese popular culture, in much the same way as Wallace and Gromitt have become popular animation icons for the British.

 

"My Neighbour Totoro"  is not to be missed and will be a welcome addition to any families collection of very watchable animation features on DVD - Totoro for me, is among the best of Miyazaki's films.

 

 

 

since Howl has recently been released on DVD  im giving this review a fresh airing at the front of the blog – apologies to those who have already read it - new visitors might appreciatte the convenience

for other comments on Miyazaki, go to the Miyazaki folder – menu folders, left of screen

 

Howl’s Moving Castle

Incredible to watch ! – the Castle is amazing as it emerges out of the mists like an aging feudal warrior, creaking and lumbering across a European countryside. Miyazake has a fascination for European settings seen in several of his films – Porco Rosso – Kikis’ delivery service – and now in Howl.

Much of the charm in Miyazaki films, is in the interactions between the characters, sometimes amusing, sometimes caring, sometimes complicated, and sometimes threatening. Miyazaki’s keen eye for humanity, is revealed through the characters he writes for the screen, and in this film, a virtual family is created, with Howl, Sophie, the boy, the Witch, Calcifer, Scarecrow and Sullimans dog - all of whom form Howls unlikely entourage.

Another element that Miyazaki always conveys brilliantly, is the sheer physicality of the world his characters inhabit – the difficulty of climbing stairs – the struggles of an old woman making her way along high mountain passes – even cooking a good Breakfast !

And as is often the case, the underlying theme that drives the action, is the conflict between the forces of good and evil – but unfortunately in Howl, instead of developing this theme into epic proportions, as Miyazaki did in Princess Mononoke – Howl becomes side tracked in a smaller theme, the fate of the Castle itself – and even less satisfying, the closing scenes of the film descend into cheezy schmultz ! something i thought id never say of a Miyazaki film.

However there are extraordinary sequences and moments in the film, that no one should miss -  so overlook the final sequence that disappoints from a story point of view, for the wonderful work that preceeds it. 

                        

 

creatures 5 and 6

creatures are useful for playing around with shapes and proportions –
if your at a loose end, design a creature !

 

images are copyright –  copying images from my site no longer permitted – please respect artists rights – thank you  –enquiries to to kevin – goskymondo@hotmail.com

         

 

i wanted to do more landscapes .. so ..

early morning light .. dissapated by sea-mist

Jo, Newton and mr Duck are in the pic. as well

 

                                                      early morn           

 

 

images are copyright –  copying images from my site is no longer permitted – please respect artists rights – thank you  – enquiries to to kevin – goskymondo@hotmail.com

                                                     

                                                                                                "  whoooow ! ”

 

                                                                            

 

 

images are copyright –  copying images from my site is no longer permitted – please respect artists rights – thank you  – enquiries to to kevin – goskymondo@hotmail.co

                    

 

 my first time to make a drawing  fully completed in xara vectors

<>

images are copyright – enquiries to kevin at

                    

seascape 1 

 

looking for a unique christmas design gift ?

                                                   cards and mugs             
                

                         

 

Jo and Newton work out

the first rule of adventuring is to keep fit !

 

  

i wanted to try a long format composition  – with not much height compared to width – 

the theme here is the view from a cottage looking over the sea –

some people actually get to live like this !

                                                                     beach house on postcards / mugs        

 

Jo – Newton and mr Duck –  take in the stars

iv set this image up on cards etc at Cafepress –  link

                                                                                             

Here is a thumbnail of kazu Kabushi's cover artwork for one on his Copper comics –

its only a thumb nail, so go to Kazu’s site – main page, Bolt city – and click on the link identified as large desktop version – for the full effect

at present the link is halfway down the main page – it’s worth having a close look at the art – great design and he uses color very efficiently – i really like his style – 

by the way, i discovered only now, the link i made to Bolt City in a previous post - didn’t work – a typo error  –  fixed now   –  link

                                                          from Michael  Cagnes’ latest MTV gig   

the above is a gif animation, but created first in Flash, from Michael cagnes latest MTV gig !

“ Insanely twisted Shadow Puppets “

A very accomplished animation artist, concept art, special effects and comics artist  – Michael Gagnes website is certainly worth visiting and exploring

You’ll find he’s worked on such films as the Iron Giant, the Land Before Time, All Dogs go to Heaven and much more – often in the role of special effects

in 1998 Michael released his first graphic novel  “A Search for Meaning – the story of  Rex “ a visual narrative comic – under his own publishing name – Gagne International Press – and has since released more than a dozen titles, cementing his reputation as an independant publisher

you can view all the pages of  “A Search for Meaning”  at Michaels site, plus watch some very nice effects and character animation from his short film “ Prelude to Eden “ 

You can also view no less than 12 short animations produced in Flash for MTV and recently released  – designed in silhouette style – dont miss them ! there beautifully designed and animated – no further proof is needed that the tendency to realism is the only way to go in animation   – 

the major credits are

Michael cagne – creator producer director – concepts beautifully realised
Jayson Theissen and Mike Hogue – animation – terrific work !  
Andrew Scott – sound design – great to see the sound designer up there with the creator and the animators

the first of the films are 10 – 15 secs – long enough to set up a situation – but as they progress, their only 3 secs long – i doubt were getting the whole movie

go to Michaels site to see all the goodies    link

                      

 

illustration friday – remote

Jo, Newton, and Mr.Duck make their way down a remote mountain pass

images are copyright - enquiries to kevin at
goskymondo@hotmail.com

               

                          

 i came across this contemporary haiku on the web once – and have not been able to find it again – if you know its wherabouts, let me know thanks

text         -  author unknown
image  -  skymondo

 

goskymondo@hotmail.com