Monday, December 17, 2012

Bleeding High Hopes

I don't know...  I'm still not feeling AMAZING about the pen bleeding... but I will carry on until I think of some magical solution.

I'm back to working on my short and let me just say: CHANGES ARE HAPPING

As I've mentioned before I don't think I will be returning to the studio space that I occupied before.  There are several reasons for that, but I won't bother going into them.  This has caused me to realize that I have a lot less square feet in which to shoot in.  This means - SET REDESIGNS.  It's going to be challenging in a whole new way but I'm a firm believer that when you have immovable obstacles a greater and more creative solution can be the net profit than if everything just goes swimmingly.  After I post this blog post I'm going to go on walkabout to scavenge some materials to shoot some tests with.  I have high hopes and hopefully they will stay this high after the testing has been done.  Overall though when I brainstormed "Solution A" last week I got very excited as to how it could actually enhance the storytelling in my film.  If all goes well this week I may be able to share with you some tests.  Of course in my experience with stop motion things only go as you expect they will 5% of the time.  So no promises!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Bye Bye B&W

So I decided to JUST DEAL WITH IT.

Yes, the ink will bleed.  But I want to continue with this pen and this paint.
I think if I am aware of the fact that the ink will bleed I just need to be more careful about my brushwork.  The past few sketchbooks I have filled have been pure black and white since I have been separated from my paints for so long.  Seeing colour back in my sketchbook just makes me feel....happy.  Another piece of my soul puzzle in place!



Friday, December 7, 2012

Uh Oh



Mid way through the year, it finally happened.  I FOUND THE PERFECT PEN.  I had been searching for years for the perfect sketching pen.  In college I was all about the ballpoint.  Later on it was all about Micron.  Then I came close early this year with the Pentel Hybrid Technica.  THEN, when I thought I could do no better, fate intervened and I found the glorious Pilot G-TEC-C4.  The most perfect pen I have ever sketched with.  I have done about 2 full sketchbooks with the Pilot and I have been loving it.  However I haven't painted in SO LONG.  Mostly due to the fact that my paints were in storage when I moved to SF.  Now that I'm back in Vancouver and my office is mostly set up I found the time to paint.  I had been looking forward to it since.......well it seems like forever!  So today, I painted.  I painted on top of my sketch and..... the EFFING INK BLED.
WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It never bled with the Micron, but the felt tips wore down after 1 or 2 pages and I was going through a pen a week.  With the Pilot I can actually use up the ink completely (which can last anywhere from 3-5 weeks).  AND I love sketching with it.... It feels great and the lines are really nice.
So now I am torn.  There is no way I want to give up my gouache.  There is no way I want to give up this pen.

WHAT. A. PICKLE.