It’s been long enough. The intention to get back to blogging, probably the most enriching things that the internet can be used for, is not as easy as it the benefit would lead one to believe. It is often the hardest these sort of things in life that have the greatest benefit that go without being utilized, but that changes now with the mother of all instigators, New Years Day.

What’s the topic of the year that is a continuation and solidification of growing interest in the previous year? What else, the ubiquitous topic across the blog-o-sphere; filtering, utilizing and leveraging the mind-numbingly viral growth of open source hardware and software, DIY, Hacktivism, Public Domain, and Creative Commons information to engage in gratuitous amounts of geekery, life/career hacking.

Expect expositions in 2012 on topics in addition to the aforementioned and the regular posts on 3d animation and tech art ranging in this list of interests:

Linux
C-Shell Scripting
Python
Arduino
Use of hobby as a way of making money
Dynamic DNS
Game Dev
Futurism
Virtual Computing

Hopefully shedding some light on some of the fundamentals will blaze trails for others that are interested to get started in the most noble of activities of the modern era, one that is being affected by movements like SOPA; developing and sharing software and media and artist entrepreneurialism.

 

How I've felt for so long about working in VFX/Anim industry.

My first project

Done!  After a few weeks of back and forth and interviews I finally landed the job of my dreams, well, for the time being.  Blue Sky has always been on the radar as a potential and it’s finally a reality.  It’s everything I could ask for in an employer and more.

Don’t think that it’s going to stop me from being active on my blog though, quite the opposite!  Well, maybe the first month or two starting now there will be a pause, but after that it will increase.  I’m super excited to learn and share knowledge with people and stay really connected and dedicated to innovating personal and industry wide workflows, tech, and of course animation.  Technical animation and tech art to be specific is what I’ll be working on in the coming months, same as usual.

Thanks to everyone that’s been involved in the process of landing this, you know who you are!  I don’t think they know yet what a valuable asset they just acquired but soon they will find out just how serious I am about the work I do and how inspired I can be!

 

This demo illustrates the steps taken to develop a character from concept sketches to finished facial rig in a simplified format. This is an actual rig I developed with the use of proprietary rigging tools in Maya utilized daily at work so I’m not going to demo those tools. However, future installments will incorporate the use of tools that I have written and that you can use to aide the building of complex facial rigs such as this, and include overviews of more advanced rigging techniques. I would also like to break the process down into chunks to really go into more detail about things you should be thinking about if you are trying to rig a face. This is an ongoing process so stay tuned, I have lot’s of useful tips to share.

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My résumé is regularly updated and can be downloaded/viewed here.

Animation/TD Show Reel

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Big 15'5 C2 Gun surfboard by Cooperfish

I could resist posting this after I saw the result of a labor of love from one of the greatest surfboard shapers out there.  This is my hobby when i’m not doing rigging work, that is, surfing not shaping.  Although, one day I may just have the time and space to start learning to shape.

I’ve been surfing since I got to California almost and i’ve grown to love it so much.  It just makes me appreciate it even more when I see a work of art like this.  I really have respect for what these guys are doing and other people that are carrying on the tradition for the love of the craft.

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I finally am getting around to updating my blog, my home on the web besides Facebook crap.  After a long time using blogspot I started using WordPress and I can’t think of why I ever was using uh, what was that again, oh yes blogger!  This is going to make it easier I can just tell already.  It seems as though blogger hadn’t updated anything in a long time,  it was tough to edit posts, and it was a jostling experience all around.  The themes are important to me since I work in a visual industry which WordPress seems to clearly excel in.  In short, this is another beginning in a long succession of beginnings.  Maybe now I can get serious about updating about my work and inspirations!