Hello out there! I haven't post in a while, its been a crazy year. I took my first type class this past semester and while it kicked my ass quite a bit, I learned a lot. One of my favorite projects, which I actually struggled with a lot in the beginning, was the type classification poster set. The idea behind the posters were to be informative about whatever our chosen typeface were. I chose the faces Didot, Chaparral, and Futura. My idea was about classifying the types in the same way animals and plants are scientifically classified (with some artistic license of course). It's meant to be tongue and cheek, playful and hopefully clever.

Of course, as the only VFX student in a class of graphic designers and advertising majors, my posters were probably the least serious and the most illustrative. So I was actually quite shocked that the class and the teacher liked them, so I'm pretty proud of them now. There were quite the horrible critiques in the beginning and I really doubted if I could get through that class, but it all worked out in the end.

In VFX related work, I took matte painting one in which I learned a some new photoshop tricks and I think helped me get a little better rounded as a compositor. I think I'll take matte painting two next semester in order to learn Vue. Anyway, just in time for Christmas, my frosty, cold final painting in action:

Matte Painting 101 Final from Candice Weber on Vimeo.

A little bit of personal work I did was a fan video for the band OK Go. Its a similar feeling to my type posters which seem to be becoming a favorite style for me. I'm striving to get more personal work done in the coming year, but I really need to snap out of my current lazy streak. I've lots of ideas for fun videos, but I keep telling myself: "No, you should stay focused on your thesis." But real life isn't like that, I'm learning that rarely do you ever get to focus on one thing at a time. I just need to stuck it up, work more, and sleep less.

Ok Go Animation from Candice Weber on Vimeo.

And so my semester is all wrapped up and hey the world didn't even end, so all in all I guess I doing alright :)

Stereoscopic Roto Reel:


Stereoscopic Rotoscope Demo Reel from Candice Weber on Vimeo.


Motion  Graphics Reel:


Candice Weber MG Reel 2012 from Candice Weber on Vimeo.

Stereoscopic Rotoscope Demo Reel

My 2011 stereoscopic roto reel made up of my work from The Base Studio. Hands down best job I ever had!!

Hanging in the lab at school lol

Trying to stay productive

So starting to get close to my Mid Point review for my thesis project. Trying not to freak out, but that's who I am, a worrier. Along with the requirements for midpoint, I need a reel with all my school and professional work on it. So I still need to get my roto work for my reel on this, but here's a school only reel.

I'll be posting there soon with a little bit what my thesis is about and the organization I'm working with. But right now its tea time with self picked lemons!

Here's the New Year and New Challenges!

So I got some super awesome stuff for Christmas this year! I've become more and more interested in motion graphics and type recently. I've based a lot of the focus of my senior thesis on creative motion graphics and compositing, partly just so I have an excuse to take some motion graphics and graphic design classes. Anyway, for Christmas I got some awesome books for inspiration:

haNdmade 3D, Handmade Graphics, and Fingerprint

I asked for these specific books because I'm especially interested in combining physically handmade work with digital media. As probably many other artists of the digital age, I often find myself missing the traditional arts. There's something about hand creating something that really gives you a feeling of accomplishment. Not knocking the digital though, the undo command is the greatest thing since sliced bread. So it mades sense to me to try to utilize my traditional background in, hopefully, some new creative ways.
I really response to a lot of the work in these book with a new found clarity. Not only did I feel a kind fascination for this work that I haven't felt in a long time, but I felt like it was an answer to question I've always struggled to answer: Who am I as an artist? What's my niche? It finally dawned on me that all the work I really admire always has an element of design to it despite whether its commercial or not. I think that somehow "design" is the answer I've been searching for. I'm not sure how to elaborate on that yet, but somehow I feel thats key.
I've always kind of felt like a fine artist trapped in a commercial body. Not that I dislike being a commercial artist or have anything against it, but I like doing art for the sake of a personal concept and vision instead of creating the visions of others. But I noticed that in at least one of the books much of the work was labeled "self initiated" under clientele. Most of the artists are designers working commercially, but who also show in galleries around the world and therefore are blessed with a dual artistic career. That's really inspiring to me because it means I didn't choose one over the other after all. Yes its hard, but if possible I want to be both and have substance and ethics in all my work. I'll strive to be "self initiated;" to create my own projects outside of any jobs I have and to take it a step further by taking chances on entering shows and really trying to show my work. I often fear my own lethargy, I can be extremely lazy and I hate how I have repeatedly fallen into a pattern of static slumps. It will also be a challenge because I find when I have one major project to focus on I feel guilty using energy on side projects and therefore choose to goof off during times when I could be working on personal stuff (not constructive I know).
But in the new year resolution style, I pledge to do my best to become a more go-getting and dedicated artist. I really really want to finally "find my voice" and hope that with the new experiences of the coming year I can get closer to it. However, I do feel that I am close to a personal and artistic epiphany and hope I can finally have a clear image of who I truly wish to become. Maybe 2012 will be my year... here's hoping!



A look as some of the talented people I look to for inspiration:

Julien Vallee
                      

Jenny Holzer



Bryony Birkbeck

The Id

The Superego