My Intentions for 2023
As of a semi-tradition of figuring out what I want to focus on in the new year here is my 2023 intention:
The Big Project:
Molly’s Follies Curse of the Skinwalker: The Animated Comic
I took a year off from creating the series on webtoons. The reason; to focus on telling a better story. For those who might not know I actually storyboard and did not write the script until halfway through season two. I stopped production on the web comic and focus writing a good chunk of the story throughout 2022. Cutting down the fluff and really focus on writing a story that is not only exciting but is consistent.
For 2023, I am wanting to complete the whole story while also making it something special. Which mean a dedicated website for the story to be seen by everyone. As you might have seen I wrote “The Animated Comic”. Well its true I want to create an animated comic. Molly’s Follies did start off as an animated web series before switching over to the comic format. However, when I look back in certain moments of the web comic I think to myself “this scene would be cool if it was animated”. So I am looking to incorporate animation into the web comic series. As well as incorporate 3D NPR (Non-Photo-Real) rendered backgrounds.
One thing looking through the original comic pages that I felt was missing was the environment that these characters lived in. I believed that the third most important character (other than the protagonist and antagonist ) is the background. At the time when I started the comic, I couldn’t afford taking the time to draw background as I was trying to post on an unrealistic schedule before hoping on a train for work. However now taking the time to learn Blender and dive into NPR rendering, I want to start incorporating more environments into the web series.
Lastly I am realizing that I can’t do this all alone. While I love each aspect of the process, I also realize that it will never get done unless I get help from other talented artists. Not only that, I do miss the collaboration of a team. I think it fuels me with excitement to not only bounce ideas but they also contributing to creating something that I couldn’t done by myself. So yeah I am looking to build a team to help get this big project done by the end of 2023 (hopefully!)
Learning Something New:
Blender:
Non Photo Realistic Rendering (2D 3D conversions)
Geometry Nodes
Grease Pencil
From 2021-up to now I been learning how to use Blender. Mostly in a “learning a new program” mentally vs a “specific niche art” utility. The thing about 3D art is that you can go down any path imaginable. In fact, I made a career in creating photo realistic renders of products and imagery. However the older I get the less I am intrigue by photorealism outside of work. What Blender has shown me lately is that I am able to combine my love of 2D art/animation with the modeling skills I have developed over the years to create something unseen before. I may have said this before in previous posts but films like “Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse” & “Klaus” sparked something within me to learn how to combine my 2D/3D skills into an artform that make people wonder how it was made. Over the last twenty years, 3D animated films have felt stale as the same style has been used over and over again. Though now I feel we are seeing more of a revival of animated films and 3D art that are inspiring to try for ourselves. Plus the blender community is showcasing with each new project how its possible to get results close to what is being made in the animation studios.
Which is leading me down the path to learn NPR Rendering techniques along with diving more into learning Blender’s grease pencil and geometry nodes. I feel now I am receiving the tools needed to tell the stories in a style that can look better than how I envisioned it while not feeling like it will take forever for me to complete.
A New Style:
Film like an Animator: Tiktok, YT Shorts YouTube
When talking about filming there are two ways to go about it. The traditional way is to (and I am paraphrasing) film as much as possible, go through the footage and edit down what you film to tell a story. Or film like an animator.
What does it mean to ‘film like an animator’?
If you know anything about the animation process, once a script is written the whole animation is storyboarded then edited then finally animated and filmed together. The only difference between live film and animation is when do you edit the video. For a long time I use to do the former, I would film me talking to camera for 15-20 minutes then try to edit that down and then add in b-roll /time-lapse of art being made.
However this is TIME CONSUMING!!! Especially when you are also trying to make animation on top of this. After taking some time away from YouTube I decided to try TikTok. What has been amazing with TikTok is that it forces you to “film like an animator”; You only have this much time to film and you can’t really edit (well) in the timeline. So you basically have to edit as you film. Which made me realize how much that is exactly how you would edit for animation; you edit as you film.
Going into 2023 I am looking to continue making content like this. Along with documenting milestones on projects and having an honest discussion with my audience. I tried this on an animation project last October and found myself having more engagement with my audience than the strung out videos like I use to make on YouTube. I am looking to expand this video strategy onto YouTube & YT Shorts while also expanding my TikTok account.
The one major hurdle I see is being consistent. I find I have moments of consistent posting and video creation and moments when I don’t make a video for a couple of months. I think its mostly due to life events and when mini projects are completed. That said I am focus on being aware of these inconsistencies and what event can trigger these lulls.
Create More:
Animated Shorts
Character Modeling
I think one of the main things that can be challenge for an artist, let alone a creative, is trying not to jump ship from one unfinished project to the next. Especially too when you are inspired by someone else’s creative work. While its always good to branch out (especially when you’re in a rut), it can feel sometimes like trying to catch all of the fireflies as they fly away from you. Prime example let’s take Blender; Just some of the things I have found myself interested in learning just by learning the program:
Simulation
realistic rendering
Non photo real rendering
Anime Toon Shaders
Geometry Nodes
Character Modeling/Sculpting
Creature animation
2d/ 3d animation
Visual Effects
Compositing
Video Game Asset Modeling
etc
That is just the things that have sparked me into learning more about using Blender. These things just are so cool that you just want to try them all out. However, its sometimes good to take a step back and decide whether they align with you’re creative goals in life.
So if I am looking at my creative goals in life:
Create my own Animated films
Publish Comics
Have my own line of products inspired my own characters and stories
Be an Animation Artist/ Storyteller
Its clear that I need to focus on areas that are going to help me reach my dreams. Also to focus to things that I am actually interested in vs just to be inspired for a fleeting moment.
With that said, I am going to create more of:
Animated shorts (even if its just simple loops & animatics)
Modeling but with the focus on more stylized character and environments.
Staying Curious:
3D Printing
Continue learning Japanese
Playing music
I am trying to keep this list small though curiosity can get the better of me sometimes. That’s good though because it means that my brain is telling me to explore and try new things; even if it means doing it scared.
Here are the things I am curious about in 2023:
Recording Music:
I mentioned it back in 2021 that I use to love creating music. However had to sacrifice it to focus on creating a career for myself. Now that I been a professional artists for well over ten years now, I feel its time to get back into the studio to record something. Even just to put myself out there because I have found its been a great therapy for me to just jam out and tell my story other than through art.
Not to mention my own mom has started learning guitar; I been helping her learn the basics and cannot wait for her to start playing her own songs. So it would be wise to continue playing guitar just so I can provide better lessons to my mom.
Learning Japanese:
One of the big dreams my wife and I have is to visit Japan. We were suppose to go for our honeymoon back in 2020 but yeah know…covid happen. However we are going this year finally! With that said I been learning Japanese throughout this time through Duolingo. Love it or hate it, I have to say the app really help me stay consistent and I feel that I have a good grasp of the language because of it. My goal at least was to be able to communicate with someone in Japanese in case our phones died or the person doesn’t speak english. Now I am looking forward to possibly having a reasonable conversation with someone over in Japan. Even if its in broken Japanese. I do believe that learning a language can not only showcase respect for another culture but as a way to connect through other’s language. I remember meeting a woman who was partly deaf on a cruise after learning some ASL. The way this woman reacted to me signing you thought I gifted her with a thousand dollars. She was so happy and excited. I hope to have the same experience when visiting Japan.
3D Printing:
This one has been on the back of my mind for a while. I am a 3D Artist by trade but never actually printed any of my 3d models. Mostly because I didn’t have a 3D printer…until today! My friend Abhijit was kind enough to give me his old IIIP 3D printer since he doesn’t use it as much anymore.
I have always been curious about possibly printing my own figurines of my characters as part of making products based off my art. Now I can actually create test prints. Cannot wait to test this out.
Final Thoughts.
As the old saying goes “Not all who wander are lost.” I think this really described the last two years for me. I took the time to explore and rediscover aspects of my life that I didn’t realize I love or have forgotten about. Now as it looks that the last parts of the pandemic is winding down (hopefully), I think its time to get out and explore this world; focusing on things that are important and ignoring the noise trying to persuade us away from our dreams. Let’s do this!!