Computer Animation Arts

Hurry! There are only 10 more tickets available for the CGAA Tombola Of Dreams!    Go here to purchase the final few!

While looking for some help on how to light a candle lit scene in Maya I came across these useful tutorials. Their quite easy to follow and are really great for getting certain lighting effects. http://cgterminal.com/2011/05/03/six-tuts-on-light-and-shade-in-maya/

It's another UCA Open Day on Saturday 30th November, which means I'll be meeting with prospective students and their parents and 'talking the talk'.   The CGAA suites will be open for business between 10am - 3pm (or thereabouts), and I always prefer it when there's a buzz on the lower 4th.  It would be great to see you there, but do be prepared to answer any questions from visitors - or be the butt of my rubbish jokes!  Hope to see some of you in-situ.

Wow! The CGAA Tombola Of Dreams has just reached £800! Well done all of you!  The grand total of £1,000 is in our reach!  We just need 10 more people to purchase 2 tickets, or 20 people to purchase 1!  Go on - if you haven't bought your ticket(s) yet, go here to the online store.  It's your chance to win a brand new iPad and other treats!

Hi everyone, we'll be working with colour again tomorrow, so please bring paints, ink, pastels etc. We'll also be focusing on the face, hands and feet. Here are a few images to pique your interest... Best, Vicky                                                 1. Albrecht Durer - Praying Hands 2. Raphael - Studies of the heads of Two Apostles and of their hands 3. Michelangelo - Study of three male figures 4. Michelangelo - Study for the Creation of Adam 5. Modigliani - La Belle Romaine 6. Francis Bacon - (from) Three Studies of Lucien Freud 7. David Mazure - Embrace Process part 2 8. Diana Schmertz - The cause of itself

Charming and depressing!  The idiocy of consumerism as fuelled by in-built obsolescence laid bare...  This is us. IDIOTS from BLR_VFX on Vimeo .

Apologies for the scheduling change, but I have to attend a meeting at UCA Farnham on Tuesday 3rd Dec @ 11am.  If we could shift your Dissertation Feedback sessions to Monday 2nd - same times - that would be appreciated. Ernesta @ 9.30am Gabriel @ 10am Sammy @ 10.30am Lydia @ 11am Alice @ 11.30am Anthony @ 12 noon Tom @ 12.30pm I'll be in the CGAA office.  See you then & spread the word. Many thanks!

I'm showing Drew Goddard's meta-mash-up The Cabin In The Woods as the finale to the year 2 postmodernism film programme this Wednesday @ 2pm in Lecture Theatre 1.  I thought some of you might be interested in coming along, as it's not a film I've screened before and it's a lot of fun.  You're welcome to attend.  Hope to see some of you there.

Hello everyone! Leo here once again with some episodes of Q Pootle 5 for you! Q Pootle 5 is here!   It's been a while, but I'm happy to say that some of the episodes I've worked on for Q Pootle 5 on the CBeebies channel are finally up on BBC iPlayer . Catch them while you can before they're no longer avaliable! The Eight-Eyed Thingy from Galaxy 7   Q Pootle 5 is called into action when Groobie sees something lurking in his store cupboard. Is it really an eight-eyed thingy, or just some hungry space mice? - Some great horror-esque lighting here. Strange Sounds In The Night   Q Pootle 5 and his friends have a camp out to discover what has been keeping Bud-D awake at night. - Look out for the nightime shots in this one :) The Cosmic Whipple   It is the day of the Cosmic Whipple. But, when Oopsy gets stranded it looks like she is going to miss the most wonderful light show in the whole galaxy. - Spectacular effects and colours make this one of most...

Over recent days, you might have seen me stalking the halls with a box of orange ping pong balls and a permanent marker; the ping pong balls correspond to tickets already purchased by CGAA students, staff and alumni, with their names and ticket number written on the ball, before the ball is added to the tombola in readiness for the grand draw on Friday 13th December @ 6pm in the CGAA Baseroom.   If you've purchased tickets, but haven't yet written your name and number on a ping-pong ball, don't worry, I know who you are, and I'll find you next week :) Only 45 tickets remain at the UCA online store , so it's time to purchase yours now.  With a grand prize of a brand new  Apple iPad Wi-Fi 64 GB , the  CGAA Tombola Of Dreams  is your chance to get your hands on some  great stuff  - and help crowd-fund our graduates' exhibition stand at  New Designers 2014.    If everyone purchased their 2 x £10 tickets, we'd meet...

Chilling stuff communicated beautifully...

Courtesy of the great concept art blog Film Sketchr , some industry insights into the role and production of animatics ...

An amazing one-stop-shop resource for human anatomy and character design here - and it's updated daily!  You should bookmark this today!

This animation would have produced great inspiration towards my Major project whilst at university. It's an intro to a tamagotchi-like app. The thought into the history of the 'Fugu' really helps sell this.  

Submission of DRAFT Dissertation: FRIDAY 22nd NOVEMBER   11.00 am-12 noon   to the Campus Registry, Ground floor Reminder: you must also submit an electronic copy of your dissertation as one document to Turnitin , by the deadline.  This is available through myUCA , under ‘Assessment’ in the relevant unit area.

With a grand prize of a brand new Apple iPad Wi-Fi 64 GB , the CGAA Tombola Of Dreams is your chance to get your hands on some great stuff - and help crowd-fund our graduates' exhibition stand at  New Designers 2014.* If everyone purchased their 2 x £10 tickets, we'd meet this term's fund-raising target of £1,000!   So, "Roll up! Roll up!" Deadline for purchasing your tickets is Monday 25th November . Purchase Your Tombola Tickets Here *Alumni welcome!  Just visit the online store , register, and purchase your tickets! Your continued support of the CGAA community is appreciated.

While exploring the realms of hyperreality within my  postmodernism research, I came across an interesting article showcasing a selection of hyperrealistic paintings from artists around the globe, discussing their techniques. The attention to detail and realism within to their work provoke a self induced argument that make you question whether or not they are photographs or paintings. There are plenty of examples out there, these are a just a select few, take a look! Off the Track, by Denis Peterson  (Urenthanes on Wooden Panel) Berkeley Pinto, by Robert Bechtle  (Oil on Canvas) Volkswagen , by Don Eddy  (Acrylic on Canvas) Gap Outlet, Waterside Shops, by  Tom Blackwell  (Oils on Canvas) Supersandwhich! by Tjalf Sparnaay  (Oil on Linen) Monument Square by  Anthony Brunelli  (Oil on Linen) 1908 Indian Racer by Peter Maier  (Oil on Canvas) Bahama Surf by Charles Hartley  (Oil on Polyester) ...

Just look at this  - absolutely stunning art direction - and clever use of non-linear story-telling to create an engaging narrative out of a largely unremarkable event.   Hound from Olivia Marion on Vimeo .

"A love story from the world of gears and bolts". Invention of Love, from Andrey Shushkov on Youtube

Tuesday 19th November – Chris Hunt will be doing the morning's dissertation tutorials in the CG office instead of the usual place. Times are unchanged: 11am – Sean, 11.30 – Jamie; 12.00 – Natalie; 12.30 – Stitch.

Dir.  Darren Aronofsky

Due to the dissertation draft hand-in on Friday 22nd Nov next weeks Maya class will be postponed. However, normal service will be resumed the following week. Use the time productively and good luck with your dissertations.

The BBC has a nice article on the set design in the long running Poirot TV series with David Suchet, in particular focussing on the Art Deco and Streamline Moderne elements. Read the article here