Dessert

I have just been getting on with my (Illustration) Visual Narratives work the last few days/weeks. It's strange to think what I'm doing at university is 'drawing animals and experimenting with pop-up book methods' - take that, academics! Should things work well with this project, I may elaborate in further entries.

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This is a post more as a reminder to myself for getting all my bits and bobs together on the web, for whenever I work on my website.

+ Fransdesign website - under construction.
+ Youtube account for my animation tests.
+ Blog - (trust me, I'd forget even this.)
+ 'Professional' Google e-mail.
+ DeviantArt gallery - (It's probably preferable not to include this - it's hardly selling me.)

Main Course

On Thursday the 12th of March, at the Bristol Watershed, I got to see Ray Harryhausen, the stop motion legend. He was there as part of the Encounters Festival, for a screening of his most famous film to have worked on: Jason and the Argonauts.

Unfortunately, as we had got our tickets well in advance, they failed to state upon that he was doing book signings before the screening. So I missed out [as usual] on a great face-to-face moment. Still, it was great to see the man - albeit at a distance - and hear what he had to say. A very inspirational animator. (His drawings are also cracking.)

Peter Lord of Aardman was the introductory-head (third time of seeing him!) and Richard Williams walked by in the queue and was sat in the screening too (also the third time of seeing him!).

Seriously, they don't lie when they say Bristol is the main hub of Animation in the UK. ;) It's a great experience.

For Starters

I very much just started this blog on a whim...

However, I had been wanting to create one for a while now to coincide with my 'currently in the works' website, at the moment under the title Fransdesign.

Anything related to creative events - including Animation, Illustration, etc., that I have attended/am doing will be documented here. (Naturally with my own opinions.) Any sketches and whatnot I feel worthy will be also posted up.

I hope this will be a good way of seeing my creative thoughts behind the more professional front.

A 'quick' (hmm, yeah) bio about me:

-- I am currently studying Animation at UWE, Bristol, England.

-- My animation preference leans towards 2D Traditional, but I am very keen to try out Stop Motion. I feel more comfortable when my hand has the control of a drawing, puppet, etc., and where you can actually seen the obvious hand-made quality within the animation. I can appreciate 3D/CGI, but it is really not for me.

-- I am also, as you will have gathered, keen on drawing, and always have been (particularly animals). Illustrating for children's books - young and older - has for a while been an interest for me, but as of yet, I haven't approached it like I have done for Animation.

-- Currently I work predominately with pencil and pen, the good ol' sketchy doodle approaches. This was always be my natural way of drawing, but I am interested in learning the tools of the trade with traditional mediums paint, pastels, etc., and digital means, such as Photoshop.

-- I do have interests other than artsy things... just not enough, clearly. I'd love to say I can play various instruments, am highly intellectual and do the odd sport. This, however, would be an absolute lie. I am interested in writing (not essays) and would love to write a proper novel someday (reading being another interest). My music intrigues lean towards the 80s, 60s, 90s and 70s. There's something about the classics and cheese that I just love. And so on.

I've run out of waffle now. I hope it gives you a good starting idea about where my interests lie. They'll probably be explored further in a different posting.

I think that's all that needs to be said for now...!

Here's hoping I don't forget about this blog...