The Hairiest of all the Heroes: Captain Kelly!! (UPDATED!!)

HAIRY UPDATE: This is the final batch of development sketches and character studies that you'll see from me for Hairy Heroes I'm afraid! Recent developments have meant that my involvement in the project could not continue.
My previous posts and animations clips will remain on here though as a record of my work! Enjoy! :)

Hi there Hairies!

Ready for a rather long awaited Hairy Heroes update?
Currently Laura has completed the storyboards and the animatic for the Smooth Jason animation, and after thoroughly exploring the looks and movements of Jason (as can be seen here) so Laura has enough to work from, I'm now moving on and designing the other characters.

So let me introduce you to the leader of the band of renegade heroes, Captain Kelly!!

Captain Kelly had spent his life in the hairy army (Harmy), he had served in many wars after he joined as a young and fluffy spider. Over the years he was decorated for bravery and services to the Harmy, until one day he was thrown out after a dispute with senior hairy officers. 

Kelly vowed to keep his soldier instincts, he recruited his own eclectic mob of misfits and trained them up to become a crack troop (sort of), these recruits are known as Kelly’s Hairy Hero’s!

Kelly, like Jason, is based on a real spider species. He is a Huntsman Spider, a rather fierce and freaky looking spider indeed! I can tell you I found it rather difficult to research this one without running away in terror from the google image results! But I stuck it out, with my skin crawling and turned the freaky Huntsman into a furry and much friendlier looking Kelly!

I based Kelly's appearance on the British WWII Officer's uniform, with the webbed emblem on his hat, and the Arachnid Cross medal on his chest. The Huntsman's fearsome mandibles have been transformed into a big fluffy moustache befitting of the character, and the markings on his legs and bum  I decided to simplify from the sketch in profile above, so they resemble army camouflage!

Walk like a Spider - Completed Walk Cycle!

Hey there Hairies!

It's been a while since you all have a Smooth Jason update!
Well I've been working hard today to FINALLY get this walk cycle finished to share with you all!



(Also available to watch on Vimeo)

If you want reminding of the process/development that built up to this then click right here!

I plan for Jason to feature a little more on my blog in the weeks to come, Laura Bartle (my collaborator on this project) has just completed the animatic for Smooth Jason's story, and it's looking fab!
My job now its to continue with some additional character designs and mock up concepts for scenes!

So stay tuned! :)

Walk like a Spider... part 2!

Hey there Hairies!!

Remember I was teaching Jason how to walk? Well here is progress so far!

I've gone from the basic construction outline (as seen here) to a more fleshed and Jason-like full outline!

Despite being naked he still wears his sunglasses, what a cool customer! :P

I shall colour and dress him at the final stage!

P.S. Apologies for the picture appearing stretched.. seems the aspect ratios of the blogger upload and my exported movie are different :S

Walk like a Spider...?

Remember this cheeky chappy??

Yup, it's Smooth Jason from the Hairy Heroes series I'm co-animating!

Today I have been busy trying to make this little guy walk!

Not so easy when all wants to do is nap.....

AND when he has 4 legs and 4 arms to move about....

But anyway here is the basic construction to a simple walk cycle for this guy. I used the characters from Dreamworks' Antz for reference as quite by chance Jason here has a similar body structure!

I'll continue to polish this clip into a fully formed, fully clothed little Jason. Strutting his stuff like only the smoothest of blue spiders can!

Oh and the piccies at at the top were done for Clive Pearce's Hairy Heroes website!

Check it out: http://www.tinhuttales.co.uk/#

Hairy Heroes - more Smooth Jason studies

Hey there Hairies!!

Here's another batch of Jason character studies for you!

I've covered every possible angle of this character so that there'll be plenty of reference for Laura and I to animate from, especially for Laura who'll have to animate another person's drawing! Always tricky, so I'm giving her as much to draw from as possible!

Hairy Hero Smooth Jason - More character studies!!

Hey there Hairies!

Here're more studies for Jason. I've started to draw up a more concise study of the character from all angles with colour, so Laura and I can use it as reference when animating!

I've got the Front and Back views for you now

I firstly drew Jason unclothed to get an idea of how his body shape, markings and how his anatomy could work, and then I set about dressing him.

The colour swatches along the bottom will allow Laura and I to pick and use those exact colours when we animate.

Now I bet you are all wondering why on earth Jason is blue... there's no such thing as a blue spider!!?? Guess again!

Jason is a Peacock Parachute Spider and the colours I used were taken directly from this photograph of the real thing!

Who knew spiders could be so pretty, right!??

Hairy Hero Smooth Jason - Character studies

Hey there Hairies!

Today I shall introduce you to a smooth little customer. He's stylish, got an eye for the ladies, he's just a little bit lazy and can't pass up an opportunity to look himself in the mirror!!

He's Smooth Jason!

Jason here will be the first character that sees animation, his story will be the first that Laura, Clive and I adapt for your viewing pleasure!

Clive is working on the story backbone (which you can read here) Laura will be working on adapting the prose to script for storyboarding. And yours truly will be having fun playing with the characters!

So watch out for the next Hairy Heroes installment, with some 360 colour studies of Jason!!

Hairy Hero Pete Panther - Character studies.

A little while ago a good friend of mine and fellow animator; Laura Bartle, got in contact with me about working with her on a possible animation commission!

It would be a series of potentially 13 animations based on stories written by Clive Pearce, titled Hairy Heroes!

Well after sorting out a few things with work I'm able to commit to the Hairy Heroes project!

So, without further a-do let me introduce you into this Hairy little world that Clive has created with the first character I've had a go at designing. The little light fingered arachnid; Pete Panther!

I shall be designing the characters (which as you must all have figured out, is what I love doing most!) and Laura will be working up storyboards (which is what she prefers too!!) So it's a perfect match!

I shall keep you posted on the progress we make! However if you want to learn more about Pete then click here to read his story!

You can also read a lot more of Clive's stuff on his full website: www.tinhuttales.co.uk

Also you can take a gander at Laura's fantastic animations on her Vimeo and YouTube channels!