Congratulations - 2019-2020 HAS ENDED!

To all of my students who have endured the challenges of this school year, congratulations on reaching a well-deserved summer!  Now, please don't misunderstand that to mean that it is time to take a break from learning - especially learning more about the arts.  On the contrary, you should take advantage of this brief opportunity to seize upon all of the skills you can attain.  And, I would suggest you start here.

In the commercial art world, there are several avenues of exploration that I would strongly urge you to dive deep into.  The first is ART TOYS.  These plastic marvels of childhood fascination turned into high-end quality pieces of introspection and expression that make up a massive industry and sub-culture of popular art. See the videos below.




Next, I would implore you to seek out information about, and practice using PHOTOGRAMMETRY to digitize objects seen throughout the world... that you can pick up and experience, to share these items in the new realms of digital content.

Basically, photogrammetry software allows you to take 3D scans of objects so that you can quickly get a 3D model into a diorama or game engine, or make a 3D print to replicate the form of the object (at the moment, it takes a lot of effort to capture the functional parts of photo scanned objects - but the way it looks can be captured and replicated pretty easily).


And, if you get the chance, go back to SKETCHFAB, the site we periodically visited containing web-viewable 3D content.  I am confident that you look deep enough on the site, you will find examples of photogrammetry work and digital dioramas that can inspire your summer and beyond with the most important of my three suggests:  MAKE YOUR OWN PERSONAL ART PROJECT.

If you're not able to come up with something interesting to attempt, then do one of the monthly art challenges that you can find at sketchfab.com, on ArtStation or PixilArt

There is always something new to learn and do.  I hope that you find your own fulfillment.

Sincerely,
Mr. Webb

Fall 2019

WELCOME TO THE 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR.

AGENDA: Read this blog post, read the appropriate copy of the syllabus (save a copy on your USB drive), sign up for accounts on the relevant web links as supplied by Mr. Webb, practice with some of the online free apps. Intro to course applications follows.

ANIMATION DESIGN SYLLABUS 2019-2020 >> HERE

ANIMATION /1 SYLLABUS 2019-2020 >> HERE

WHAT DO I EXPECT FROM YOU?
"Come to class prepared (with pens, pencils, USB thumb drive, and paper) ready to work bell-to-bell, whether it is on the curriculum, quizzes, editing, scripting, taking notes, assisting other students. There is ALWAYS something going on in the class. Read the student handbook; all the rules are outlined for you. Please do not say “there is nothing to do” in this class; for that statement is false (deadlines are always looming). Also, show respect in the classroom for the equipment and your fellow students to make it enjoyable for everyone. Please don’t mess up the computers (instant messaging in class, changing the desktop wallpaper and downloading are prohibited). I set them up for your work to be enjoyable and successful (and yes, the teacher is a computer guru, but he detests wasting time fixing stuff that is unnecessary)." - appropriated from a like-minded colleague in the field.

Industry-Standard Apps we'll use.
Adobe Creative Cloud, ToonBoom Harmony Premium, Autodesk Maya, Autodesk Mudbox, Autodesk Sketchbook Pro, Pixologic ZBrush, Smith Micro Poser Pro, Adobe Substance Painter, Unity 2019, Houdini, Marvelous Designer, Vue, Terragen, Krita, Blender, Cura, PreForm.

Some topics to cover with Animation Design
12 Principles of Animation pdf
Digital Animation Production
Audio Production
Work-based Learning Commercial Art - CG Generalist/Freelancer/Animated Filmmaker
3D VR Animation, SLA 3D Printing

Weekly story pitch - Each week, students create short stories involving a character, who wants something, an obstacle that obstructs the desired thing, and a resolution.  Students create sketches/color, black and white or low poly models to represent the look of the story elements, and on Friday, groups of students pitch the story to the audience who judges with a digital polling system.

LAUSD Responsible Use Policy > (Updated Mar. 5, 2019)

TASK 1 of 2.  Online accounts to sign up for today>
Google Gmail, Blogger *(Create a blog portfolio site), Toonboom, and Khan Academy.

TASK 2 of 2:  COMPLETE THE ANIMATION PATHWAY STUDENT SURVEY >> HERE <<

RESOURCES
<ANIMATION PUBLICATIONS>
Animation World Network - https://www.awn.com/

Cartoon Brew - https://www.cartoonbrew.com/

CG Channel - http://www.cgchannel.com/

CG Society - https://cgsociety.org/

Artstation - https://www.artstation.com/

Behance - https://www.behance.net/

HighEnd 3D - https://www.highend3d.com/

< FREE ONLINE APPS>
Sketchpad.io https://sketchpad.app/en/  < Practice digital drawing on your phone, tablet or laptop (hopefully with a graphics tablet, like our WACOM Intuos and Cintiqs)

Wick Editor WICKEDITOR.COM <Vector animation, similar to Adobe Animate.

Vectary https://www.vectary.com/ < Practice 3D modeling objects from everyday life, just like you will do in class, using Autodesk Maya, Blender 2.79 or 2.8.

SculptGL https://stephaneginier.com/sculptgl/< Practice digital sculpting techniques that we'll refine with more robust tools in Pixologic ZBrush.

8bit ART
Pixel Art - https://www.piskelapp.com/

Voxel Art - http://voxelbuilder.com/

<CHARACTER RIGS>
 - Download characters that you'll use to complete animation exercises throughout the course.  For our character animation studies, you'll need a biped (human, upright walking), quadruped (4-legged animal), aquatic animals (fish and marine animals), and a winged flying creature.  See links below.

https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/

http://thinkinganimation.com/category/rigs/

Norman (for Maya)
https://animationapprentice.blogspot.com/2016/06/norman-rig-how-to-use-it.html

-- See Normal walk cycle ref.
http://ilearntoanimate.com/bean-sprout-f3r3-method/

Get furniture model downloads here>> https://sketchfab.com/made-it

Google 3D Warehouse  > https://3dwarehouse.sketchup.com/

12 Principles of Animation by Kodochigov Vitaliy on Sketchfab

https://archive.org/details/Gertie  <Watch Windsor McCay's Gertie the Dinosaur short

Puffin spotting on Cannon Beach - Animation by Zale on Sketchfab