HarveyRothman

Observational drawing

There's a nice "Sketch Daily" site that flashes up nudes for one to study that I recommend for anyone who wants to practice what I was doing. http://reference.sketchdaily.net/en/

Observational drawings

This stuff I don't share on Twitter and such mostly 'cause I find the faults rather embarrassing, especially how "off" the lady looks. That's the thing about observational drawing, it just tells, plain and simple, what's wrong with your drawing. No "style" to hide behind or any other excuses, no sir! So yes, a lot to be learned.

Another study

With some invented drawings surrounding it. They miss a lot of important stages of construction, on top of being off-model in general, but they helped me loosen up a bit between studies.

Brer Rabbit study and doodles

It's a good way to improve construction and use of easily animatable shapes by studying how the masters did it such as Milt Kahl's early work. In order for a design such as Brer Rabbit (or any animation design for that matter) to animate well, the details have to fit into the larger forms and appear to wrap around it like a puppet, or anything three-dimensional). The fox's head, in the bottom right corner, I doodled to demonstrate how eyes would wrap around a spherical form, the head; it's rathe...

Gargleblast

Still getting to grips with Reaper and other than having difficulties with the MIDI editor and snapping to grids etc I'm having a lot of fun integrating hardware and software synthesizers and effects into one globby whole.

Samples used: John Baker - The Caves of Steel

Hardware used: Zoom Sampletrak, Boss RPS-10, Jake Rothman's Mix Buss Compressor and "MixFix".

Production system list 2

Second page.

Production system list 1

First draft at attempting to write fully how I go about combining traditional  and digital animation with different software packages. It's in fact just a bunch of unusual bodges to try and get software with its own agenda to do what I want. 

Being all written down on the spot, I've probably missed things and it makes next to no sense, but for now it'll do as a personal checklist until I need to write a better one for a collaborator.

"Gaudy" with singing

I've always wanted to get my sister's singing into my songs, so I'm glad we're gradually getting that started. Her style lacks any vibrato or "vocal gymnastics", so her flute-like voice just resonates really nicely, although she wants to re-do this take. Expect an extended version of this song one day! 

The mix is in no way at all finished, very rough.

Also just so you know, I'll be on holiday for the next 10 days or so, so sorry for the lack of updates for the time being. If you're...

Dog With Tinnitus

Drawings!

Geriatric Technics Organ

With every time I turn this SU-90 organ on, a new fault seems to arrive so I figured I ought to do some tunes with it 'cause it does have a lovely sound and speakers. All there is so far is a piano and this organ, so this song does lack some. Needs drums, vocals, and probably a redone bassline.

More TVPaint practice

Another generic canine acts pugnaciously.

Snout staggers

Giving TVPaint a practice. Some really bizarre quirks with TVPaint, some of which I love and hate compared to Toon Boom Animate. Raster sketching's always great.

Helvetika Flair: Resurrected!

I actually digitised this staple of 1970's design a few years ago before losing it when wiping the harddrive, but I've done a better job this time around. Finally you get to upset your graphic designer friends with Helvetika Flair! 

You don't need to worry about crediting me or anything, unless someone asks. I trust no-one's going to redistribute this for money too, since this Helvetica modification isn't authorised in anyway so don't get into trouble.

You kind of need the original ...

Stylophone Through Effects

Putting the little synth toy through a bunch of effects to make it sound massive! 

NEW VIDEO Repairing the Stylophone Gen X-1 Stylus Wire

Did a video filming my dad fixing the stylus in a Stylophone Gen X-1. I don't get the chance to do much live action, so even an industrial video like this was fun to do.

By request of Dubreq, this video's to be kept private for the most part so let's keep this among ourselves.

Earlier version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OcEJPygjk0

Stylophone S1 thru effects

One of the experiments with the S1 to make the little toy synth sound massive.

Today's scribbles 4

Today's scribbles 3

Today's scribbles 2

Todays scribbles 1

I was discussing that I didn't like Disney's approach to modernising Horace Horsecollar's design by doing the same thing as with Mickey Mouse (turning the eyeballs into a hairline). None of these drawings I think make a good Horace Horsecollar but it got me started drawing today.

Inside the Gen X-1

Stylophone 1

Working on a couple Stylophone orientated videos, one of which is about seeing what sounds and textures are possible with a Stylophone and a bunch of processors or free VSTs.

Goat Scientist 2

Coloured in that sketch.

Scientist Goat 2

Wonder if a cartoon could star this fellow, hmm. 

Scientist Goat

Somewhat a mix of HL1 Scientist with Bullwinkle and general UPA design sense but hopefully less pretentious.

Dodgy computer

Col-erase scribble 1

Br'er 1

Some fox doodles, some of which are based on Disney's Song of The South. Bottom right fox based on a 1950's car commercial starring the characters (assuming the designer's Tom Oreb). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbMZKxZ6Ips

Xmas Xsheet

A bit of the scene where the two reindeer collide heads from A Cracking Calamity.

Layout test result

Stitched all the bits together in After Effects and I get a pretty passable result! 

I find the best way in After Effects to have a "camera rostrum" is to put all the animation and background elements into an uncropped composition (the size of the layout) then animate the movements of that in a new composition (at render resolution/aspect ratio). Rotation and zoom is best done separately, using the Transform effect so the pivot point always stays in the centre of the composition, rather t...