Christmas Cards

It has become something of a tradition that I make my own Christmas Cards.
It is now also a tradition to include myself in them somewhere, as in 2008 i didn't and there was complaints!!
Merry Christmas Everyone and a Happy New Year 2012!!

Quiff and Boot ~ BAFTA award!!

Congratulations! To The Brothers McLeod production team! We won a Bafta Award for "Quiff and Boot" for Primary Learning at the Children's Bafta Awards 27/11/11.
The BBC Bitesize maths learning series "Quiff and Boot" consists of 22 x 2 minute episodes. I animated the episode "Number Patterns" below.

Lettice

Here is the pilot film I animated for Calon tv's forthcoming children's series "Lettice". The series will be based on the the very popular Lettice books by Mandy Stanley. copyright © Calon tv 2011

Tooth Fairy ~ Rough Animation Drawing

Here is a rough animation drawing from a test scene I am currently animating for my own personal short film "Tooth Fairy".
I will upload the finished linetest for this scene once completed!

Stanley Baxter ~ Meeow!

The Great Scotish comedian Stanley Baxter wonderfully provided all the voices in the ITV animated series Meeow! in 1999.
I animated on this 2D Traditional Hand Drawn series for Siriol Productions.
Here is a publicity image I drew of the main character Maisiemac with Stanley Baxter.

Here is a size relationship model sheet of the main characters. Stanley kindly signed it for me. There is a story behind this signed model sheet that haunts me till this day. My fellow animators one day photocopied the original (Which I was unaware of) and when I was out of the room crumpled the photocopy up and stuck it under the wheel of my chair! You can imagine my horror on returning to my chair! Well I don't normally swear...but I may have on this occasion! They then returned the original to me safe and sound!
Oh those crazy animators!!

Here is a photo of myself with Stanley Baxter.

Princess Lillifee and The Unicorn

Below are some screen grabs from a 2D traditional animated feature film I animated on in 2010. The feature film is "Princess Lillifee and the Unicorn" which is being released in cinema's across Europe in September 2011.
These screen grabs are from one of my scenes rough key pose linetest. Each character are on seperate levels but are combined here on the linetest. The circled numbers on the right of the images are the key pose drawing numbers. The numbers inbetween these would be completed by an Inbetween Artist who would draw the inbetween position between the two key drawings.
All images are copyright © WunderWerk Gmbh / Caligari Film Gmbh 2010

Life Drawing

I love going to Life Drawing, I attend an evening class at Llanover Hall, Cardiff, Wales, UK
Below are some of my drawings produced there.

Chuck Jones

I've always loved the Warner Brother's shorts and admired the work of Director's such as Chuck Jones and Tex Avery. The characterisation and timing in those shorts are spot on. My favourite are the Road Runner shorts, but I also like Bugs, Daffy and the rest of the gang.
While I was at Film School I was looking forward to meeting Chuck Jones at The Cambridge Animation Festival in 1985. Unfortunately I wasn't very well so was unable to make it, but my friends at Film School kindly asked him to sign me a couple of get well wishes!

I then wrote to Chuck Jones and asked him if he would be so kind as to draw me a Bugs Bunny and to write on it. "Animation is long, life is short" Which was a saying my Lecturer was always saying. Chuck sent me back a Bugs Bunny drawing and wrote on it "Animation is life, life is only short if you make it so" Which is wise words indeed!

Then in 1992 I finally got the chance to meet Chuck Jones as he visited The Dave Edwards Animation Studio, Cardiff, Wales, UK where I was working at that time. Chuck was a guest at the Cardiff Animation Festival.

Chuck Jones at Dave Edwards Animation Studio, Cardiff, Wales, UK 1992

Then in 1995 my ultimate dream came true when I animated on his Emmy Award winning film ~ "Chuck Jones Peter And The Wolf" which was being animated at Cosgrove Hall Films Ltd, Manchester, UK.

Disney Fan

Since I can remember I have been a huge fan of Walt Disney Animation especially the feature films.
My favourite film is "Pinocchio" I'm still amazed at the artistry and craftmanship that went into creating that film and to think it was made in 1940. Another favourite is "The Jungle Book" a simple story with great character animation. Of the second golden age of Disney animation I love "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", and most recently "The Princess and the Frog" Disney's return to hand drawn animation.... and long may it continue!
I have been lucky enough to meet three of Walt Disney's original "Nine Old Men" Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and Marc Davis at two different Animation art exhibitions at an Animation Gallery in London, England.
Here is a photo of myself with Frank Thomas.

Here is a photo of myself with Marc Davis.

Welcome to my Blog!

Hello and welcome to my Blog which will be a companion to my main animation website.
Here I will be able to post my thoughts, drawings, photo's, videos on all things animated!
I have been working as a professional animator for 25 years now....wow that's a long time!
I became interested in making animated films at the tender age of 13, experimenting with a super 8mm camera, firstly with stop motion plasticine characters and then as my interest in drawing developed I began producing 2D drawn animation and have continued to do so ever since!
Around this time I watched a tv documentary on Richard Williams and his work was so inspiring I decided I had to become an animator! I visited his studio in 1983 when I was 18 and he gave me some wonderful advice DRAW! DRAW! DRAW!
Here is a photo of Richard Williams and myself at one of his masterclass lectures.