Book: Color and Light by James Gurney

After waiting a month for this book, as it was realesed in America that time, I finally received my copy of  Color and Light.
Color and Light is the second book by James Gurney, the first being Imaginative Realism, which emphasises the use of light in traditional painting as well as digital, and the overall idea of colour schemes, it not only mentions those topics but actually explains in-depth the same topics supported with great examples, from known old masters paintings or photographs.
In terms of light, he explains the different types of lighting,such as rim lighting and frontal lighting, etc. , and how to possibly achieve the same effect in painting, but also how to give form to objects. As colour goes, an extensive explanation of colour schemes, and how with colour we can direct eye through a composition is given, to explain that often colours in complete each other.

This book is truly an amazing source of knowledge of the given topics, and a must buy for everybody that is interested in traditional and digital painting, but also as a support to help lighting scenes in Maya, although it is not specified for that purpose, the book explains light in all artistic mediums.

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Christmas is here ! Necronomicon by H P Lovecraft

I have received my first Christmas present this year, and guess what, I also had the chance to choose it. So I and my girlfriend Ivana went to buy my present (although it sounds selfish but I have already bought her a present) , once again, I opted for a book to add to my collection. However this time around is not related to visual arts.

The book is:

This book is nothing less than a thick fictional grimoire containing the best tales by H. P Lovecraft, one of the most inspiring horror writers of all times. As I said to you it is a present for Christmas so I still have to wait another week to begin to taste the weirdest tales by him ... ( I may find something interesting for transcription project).

Or shall I say that Christmas came early....

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The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

I have finishing to read the Alchemist.
This book is by a Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho, famous for his spiritual type of book, one that can give you a moral lesson as well as a good narrative behind.
It tells a story of a Shepperd who was used to wander the landscape of Andalusia in search of food and water for his sheep, living his life alone with the only company of his sheep he start to get used to them and also learning with them. Until one day , when he had a one dream for the second time, which he believed it was a omen, after deciphering what was the dream about with the help of a old gypsy woman. the answer was a treasure hidden within the Pyramids in Egypt.
The boy eager to find the treasure departed on a quest to the Egypt, He suffered many disadventures, such as been robbed twice and captured others, he met with a person with otherwordly intellect, The Alchemist, that for him to find the treasure he would need to speak the language of the Soul of the World, which meant worship every little nature being around him or us. As he arrived to the Pyramids, where the boy was robbed twice, one of his robbers said to him that he had a dream that the hidden treasure would be in a old church ( the same church where the boy was used to sleep) in Spain.

This book can be a really good inspiration, that tells you mainly that you should worship every present day and don't think of the future or past, "live one day each time" like the proverb says, but also that sometimes the most amazing things in live are right next to us, and sometimes we dont realise until its too late.
For the shepperd the real treasure was the trip he did where he found love, learnt a bit more of the world and saw the Pyramids.
A beautiful story, which is really easy to read.

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Back to Work

After a full week of relaxation to get some inspiration for my next project, I found sometimes helpful when you give a break on yourself. So I am back with some ideas for this project using the elements given, but i will share them when I get some visual research as well as drawings to accompany it.
Meanwhile, I was ,once again, browsing the books section in Amazon, and open my pockets and bought myself two books that not only will help me with this unit as it deasl with animation but also throughout my 3 years in this course.

Cartoon Animation by Preston Blair



The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams

Recommended by the tutors of our course :)

Although, I havent got them yet, I had a look through them as free-ebooks, ( but like I say I prefer a good chunky book), So far I found amazing tips about motion character given by legends of the Animation.

Surely, this book wont make you a good animator but will give you tips how to make your animations better, despite using 3d or classic animation. I would say it is a must buy for any of my colleagues.

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