Smirk Studios Blog

Special Tutorial for Manual Zooms

2011-09-02T17:06:00.005-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Cartoon's almost done! Primetime Primate will be out in the next 30 days or less!

This post is for a friend who is learning Flash for her first time! Here is how you do a manual zoom.

Osias Screen Shot

2010-11-16T00:38:00.001-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Another screen shot!

2010-11-12T05:58:00.001-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Starting some lip sync :P Here's a pic :

Full Panning Drum Circle Sceen SN

2010-11-09T04:25:00.002-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

This is the finished version of the last pic I posted. This is what it looks like right before it becomes a fully animated masterpiece!

New Screen Shot

2010-11-05T17:22:00.001-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

New pic! This one is an actual screen shot from the first scene!

More Practice Art

2010-10-20T01:26:00.002-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Here's one of the new main characters I've developed for the series. This pic is kind of misleading, he's not really all that innocent, and over half the time you don't know who's side he's on. Teaser? Yes. Enjoy!

Taking so long, sorry fans!

2010-10-19T03:16:00.005-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Lot's of stuff going on with the show... too much to really even want to explain, so here's the short version:

The guy who I was having doing the backgrounds is now telling me that he needs til January to get the backgrounds to me... Well that's too long for me, so I booted him from the project for now. He's been presenting too many excuses, and I can't let one person drag me down like that. This project needs to be me and my team's top priority, and too many things are going on in his life right now. Sorry, friend!

Moving on, I have had many troubles getting my Wacom tablet to work with my new laptop, but have finally found the solution.

Furthermore, I've been out of practice for animating, so I've decided to do a couple practice drawings to get back into it. Just very quick drawings with no real time spent on any one in particular. After I'm satisfied with that, I have to get 360* views of all my characters to my new much more enthusiastic animator, which I will also be posting. Once we're there, we might as well call it done! We are dividing the work between us to make it easier to focus on making everything hold together my new par of quality.

Enough jibber jabber! Here's a pic I drew in 10 minutes! Expect more soon!

Primetime Primate Production Lineup Update

2010-09-02T16:06:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

It seems there was a misunderstanding with the new animator. WingDemon wishes to ONLY do the backgrounds, which turns out to be fine, because there's MORE good news.

NOW I have someone who's ACTUALLY interested in the animation position. He's a little better than I am, so I will most likely be doing some actual animating as well. He goes by SirHenryStudios on Newgrounds, and he's bound to be perfect for this position.

Now the plan is, get the backgrounds from the backgrounds guy, give that to the animator, and then when that's done, give that to the sound engineer. Then we give THAT to the public! Sounds easy when you say it like THAT... LOL, so hang in there, people! This is gonna be big!

Primetime Primate EP 01

2010-08-23T15:06:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

GUESS WHAT?! We have made some changes in the Smirk Studios staff. NOW, instead of JUST ME doing EVERYTHING and my stuff being only KINDA good, I have taken on an animator and a sound engineer!

Thanks to Ryan Williams for a great job so far on beefing up the quality of the sound as well as adding all the sound effects for the show, we now have reinvented the show and brought it to life! Thanks, Ryan!

Also, we've got WingDemon on board for animation... and here's a news flash... he's BETTER and FASTER than I ever was! Thanks for joining the team!

You'll have to wait to hear what Ryan has in store for you, but here's a little taste of what WingDemon has in store for us:

Fantastic!

Keep it here for the progress updates, and for frequent updates on all things Smirk Studios, check the website and our Twitter page!

Cartoon FINISHED!

2010-01-28T03:49:00.005-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

The cartoon is DONE! I'm taking a day to record the music, and then I'ma slap it all together for you all to see on Newgrounds! And that's just the beginning, so sit still and give a damn why don'tcha?

Here is a never before seen screen from every scene. Count it!

Animation Priority

2010-01-18T14:38:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

SUP!? Well guess what, it's official. The main character (also the hardest character to draw) is fully animated! I don't have any animation clips for you right now, but soon enough you'll have the whole juicy package on your lap. Fear not!

Make sure you're keeping up with my FB, Twitter, MS, and Newgrounds while my site is not actively updating so you can get the info you need to know fast!

Here are three new screen shots! Enjoy, and be sure to comment!

Really Good Screen Caps

2010-01-08T13:40:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Almost done animating this particular character, which happens to be a very difficult character to animate since I've never done any of this kind of animation before.

Plenty of screen caps, REALLY GOOD ONES! Enjoy!

Lip Sync Started!!!

2009-12-16T18:03:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

I have officially started principal animation and lip sync for my biggest project ever. This basically means that I'm done fidgeting with backgrounds and am now FINISHING my cartoon. As far as I can tell, this is the last step. Thanks for your help and support! There is a little back story on the last post, be sure to catch up! Here is a screen shot for you!

Pumping 'em out!

2009-12-15T14:57:00.005-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Still pumping out backgrounds like it's easy, so here is a new screen cap! Also, read on to learn a bit about the production's making, plus brief inside scoops!

Well, I've been working strong on this cartoon for the last three months, so it's about time I fill you in on what is really going on here.

I lost my job dealing black jack in a casino over a year ago, and since then I've put myself to work animating in an attempt to establish my skills; enough to the point that I will be able to also establish a comfortable career directly linked to my talents. I fiddled with a few projects, practiced and practiced, and have now decided that it is time to get serious.

At the same time, however, finances and obvious struggles therein began to take a toll on me. It made it a struggle just to keep my head on straight. Luckily I had friends and family to support me emotionally, which was and is still priceless to me and my work. I knew that I had to make a plan, or I could lose everything all over again.

I began managing my time better, and found that when you take that kind of initiative, people pick up on that and become influenced for the better. People want to get closer to you just to share the energy! A good friend of mine, who like me is still hurting in this life trying to make a dime, really became intrigued by my ideas and will power. I asked him if he would help me write and record a show, and the very next day, we improved most of the main points of the script that would soon become my main focus in life.

Our ability to play off of each other's humor was so natural, the lack of professional recording equipment became irrelevant. It was now time to tighten what we had done and take this to the limit! Soon enough, after lots of editing, we had about 10 minutes of original material to work with. We both knew that this was gonna be a long shot, but it was a risk we were both willing to take.

I also knew that it was time to make my network work for me physically, and that network runs through some good connections I've made in LA, which could only mean one thing... gotta get to LA. It was time to push myself and strive for independence from my friends and family whom I had grown to rely on to survive. One thing was for sure, the struggle wasn't over.

I moved up to my Grandma's house in Tehachapi, California, about two hours north of my producer's general area. Things have not been easy, but I have a system that works now, a couple part time jobs that just barely do what I need, and that link between me and the world I am about to get into has been growing stronger and stronger. My stress is not fully lifted, but the "invisible hand of fate" is pointing me in all the right directions.

Soon, my friends, there will be a 10 minute short representing my first ever try at something this big. Keep an eye out here on my BLOG, and to keep up with my other net extentions (NG, FB, MS, Twitter) is to stay fully updated on the world of Smirk Studios!

More Good Stuff!!!

2009-12-04T14:28:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

More screen caps from my latest production! And now for some brief news.

I have finished all of the backgrounds in the first five scenes, and have the three biggest scenes remaining. The first two scenes are almost fully animated, and as the ball rolls, I get faster and faster, making this a lot more fun.

Keep up with me on Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook for frequent updates of all sorts, and tune in here on Blogger and on Newgrounds for all things animated in the world of Smirk Studios!

On to Scene 2!!! Flying!!!

2009-11-29T15:47:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

I'm moving pretty quick on finalizing this cartoon. In no time at all I'll have it edited and uploaded for your viewing pleasure! Dare I say... near Christmas?! As long as I don't take on any more projects..

Here is a new screen cap for you! Follow me on Twitter and MySpace for quick easy updates, and watch out for new uploads on Newgrounds!

More Screen Caps

2009-11-23T11:56:00.005-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

More screen caps!!

Another Clip, YA'LL

2009-11-19T14:37:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Here is another screen from the new cartoon I'm working on :P

It is kind of an illusion when animated, but as a still, you can't really feel the effect. I assure you, it rocks :P

I forgot to crop it before I left the house, so I used some online editing program... hence the bad quality and small file size. I apologize for NOTHING!!!

Thanks for being there!!!

Patent Pending

2009-11-13T12:16:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

I've got something for you! Something super special... the first ever look into the cartoon I have written, recorded, storyboarded, and been working on for the last 2 or 3 months! No names or hints about the story will be found here, but I will be uploading some progress shots that will at least show you the quality level I am going for. Keep it here and on my Twitter or MySpace for a close look at the progress on this FABULOUS work of art!

This is what the first frame looks like before any effects are applied.

Remember to support Jeff Short and his crew and watch the new Sketched Series on Newgrounds, where everyone makes EVERYTHING!!!

Love Your Pet Expo FINISHED.

2009-04-07T14:26:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

The toon is finished! You can view it directly from my site. It requires Flash Player, so if you don't have it, make sure you pick it up!

Leave your comments on the toon here! You can do it annonymously, or use your Google/Blogger login! Hook me up with some feedback, folks!

In other news, be sure to check out the first ever Smirk Studios radio show episode, Cartoons Happen, at 10 pm EST (7 pm AZ time). I'm going to try and get Jeff Short to co-host, but no word on that just yet. It will be a show about what's coming up on Smirk Studios, and also talk about the most anticipated cartoonists the web has to offer. Tune in to Talk Shoe and see what happens!

Love Your Pet Expo Backgrounds

2009-04-07T10:48:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Here is another post for you. It should be the last one. I'm working on backgrounds today until 1:00 pm Arizona time (PACIFIC), so I can make it to work on time at 2.

Love Your Pet Expo Lip Sync

2009-04-06T16:25:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

*Update - 4/6 4:30 pm - Scene 5 of 6 fully lip synced. Awaiting backgrounds
*Update - 4/6 6:40 pm - All scenes fully lip synced. Background work is the last step! Nothin' to it!

The toon is still scheduled to be posted on the LYPE website. Here is a frequently updated post for you!

4/6 - 4:30 pm
Final scene finished for lip syncing. Here is Expo barking!

4/6 - 4:30 pm
One more scene left! Here's a pic of Gertie the goat telling us about the information table.

Love Your Pet Expo Deadline

2009-04-04T16:36:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

*Update - 4/4 - 4:40 pm - Scene 4 fully lip synced, waiting backgrounds.

Hey fans! I'm afraid I have a spot of bad news for you. I missed the deadline to have my toon I've been working so hard on featured at the Love Your Pet Expo. I let them down, my fans down, and myself down. I openly apologize, and it seems that the amount of dialog in this toon was longer than I originally anticipated. At the rate of 20 frames a second for a roughly five minute cartoon, you can fully understand my struggle. I really thought I could do it, but I put my goal just out of my own reach.
On the other hand, this is only my second animation for someone else, and therefore was a huge learning experience. I learned how to construct my cartoon better, and I also learned how to gauge the period of time I can get an animation done based on the length and amount of dialog. I'd like to thank Suz Molthop and Katie Ball at the LYPE personally for their support through this learning experience. Thanks you guys!
On one more note, I have enabled anonymous commentary on this blog, so feel free to comment without having a blogger account! Please include your name and email if I don't already have it. Thanks everyone! I wont let you down again!

4/4 - 4:40
Ok, here is scene 5 with Lennie the llama all fully lip synced. 2 more scenes to go! Here you see him telling you about the Charity Auction.

Love Your Pet Expo Lip Sync

2009-04-03T15:11:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

*Update - 4/3 - 3:10 pm - Scene 2 complications fixed, lip syncing now.
*Update - 4/3 - 4:20 pm - Scene 2 fully lip synced. Awaiting backgrounds.
*Update - 4/3 - 5:50 pm - Scene 3 fully lip synced. Awaiting backgrounds.

The final hour is upon us, and this SHOULD be the last day of work. I know it's due today, but due to unique complications with scene 2, it will be either the end of the day or early in the morning. Stay patient!!!
A special thanks to Jeff Short for commenting on a previous post regarding the LYPE toon, and another thanks to him and his team of voice actors for their amazing work. Thanks guys!

4/3 - 5:50 pm
Ok, Gizmo now has moving lips in Scene 3. 3 more to go! In this pic, he is showing an example of what toys and crafts are made at the Kidz Korner.

4/3 - 4:20 pm
The Dora the donkey scene (Scene 2) is fully lip synced. Here we see Dora informing us that she might win the costume contest this year.

Love Your Pet Expo Color

2009-04-02T11:07:00.007-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

*Update - 4/2 - 1:00 pm - Scenes 1 through 6 fully colored. Lip syncing now. Background work AFTER lip sync.
*Update - 4/2 - 3:10 pm - Scene 1 of 6 fully lip synced. Awaiting backgrounds.

Yet another frequently updated post. There were some issues with the client about Gertie the goat looking like a cow, so take a look at this post for the updated Gertie, and compare with the last post and tell me what you think! (dorian@smirkstudios.com)

4/2 - 3:10 pm
Scene 1 has full lip sync after 3 hours of work. Here is Ronnie the rat pointing out a dog dressed up as a cow.

4/2 - 1:00 pm
Here is Expo with the LYPE logo I made. The background is temporarily green so that I know what is white and what is see-through.

4/2 - 11:00 am
Gertie the goat updated to look less cow like.

4/1 - 8:00 pm
Here is the first frame of the toon in full color minus backgrounds.

Love Your Pet Expo Screen Shots

2009-04-01T11:42:00.005-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

*Update - 4/1 - 1:15 pm - Scene 4 of 6 completely outlined. Ready for color and lip sync.
*Update - 4/1 - 2:30 pm - Scene 5 of 6 completely outlined. Ready for color and lip sync.
*Update - 4/1 - 3:30 pm - Scene 6 of 6 completely outlined. Ready for color and lip sync.

Here is another post that will be updated throughout the course of the day. Keep checking back!

4/1 - 3:30 pm
Ok, the scenes are all outlined and ready to be lip synced. Here is Expo in the very last frame of the animation. Can you guess what word he says? LOL

4/1 - 2:30 pm
Here is the final character in the toon. Gertie the goat is a comic relief styled character who we meet while she eats a one-dollar-off coupon for Dog food and the Information Table. She tells us what other things she will be eating, which ends up being pretty cute.

4/1 - 1:15 pm
This is Lennie the llama. He doesn't really move that much, but does have a loveable expression as he tells you very calmly about the "Charity Auction."

4/1 - 11:30 am
Here is a pose from one of the more elaborate scenes. The action in this picture represents Expo as he calls over Lennie the llama. "Come over here and talk to us!" I've been working on this scene for an hour and a half, and I'm only about half way. That should give you an idea of how awesome it will be!

Love Your Pet Expo Screen Shots

2009-03-31T08:32:00.007-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

*Update - 3/31 8:30 am - Scene 1 of 6 completely outlined, awaiting color and lip sync.
*Update - 3/31 11:00 am - Scene 2 of 6 completeley outlined, awaiting color and lip sync.
*Update - 3/31 11:40 am - Scene 3 of 6 completely outlined, awaiting color and lip sync.

>>*This post will be updated throughout today and possibley the rest of this week. The purpose is to bring you screen shots as I create and update newer stuff on the LYPE toon. They should appear chronologically, and the newer ones should be closer to the top. Tune in!*<<

3/31 - 11:40 am
In this cap, we see Gizmo the dog talking to us about the "Kids' Korner," and then shows us a chew-toy her owner made for her out of a piece of rope.

3/31 - 11:00 am
Here we meet Dora the Donkey in scene 2 of the toon. She tells you about her favorite part being the costume contest.

3/31 - 8:30 am
In this screen shot, we see the first character besides Expo that appears in the toon. The motivation in this shot is the excitement Ronnie the rat expresses while telling you about the pet parade, in which, "I get to ride WAY UP on the human's shoulders, where I can see ALL the COSTUMES!!!"

Love Your Pet Expo Outlines Started

2009-03-30T21:59:00.006-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

The Outlines are started, and it's time to start showing you what I've been preparing for! Here is the first ever LYPE screen shot!

In this pic, we see Expo in the first scene in which he introduces himself and the expo itself. Within the first 50 frames (20 frames per second) we see some of the most innovative movements I've ever animated!

Make sure you're following me on my Twitter to know what I'm updating, and when/where to find whatever it is I've done. Stay tuned here and on my website as well for more on paid advertising cartoons from Smirk Studios!!!

Love Your Pet Expo Bones

2009-03-27T18:29:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

If you've been following my Twitter, you'll know that I just got back from a quick vacation. While it WAS in the middle of my animation time, fear not. The Love Your Pet Expo cartoon will be completed as quoted!

I do not have any screen shots again today for you, but on the other hand, I do happen to have wonderful news for you. I have structured most of what is called "the bones" or "construction" of the animation, and that is the hardest part. I have only 2 scenes left for structure, and then it will be time to outline and color.

Thanks for all your patience, and keep it right here!

Love Your Pet Expo Story Board Ideas

2009-03-19T13:38:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

For the commercial, I've decided to make Expo the dog appear to be a kind of amatuer reporter. He will wear a dress clothes and have lots of trouble standing still as he exitedly informs you about the Love Your Pet Expo. His friends will pass by, causing him to get even more excited, allowing you to connect to him more on the excited dog level as opposed to a reporter.

His friends should be wearing something related to what they are talking about. For instance, Dora the donkey talks about the costume contest, and therefore I will have her wearing some sort of silly costume (but making sure you can tell she is a donkey).

Here is a pic I did as a concept of what Expo will look like in the cartoon! Be sure to leave feedback by clicking "Leave a Comment" at the bottom of this post!

Love Your Pet Expo Audio Cuts

2009-03-17T14:20:00.002-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Sorry for the 2 days of no updates! This does not mean our deadline will be missed for this commercial, but for anyone looking forward to the release of Teen Pijinz this Sunday (March 22), due to personal issues (both good and bad), I will be pushing the deadline to around April 11th (my birthday). Sorry for the inconvenience.

For the Love Your Pet Expo commercial, we are still on schedule. After some yard work at my parents' house, I was able to cut up all the audio and put it in chronological order with all the final takes. It is clipped up and ready to be inserted into Flash. I will be producing a storyboard for it this week, and it should be done fairly soon.

It sounds so great, I wish I could show it to someone!!! LOL but alas, I must wait, just like you. Stay tuned, more updates will be here! Keep an eye on my Twitter for constant daily updates and little snippets of what's happening here in the world I call my studio!!! Peace and love!

Love Your Pet Expo

2009-03-13T10:52:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Good news! Jeffery Short and 2 members of his crew have finished the work for voices on the Love Your Pet Expo commercial donation! It sounds GREAT! Jeffery Short does the voices Expo the dog, Bill Rinaldi does Ronnie the rat and Lennie the llama, and Lori Starkgraf as Dora the donkey, Gizmo the small dog, and Gertie the goat. Exciting, huh?!

This means I will be working on the storyboard pitch for a structured look at what the cartoon will look like. I usually don't post my storyboards, but I will updated you upon finishing it, and let you know what Suz and Katie (the recipients of this cartoon) think. Thanks for tuning in!

Love Your Pet Expo

2009-03-12T14:21:00.007-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Ok, the first update for the upcoming Love Your Pet Expo is here! I have a couple images for you to see what I will be working with.

First, here is what the character already looks like before I try to recreate him. You can see that he is a happy dog with plenty of personality in his expression. Say hello to Expo the Dog!

As you can see, that gives me plenty to work with. The only thing is, it's not as simple as just moving the picture's mouth around and flipping and re-sizing. I first must get to know the character and position him in a variety of ways to fully understand how I will move him. This takes lots of drawing, and I start with getting to know his basic shapes first. After carefully examining the drawing above, I created my own version in which Expo is still happy, but with a mouth closed. Also, you may notice that he is looking directly at you as opposed to off to the side. As you can see, this character will definately connect with an audience very easily, which is a plus in having a cartoon featured with such a friendly character. Here is is!

In other news, Jeffery Short and his crew have sent me some of the raw audio for the voicing of all the characters that will be featured. I must say, it's definately some great work (as usual). I have the entire scripting for Expo FULLY recorded, and even a couple of the animals as well. Hang in there, guys! It's gonna be a good one!

Love Your Pet Expo

2009-03-11T10:38:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

EMERGENCY!!! I have to come up with an animation that will be displayed at a pet expo by April 4th, and it wouldn't be such a big deal, except I've had the script for almost 2 WEEKS now and didn't know there was a ticking clock!!! That means I've gotta get in shape and get this show on the road!

As a special favor, I'm going to attempt to call upon the forces of Jeffery Short and the "Sketched Crew" for help on the voice acting! I figure since it's for a good cause, he will come through, but HOW SOON?! We will see.

Keep it tuned right here for the next set of updates coming to you about commercial animation!!! Make sure you follow me on Twitter for frequent updates on ALL SORTS of stuff!!!

Charmingly Linda's Commercial Finished

2009-02-27T16:04:00.002-07:00

Here it is, folks!!! I hope you like it!!!

Charmingly Linda's Commercial Finished

2009-02-27T14:20:00.002-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

It's DONE!!! I'm awaiting approval right now from Michael of Charmingly Linda's Quality Consignments to see if it is what he needed. I am including an SWF (flash) version, an AVI (windows media) version, and also several logos that I used in the toon on a CD ROM, which I will be sending him in the mail after confirmation. Now while it doesn't seem like a huge animated project, it is for me. I'm proud of the work done here, and I think it turned out just as good as my OLA toon. It is indeed the same style, only with more real pictures instead of all drawings.

Hopefully this will be a great present for Linda, who is Michael's wife (hence "Charmingly LINDA's"). She had no idea that this production was underway, and I hope to get a few "wows" out of her :P

I will post it on YouTube as soon as Michael approves. HANG TIGHT!!!

Charmingly Linda's Nearing Completion

2009-02-24T14:05:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

The project for Charmingly Linda's is almost complete. This deadline thing is AWESOME! I actually get stuff done if I adhere to a strict schedule!

On a more serious and specific note, I am actually on the finalizing stages now. I've colored EVERYTHING, and it all looks great. I've learned a lot from doing this, and I know that every one after this will be easier and also quicker.

Here is a screen shot from the final frame in the animation. It took me a while to produce this image, because characterizing the dog as the mascott was tougher than expected. I determined that this is because of the curly hair, and that that is another weakness of mine (along with light sources and females). The neat thing is that in this cartoon, I was able to do all 3 of those things.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my customer Michael Weinstein for being the first to work with me on this exciting journey. Thank you, Michael, this is the boost I needed. I hope it was worthwhile for you!!!

Keep it tuned here for more soon!!! Leave a comment!!!

Charmingly Linda's Updates

2009-02-21T12:43:00.003-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

OK, I'm pretty well done with the begining, which is really most of the work I have to do. The generic shopper girl was tough to do, especially since girls are not my strength (in more ways than 1), but I got it done. It looks very nice, and the colors I used were kind of fun. I learned a new trick when picking the colors for something that I will be drawing frame after frame, and I will be using it from now on.

Here is a screen shot of the very last frame of the shopper girl scene. She is excited after the narrator (me) rallies her up with talk of a hot new way to shop.

So there you have it. I am going to work on some more scenes, but the rest is mostly graphic work (my specialty!).

As soon as Michael of Charmingly Linda's contacts me with new photos of the store, I will be pretty well done! The only thing I will have to do is put them in, draw anything up that is missing, and put it on a CD ROM! I will be posting it on YouTube for advertising purposes, both for Charmingly Linda's as well as my services. Job number one ALMOST DONE!!! I've learned so much!

Stay tuned in for more!

Charmingly Linda's DEADLINE

2009-02-20T11:31:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

I have now established deadlines for ALL of my projects, all with selective priority. Teen Pijinz is second priority, while Charmingly Linda's is first. I have set a personal timeframe in which I can feel like I'm working instead of playing all day. The cartoon is to be FINISHED and UPLOADED by March 7th, and that is fair to me. I've been waiting all this time for motivation to spark, and it wasn't until my roommate said she was going to take the internet away that I decided upon something I know will work.

This is a very exciting time for me now, because it really feels like I'm a freelance cartoonist/animator. Of course there are lots of better artists out there, but this will really get me going.

Teen Pijinz is scheduled for release on March 22nd. I will be working on it alongside the Charmingly Linda's commercial. Think of it like baking: 2 parts Charmingly Linda's, 1 part Teen Pijinz EP 1. Neato, huh?

OK, here's a screen shot for you that I just now finished. It is another pic of the generic shopper character as she is gaining interest in the narrator's (me) words.

I will be getting right back to it after this post, so tune in tomorrow for something AWESOME!!! Seeya later, everyone! Don't be afraid to COMMENT!!!

Charmingly Linda's Updates

2009-02-18T13:54:00.005-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

The hour is upon us (I've always wanted to say that) in which I am full-on animating this darn thing!!! It took me so long, and if you've been following me you know; many errors jumped up on us that were unforseen!

All is well, for the product is being colored and animated. It's looking pretty nice, too. I thought it looked good before, but it's really coming to be my best work (as everything I do tends to be!).

Here's a screen shot that I just finished coloring of a generic shopper girl who is being talked to be the narrator (me). She is not shaded yet, but that comes later, as a final production detail.

In other news, I will be getting back to working on Teen Pijinz after we're all done here. It's not that I'm going to stop animating for businesses, it's that for this first project I wanted to focus on it all the way one hundred percent. That also does not make projects after this less important. It simpley means that I will be doing both projects for YOU the buyer, and ME the animator. Check out my page on Newgrounds for full coverage on my pilot episode for Teen Pijinz!!!

Charmingly Linda's Updates

2009-02-14T17:35:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

OK. I'm pretty well done with the rough draft, excluding a few extra things I will be adding. This has been a very slow process for me this time around, which is unusual. My OLA commercial only took 2 days!!! I would say that the biggest struggle besides technical issue is trying to develop a perspective that shows that I know what I'm talking about and drawing, when realistically I do not really know hahaha! It is a fun challenge, and now that the hard part is done, it's time for the detail and color to bring it all together.

Now it's time to re-draw anything that is not clean enough to work with, add full motion frame by frame for each movement, color everything, and add in the missing parts that could not be done during the rough draft. The cool thing is that this time I did the sounds first, which made things much easier. Now, everything is aligned and synced, and just needs to be elaborated on. That sounds real easy, doesn't it? Don't get me wrong, it will still be a challenge, but there is not really anything to mess up anymore. During the rough draft, if I decide I don't like something, I usually have to start over, which can be a pain.

Here is an updated pic of the Linda drawing with the logo incorperated into it. It is supposed to be like a magazine styled ad graphic, and I pulled it off quite nicely if I do say so myself (and I do!). Look forward to some full color pics soon!

2009-02-13T14:05:00.004-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Here is a pic of "Linda," one of the owners of Charmingly Linda's.

I'm going to add the logo to it shortly, but I was anxious to post this one.

Charmingly Linda's Updates

2009-02-12T16:13:00.005-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Here are 2 screen shots from the rough animatic that I am almost finished with. The story behind these 2 pics is simple. There comes a point in the toon where I say "for business OR casual" and these appear in their respective places. Enjoy!!!

Business

Casual

Charmingly Linda's Quality Consignments Updates

2009-02-11T15:44:00.008-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Just dropping in to show you the first ever screen shot from the commercial I'm doing for Charmingly Linda's Quality Consignments. I have started the scene with a girl looking VERY bored and dull, and the narrator voice comes in saying, "Hey you!" and she looks around as if I were saying it to someone else, and I continue with "Yes, you!" and say things like "are you looking for a quality affordable gift?" The girl's interest gains more rapidly as I coincidentially know every question to ask (hahahaha because I wrote the script that way) and she grows exponentially more excited with each thing I say, nodding yes to every question. It leads up to the introduction of the store, where I say, "It's ALL about Charmingly Linda's Quality Consignments!"

That is when you see THIS:

It is a logo I whipped up just for this occasion. The little icon-ish pics under "quality" and "consignment" are (from left to right) a coat hanger, a purse, a tie, and a diamond ring. This logo uses colors that come right from the website, as I want to keep it familiar to their current customers and themselves. I really like it, and hopefully they will, also.

By the way, this is a good time to tell you that if you need JUST a logo done or something, be sure to check out my store page to see how to get custom hand-drawn artwork.

Advertising Updates

2009-02-10T17:28:00.002-07:00

Dear Smirk Studios Fans,

Well, I had a technical run-in with some of my software that I use for recording. Specifically speaking, it was telling me that I needed to register and could not countinue until I did. The problem is, I already REGISTERED it! So since I could not for the life of me fix the problem, I side-stepped it by using another program, and even though it is a little tougher to use, it got the job done. Problem solved!

On a personal note, my script for Charmingly Linda's Quality Consignments is fully recorded, and I will be getting to the rough draft here shortly. The way that works is that I will draw up a frame or two for each scene in the commercial that will help me know where I will be doing what. The rough draft is in essence the final draft as well, and after it is finished, all I have to do is animate over top of the rough cut. Pretty simple at that point, but that is also when I pay the most attention. You may notice that in some cartoons by less experienced artists that some things are distorted irregularly or maybe some parts are not fully colored in. That will NOT be the case in mine!

Another note on that topic is that I have been touching base with a couple that will be having some work done, and they are not quite ready for work yet. They have paid for it, but found that it is tougher than they thought to come up with ideas! I called them today to assure them that if they could not come up with something, I could take a list of stuff they want in the script and put it together for them. While that does make things a bit more complicated for me, I could sure use the practice, so keep that in mind, folks!

That's about it! Stay tuned into my Newgrounds page for details on the latest cartoons, and my website for the latest artwork and various other things! Seeya!

Welcome to my BLOG

2009-02-03T15:14:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog everyone! This is where you will see things related to advertisement sales and various other things related to my business, smirkstudios.com. I will post things like finished work that I do for people, that way you can see what I do and possibley further my business audience.

More specifically, I am trying to make a name for myself as a cartoonist, but with the economy the way it is, I cannot just sit around and animate for free!!! I do cartoons in my spare time, and have no other job really, so this is it. I'm trying out a new method of making money, which is to use my talents to do so. In other words, I make and sell commercials, logo art, advertisements, banners, web design, and much more. If you need help in the graphics department, I'm your man! Just give me a buzz through my website.

Thanks for tuning in! For more info on cartoon projects that are non business related, check out my website and smirkstudios.newgrounds.com!