IN THIS EPISODE ::

• 5 Tips to make the new year productive and creatively fulfilling.
• New Year’s resolutions I DON’T recommend.
• What art & religion have in common.
• How to learn to love early mornings.

PLUS: Music by Good Old War!

AWESOME LINKS:

My Daily Routine: Comics, Podcasts and Visual Development at Disney

BUY Screenwriting Tips… You Hack by Xander Bennett

Paper Wings Podcast

Wunderlist

The Dreamer Comic

Making Comics Podcast

IN THIS EPISODE:

I interview one of my heroes Cyril Pedrosa author of my favorite graphic novel ‘Three Shadows’ and the beautiful new web comic ‘Portugal’.

Cyril shares about his early days at the Disney studio in Paris and his break from animation to pursue his true calling as a comics artist.

He shares insights into his own process, his thoughts on what it means to be an artist and the development of his multiple drawing styles through experimentation and emotional connection with the story.

Plus music by Gaby Moreno!

AWESOME LINKS:

Three Shadows [ buy at Amazon and support ChrisOatley.com ]

8Comix

There’s No Such Thing As A Graphic Novel

The Illusionist (Sylvain Chomet)

Gaby Moreno

The Dreamer

IN THIS EPISODE:

I share THREE practices that all artists can apply to their own process that will instantly improve the quality of their finished works of art.

Also, I talk about my NEW podcast and web-community: Paper Wings.

AND… I explain how YOU could WIN a WACOM Intuos 4 Tablet by entering the FIRST Paper Wings Challenge!

AWESOME LINKS ::

Norman Rockwell’s Studies

Paper Wings Podcast Episode #5 (with WACOM Contest Information & Official Rules/ Submission Guidelines)

My recommended Sketchbooks [BUY with this link and support ChrisOatley.com!]

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I have a great interview with my Disney colleague Akiko Crawford and her husband Duncan Crawford.  Akiko is a VERY talented Matte Painter and Environment painter who works in Visual Development like I do.

And Duncan has worked as a sculptor on Super-8 and LOST (and he talks about that on the show), Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Green Lantern, Thor, Iron Man 2, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Transformers and Spider-man 3 …just to name a few.

We talk a lot about their personal paths to success and they share some insight that might get you thinking differently or in a fresh way about how to get or keep your job in the entertainment industry.

Akiko’s Site

Duncan’s Site

The Gnomon Workshop

Concept Design Academy

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Lora Innes, creator of The Dreamer and I are starting a NEW PODCAST for visual storytellers called The Paper Wings Podcast! It will feature two shows per month, one focused on art and the other on story.

With passionate and efficient communication, a consistent, dependable release schedule, and a mission to advance the state of the art of visual storytelling, The Paper Wings Podcast, supported by The Paper Wings Talent Exchange Program (created to bring back the lost art of apprenticeship) is sure to fill our creative tanks (yours and mine) with high-octane inspiration.

AND:: Steve Umbleby’s career in character design takes another leap forward and the modern anthropology of a children’s story anthology reveals how any project can find it’s finish if it can find enough artists.

UPDATE: Lora has written about the new Podcast on her blog.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Steve Umbleby

Steve Hickner Talk on CTN-X Vimeo Channel

The Social Mirror :: This is the blog post referenced in the episode where Zach Bosteel comments about “borrowing a friend’s eyes.”

Illo Pond

Sam Kirkman

Denver Wagner

Christopher Tupa

Michelle Kondrich

Lee Wiley

Mark Harmon

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Ryan Jones’ first job is also his dream job. He’s a concept artist at Telltale Games where he designed stylized versions of Doc Brown & Marty McFly for Back To The Future: The Game.

Play the episode (player and download link are at the top of this post) and hear Ryan talk about his creative process, how he landed his gig as a concept artist and how his illustration background informs his design work for Telltale Games.

PLUS: Joel Dreskin, the Telltale Games Marketing Rep shares a bit about another upcoming Telltale Title:: Jurassic Park!

Use the widget in the right sidebar on this page to SUBSCRIBE to the ChrisOatley.com Newsletter and receive a set of STYLIZED PHOTOSHOP BRUSHES as a FREE GIFT!

Donate to the Comic Creators Alliance against child slavery, receive an epic wallpaper and an exclusive look at one of my new comic characters!

AWESOME STUFF MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE ::

Telltale Games

Telltale Games Store

Telltale Games On Twitter

Steve Purcell

Team Fortress 2

Ghostbusters Wii

The Clone Wars

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I share some listener feedback and discuss how artists can develop consistency and professionalism through fundamentals and a refusal to settle for less.  I also briefly address the ongoing debate about digital comics and I talk about a new sit/ stand ergonomic solution for my workstation.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Art & Story

Creative Independence

Build Your Own Ikea Sit/ Stand Desk :: Legs :: Top

Paul Lasaine

Barry Atkinson

Thomas James

ArtCast #38 :: Searching For Synthesis & Gestural Environments

ArtCast #32 :: Listener Voicemail: Studio Vs. Personal Projects; The Apple Tablet & Thoughts On The Future Of Comics

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I speak with Jerzy Drozd (creator of The Front) and Thomas James (creator of Escape From Illustration Island) about a recent discussion that has been taking place here on ChrisOatley.com regarding personal projects and how to actually finish them.

AWESOME LINKS ::

To Pitch Or Not To Pitch

Chris Oatley on Formspring.me

The UP! Fair

Jerzy Drozd

Escape From Illustration Island :: Books & Audio

The Dip by Seth Godin

Tribes by Seth Godin

The Long Tail by Chris Anderson

Free: The Future Of Radical Price by Chris Anderson

Zach Bosteel

Denver Wagner

Axe Cop

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

This one has a bit of a slow start (some heavy editing helped quite a bit) but it has a big finish: How I avoid burnout. I explore every possible creative block that I can think of and provide some practical advice for how to stay focused and fruitful during creative droughts.

Also: I talk about the NEW ChrisOatley.com which will be launching very soon and I make an apology for an insensitive comment I made in Episode #47.

PLUS: A new song from Storybook Steve.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Zach Bosteel

Escape From Illustration Island

Art & Story

David McClain

Location Independent

Storybook Steve’s Site

Storybook Steve Album Art by Chris Oatley

Preview and buy the new Storybook Steve album here.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Steve Umbleby is a long-time friend of mine and a frequent collaborator. In pursuit of his dream of working as an animation storyboard artist, he moved to Los Angeles and got a job in the industry three weeks later.

Steve shares his story and we reflect on the history of our friendship.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Steve Umbleby’s Site

Steve Umbleby’s Blog

The ArtCast Network

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Steve Galgas is a long-time friend who, like me, is interested in almost everything.  He is a great concept artist and illustrator.  His currently-on-hiatus webcomic “Mr. Grant” is gorgeous.

He has worked for Pixar, Liquid! and now he works for a great young social games company known as Playfish.

Steve and I discuss his career (including some of the goings-on behind the scenes at Pixar), sustainability in web content like webcomics and animated webseries and we engage in some fresh discussion the relationship between traditional hand-drawn and CG animation.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Steve Galgas

Mr. Grant

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

I’ve decided to begin a new series of tutorials to align with the “Wookie Rage” contest that is happening here on the site.

All you have to do is enter The Wookie Rage Poll, send me an email telling me that you entered the contest and you will have the chance to win one of my original sketches… …one that I did for this painting.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

The following character designs were generated by members of the art community at ChrisOatley.com

The challenge was to take a character from a classic horror film and one from classic literature and blend them into a single character.

Thanks to all of the artists that participated for being so bold. You inspire me.

I am hopeful that this ArtCast Special is the first of many explorations in pursuit of artistic community.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Chris Oatley On Twitter

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I demonstrate how to paint stylized, graphic hair and more naturalistic hair.  I give advice on how to make your art tools work for you by making more sophisticated stylistic and technical decisions.

I issue a challenge to comics colorists and illustrators to consider bold, intense color palettes  as one option among many while I advocate for the unsung heroes of visual emotion, neutrals.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Christophe Vacher

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I talk about the problems and challenges that I met while creating this illustration, the power of getting a good ‘performance’ out of your illustrated characters and I demonstrate how to paint stylized hair.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Chris Oatley On Twitter

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

My wife and dog and I traveled to Portland, Oregon for the holidays.  It was awesome.

During my trip to that awesome city, I was able to meet my awesome friends Kevin Cross and Josh Kemble (illustrators and hosts of Big Illustration Party Time) and an awesome artist whose work (and blog) I have long-admired, Ward Jenkins.

I recorded an awesome conversation between the four of us about our failures, victories and lessons of 2009.  We also went on a couple of awesome tangents: one about professionalism and one about Ward’s new children’s book and his illustration technique.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Ward Jenkins

Ward’s New Children’s Book (on Amazon.com)

Kevin Cross

Monkey Mod

Josh Kemble

Chris Oatley’s Forest Demon

Chris Oatley’s Wild Tin Man

Escape From Illustration Island

Art & Story

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

I’ve decided to begin a new series of tutorials to align with the “Wookie Rage” contest that is happening here on the site.

All you have to do is enter The Wookie Rage Poll, send me an email telling me that you entered the contest and you will have the chance to win one of my original sketches… …one that I did for this painting.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien

I’ve decided to begin a new series of tutorials to align with the “Wookie Rage” contest that is happening here on the site.

All you have to do is enter The Wookie Rage Poll, send me an email telling me that you entered the contest and you will have the chance to win one of my original sketches… …one that I did for this painting.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Community has been building around the ArtCast for over a year now. I think we are ready to take it to the next level by engaging in community art assignments and critiques.

First, a character design assignment… …a Classic Literature/ Classic Horror Mash-Up. Listen to the audio for details and submission guidelines.

DUE: JANUARY 2, 2010

AWESOME LINKS ::

Chris Oatley On Twitter

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Its a hodgepodge of ideas rambled off in response to Voicemail left by Podcast Personalities Jim Lujan and Jerzy Drozd.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Ghettomation

Jim Lujan

Jerzy Drozd

Sugary Serials

Branded In The 80’s

Chris Oatley On Twitter

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Tina Price had a 20-plus year career as a Disney artist.  She has worked with some of the most famous living animation artists including, Ron Clements, John Musker and Don Bluth.

She also contributed to the computer-generated components of breakthrough films like The Rescuers Down Under, Oliver And Company, and Aladdin where she worked on the Magic Carpet character.

In 2004, she founded The Creative Talent Network which now features portfolios from over 350 top-talent animation industry artists.

Tina and I discuss her career, the upcoming CTN-X and the future of the animation industry.

THE MOST ANTICIPATED ANIMATION TRADE SHOW ON THE PLANET

COMES TO THE CITY OF BURBANK NOVEMBER 20-22nd::

This is the ONLY place where you’ll meet so many animation industry icons under one roof. Make contacts, learn new techniques and meet with recruiters.

Hurry and join in on the action where “X” marks the spot to connect with renowned artists from around the world.  Register online or call today (800) 604-2238

CTN-X takes place at the Burbank Marriott Convention Center with ample discounted parking and is conveniently located across the street from the Burbank Airport and Amtrak Station.

Early bird tickets are $25 for the exhibit floor only, $50 for a day pass and $125 for a 3-day pass.

Discounted rates are available to students, active military and professional industry organizations. Space is strictly limited at this groundbreaking event.

For more information and to register, please visit: www.ctnanimationexpo.com or call, (800) 604-2238 and mention the special member discount code to obtain an extra 10% off any 1day or 3day professional/general passport.

THE DISCOUNT CODE FOR CHRIS OATLEY’S ARTCAST LISTENERS IS:  OATLX09

AWESOME LINKS ::

CTN-X

The Creative Talent Network

Tina Price’s IMDB Page

Chris Oatley’s Profile on The Creative Talent Network

Chris Oatley On Twitter

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

John Bermudes was a successful effects animator for hand-drawn feature films including The Iron Giant before pursuing his current creative calling as a Pre-Visualization Supervisor atDisney.

John and I discuss all aspects of his career, the blending of the artistic and the technical during the making of an animated film and he shares some great advice for people who are interested in pursuing a career in animation.

AWESOME LINKS ::

John Bermudes’ IMDB Page

Chris Oatley On Twitter

Ryan Carlson

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

The future has arrived, for better or worse.  Artists and storytellers are facing a fundamental redefinition of their craft, not to mention a fundamental redefinition of themselves.

The industries that have traditionally supported, distributed and promoted those crafts have proved less resilient than we once thought and the audience’s appetite for the traditional incarnations of those crafts has evolved.  However, that appetite is not gone nor is it satisfied. It remains insatiable as ever.

But all bets are off. The tools and techniques are changing. There are almost no preexisting models of success. “The box” is now a cloud.

Is this a future of intimidating uncertainty or one of infinite possibility?  I believe that it is incumbent upon us, the creators, to decide.  It is my opinion that for the artist and the storyteller, the web world is just another blank page.  And really, is the blank page so intimidating?

Join me for an inspirational, fear-destroying, artistically-empowering series that I have titled, simply, “Artists and The Web.’

And now, for the second installment, I am honored to present to you the curator of all things illustration on the internet, Thomas James of The Escape From Illustration Island Podcast.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Interview With Chris Oatley on Escape From Illustration Island

Artists And The Web (part 1)

Thomas James

The Escape From Illustration Island Podcast

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I share a revolutionary philosophy that “ideas are a dime-a-dozen” …and that’s a wonderful thing. I explain how we can unlock ourselves from the paralyzing fear of idea-theft and unhealthy obsession over our ‘one good idea’ by accepting two truths. 1.) Our ideas are not as precious as we think and 2.) Good ideas CAN be contrived.

I also share some practical advice for how we can begin exploring ideas and generating new ones, both visual and narrative.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Chris Oatley On Twitter

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Christophe Vacher’s Art Direction on Shane Acker’s ‘9’ (produced by Tim Burton) was a driving force in what was destined to be a visual breakthrough for mainstream american animation.

In this very personal interview, Christophe tells the story of his art life.  He gives some thought-provoking insights into his work for Walt Disney Feature Animation (including The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules and Dinosaur) and his time at the Brizzi Studio in France.

He shares some advice about how to become a great artist, a great art director and how to navigate within the american animation industry.

Both of us talk extensively about the making of ‘9,’ providing insight that will, for many people, enhance the experience of watching and working on every kind of animated film.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Christophe Vacher

Christophe Vacher’s IMDB Page

Chris Oatley On Twitter

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

Below (site only): Watch the trailer for Shane Acker’s ‘9’ ::

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I explain my own process for developing pitches for animated TV shows.

I raise one very important question that we all need to ask ourselves as we develop pitches for any medium and I talk about how I think that character turnarounds are overrated.

I also recommend a few books that cover the development and pitching of animated TV shows.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Chris Oatley On Twitter

James Dalessandro

Aniboom

Mumford & Sons

Raw Rip

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I explain my own process for developing pitches for animated TV shows.  I also share a few insights about what I value in collaborators.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Chris Oatley On Twitter

Big Illustration Party Time

Mumford & Sons

Raw Rip

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

With some newfound perspective gained through the experience of my father-in-law’s death, I encourage you to number your days and make them count.

Also, I encourage you to not underestimate the power of taking small steps toward your artistic goals.  I share an insightful story from the time I heard Dreamworks co-founder Jeffery Katzenberg address a group of college students and I close with some comments on the dangers of moving forward all the time.  ie:  How not to become a ‘Shark.’

AWESOME LINKS ::

Chris Oatley On Twitter

Sidebar Podcast

The Process Diary

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY MONDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

An inspiring lunch time chat with Disney Technical Director Pete Kranjcevich sheds light on the entire process of making an animated feature film.  Pete is both a visual artist and a technical wizard.  He is sharp, eloquent and positive… …a perfect addition to the ArtCast.

The interview is very inspiring for anyone interested in finding their own path to and through the animation industry.  Furthermore, it will surely give hope to anyone who is pursuing an  artistic dream of any kind.

We give further insight into the goings on at Disney and some of the technological advancements that are happening with the Disney Fairies franchise.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Check out Pete Kranjcevich’s website.

Chris Oatley On Twitter

Art And Story Extreme

More talented people who worked on Tinker Bell ::

Mike Greenholt :: Barry Atkinson :: Denise Fuller :: Miguel Gil :: Brent Gordon :: Cynthia Ignacio:: Ellen Jin :: John Nevarez :: Mark Pudleiner :: Shane Zalvin

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY MONDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I have thrown together a bunch of different unrelated bits that have been recording over the past few weeks.  There is an invitation to join a live community podcast where we will discuss Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, more explanation of my work on the Disney Fairies films, new updates on my tv show pitches and more on my vision for the future of this site and podcast.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Chris Oatley On Twitter

Art And Story Extreme

Renegade Craft Fair

Outliers by Malcom Gladwell

Big Illustration Party Time

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY MONDAY!

I discuss the idea of putting on x-ray goggles to see artistic and art-career opportunities inside of the circumstances and relationships that are right in front of you.

After that, I present a lunch time chat with friend and fellow Disney artist Mike Greenholt.

We discuss his career and the many great professional and creative opportunites that have recently been presented to him.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Check out Mike Greenholt’s website.

More talented people who worked on Tinker Bell ::

Barry Atkinson :: Denise Fuller :: Miguel Gil :: Cynthia Ignacio :: Ellen Jin :: John Nevarez :: Mark Pudleiner :: Shane Zalvin

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I first met Nathan Johnson at a dive in downtown Denver, Colorado.  I arrived late to one of his concerts and when I saw him, he towered over the crowd (he’s like nine feet tall) belting melancholy lyrics while garbed in an army jacket, goggles and one of those enormous winter hats with the fur lining and the ear flaps.  The huge hat, his lanky silhouette and remarkably-good posture together resembled the mic-and-stand combination into which he was singing.

Nathan’s drummer, Mike, set the head of his snare drum on fire at the end of the set.  As Mike beat the snare drum, a pillar of flames would shoot up from his kit…  It actually set the ceiling on fire… …but only a little bit… …and only for a few seconds… …nobody was hurt… …except Mike – who burned his own eyebrows off or something…

From day one, Nathan has been a constant encouragement to me and a fellow enthusiast-of-all-things.  Like me, he NEVER doesn’t want to talk about the stuff of creativity.  My interactions with him are always inspiring… How do I say it… …Ahhh yes, Nathan has often been the drum stick to my flaming art-head.

A few years back, my wife, Angie and I boarded and fed all twelve members of Nathan’s super-group The Cinematic Underground.  And that experience alone, seeing their show which defies explanation and spending time with them before and after, changed my life.

It was at that time that I realized that Nathan was destined for even greater things… …and his stilling scores for movies like Brick and The Brothers Bloom (both written and directed by Nathan’s auteur cousin Rian Johnson) confirm.

I have the honor of sharing with you now, one of my most inspiring conversations of the year, my interview with Nathan Johnson.

OH and by the way, The Brothers Bloom is now playing in theatres everywhere.  I HIGHLY reccommend you go see it.  Its hilarious and contemplative and beautiful and the performances by Mark Ruffalo, Adrien Brody, Rachel Weisz and Rink Kikuchi are a joy to watch

AWESOME LINKS ::

NathanJ.com

The Brothers Bloom Blog

/Film Article About Nathan

The Cinematic Underground

The Cinematic Underground On YouTube

The Cinematic Underground On MySpace

Brick Official Movie Site

Download The Screenplay From Brick

NOTE:  The videos mentioned in the episode are embedded below but they are only visible on ChrisOatley.com and not in the RSS Feed

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY MONDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

The future has arrived, for better or worse.  Artists and storytellers are facing a fundamental redefinition of their craft, not to mention a fundamental redefinition of themselves.

The industries that have traditionally supported, distributed and promoted those crafts have proved less resilient than we once thought and the audience’s appetite for the traditional incarnations of those crafts has evolved.  However, that appetite is not gone nor is it satisfied. It remains insatiable as ever.

But all bets are off. The tools and techniques are changing. There are almost no preexisting models of success. “The box” is now a cloud.

Is this a future of intimidating uncertainty or one of infinite possibility?  I believe that it is incumbent upon us, the creators, to decide.  It is my opinion that for the artist and the storyteller, the web world is just another blank page.  And really, is the blank page so intimidating?

Join me for an inspirational, fear-destroying, artistically-empowering series that I have titled, simply, “Artists and The Web.’

And now, for the first installment, I am honored to present to you the ubiquitous and prolific illustrator Dani Jones along with the clever and ambitious indy animation artist Paul Cageggi.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Dani Jones Illustration

DaniDraws.com

The Process Diary

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY MONDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Disney!  Dog attacksI  Photoshop Tips!  I’m hiring assistants!  In this episode I do a general check-in by sharing what has been going on in my life lately and I give a little bit of insight about some of the exciting interviews and community-building activities that will be happening at ChrisOatley.com in the coming year.

I also respond to some listener mail with some advice about how to manage your brushes and tools in Photoshop.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Steve Umbleby

Kevin Cross

Joshua Kemble

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY MONDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

ArtCast #15 :: Interview With Rafael Rosado: Storyboard Artist for Animaniacs, Teen Titans and Venture Bros.He is currently producing his own graphic novel for First Second Publishing.

I had the enlightening experience of interviewing him a few days ago and now, I have the joy of sharing some of his wisdom with you.

Raf is still working on his website so I will try to post some of his drawings and storyboards on my site as soon as possible.

Find me on Twitter or subscribe to my blog and podcast to receive word when that happens.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Rafael Rosado’s IMDB Page

Dan Root

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

Episodes ten and eleven of this show were the most spontaneous and unproduced, but they were perhaps the most honest of all.  It was those kinds of episodes that you have requested more of and so more of those you will receive.

Today I present to you yet another unprecedented episode.  I want to call this new species of podcast a ‘collagecast.’ That is to say that I bought a portable digital recorder and I have been recording on-the-go, at different points throughout the week.  At the end of the week, I stitched all of those files together and that is what you will hear now.

In the rest of this episode, I give a general update on my freelance and personal work, I talk about my recent struggles with the Hulk Vs. Wolverine painting, I share and experience that I had at an event that was held at The Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in honor of Disney Animation Legend Milt Kahl and I respond to a few emails.

AWESOME LINKS ::

The Process Diary

John Singer Sargent Virtual Gallery

Skottie Young

Tribute To Milt Kahl

Podcast Answer Man

psdtuts.com

Photoshop Killer Tips

Imaginism Studios

Pablo Smith

Walt Stanchfield

David Wilson

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY MONDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE::

I recently had the tremendous honor of joining my friends Kevin Cross and Joshua Kemble as a guest on their awesome podcast Big Illustration Party Time.

It is an amazing resource for anyone interested in freelance illustration.

The topic that we discussed was character design so each of us did a ‘homework assignment’ before the episode where we had to design a “hero.”

I came up with an alien janitor in cut-offs.

I did a screen capture of the entire painting and I have split that video into two parts.  The first part, this episode, will be accompanied by a series of audio clips from my guest appearance onBig Illustration Party Time.

In the next part, I will go into further detail via voiceover about the process of creating and finishing this painting.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE::

So I’ve received some great feedback from you, my precious audience, and most of you have requested more digital painting tutorials like my on-going Hulk Vs. Wolverine episodes.

So, I’ve decided to begin a new series of tutorials to align with the “Wookie Rage” contest that is happening here on the site.

All you have to do is enter The Wookie Rage Poll, send me an email telling me that you entered the contest and you will have the chance to win one of my original sketches… …one that I did for this painting.

…and don’t worry, Hulk and Wolverine is not going away. I will continue to make those episodes as well.  I just want to get a little more variety happening here on the show.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I spent most of the last episode answering some of the great questions that I have received from you, my dear listeners.  And I thank you again for sending them in.

Something that has become apparent in my conversations with you is that almost everyone feels like they are in a period of transition, artistically.  But some of you feel stuck. Some of you feel locked-up.

Whether that feeling is there because of economic reasons, because of an inner-frustration with your perceived level of skill or because you hate your day job, you maintain that characteristically creative drive to move forward.

I called together a few friends and we met for an online conference call to plan an escape from art jail.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Big Illustration Party Time

Brian Campbell

Kevin Cross

Joshua Kemble

Stephen Pflug

Steve Umbleby

Chris Oatley on Twitter.

Chris Srnka

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

Wikipedia bio for Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

New Blogs or Podcasts at ChrisOatley.com EVERY WEDNESDAY!

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I answer listener questions about how I broke in to the entertainment industry, about being a well-rounded artist and I share some encouragement for those who may have found themselves in a transitional phase of life.

AWESOME LINKS::

Chris Oatley on deviantArt

Chris Oatley on Twitter

Chris Oatley on Facebook

Big Illustration Party Time

Steve Galgas’ Website

Grant Gould’s Website

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE ::

I discovered the awesome work of illustrator Grant Gould after I heard an interview with him on The Force Cast.

When they plugged Grant’s website I checked it out and immediately became a fan of his work.  He has a confident graphic style, a serenely balanced design sense and it is all sustained, primarily, by a contagious joy for drawing.  His interpretations of the Lucasfilm characters are perhaps the most commercial pieces in his portfolio, but his own original creations are just as compelling.

I had the honor of meeting Grant when I attended Wizard World Chicago last summer and I was pleased to learn that he is also a remarkably friendly guy, easy going and humble.

I knew that I had to interview him for this show.  And as I suspected, he generously obliged.

My dear friend Brian Campbell also joined us for the conversation.  You can learn more about Brian’s life and artwork by listening to Episode 7 of this ArtCast or you can visit his website.

AWESOME LINKS ::

Grant Gould’s Website.

Click here to enter the Wookie Rage Poll and you could win an original Star Wars sketch!

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

IN THIS EPISODE::

In this episode, I share a digital painting technique that involves the subtraction of color from a series of transparent multiply layers combined with a more direct approach to painting in Photoshop CS3.

I talk about atmospheric perspective and how to apply that principle to painting the figure.  I also further explore the concept of providing a fresh perspective on of iconic characters.

I am finally back to my regular schedule of posting a new blog or podcast every Monday.

If you have iTunes installed on your computer, you can follow THIS LINK to the iTunes store and leave positive feedback in the “Customer Review” section.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve and Kangaralien.

Click Here to read about my Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles painting that I reference in this episode.

My friend and fellow artist Brian Campbell joins me for a phone conversation about the artists, movies and books that have been inspiring us lately.

SHOW NOTES ::

Check out Brian Campbell’s website.  Scroll to the bottom of this page to see the images from his MFA thesis showCheck out the IMDB page for The Visitor or watch the trailer.

Check out the site for Three Shadows by Cyril Pedrosa.

Here is more information on the original Robert Wise version of The Day The Earth Stood Still.

You can see the work of Michael Schall on his website.

Artists Space: http://www.artistsspace.org

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve.

HERE’S A GINORMOUS DRAWING BY BRIAN CAMPBELL (9’ x 4’) ::

DETAILS ::

Special guest Mike Greenholt joins me on this audio commentary that can be played along withTinker Bell the movie (now available on DVD and BluRay).  We explain what we did on the film and how we did it.  We also share stories about the production as well as some personal perspectives on the art of animation.

This podcast is for entertainment and informational purposes only.  The views and opinions expressed therein are those of the individual speakers and do not necessarily represent the views of The Walt Disney Company or any of their respective affiliates and employees.

Check out Mike Greenholt’s website.

More talented people who worked on Tinker Bell ::

Barry Atkinson :: Denise Fuller :: Miguel Gil :: Brent Gordon :: Cynthia Ignacio :: Ellen Jin :: John Nevarez :: Mark Pudleiner :: Shane Zalvin

You can see my other articles about the Creative Screenwriting Expo here.

The music heard on Chris Oatley’s ArtCast is provided by Storybook Steve.