2011 Honda CR Z Hybrid

2011 Honda CR Z Hybrid

2011 Honda City Wallpapers

2011 Honda City Wallpapers

2011 Honda

2011 Honda

2011 Honda

2011 Honda

Merry Christmas 2011

Merry Christmas everyone!

Cheers, THOM

2011 Honda Civic Review

2011 Honda Civic review

2011 Honda

2011 Honda

2011 Honda Ridgeline

2011 Honda Ridgeline

Call 1-800-488-4333 or visit www.carmichaelhonda.com to test drive this vehicle today. We are also the #1 Parts and Accessory dealer in the nation ...

2011 Honda Civic

2011 Honda Civic

Call 1-800-488-4333 or visit www.carmichaelhonda.com to test drive this vehicle today. We are also the #1 Parts and Accessory dealer in the nation ...

Project Review: The Phantom 2040- PARTLXXXX [90th]-Various Props

A post form Cyberville during construction they would fly down to the site.

A Virtual Reality Head-Rig used by Maxwell in the VR ball here.

A Hand-held scanner with a bright scan light.

A Digital Stoplight and street sign typical from Metropia the world of The Phantom 2040.

Here is the prop as used in a typical storyboard frame.

Phantom 2040-PART LXXXX [90th]

Various Props

Client: Hearst Animation Productions.
Art Director: Myself.
Project Date Spring 1993.

This is my 90th posting here on my design blog for my contributions to The Phantom 2040, and here I have posted four different props that I designed for the various episodes.

Cyberville was a city being built by B.I.O.T.'s for Maximum Inc and this is one of the "claw" columns that surround the city being flown into scene. I also found the scanned VR head-gear for the VR sphere for Maxwell today so I've posted that today as well. A hand-held scanner that Guran, and The Phantom 2040 both use regularly. And finally a typical Streetlight found in all street scenes.

If you are a FAN of The Phantom 2040, and on FACEBOOK, there is a group dedicated to the show here.

There is a TAG on the list to the RIGHT for other Phantom 2o4o entry's, but you can click this as well.

Cheers, THOM

All-New 2011 Honda Odyssey (Tour)

All-New 2011 Honda Odyssey (Tour)

Take a fantastic journey and discover the van of your dreams. Introducing the all-new 2011 Honda Odyssey. Learn more at odyssey.honda.com.

Project Review:Key Art and Promo work for The Italian Job 2003-PART-I

 

 I took the mini badge logo from the car, reproduced this 3D "virtual badge", and replaced the mini type with TIJ-[ The Italian Job].

 I really LOVE this alt we ended up with. Great call by AD[ Art Director] Ronnie to up it to the Italian flag and warm up the scene.

 Here you can see how I built the logo parts including the crowned back piece inside the glass cover.

 

 A wall of gold bars stacked used as an edge to edge back-drop for some various One Sheet ideas pitched for the Film remake in 02'.[ See the film!]

 I moved the bars around so the pattern would not be too symmetrical, I color coded the moved bricks as I worked.

Project Review

The Italian Job 2003

Key Art 3D Illustrations

PART I

Client: Paramount Pictures via BLT and Associates.
Art Direction: Ronnie Blummenberg.
Project Date: Summer 2002 - Spring 2003

Last night, after two twelve hour work days I relaxed and saw again, the remake for, The Italian Job. A fun film , and I LOVE the old mini that Charlize Theron Drives....If you are a fan of the OG minis',  GO HERE!

It reminded me that I worked on some Promotional artwork, as well as some Key Art 3D Illustrations, back in 02' while at BLT and Associates. So today I have posted PART I to the work that I did for thhis liitle job.

FIrst I did a wall of gold bars for a One Sheet comp and rendered them out wit alpha channels and a depth map for the Srt Directors to comp into the various designs. 

I also did a Mini Logo converted  with a TIJ inside to replace "mini" to cross promote the new mini in the films. We printed up booklets and shipped tham out including the faux Carbon FIber backgeound.

A fun little gig.

Cheers, THOM

2011 Honda Insight

2011 Honda Insight

Call 1-800-488-4333 or visit www.carmichaelhonda.com to test drive this vehicle today. We are also the #1 Parts and Accessory dealer in the nation ...

2011 Honda Odyssey Revealed

2011 Honda Odyssey revealed

The all-new 2011 Honda Odyssey seeks to redefine the concept of the minivan with its aggressive stance and sporty "lightning-bolt" beltline. The ...

Project Review: The Bleeding-3D Logo designs for Key Art and Motion Graphics Advertising 2008

 For this 3D Logo I designed for the film, The Bleeding, I did a curved front face with red painted extrusion with a bit of back lighting.

 We did the blood on red so it would be a second read[ squint and see].

 A bit of green tint in the metal along with a warmed up light rig made this angled shot fun to layout for the Key Art.

 A brighter version on Green with the blood drips using the wax material which is a Sub-Surface-Scattering material so the light comes thru the this spots like real blood.

 A very bright version of the 3D Logo over a metal wall.

 My fave! Red extrusion curved dark face with highlighted edge lit blood drops in the 3D design.

Project Review: The Bleeding

3D Logo Design Exploration

Key Art and MGFX Design

Client Anchor Bay Entertainment via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director(s): Calvin Sumler and Joseph Stamper.
Project Date: April 2008.

I am often given a quick one day or half day gig to do a logo in 3D. Some clients get the capabilities in 3D and give me some room to explore, and others just want a boiler plate metal extrusion in some sort of chrome.

For this project, they wanted to try a few things to a metal logo that was "blood" oriented, so I gave it a STAB!

The main idea was to have some subtle dripping blood coming off the lower edge of the logo. You will see in one comp we did the dripping blood on red so it was NOT a first read, but the motion of the drops is what would "catch your eye' to the action on the lower edge.

I also cut the extruded logo horizontally with about 100 slices so I could bend the face to a curve. Flat faced logos are not good in chrome, they are too flat for a nice reflection, so I add a bit of crown to the surface which forces the horizon to the high point in the design. This is an old car designer trick to fix a surface, just add crown!

All in all though it did not finish, a fun experiment in design. I especially like the one with the red extrusion in the metal with a bright face and drips.

Cheers, THOM

2011 Honda CR-Z Development Video

2011 Honda CR-Z Development Video

A film charting the development of Honda's new, sporty hybrid coupe - the CR-Z. The film features the CR-Zs project leader, Norio Tomobe, and one ...

car design

formal inspiration in car design

RS

Project Review:The Fog-2005 Key Art 3D Illustration

 A re-post of the final 3D illustration that I gave over to Calvin to finish out for The Fog.

 An overhead view of the virtual set I built for the shot. the non seen walls are just boxes to block out the light[ I hid the back wall and ceiling see wires]

 A close up of the details in the panel door made from routered parts, as well as the bead board interlocking design set. I always model as much as possible vs. using texture maps, it helps a whole bunch with lighting and the final look of your scenes.

 A camera view w/o textures and lighting[ grey-scale]

 An up-shot of the door was an alternate idea we were going to have the kid block out the foreground lower on the floor.

 Here in quad view we can see the scene from outside showing the volumetric lights and the blocks in place[ an old trick I learned doing set design Live action] 

Project Review

The Fog-2005

Key Art 3D Illustration

Client: Columbia Pictures via The Cimarron Group.
Art Director[s]: Myself and Calvin Sumler.
Project Date: February 2005.

Back in 2005 while in-house at The Cimarron Group I worked on the remake of the 80's horror film, The Fog, for both the Motion Graphics department ran by Roland Mesa, as well as for the Priont Advertising division as well for Key Art posters. 

Today I post a comp idea that I had. My role at Cimarron was that of a Sub-Contractor providing specific 3D assets, so I usually was not given this type of opportunity, but when I was given the chance to pitch an idea, I enrolled the help of the very talented Calvin Sumler to build the comp, and he happily accepted.

A simple idea from the script, at one point the child of the main character was trying to keep the FOG out of the house, as the ghost pirate would rap on the door, so you would let them in. In one scene, the kid tapes the door frame so the fog cannot seep in and for the comp we had a backshot on a head with a kid huddled looking at the above door with the light coming in the cracks he missed.

I added lighting blocks outside to make it feel that someione was standing on the other side, and we added a green tint to the "Evil Fog" as well.

A bunch of items in here Cimarron sells on TurboSquid, so I used the door window, basketball, and the bear from my stock catalog.

Cheers, THOM

Behind the Art: Napkin Sketching PART XIII

 A Sketch for a fish with fangs, a bit shark mixed with whale and a vampire!

 A Cartoon styled old prop plane[ WWII-ish ]

 Yet another GumboMan Swamp house on stilts, the concept comes back alot in my doodles...

A tall thin character with a very loooooog chin.

Napkin Sketching Part XIII

 

 In this thirteenth installment of the Napkin Sketches, Drawings, and Doodles I do when I have a pen in hand, I have put up a variety of Characters, vehicles, and a background design for todays late 2D posting.

I sketch to stretch. It keep me limber as a designer, and using digital tools all day long it is very helpful to break out of that mold and use you skills elsewhere. 

I also do woodworking, coppersmithing, and various building projects to keep me sane along with these sketches. Keep a good variety of what you draw, and what creative activities you do, and never pass up a real challenge.

You can view the other parts as follows:

PART I

PART II

PART III

PART IV

PART V

PART VI

PART VII

PART VIII

PART IX 

PART X

PART XI 

PART XII

Cheers, THOM

Project Review: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Lost Skull[ IV] PART II: DC-3

 The DC-3 I built for some Motion Graphics pitches done at The Cimarron Group in 2008.

 A side shot showing the modeled panels, rivets, metal warps, and gaps[ no texture mapped fakes]

  A shot showing the engine pod detailing on the DC-3 from Indy 4.

 A Grey scale render showing the surfaces smoothed near the nose.

  A Grey scale render showing the underside of the plane, seen in bank shots.

  A Grey scale overhead render of the plane I made for Indiana Jones 4.

  A Grey scale render Showing the wing details with a back-light catching metal buckling on the wing skin etc.

 A Quad view of the model with sub-division OFF.

 Indian Jones and Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
PART II: DC-3 Model

Client: Paramount Pictures
Art Director[s]: Calvin Sumler, Joseph Stamper, and Chris A. Hawkins
Date: Spring 2007

This is second post for Indiana Jones four, The Kingdom of the Lost Skull, showing the work I did for the advertising key art, and especially for Motion Graphics work.

Today, we look closer to the DC-3 plane I built for trailers we pitched for Indy. We went with the red line animated on a map look from the films interstitials, but updated it to the plane POV done in full 3D. The animator Ehren Addis, a pilot himself, rigged and finished the work out for them.

The MGFX team bought a model online but it lacked the details, and the level of finish needed to sell the idea, so I was tasked at re-doing the entire outer skin of the plane. 

You can view PART I here.

Cheers, THOM