More Bruno Aveillan inspiration -

And since I am apparently on a Youtube roll, Bruno Aveillan continues to construct amazing visual worlds in television commercial form (and win copious awards). From the mythic to the sublime:

And speaking of inspirational hair product commercials...

-albeit for different reasons. This series of atmospheric and mythical Thermasilk ads were done by the insanely talented French commercial director Bruno Aveillan. I have loved every thing I've seen him do. Such completely engrossing visuals - telling entire tales and building complex worlds in such a short period of time. Complete with super models...

This one feels like the visual love-child of Phantom of the Opera and Sweeney Todd:


Fairy tale..


Faery:


This is a low-res version, but his has always seemed like the *perfect* ad to me. Such great imagery, music and edited so tightly:


Here is a longer, higher res version of the same. Again, great visuals, but not as much punch as the shorter one:

Believe in Yourself...

This is an *amazing* Pantene commercial (of all things). An inspirational must-see:



(of course it helps if you have really great hair...)

Sunday Sketching -

(drawn in my 4x6 Moleskine - balanced upon my knee...)

With Life Drawing on hiatus until September, this may only chance to draw live people on a consistent basis at the moment since my next round of books have started. :-)

Hooray for this chance at least...

Ode to Trader Joe's

We've been discussing the wonders and singing to odes to Trader Joe's on Facebook and Twitter. TJs *is* ode-worthy, as this cell-phone-video aptly demonstrates:



Visit the TJs nearest you! (my latest TJ addiction: Dark Coco Almonds with Sea Salt and Turbinado Sugar).

It is nearly midnight, yet the fireworks continue outside. No sleep for awhile.

Happy Independence Day!

Applicable lolcat of the Day:

Or rather, lolpen?

The Next Professional Steps -

One of the most valuable pieces of advice that I came away from the IMC with last year was to determine the Next 5 Steps I was going to take to further my professional career. I chose more than five and then blogged them (you can read that post here. I didn't complete them all, but made tremendous headway. It totally changed the way I work).

This year -

1.) *Really* learn Photoshop. I bought a copy of CS3 (so much cheaper online than CS4, and I can still upgrade if I wish to), and have Real Plans to Implement!

2.) Upgrade little wacom graphire tablet. (Done! Just bought a medium Intuos4. Should be here tomorrow).

3.) Learn how to use my spiffy new printer from last year for actually making *prints*. I've used it to great effect all year to print out my sketches to paint on, but now I want to learn how to best utilize its color.

4.) Do more 'personal' work - in between or after this latest batch of commercial work. Right now, my sensibilities are leaning towards the cute-creepy, but pretty much anything that is geared at an age older than 7 would make me happy.

5.) Do follow-up mailings to the various people/professionals who requested more at the IMC (I have a nice list!)

6.) Keep online portfolio places updated.

7.) Keep up with the sketching from life as well as from imagination (outside of commercial work).

8.) Some time in the next 12 months, either take a class or do on my own, on Figure Sculpting! (Charles Vess talked about his sculpting project of the last 3 years and how much easier drawing got afterwards. I have wanted to do something 3 dimensionally like that for some time, so this seems most opportune!)

9.) Watch for the subjects/media/feeling/look that I feel the most *passionate* about, and then follow them!


Ok - that's plenty to keep me busy for the next calendar year I think...