Classical Animation
What is animation? Classical Animation is a the art of creating motion and life by rapidly showing a sequence of drawings., one after the other. Classical (2D) animation requires creating an enormous quantity of drawings. As most animations are shown at a rate of 24 frames per second, where every other frame is unique, a minute of film can require 720 unique drawings!
Watch: Animation Reel
I create animations completely digitally, using tools such as Flash, Toon Boom and After Effects. I digitally paint the background art for animated scenes using Photoshop and Painter.
See my Animation Reel above for a sample of my work from the past few years.
Storyboards
What are storyboards? Before the production of an animated film (and many live-action films), film-makers often create a sequence of drawings that sketch out the events of the story. By making these storyboards, a film-maker can get quickly get a sense of how the final film might look and feel.
View: "Eros" storyboards
View: "Kanook" storyboards
I create storyboards both on paper and digitally, using Photoshop.
Animatics
What is an animatic? Once storyboards are completed, they are usually edited as a video, together with music and sounds. to create a rough version of a film. The spiffy final animated shots gradually replace the rough shots in the animation as the film is completed.
Watch: "Eros" animatic
I am currently working on a short film called "Eros". The story is a new take on the greek myth of Eros and Psyche. Click the button above to see the early animatic for the film.
Illustration
What is illustration? An illustrations is a finely rendered piece of art that tells a story.
Click to view full-size
Concept Art
What is concept art? In the early stages of the production of a film, artists create rough drawings or full illustrations that will serve as designs for elements in the film. This can include character designs, prop designs, environment designs and color scripts (which show the change in the film's color balance over time).
Click to see full-size
Life Drawings
What are life drawings? Drawing from direct observation is important training for any artist. This includes drawing from a live nude model at a figure drawing session, or just drawing people on the street.
Click to see full-size
Flash Actionscript
What is Flash Actionscript? Flash is a software tool for producing animated and interactive content for the web. Actionscript is the programming language used in Flash.
Play: "Evolution" Flash Game
at larkinheather.com/evolution
In 2011, I created a game called "Evolution". Watch evolution in action as a population of different critters search for food, reproduce and die. Change the environment by altering the food supply or adding barriers.
FINALIST in the 2011 Science and Engineering Visualization Contest held by NSF and AAAS
Comics
What are comics? Comics are stories told through a combination of text and images.
Read: "The Seated Lady"
In September 2011, I started a comic called "The Seated Lady". The story is set in Victorian times. It's about a girl who is trapped at her mother's tea-party. I release a new page about once a week.
Get the latest pages by following the "Seated Lady" on SmackJeeves: seatedlady.smackjeeves.com
Scripts
What is a script? A script outlines the actions and emotions of characters in a film.
Read: "Stripes" script
Download the script(PDF, 82 kb, 13 pages)
In 2011, I wrote a script for a short film project entitled "Stripes". The story is about two boys in Kenya who have one of their lambs stolen by a zebra. The project won a prize at the Annecy International Animation Festival.
WINNER 2011 Annecy International Animation Festival Call for Projects
Tutorials
Here's a sample of tutorials I've made about my art process.
Follow my blog to see my latest tutorials and works-in-progress.
