Now on Kickstarter!

BLOODWING FIRE FIST ANGEL

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/johncelestri/fire-fist-angel-book-1-screwed-by-the-gods

I've created a video comic in episodic form!

In this episode, an innocent angel is hurled out of Paradise, and into the cold cruel world of mortal beings!

Here's a some sample page from the comic!

 

 

Good Posing For Both Animation And Comic Book Art

I use the same principles of drawing for both my animation and comic book art. I follow the same stages of development in both types of projects. (Check out the completed comic page at: www.bloodwingangel.com

The sketch stages are: 1) Thumbnail; 2) Rough Pencil; 3) Blue Pencil Refinement; 4) Final Black Line. See the following samples below.

1) Thumbnail sketch and its enlarged version.

2) Rough Pencil Layout. Note the dialog balloon and spotlight placements for composition.

3) Blue Pencil Refinement of the character poses. The dialog balloons and spotlights will be on separate levels. 

4) Final Cleanup/Tie-down Black Line. Did this using a Blackwing 602 and a Mitsu-Bishi 9850, then scanning it at 300 dpi and adjusting the contrast. As I said earlier,
check out the final completed comic page at: www.bloodwingangel.com

Sunday Webcomics: Bloodwing Angel Chronicles

Growing up in Brooklyn during the 1950s and 1960s, I looked forward to reading the Sunday Funnies. In that spirit of nostalgia, I chose Sunday as the day to make my webcomic's weekly update. Check out "Bloodwing Angel Chronicles".

Bloodwing Angel Chronicles

 

Updates on "Bloodwing Angel Chronicles"

New pages have been uploaded to "Bloodwing Angel Chronicles". The character Mychal breaks new ground in comics.

First Nine Pages of the Bloodwing Angel Chronicles Are Online

I've uploaded the first 9 pages of my webcomic Bloodwing Angel Chronicles onto www.bloodwingangel.com

Mychal, an innocent androgynous angel of light, is unjustly banished to a dystopian Brooklyn. There, Mychal is turned into a semi-mortal and struggles to survive amongst demons, sinners, and living dead.

Launching My "Bloodwing Angel Chronicles" Webcomic Sunday, March 4th!

Hi, Discerning Reader!

My passion is to tell stories with both pictures and words. Over the years, I’ve animated characters and written stories with characters that were like myself and NOT! But in every case, I try to understand what drives those characters to behave the way they do and tell their truth.

My "Bloodwing Angel Chronicles" webcomic is an allegorical journey for me to explore characters and situations that mainstream comics, TV, and movies don’t attempt to tell stories about. I don’t believe that entertainment ONLY has to be reliant on simplistic formulas setting up the next forced wisecrack or two musclebound opponents having a blood-filled slugfest. Please don’t misunderstand me—I very much enjoy humor, solid wisecracks, and knock-down-drag-out battles; but the vast majority of new entertainment out there is overly-imitative of what has been done time and time again, without giving it a unique twist of its own.

So, that said, I’ll endeavor to make your time spent reading this webcomic series enjoyable and interesting…maybe give you a little food for thought.

I’ve launched this ongoing series with the first nine (9) pages of the story, giving you a decent starting point plot-wise and a taste of what’s to come. I’ll upload a new page or two every Sunday.

Cheers!

John

 

Prepping Character Models for Bloodwing Angel Chronicles

Here's a size comparison model chart of the core characters of my on-going web comics graphic novel.

 

Coming Soon: Bloodwing Angel Chronicles Web Comic Site

I'm working on a free web comic site, which will be an ongoing graphic novel. Here's a screen shot of a sample page in development. I plan to launch the site at the end of February.

 

How to Make Animation Tip# 1: Thumbnail Story Reel

 Click on the link below to get to YouTube.

https://youtu.be/iWW6uYy_0Ys

I’m developing my second Snuffy & Zoey cartoon and documenting my progress with a series of videos showing the stage of production I’m currently at. Titled “Animation Tip #1: Thumbnail Story Reel” shows how I start the entire production process by scanning thumbnail storyboard panels and creating a basic story reel with sound and music.

SNUFFY & ZOEY'S TOYBOX THEATER CARTOONS FOR KIDS! EPISODE 1

I'll be focusing my energies on creating more cartoons in this series. If you like this video, please leave a comment on YouTube. Thanks!

How To Draw Animation (Part 3): Overlapping Action! Secret Sauce of Animation!

In this tutorial, I show you advanced examples of overlapping action, a basic animation principle.

If you like this video, please leave a comment on YouTube...and if you like my channel and need a coffee mug or a T-shirt, check out: http://www.cafepress.com/johntheanimatorguy

Introducing John the Animator Guy Celestri YouTube Trailer

I'm busy editing together the first episode...it should be ready next week!

My YouTube Channel

 

I'm prepping my first animation video to launch my "John Celestri" YouTube channel in a month's time. It'll be a mix of information and new personal animation projects I'm creating... I hope you will visit me weekly at my old school 2D animation desk.


I'll make a formal announcement here when I'm ready to launch!

Snuffy and Zoey Website

I've developed an independent animation-centric website (separate from this one); and created the first in a series of short whimsical 2D web cartoons starring my characters Snuffy and Zoey. The website (https://snuffyandzoey.com/) is now live. This "John The Animator Guy" blog will continue to be supported and I will be posting about the production process of my new cartoons.

The purpose of the new site is to freely share my knowledge and enthusiasm for classical 2D hand drawn animation with children ages 8 and under (and their young parents and/or grandparents); and, in so doing, present a positive way to express oneself creatively.

The limitations of Blogger forced me to launch a standalone website where I can have total control of the quality of the material I post...and also (perhaps) in the future have a small online store offering licensed merchandise of Snuffy and Zoey.

This is my contribution to helping keep the art of classical 2D animation alive. I guess I'm sort of an internet Johnny Appleseed of animation…you never where those scattered seeds will land or what kind of good fruit they will produce.

2D Animation Work In Progress

I've been working on this two and a half minute short web cartoon on and off for the past year. It's my way of keeping my hand in traditional 2D animation, using pencil drawings scanned into ToonBoom Studio software. This file shows the various stages I go through to produce my final color...there are completed color scenes, cleaned up animation, rough inbetweened animation, and basic key poses.

For those viewers who can't see the below embedded file, please go to Vimeo at:
https://vimeo.com/152711633

A frustrating aspect of Blogger is how it messes with the quality of the uploaded HD video clips. But this gives you an idea of how my characters' relationships are developing.

Sketchbook Doodles

I'm working on ideas for my web cartoon short. I like whimsy...