Hmm...I don't dress my guinea pig like a cowboy.....all the time.Any comic with a main character as a guinea pig gets extra points.
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Cul de Sac
Hmm...I don't dress my guinea pig like a cowboy.....all the time.Any comic with a main character as a guinea pig gets extra points.
Monday, July 07, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Oh yeah I have a blog...
I finally graduated with a BFA in Drawing. Sort of bittersweet since I have four more years at CalArts. I have been looking for a summer job. It is an odd situation when you have a college degree that pretty much doesn't matter at all in the job market. Oh well, I enjoyed my stay at CU Denver.
I'm posting the ever popular guinea pig portraits! My teacher John Hull just kept telling me "more" guinea pigs. My whole independent study was just that....guinea pigs :D Out of that great experience I created my comic zine Fight or Flight. My study was during a painting class where I did portraits of my friends.
I'm posting the ever popular guinea pig portraits! My teacher John Hull just kept telling me "more" guinea pigs. My whole independent study was just that....guinea pigs :D Out of that great experience I created my comic zine Fight or Flight. My study was during a painting class where I did portraits of my friends.
Richard and Nancy
The paint guru Lisa!
My friend Sean with his many acrylic jars...
As a farewell gift to John Hull, he was moving to Charleston, I made him a guinea pig. Lots of inside jokes in this piece.
The newest of the drawing is my guinea pig portrait I gave to the Flight of the Conchords when they played at the Ellie Caulkins. True bliss I have to say because I got to give it to them.
The very sweet and tall Jemaine Clement!
The also very tall and sweet Bret.
And because I am lazy....my thesis art...the one with the pandas can be found at my new deviantart account. I mainly got one because all the CalArts peeps update that thing like crazy. I think when I probably post my thesis art on this blog, I will discuss that I hope people don't consider my art "furry art." I just think people as guinea pigs is silly and fun.
Thanks for reading ^^
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Check the Label
Finally uploaded my animation on Youtube! Originally it was going to be a 12 second project, but ended up 1 minute and 40 seconds.
The film is playing on a plasma at my thesis art show and at the Starz Film Center.
I entered it in our school competition "Digital Visions" and won Best Animation! :D
The film is playing on a plasma at my thesis art show and at the Starz Film Center.
I entered it in our school competition "Digital Visions" and won Best Animation! :D
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
CalArts it is!
I finally made my decision. I'm going to CalArts Fall 2008. My scholarship appeal didn't go so well. Money is tight for education and everything right now. CalArts has no more money to give. I just have to be happy with my $1000 scholarship.
So I thought to myself since the apocolypse is coming, loans shouldn't be too much of a worry :p My parents practically gave me the ultimatum of DO NOT FAIL! MAKE MONEY! I'm really lucky to receive help from them.
To save money ramen will become the ultimate food lol. This is a pastel work from Denver local Riva Sweetrocket Comfort Foods.
I will be leaving my precious guinea pig at home. No pets allowed and he practically lives like a king in my home. My parents are setting up a webcam for me to help ease the seperation anxiety.
My dream has finally come true to go to CalArts! :D
So I thought to myself since the apocolypse is coming, loans shouldn't be too much of a worry :p My parents practically gave me the ultimatum of DO NOT FAIL! MAKE MONEY! I'm really lucky to receive help from them.
To save money ramen will become the ultimate food lol. This is a pastel work from Denver local Riva Sweetrocket Comfort Foods.
I will be leaving my precious guinea pig at home. No pets allowed and he practically lives like a king in my home. My parents are setting up a webcam for me to help ease the seperation anxiety.
My dream has finally come true to go to CalArts! :D
Saturday, April 12, 2008
The Great Pause
I mainly have just been running around the past few weeks. I got to go to Kansas City to visit KCAI over spring break. Really nice town although everything closes at 7pm. The school was quite nice. I regret not going to this school for my first bachelor. They have a different working space for each year you attend. Plus, the school is situated near the Nelson-Atkins Museum and the Kemper Comtemporary Museum.
So in the end surprisingly...I got into all of the schools I applied. I recieved a mere $1000 of scholarship from CalArts -.-
USC MFA program hasn't sent my award money yet. KCAI gave me a $15,000 transfer scholarship o.o. I'm shamefully using it as leverage to get more money from CalArts. I appealed my scholarship in hopes for more money.
I've been debating which school to attend. In my heart, CalArts is the place I want to go. All the faculty from USC and KCAI seem to have come from CalArts lol.
My brain is the basic problem. If I go to CalArts...I'll be eternally poor ($47,500 a year for everything) and no MFA degree. I applied to Character because I like what is coming out of there and the department is legendary.
I have to make my decision soon. Wahhh!
So in the end surprisingly...I got into all of the schools I applied. I recieved a mere $1000 of scholarship from CalArts -.-
USC MFA program hasn't sent my award money yet. KCAI gave me a $15,000 transfer scholarship o.o. I'm shamefully using it as leverage to get more money from CalArts. I appealed my scholarship in hopes for more money.
I've been debating which school to attend. In my heart, CalArts is the place I want to go. All the faculty from USC and KCAI seem to have come from CalArts lol.
My brain is the basic problem. If I go to CalArts...I'll be eternally poor ($47,500 a year for everything) and no MFA degree. I applied to Character because I like what is coming out of there and the department is legendary.
I have to make my decision soon. Wahhh!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Yayyyy!!!!!!
I got into CalArts! I slowly opened the mailbox today and there it was. The flamboyant envelope of acceptance lol! I screamed when I saw it.
I'm in a daze. It really hasn't sinked in yet. Unless USC offers me a ton of money, I'm going to CalArts this fall.
*faints*
I'm in a daze. It really hasn't sinked in yet. Unless USC offers me a ton of money, I'm going to CalArts this fall.
*faints*
Monday, March 10, 2008
Peek-a-boo Mailbox
The application waiting game is making me crazy lately. It has been reported through forums that the envelopes are out! I think I won't know about KCAI or USC until April since the deadline was February. I get a mild heart jolt every time I open the mailbox. I don't want to get anymore generic envelopes from the schools. My hands start shaking only just to find out the letter was about financial aid. >< I really want Xiao Bao to be my letter opener.
I need to post my portfolio pics on flickr asap.
Thesis work has been fine. I think everybody is on the same boat with holes and slowly sinking into the abyss that is the sea :p I have about 6 or 7 seconds of animation done. Hooray!
Of course as soon as I find out about CalArts, I'll spam everyone with the news! Good or bad!
I need to post my portfolio pics on flickr asap.
Thesis work has been fine. I think everybody is on the same boat with holes and slowly sinking into the abyss that is the sea :p I have about 6 or 7 seconds of animation done. Hooray!
Of course as soon as I find out about CalArts, I'll spam everyone with the news! Good or bad!
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Project after project
I started animating for my independent study last week. I did a pencil sketch, then ink, and then ink wash for one second of the entire piece. Three times I had to work on this. I met with my teacher, and she said I needed to get two seconds done by next week 0.0.
The short is going to be 12 seconds. So fast for soo much work. It seems like I'll be animating in Photoshop CS3 (amazingly they have an animation feature). I'm starting to panic a bit. I have to do final pieces for my thesis as well.
For now, I know how this guy feels:
The short is going to be 12 seconds. So fast for soo much work. It seems like I'll be animating in Photoshop CS3 (amazingly they have an animation feature). I'm starting to panic a bit. I have to do final pieces for my thesis as well.
For now, I know how this guy feels:
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Hourly Comic Day
I participated in Hourly Comic Day created by the awesome John Campbell. I had to create a comic every hour I was awake. Kind of like a diary. It was a really fun event and less daunting than the 24 hour challenge.
Blogger is giving me trouble with the pictures. You can read them better here: http://www.tencentticker.com/msgbrd/viewtopic.php?t=710
If you were wondering, what the party was in the comic. I was at the book signing of The 24 Hour Comics People party that I participated in. Whoo hoo! The Squids did great readings of their work. I couldn't read mine due to my sore throat. The book will be available online soon!
Blogger is giving me trouble with the pictures. You can read them better here: http://www.tencentticker.com/msgbrd/viewtopic.php?t=710If you were wondering, what the party was in the comic. I was at the book signing of The 24 Hour Comics People party that I participated in. Whoo hoo! The Squids did great readings of their work. I couldn't read mine due to my sore throat. The book will be available online soon!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
My thesis
I started my last semester at CU Denver this week. Everything has been scary and exciting at the same time. I have to come up with a proposal in the next week explaining my concept and necessary gallery schematics. It's faster than I expected.
Choosing the topic of my thesis is daunting. A lot of my colleagues want me to incorporate guinea pigs in my show. I feel like I have already accomplished this with the comic book. I need something with a serious concept.
I've been avoiding topics about being American Born Chinese in my artwork. It is a hard subject to tackle with personally, and it does not help that my art is influenced by Japanese ink drawings. The style and concept just don't connect. I'm more comfortable in incorporating the subject of anxiety in my art than my ethnic background.
A lot of ideas pop into my head when I think about the topic, so I know it's a good one. It seems many people with multiple ethnic backgrounds have problems with fitting in like I do. Not understanding the language. Neither Chinese or American. I haven't decided if I'm emotionally ready to give my all to this topic.
I always wondered why Amnesty International's Universal Declaration of Human Rights said:
I guess I'll give it a shot.
Choosing the topic of my thesis is daunting. A lot of my colleagues want me to incorporate guinea pigs in my show. I feel like I have already accomplished this with the comic book. I need something with a serious concept.
I've been avoiding topics about being American Born Chinese in my artwork. It is a hard subject to tackle with personally, and it does not help that my art is influenced by Japanese ink drawings. The style and concept just don't connect. I'm more comfortable in incorporating the subject of anxiety in my art than my ethnic background.
A lot of ideas pop into my head when I think about the topic, so I know it's a good one. It seems many people with multiple ethnic backgrounds have problems with fitting in like I do. Not understanding the language. Neither Chinese or American. I haven't decided if I'm emotionally ready to give my all to this topic.
I always wondered why Amnesty International's Universal Declaration of Human Rights said:
I didn't understand how someone can change their nationality. I now see nationality is based on your influences. If you feel at home with a certain culture, it's fine to become a part of it.Everyone has the right to a nationality.
No one shall be arbitrarily
deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
I guess I'll give it a shot.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
2008 kick-start
Yes...that's a guinea pig buffet....It's been pretty hectic the last couple of days, but I finally sent the portfolio to CalArts. Whoo hoo! The due date was Jan 4th (a paticularly bad time to ship things) but it made it there safe and sound.
All I have left to do is send image discs to Kansas City and USC. CalArts is the only brutal one that wants the real thing XD. I'll post my whole portfolio once the Feb 15th due date passes by. I'm a little unsure if anybody would steal anything from me. Although that would be flattering lol.
For USC, they need me to take the GRE for the MFA program. Nobody ever told me about this lol...kinda was a footnote to the whole process. Important note to anyone getting a Masters: you'll probably have to take this test even though it has math...which my degree only required one class. I'm digging up the old high school math.
Now the all important worry time about getting in. I may not get into CalArts, which is alright with me. I may not like animation...really have not had much practice with this. However, I do love to create comics. It's an unknown for what is in store for 2008.
What I do know is in 2008:
- I graduate :D
- I have my BFA thesis show...with cheese and crackers
- I have an independent study on animation. I have to make 15 sec of hand drawn goodness. The faculty will look at me in bewilderment because we have a computer animation program lol.
Things that should have happen:
- Getting my comic bookbound...I will get this done Rarrrr!
Everybody have a great 2008!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
This is an advertisement?
My lovely Squidworks posted the cheap version of "Fight or Flight" on their website. It's $3.00, but if you can wait a bit longer and pay a bit more, there will be a nicer edition.Nicer edition will include:
Fancy paper
Fancier resolution
And even fancier Japanese book binding (stitched by me lol)
I'll even sign copies to make it feel more special.
How much will it cost? No clue yet. It will depend on the paper and printing cost. Yes folks stitching will be free! It will be done as soon as the semester is over. Finals are evil!
This was a really poor advertisement. Moral of the story...I guess wait for the nice copy. :P
Friday, November 09, 2007
30th Starz Film Festival
Here's the shows I'm going to:
Chicago 10 (Brett Morgen in person)
It's 1968. The war over there is causing chaos over here, where the spirit of revolution fills the air. When the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago, a television audience of over 50 million watches as protestors clash with police and bring the city to a standstill. Eight men are held accountable for inciting the riots in what will soon become known as the Chicago conspiracy trial – and as a media circus whose ringleaders and clowns, political-tightrope walkers and sideshow freaks represented Americans on both sides of the divide.
Animation Station workshop
All in this Tea (Blank and Leibrecht in person)
Blank’s new film with co-director Gina Leibrecht, All In This Tea, constitutes a similar sort of departure in its portrayal of a subject as consumed by his passion as he is driven by the pursuit of its perfection. In this case, we’re following not Herzog (who nonetheless makes a cameo appearance) but David Lee Hoffman, a tea expert and merchant from Berkeley, California. Obsessed with locating the world’s best handmade teas, Hoffman travels to the farmlands of China to work directly with the few remaining practicioners of an ancient but dying art.
Adventure is Where you Find it (For shorts :p)
Persepolis (sadly Marjane Satrapi not in person)
With her remarkable multi-volume graphic novel Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi parlayed the stuff of her life in post-revolutionary Iran into art-critical acclaim and pop-cultural fame. First published in the United States in 2003, Persepolis operated on multiple levels - as a disarmingly funny bildungsroman, an exposé of Iranian society under totalitarian rule and an example, à la Art Spiegelman's Maus, of the ways in which comics are expanding our notion of storytelling.
What I Did For Love? (For Georges Schwizgebel's Jeu)
It's going to be a fun two weeks.
http://www.denverfilm.org/festival/
Chicago 10 (Brett Morgen in person)
It's 1968. The war over there is causing chaos over here, where the spirit of revolution fills the air. When the Democratic National Convention kicks off in Chicago, a television audience of over 50 million watches as protestors clash with police and bring the city to a standstill. Eight men are held accountable for inciting the riots in what will soon become known as the Chicago conspiracy trial – and as a media circus whose ringleaders and clowns, political-tightrope walkers and sideshow freaks represented Americans on both sides of the divide.
Animation Station workshop
All in this Tea (Blank and Leibrecht in person)
Blank’s new film with co-director Gina Leibrecht, All In This Tea, constitutes a similar sort of departure in its portrayal of a subject as consumed by his passion as he is driven by the pursuit of its perfection. In this case, we’re following not Herzog (who nonetheless makes a cameo appearance) but David Lee Hoffman, a tea expert and merchant from Berkeley, California. Obsessed with locating the world’s best handmade teas, Hoffman travels to the farmlands of China to work directly with the few remaining practicioners of an ancient but dying art.
Adventure is Where you Find it (For shorts :p)
Persepolis (sadly Marjane Satrapi not in person)
With her remarkable multi-volume graphic novel Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi parlayed the stuff of her life in post-revolutionary Iran into art-critical acclaim and pop-cultural fame. First published in the United States in 2003, Persepolis operated on multiple levels - as a disarmingly funny bildungsroman, an exposé of Iranian society under totalitarian rule and an example, à la Art Spiegelman's Maus, of the ways in which comics are expanding our notion of storytelling.
What I Did For Love? (For Georges Schwizgebel's Jeu)
It's going to be a fun two weeks.
http://www.denverfilm.org/festival/
Thursday, November 01, 2007
Halloween
Xiao Bao dressed up as Clint Eastwood this year and no he is not going to paint your wagon.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
NDK pics
I uploaded my pics finally of NDK 2007 at my Flickr account.
So go check it out!
Last weekend was the 24 hour comic challenge. Really brutal this year, but I finished! It's going to be published in our Squidworks anthology soon.
I've been really busy lately so I will upload these pics to a better page later. Otherwise you can check out the pics at our forum.
My profile in the anthology will look something like this:
Ellen Yu grew up in Aurora, Colorado. Her obsession with guinea pigs, Japanese ink drawings, and animation scares many people especially her family. She is currently attending The University of Colorado at Denver for a BFA in Drawing. After she graduates in 2008, she plans to attend an animation school which would lead her to a lifetime of 2-D and experimental hijinks. Her most recent comic "Fight or Flight" uses anthropomorphism of guinea pigs to describe a panic attack through ink washes.
"The Tooth Courier" debunks the myth of tooth fairies. The 24 hour comic is chapter one of this idea focusing on Issac. A boy born without wings, and his struggles in a tooth centered society.
I will hopefully post more in November. Oh yes! I've narrowed down the schools.
1. CalArts
2. USC
3. Kansas City
4. RMCAD
I'm working on the applications now :p
So go check it out!
Last weekend was the 24 hour comic challenge. Really brutal this year, but I finished! It's going to be published in our Squidworks anthology soon.
I've been really busy lately so I will upload these pics to a better page later. Otherwise you can check out the pics at our forum.
My profile in the anthology will look something like this:
Ellen Yu grew up in Aurora, Colorado. Her obsession with guinea pigs, Japanese ink drawings, and animation scares many people especially her family. She is currently attending The University of Colorado at Denver for a BFA in Drawing. After she graduates in 2008, she plans to attend an animation school which would lead her to a lifetime of 2-D and experimental hijinks. Her most recent comic "Fight or Flight" uses anthropomorphism of guinea pigs to describe a panic attack through ink washes.
"The Tooth Courier" debunks the myth of tooth fairies. The 24 hour comic is chapter one of this idea focusing on Issac. A boy born without wings, and his struggles in a tooth centered society.
I will hopefully post more in November. Oh yes! I've narrowed down the schools.
1. CalArts
2. USC
3. Kansas City
4. RMCAD
I'm working on the applications now :p
Monday, September 24, 2007
Sunday, September 23, 2007
How it went!
Yay! National Portfolio Day went pretty well. It was extremely crowded lol, but it was mainly crowded for RMCAD (Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design) which is odd because they have tours all the time.
I was a little odd there because most of the attendees were from high school. There was even one gujy in 11th grade checking the place out. Everytime I came up to a table, I told them I would recieve a BFA before going to their school. They were a little estatic when I said that lol.
I got to talk to CalArts and got great advice. They love the guinea pig comic lol. Sadly even though I will have a degree, I would still be at CalArts for the full 4 years, but with some extra room due to credits. No folks...the price wasn't reduced lol.
Then I went to look at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver. Remarkably cheap $10,000 and I will only have to go there for three years. Still have to check out their students work though.
Next, I went to see the Kansas City Art Institute. Wonderful fine arts college, but I didn't know they had animation. They looked at my portfolio, and Iwas approved. I was surprised they approved portfolios here lol. It was quite a shock lol. Their student work wasn't too bad, so it's a possibility.
Rhode Island College of Design was nice too. However, this school is definitely out of the question. I can't get any scholarships because I will have a bachelors, and they were the most expensive school I saw.
I tried to see Minneapolis, but the line was extremely long.
Great day! Kansas City was the biggest surprised. I literally thought my portfolio was crap lol. I'm happy. I feel more confident.
So the next steps....
Keep working on sketchbook to the extreme. Animals especially
Need to make a flipbook
Take digital and regular slides of work...CalArts will be the only one to get the real deal.
On another note....
Enoch, I'm glad the comics came. I hope you enjoy them.
As soon as I get the special edition guinea comic done, I'll send one to you ^^
I was a little odd there because most of the attendees were from high school. There was even one gujy in 11th grade checking the place out. Everytime I came up to a table, I told them I would recieve a BFA before going to their school. They were a little estatic when I said that lol.
I got to talk to CalArts and got great advice. They love the guinea pig comic lol. Sadly even though I will have a degree, I would still be at CalArts for the full 4 years, but with some extra room due to credits. No folks...the price wasn't reduced lol.
Then I went to look at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver. Remarkably cheap $10,000 and I will only have to go there for three years. Still have to check out their students work though.
Next, I went to see the Kansas City Art Institute. Wonderful fine arts college, but I didn't know they had animation. They looked at my portfolio, and Iwas approved. I was surprised they approved portfolios here lol. It was quite a shock lol. Their student work wasn't too bad, so it's a possibility.
Rhode Island College of Design was nice too. However, this school is definitely out of the question. I can't get any scholarships because I will have a bachelors, and they were the most expensive school I saw.
I tried to see Minneapolis, but the line was extremely long.
Great day! Kansas City was the biggest surprised. I literally thought my portfolio was crap lol. I'm happy. I feel more confident.
So the next steps....
Keep working on sketchbook to the extreme. Animals especially
Need to make a flipbook
Take digital and regular slides of work...CalArts will be the only one to get the real deal.
On another note....
Enoch, I'm glad the comics came. I hope you enjoy them.
As soon as I get the special edition guinea comic done, I'll send one to you ^^
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Review Portfolio tomorrow
Well tomorrow is the day I talk with some representatives. The craziness....I'm bringing mainly my huge sketches, comics, and sketchbook. I'm not nearly done or feel satisfied with my progress so far.
NDK was last weekend. Pretty awesome! I got to meet Mr. Shin Itagaki & Mr. Hisashi Abe. Poor Itagaki-san was sick because of the drastic change in altitude, but kept coming to panels anyway with his poor surgical mask on. It was an extreme delight to meet Abe-san. He is a legend and has worked on so many shows. He did a lot of character animation designs for CLAMP.
I'll post pics soon with the stuff I bought. Darn those CLAMP 3-D land figures. Collecting obsession!!!
I finished "Fight or Flight" aka Guinea pig comic in time for the con. It was a crappy version. I'm trying to get a nicer version on paper with Japanese bookbinding. :D I'm just glad I got the comic done.
Other news, I tried to get my comic gig back at "The Advocate", but the new editor thought "Breakfast at Tivoli" wasn't gritty enough...too high school he said. I thought about it because this time I actually would get paid, but I declined. It's just not my style.
I'll update again about the results tomorrow. ^^
NDK was last weekend. Pretty awesome! I got to meet Mr. Shin Itagaki & Mr. Hisashi Abe. Poor Itagaki-san was sick because of the drastic change in altitude, but kept coming to panels anyway with his poor surgical mask on. It was an extreme delight to meet Abe-san. He is a legend and has worked on so many shows. He did a lot of character animation designs for CLAMP.
I'll post pics soon with the stuff I bought. Darn those CLAMP 3-D land figures. Collecting obsession!!!
I finished "Fight or Flight" aka Guinea pig comic in time for the con. It was a crappy version. I'm trying to get a nicer version on paper with Japanese bookbinding. :D I'm just glad I got the comic done.
Other news, I tried to get my comic gig back at "The Advocate", but the new editor thought "Breakfast at Tivoli" wasn't gritty enough...too high school he said. I thought about it because this time I actually would get paid, but I declined. It's just not my style.
I'll update again about the results tomorrow. ^^
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)