Please find enclosed some imagery from something I'm currently working on that you and your followers might like to get a preview on....
Its a concept idea at the present....it has elements of model animation with set production design ...and a narrative that I'm writing around a new Children's storybook fantasy idea .
Its early days but so far it is coming together as an illustrated pilot storybook .
The supermation artwork style of mine using digital art software combined with painted sets and cut-out characters has worked out well with for my previous SEASTAR 5 project storybook series....now trying to use the style again on a follow up project....we will see how it goes....keep you posted.....
Some publicity material attached that I have put together to show my followers on my website .
Hope you like it.
Best Regards
Richard Dixon
TPD STUDIOS ,
Lancashire UK .
thats quite a multidisciplinary approach Richard, it must be really labour intensive creating the models and sets too. Do you make the figures uniforms and gear too? Bill
ReplyDeleteit seems a cool project!!
ReplyDeleteHi Bill....and Electricwave....
ReplyDeleteThanks for your email replies....appreciate your questions and comments...
"Star Rock Island" is something that I have been doing in my spare time over the last two years...it started on a written A4 sheet of paper.....then a few drawn sketches......then some character ideas on paper.....turning into something close to a publicity project for my studio Brand . I decided on taking it further with more development.....which is now pointing towards a storybook pilot , probably for sometime next year depending on my work loads between now and then .
My intention initially was for the use of model animation sets , the use of artwork characters as cut outs ....paste ups on the photo realistic prints that I would create for the pages....print the composites together with typography text.....create storybook demo.......and then us hit for publicity for my work etc...
The figure costume is an original design....its created on a cutout artwork figure drawing...painted and some cloth parts pinned to the drawing...helmet is a model animation spare I had lying around - photographed and pasted on the cutout head....computer art program used to blend bits together....
You mention "labour intensity" Bill.....yes the production process is involved.....but the overall effect can be spectacular....SEASTAR 5 which is currently out there in its first storybook release and soon with the new SEASTAR 5 Comic edition nearly ready for release , was done with a work format that used a lot of the techniques that I learned which will be used to speed up production times on Star Rock Island .
The combination of techniques are "old school" animation based...but couple them up to digital presentation ways of doing things.....and wow do you get a speed up in time saved etc....my Supermation RetroArt Images brand which this new project will come under hopefully will be well received next year....we will see....I will be posting up dates on MoonBase Central on the project....thanks again for looking in on my work....and thank you Paul for allowing me to show something a bit different to you followers on here. Richard Dixon TPD STUDIOS Lancashire , UK .
All the best with Star Rock Richard. I love the Constellation ship! Did you use kit parts to make it? Just wondering, have you ever had any work or connection with Gerry Anderson productions?
ReplyDeleteHi Paul....Thanks for your email....appreciate your comments.....the "Constellation ship appears at the start of the story....its a miniature , just over two feet in length...its scratch built but has kit parts for "decor and some panels".....I once met Gerry Anderson and talked with him for half an hour when he visited my home town of Blackpool....did'nt work for him unfortunately or any of his productions ....but I did take pictures of both his exhibitions in Blackpool in the seventies as a paid commission for EMI-ITC Exhibitions ....also his son Jamie Anderson has seen my work including SEASTAR 5....also some of Gerry Anderson's SFX people - Martin Bower and Steven Begg have taken a look at some of my miniatures over the years....I did once see some of the animated Capatin Scarlet CGI Series being created and "Lavender Castle" at Cosgrove Hall Productions in Manchester....My Mentor in those days was Mark Hall Executive Producer at that studio....he showed me a lot of help over the years with my work....so I have I guess had some connections to Gerry's work up close . Regards Richard Dixon .
ReplyDeleteThanks for that Richard, fascinating connections you've made over the years.
DeleteIncredible use of miniatures! So happy you are keeping this “lost art” alive. Practical effects forever! SFZ
ReplyDeleteAgree SFZ.....the use of miniatures can really help a good story along...it is a lost art but , still some good work out there though.....I am still pushing things along.....my website at Richard Dixon TPD STUDIOS.....is a treasure trove of miniature images from the past thirty five years of my work ...and beyond...Regards Richard Dixon .
ReplyDeleteI love seeing people using their skills to tell their own stories. Making that unproduced Thunderbirds episode is great, but creating your own world is that extra step! All power to you, i've had a story in my head for decades and I've decided now is the time to tell it.
ReplyDeleteSeeing your efforts in progress is a great inspiration!
Thanks Lewis....your comments are very close to my intentions.....with working in the Toy industry and Children's Comics over the years , I have illustrated lots of other people's ideas and story things....along the way lots of ideas came through my mind ....but never really had the time to develop those ideas.....now a days have time between commissions and some spare capacity in my studio areas so getting the opportunity to try some new things of my own.....its fun doing your own stories....see where it takes me ... Richard Dixon TPD STUDIOS .
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