Eccentric taxidermist Walter Potter

Trailer for a documentary about eccentric taxidermist Walter Potter, who created tableaus like "The Kitten's Wedding." (Video link)
Amazon: Walter Potter's Curious World of Taxidermy

Previously on GJ: Walter Potter's Taxidermy

Via BoingBoing

Stop Motion Principles

Using a simple armature to demonstrate basic principles, stop motion animation master Sáenz Valiente (with Guillermo Galli?) of Argentina explains inertia, timing, acceleration, arcs, and momentum. (Video link) "Movement is not the same as animation," he explains.

The voiceover is in Spanish, but the main points should be intelligible even if you don't speak the language. There's also a version with English subtitles, and don't miss Part 2, where he gets into acting and interpretation.

Also, check out "Frame by Frame: The Art of Stop Motion" from PBS Offbook
One of you might want to try this technique for the Plein Air Persistence video contest.

World of Dinosaurs Stamps: Behind the Scenes

When I was asked to design the World of Dinosaurs stamp issue (1996), I painted two panoramic settings for the individual stamp subjects. The top one was Jurassic and the other was Cretaceous. I keyed the colors differently to separate them.

I developed the design in a charcoal comprehensive drawing that I showed to the various paleontological consultants for their input and approval.

It was vitally important that the dinosaurs, insects, and plants in each panorama were all known from the same geologic formations and so would have lived together in the same time and place. 

Having worked out the plan in charcoal (bottom), I felt a lot more confident when I went to the final oil painting (top). In most natural science illustration, it's essential to present the art in a comprehensive, intermediate step that is sent out for approval by the scientists.

This was probably the only final stamp artwork that was ever worked on en plein air. I had to go outside in the forest to paint the ferns, because I discovered that cut ferns wilt too fast. The painting was less than 24 inches wide and painted on flexible Bristol board so that it could fit on the drum scanners of the time.
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For for a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at how I do paleoart, check out my new DVD "How I Paint Dinosaurs" from Kunaki.com.
Digital download (HD 720p) at Gumroad (credit card) or Sellfy (Paypal). buy

“How I Paint Dinosaurs is a fascinating, detailed look into the making of the masterful dinosaur creations of James Gurney. I loved following his creative process, from the initial ideas, through the scientifically informed and accurate paleo-reconstructions, to the final stunning artwork. I found this video to be extremely informative and creative, and I have to say that I was completely inspired to draw dinosaurs!” 

—Mick Ellison, paleoartist, American Museum of Natural History 

Digital animation by Matthias Müller

Here's some mesmerizing digital animation of pulsing, fluid-like forms timed to music, by Matthias Müller. (Video link)

Profile on Alaska Public Media

Thanks to Jean Bundy for writing up Part 1 of a profile about me on Alaska Public Media. 

Focus on Nature exhibit accepting entries

Susan Elmblad Rubin (Denver, Colorado, USA)
Titan Arum or Corpse Flower, Flesh Fly
(Amorphophallus titanum, Sarcophagid species)
Mixed media (colored pencil, digital, pastel,
collage) on paper, 2011

Calling all natural science illustrators: The Focus on Nature XIII exhibition is accepting online entries through the rest of this month.

Says Patricia Kernan: "Focus on Nature is a juried biennial, international exhibit of natural history illustration. It began in 1990 with the intention of highlighting illustrations that are done in support of natural and cultural history research and education."

Criteria include: 

• a high degree of technical skill

• scientific accuracy

• aesthetic qualities, including composition

• a unique scientific and/or artistic viewpoint

• traditional, mixed media, or CG images OK

• a broad representation of artists

"1) Up to two submissions in any one subject [but no limit on media]. No more than a total of four entries will be considered. There is no entry fee for Focus on Nature. The artwork submission deadline is October 1, 2013." 

Accepted artwork will be exhibited at the New York State Museum. See the FON website for exhibition dates.

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Focus on Nature

Animatronics of Gustav Hoegen

Animatronics are sophisticated puppets controlled by performers on set using cables or servos. They lend a realism to movies that CGI creatures often can't achieve because animatronics exist in the actor's physical space, where they can interact in much more complex ways.


(Direct link to video) Here's a showreel of the work of Gustav Hoegen, who has worked on Prometheus, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Clash of the Titans. The images range from cute to creepy, but it's amazing to see the exquisite mechanical inner workings.

Brand Name Pencils

Bob Truby loves pencils so much that he has made a comprehensive website called Brand Name Pencils, where you can search all the known brands or types, including the El Dorado, which I mentioned on a previous post.  

He's got a Most Wanted page of rare pencils that he's looking for and willing to buy from you. Maybe there's gold in the back of your art supply drawer. 
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Thanks, Paulo

Meet eDavid, the robot painter

Meet eDavid, the robot painter. (Direct link to video) Nothing to worry about. He's basically just a fancy inkjet printer.

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Previously on GurneyJourney

Industrial robot sketches human portrait

Modern art by robots, 1959 style

Image parsing (with 91 comments)

Great prizes for our video contest

Three generous companies have stepped forward to support our "Plein Air Persistence" video contest.

Jack Richeson and Company is donating gift certificates for Richeson products worth $250 and $150 for first and second prizes.

Liliedahl video productions is offering three gift certificates worth $250 from their collection of 100+ art instruction videos.

Plein Air Magazine will do a story about the contest, and they'll talk it up in their weekly newsletter Plein Air Today. They will cover it on www.outdoorpainter.com and show the winning entries at the Plein air convention in front of an audience of 800+ plein air artists from around the world next April in Monterey.

That's all in addition to my originally-announced prize of signed and remarqued books.

This is a great opportunity to get your work seen by a lot of people worldwide. And it's totally free to enter. You just need to come up with one minute of video awesomeness expressing the theme of Persistence in plein air painting or drawing. It can be serious or funny, a true story or a tall tale, live action or animation. It's just a minute long, but a minute is enough to present a clear idea or a strong story with definite characters. 

If you're not experienced with making short films, team up with someone who is. Art students might want to collaborate with film majors in their school. And I'll bet every established painter has a friend or family member who does videography for a serious hobby. 

Deadline is October 22 and there are three categories: Animation, Live Action, and a Youth category for entrants who are 17 years old or younger. Here is complete information about the contest.