A few little people doodles. . .

Here's some recent animal sketches I did. I literally had an hour to fill between a meeting and decided to just see what I could draw quickly. First dip to the left was these little guys. It was nice to be amongst my friends again. . .

MAC

It's . . . me?

Here's a drawing my buddy and uber talented friend Kyle Boyd did of me while I was instructing at one of my Disney sessions. He's the kind of designer that makes his drawings make you chuckle and laugh.

Check him out at:

Www.kyleboyd.blogspot.com

Old Development: Mattel Development

Here's some very old development for a new younger character Mattel was working on creating for a new gaming/toy line. He was to be a 3D character that was animated in front of each segment and behind the wheel with a possible television show to follow. There was an older targeted character and they wanted a younger more hip character in his place.

© Mattel, 2008

Recent Disney Session . . .

It's getting a bit rare for me to get a chance to drawing during sessions I instruct at. Perhaps some more Demo's like these sketches done with a Tombo and a Pentel Stylo. My focus was on a more classic Disney/Renaissance style.

Best,

MAC

Comic-Con 2011 - New Sketchbook: Vol.01

I'll be at Table J-6 in sunny San Diego this year, come on by and say hello if you're down in Southern California for the event!

This will be the official debut my new 100-page sketchbook entitled: Mark McDonnell's Cre8tivemarks Sketchbook Volume 01.

This hardbound sketchbook is the first volume of both personal and professional sketches from my recent collections wanderings in the Animation and Entertainment field. It's a deluxe collector's edition with a canvas cover, stamping and UV gloss to boot. I feel very lucky I am presenting this material as well as the manner in which it is being showed. Stop on by and flip through it or just to say hello . . . it's the greatest show on Earth!






It's here. . . COMIC-CON 2011.

Again, I'm @ Table J-6.

MAC

New Class @ 3Kicks Studio

I'll be instructing a new class, "Imaginative Costumed Quick Sketch" on Friday's from 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm at Charles Hu's fantastic studio, 3Kicks Studio in Glendale.

Check it out if you're interested:

http://3kicks.blogspot.com/

Sealyham Charity Art Auction

I was asked to see if I was interested in doing a piece for a benefit charity art auction for a Sealyham function. I was given a day, and happily here is the piece I submitted. Quick and dirty, a less is more approach.

Best,

MAC

New LAAFA Class Starting June 7th

Hey guys . . . I'm lucky enough to be instructing at one of the most prestigious schools in the area. Anyone at any level is welcome, I'll customize it to your experience level:

http://reg125.imperisoft.com/LAAFA/ProgramDetail/3132363038/Registration.aspx

More images to come,


MAC

Fun Disney Session . . .

My buddy Angelo was kind enough to be my Muse at Disney this evening . . .

Best,

MAC

The Importance of Warm-Ups

I often don't get a lot of time to draw during a session I am teaching as I get around the room and help each person individually on their artistic level to personalize the experience. More often than not that means I have to be on point when I am giving advice. To start each session I often do 1's, 2's or 3's to have everyone focus on the importance of getting the flow and/or feeling the character/model is acting out - making it very hard to get caught up in the details of a short pose. These sketches were examples of how to stay loose, getting the total and not lost in the details. . . that's for 5 minute poses and beyond.

Best,

MAC

My Hits a Homerun: SMIGLY SURVIVES

Here's the album cover for one of the props in the video. Poor poor Smigly.

Marcelo Vignali VERY LIMITED SKETCHBOOK

This is the one.

Marcelo Vignali has created a one-of-a-kind sketchbook that will debuting in Anaheim the weekend of April 29th-May 1st for the Anaheim Comic Convention. They are a very limited number of printed sketchbooks from one of the Master's of our craft.

Get them while they're still available . . . they're gunna go fast!

More on: http://vignalistudio.blogspot.com/

Best,

MAC

Recent Sketches - Sonja!

"A Welcoming."

"All in a day's work."

"Do you feel lucky?"

"He He He."

"Swinging for the fences."

Spring @ LAAFA

SPRING is finally here!

I will be leading another session at The Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art starting April 20th for 8 sessions on Wednesday evenings from 7-10pm. The class will focus heavily on covering how to intensify storytelling aspects in your costumed gesture drawings to directly translate into the Animation, Illustration and Entertainment Industry's needs.

If you enroll before March 20th, you will save $50.00 as the tuition goes up after that date. You can enroll at www.laafa.org.


All my best to everyone and Happy Spring Forward!


MAC

Still here. Still battling.

. . . more to come.

New LAAFA Costumed Gesture Drawing Class (starting 01/29/2011)

I will be teaching for anyone outside of the studios starting in the new year, 2011. The class is the same class I teach at Disney and Dreamworks condensed into a very dense amount of knowledge for a 8 week session @ LAAFA. The class will be held on Saturday from 2:00 P.M - 5:00 P.M. . . . . (coffee provided)!

Link:

http://www.laafa.org


All my best to everyone,

MAC

Mark McDonnell: "MAC Sketchbook Sessions" 03

Here is an all new video which is the THIRD of my How To Draw In Your Sketchbook that I'm calling the "MAC Sketchbook Sessions" for the Animation and Entertainment Industry. It's an over the shoulder view of my flipping through my third of many personal sketchbooks and giving commentary. This book's goal was the use of black and white to control values as well as the eye's interest in the contrast between the two. The pen's used were the Gelly-Roll/Pentel Stylo and a Pentel "Water Brush" for the thicker lines and darkest darks.

I hope it's enjoyable.

Best,

MAC

CTN was a SUCESS!

Just wanted to give a big thank you for those of you who came by the CTN Animation Expo and were kind enough for letting me flip through your portfolios, purchasing my book and artwork as well as stopping by and chatting with me. From Mobius to the Disney crew and on to the amazing talent that was on exhibition . . . thank you and I was so happy to be a part of Tina Price's AMAZING show.

(Pictures to come!)

And for everyone in the States, have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING with family and friends . . . and for those around the Globe, have a nice weekend.


All my best to everyone,


MAC

CTN is ALMOST HERE!

Hey guys,

It's that time of year again and I'm happy to be a part of the 2nd CTN ANIMATION EXPO, with so much more to offer than last year . . and last year was an AMAZING event! Come on down and experience the show first hand, it's going to be a showstopper AGAIN!

All my best and I'll be at Table T-14, right by the front door!


Best,

MAC

Happy Halloween 2010

Busy, busy, busy . . . but had to enjoy the holiday in 2010!

MAC

Quite An Honor!

Online Colleges and Universities

I was lucky enough to open an email from the folks at Online Colleges and Universities wishing me congratulations as my blogsite and YouTube site was determined to be an essential part of our resources, and has received ourTop Learn Animation Blogs award presented by Online Colleges and Universities!

Pretty cool.

Best,


MAC

New LAAFA Classes now ONLINE & Streaming LIVE!

Hey Guys,

I was just given the okay to invite you to join in on a new interactive teaching experience for all of you that asked for it:


LAAFA has an array of Illustration and Entertainment Classes this Fall.  We are thrilled with our new line-up of talented working professionals from major entertainment studios.
Entertainment and Illustration Classes
8-week classes starting from $410
 
Special Bonus:  Enroll by October 15th and receive $50 off of a 8-week class!

 

• I Just wanted to let you know that a new edition has been added in a Beta Test for taking my class online for all of you that were interested in taking my class but live to far away or the large amount of folks that happily live in International Waters. This is your chance and I'm happy to invite you to take my class and interact with me on the fly in this Live Online Streaming Classroom setting with LAAFA (which is The Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art). I will be doing many demos each session and invite you along to watch me critique and lecture during the classroom session. You will also be welcome to write in and ask questions on the fly. This is the initial test for this new classroom experience so please bear with me and the amazing folks at LAAFA so we can bring you what you have been asking for for quite some time now.

Best,

MAC

An Interesting Note -

• I got an interesting email from a very talent student of mine (from my Union class) and thought I would share:

Generally I don't put down a lot of lines not that I am against this, it's just as important if the overall statement is answered. I think through the forms but what I ALWAYS need is the life or the fluidness of the feeling of how the character is acting. The rest can be added onto or refined without the auidence really knowing there are under lines. This is especially evident when I use a pen. Just want it to appear cleaner and . . . if it's a female character, then the lines are ALWAYS kept to a minumum. I do think of shape, but more of inside out first then the shape adapts to resolve itself. The shapes can always be refined and make more designed . . . but the feeling or idea behind the action should be first and foremost.

- "Are you thinking a little more of the contours of the character while gesturing as well? I know in past figure drawing classes, you hear about capturing the gesture/attitude first and THEN build your geometric forms on top of that. But in your case, are you almost combining the two into one step? "

- YES! I'm thinking through and the draftsmanship will come out and save the drawing if need be. The drawing I did for you last time was not a great drawing but I saved it with rythem and acting in the face. The forms are 3Dimensional but the overall design reads and brings you into the face. It's a combination of rythem/gesture, design and composition! You can jump ahead but hopefully not to loose the overall feeling or flow/rythem/gesture/life-force that you're going for. I don't encourage this as it's a very easy way to get yourself in trouble. Glen Vilppu always said to me: Gesture, Construction, Anatomy then Technique. But after throwing around lines for many years they eventually work in a symbiotic way and become an amobic sense of drawing. Meaning it all happens at once when you have put in the time to honor the craft. But the end goal should always be . . . the STORY! Afterall that's really paramount and the whole reason behind why we draw and design really - it's story! Story of life, story of what's happening in the panel, story of what will happen - what was before, during this shot and most certainly after. It should have a sense of place and purpose in time knowing that when we leave this character, he/she/it will continue on and live their life and obtain their quest (however GRAND or moment to moment that might be). It has to live on. That's what being TIMELESS is all about. It's another life/world/place in time that will continue while we live ours so we may think about where their at or at what moment we want to relive in our heads before bed.

MAC

Under the Influence . . .

Recently I have been asked quite a bit who some of my greatest influences are artistically. There are so many and new one's created almost daily thanks to the internet and the blogging world. But there are some staples that still mean a great deal to me for many reasons.

1. Marc Davis
2. Frank Frazetta
3. Mort Drucker
4. John Singer Sargent
5. Glen Keane
6. Hans Bacher
7. Rein Poortvliet
8. Paul Felix
9. Claire Wendling
10. Berni Wrightson
11. Brian Froud
12. François-Auguste-René Rodin
13. Jack Davis
14. John Nevarez
15. Marcelo Vignali

Smigly REVEALED!

My buddy and all around creative funny guy Allen Mezquida has created a new character - written, animated and composited - the one, the only . . . Smigly!

I've known about it for quite some time, but as I was reading the Daily Beast yesterday, there he was front and center . . . Smigly. In all of his glory, a modern day Charlie Brown . . . Full Frontal.

Check it out:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-09-03/youtubes-rising-cartoon-star/

"I HEART JAZZ"



"THE BIG BANK"


• To see more quality goodness, check out:

http://smigly.tv/

Today is the 1st day for my New UNION Class!

" . . . stay Sassy San Diego."

Mark McDonnell - New Class: AAI/Union!

For Frank . . .

Frank Frazetta was, as we all know, an artist that left a great amount of impact and inspiration to many of us along our artistic way. I was lucky enough to take a look at a few originals during Comic-Con 2010 this year and was inspired and happy to pay tribute (in my own way) to someone I will always be inspired by.

Enjoy your new battles buddy . . .

Mark McDonnell's Cre8tivemarks @ COMIC-CON 2010 - Table "C-9"

Well the greatest show on Earth is about to roll into beautiful downtown San Diego. I'm lucky enough to be in my own booth this year and I'll be @ "TABLE C-9."



• I'll have new copies of my book: THE ART AND FEEL OF MAKING IT REAL based on my teachings as an instructor at Disney, Dreamworks and many of the Art Institutes around California as well as ORIGINAL ARTWORK and EXCLUSIVE LIMITED EDITION PRINTS - especially a new Comic-Con Exclusive Print "In The Beginning..."

- My book will be discounted to $40 this year so come on by and say hello and bring a book if you already have one I'd be happy to sign and personalize it with a sketch.

Best to everyone and I hope to see you in the Carnival of COMIC-CON 2010!


MAC

UPDATE:

Comic-Con 2010 was AMAZING!!! From seeing fellow artists to enjoying new friends and fans -
A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out and took the time to stop by . . . cheers!

New Video: "MAC Sketchbook Sessions" - 02

Hey Guys,

I just posted an all new video which is the SECOND of my How To Draw In Your Sketchbook that I'm calling the "MAC Sketchbook Sessions" for the Animation and Entertainment Industry. It's an over the shoulder view of my flipping through my second of many personal sketchbooks and giving commentary. I hope it's enjoyable.






All my best,

MAC

I'll be back in a minute . . .

A Model Studio . . .

A shot taken after a session of instructing at Dreamworks Animation Studio with the "How To Train Your Dragon" Crew.

New Class Starting/DEMO - LAAFA

"Chaman" - Annecy Film Festival

This is an AMAZING bumper for the Annecy Film Festival from the students at Gobelins. Chaman is directed by De Théo Boubounelle, Chloé Bury, Jean Baptiste Cumont, Claire Fauvel and Vincent Nghiem. It focuses on “a curious child who discovers the magical world behind the ritual of the shamans of his tribe.”

Beautiful.

MAC

New LAAFA Class (Starting 07/12)

I will be teaching for anyone outside of the studios again this summer session after taking a bit of a break for travel and such. The class is the same class I teach at Disney and Dreamworks condensed into a very dense amount of knowledge for a 10 week session @ LAAFA. The class will be held on Monday nights - 7:30-10:30 P.M . . . . (coffee provided)!

Link:

http://www.laafa.org/sessions/classes_details.php?id=67&class_id=3131&cat_id=1

P.S. - I will be also giving a demo 06/19/2010 @ 11:00 A.M. if anyone is interested in seeing me work as well as ask any questions you have.

MAC

Water on the move . . .

Recent sketches from last week, playing with water soluble ink.

MAC

Female Figure Drawing: Corner Doodle

Here's a really quick corner doodle where I enjoyed the swing of her movement.

HAPPY FRIDAY,

MAC

Inspiration: Figure Drawing

Recently in a figure drawing session I took a break from using watercolor and was inspired by the recent Rembrandt exhibit at our local J. Paul Getty Museum. There is one particular image that stuck in my head and lead to the inspiration of looking for a way to get the feeling of an ink wash using a pen and PrismaColor markers. In no way was I looking to repeat another's success but rather use it as inspiration for a new way of seeing. (At the bottom of the post is the image that led to this experiment. Simply Masterful.)