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Observations, experiments and rants on the production and practice of digital art. The open notebooks of Joseph Francis. This blog features articles about 3D Computer Graphics, Artistic Anatomy, Digital Photography and more. www.digitalartform.com

GDC09®

Game Developer Conference

March 23-27, 2009, Moscone Center, San Francisco

Explore the GDC Expo, seeking out information on the latest innovations showcased at GDC09. Join the fun Wednesday, March 25th from 4:30-6pm on the Expo Floor in North Hall and Career Pavilion in West Hall.

GDC EUROPE 2009 August 17-19, 2009, Cologne, Germany

GDC Europe focuses on Business, Game Design, Production, and Programming for games. In addition, this three day conference will emphasize timely content and topics in Serious Games and Mobile Games in Europe and worldwide today.

www.gdconf.com
www.gdceurope.com

A Realtime Environment Competition

For this competition, you must choose a scene from a movie and create a 3D environment based on it. You can either recreate it exactly, or you can use it as a reference to create something new - but it has to be recognizable and it has to look like it belongs to that movie.
As well as overall quality and technical merit, your work will be judged on how well your piece represents a chosen scene or visual style from the movie you've chosen. www.game-artist.net

Competition Deadline: 29th March 2009

EXOTIQUE 5 - Call for Entries

Ballistic Publishing invites you to submit your work to EXOTIQUE 5: THE WORLD'S MOST BEAUTIFUL CG CHARACTERS. The fifth book in the series will showcase the best digital character creations produced for film, television, games and personal endeavor. There is no cost or limit to the number of entries you can enter for EXOTIQUE 5.

Entry Deadline: Monday 15th June 2009, Midnight GMT

SPECTRUM 16 AWARD WINNERS

The jury for the sixteenth annual Spectrum competition convened in Kansas City, MO on the weekend of February 27, 2009 to make their selections from over 5000 works of fantastic-themed art for this year's book. All of the art selected by the judges will be included in Spectrum 16 to be published by Underworld Books in October, 2009.

http://www.spectrumfantasticart.com/

e-books

Search and preview millions of books from libraries and publishers worldwide using Google Book Search.

For example check out the scans of George B. Bridgeman's
The Human Machine
Constructive Anatomy

http://books.google.com/

links

[gameartisans.org] an art competition gallery held under GCCore.org (Game Content Core) supporting artist on all kinds of levels.

[itsartmag.com] CG Gallery is a computer graphics orientated pictures portal completely maintained by its members. Authors of this site are also owners of IT'S ART Magazine.

Call for entries

The Artist's Magazine is now accepting entries for the 26th Annual Art Competition. More than $25,000 in cash prizes. Winners and finalists will be featured in the December 2009 issue of The Artist's Magazine. 13 finalists will be featured in The Artist's Magazine's 2009 Calendar. In addition, nine finalists will be featured in the "Competition Spotlight" in The Artist's Magazine, 12 finalists will be featured as "Artist of the Month" on our website, and all winners and finalists will receive a certificate suitable for framing.

Reverie

ConceptArt.Org announces it's first International Art and Design Symposium in Dallas, Texas from March 28. till 31. 2009. More details and a list of the tutors can be found here.

The event is sponsored by companies such as Google, SMU, the Guildhall, ReelFX, the AFI Film Festival, Corel and others.

Tuition link

Mirror's Edge

Mirror's Edge is a first person action-adventure video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE (DICE). The game was released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2008. A Windows version was also released on January 13, 2009.
Mirror's Edge delivers you straight into the shoes of this unique heroine as she traverses the vertigo-inducing cityscape, engaging in intense combat and fast paced chases. With a never before seen sense of movement and perspective, you will be drawn into Faith's world.

The outdoor sections are bathed in glorious light and the city stretches far into the distance, whereas the indoor sections are brilliantly designed and capture the tone of the story perfectly.

A powerful artistic vision enhanced by the occasional tattered fabric, shattered glass, and smoke and fire of the PhysX effects.


Mirror’s Edge 2D Beta
mirrorsedge.com
© 2008 Electronic Arts Inc.

3D for Everyone

SketchUp continues to make slow and complicated 3D modeling a thing of the past. It's popularity and maturity has approached a level where we can accept user friendly, real-time 3D modeling and be critical about new capabilities and features. Narrated videos that cover everything from basic to advanced SketchUp topics can be found here. Recently conceptart.org opened it's own forum dedicated to this software, a place to explore the 2d/3d methods of making design.

free downloads! are available at sketchup.google.com

Create, modify and share 3D models at the 3D Warehouse.
A searchable, online repository of 3D models where you can find anything you need and share your models with the world.

Google SketchUp Blog

Massive Black: Volume 1

Volume 1 brings together more than 700 pieces of artwork by the Massive Black team from studios in North America and Asia. Founded in 2002 by a group of passionate developers, Massive Black has grown to become a powerhouse of the entertainment industry—particularly in the areas of concept art, illustration, 3D, animation and intellectual property development. During its six-year history, the company has worked on 210 projects, generating a staggering 30,000 pieces of concept art for games, film, television, graphic novels, toys, and advertising.
For more information please visit conceptart.org and ballistic publishing

Concept Design Workshop in Dublin

Course Profile:
Computer technologies offer new tools to the designer’s palette and influence the style and aesthetics of a film.
The ConceptDesignWorkshop will look at the tendencies in progressive production design such as the Wachowsky Brother’s feature “Speed Racer”. The course will also look at the development of artificial environments during the process from pre-production to post production.

• A hands-on design workshop will explore the experimental use of mixing traditional and digital media. After getting familar with photoshop and its possibilities participants will move towards the creation of a design visual as it is used in the art department.

• Participants will produce a concept sketch illustrating a film set or design idea while making extensive use of applied tools such as 3-D and photo reference.

Participant Profile:
This two day course is aimed at Art Directors, Trainee and Assistant Art Directors, Junior and Senior Draughtspersons, Art Department Assistants and Production Designers with some knowledge of photoshop.

Application Procedure:
Please apply online at www.screentrainingireland.ie by the 16 December 2008.

The Tutors
Peter Popken is a concept artist, visual development and storyboard artist for the film industry. His work spans more than 15 films including: "Speed Racer", "V for Vendetta", "The Bourne Supremacy", "King Arthur" and most recently Disney's "Prince of Persia".
His work is featured on several web galleries and art books. Further he developed visual ideas and aesthetics for PS3 computer games. Peter holds a diploma in visual arts & communication and has been tutoring workshops at film schools.

[http://www.peterpopken.com/]
[FÀS Screen Training Ireland]

14. International Conference on Animation, Effects, Games and Digital Media

fmx/09, the international conference on the creation, production and distribution of digital entertainment takes place in Stuttgart from May 05.-08.2009. Numerous panels, workshops and presentations draw a discerning audience, two-thirds of whom are professionals while one-third is made up of students - just right for the driven atmosphere that makes FMX the primary European meeting of the digital community and thus a great networking experience.

Innovative approaches in the animation, visual effects, gaming and postproduction industries form the focus of qualified discussions in fmx/conference. Among the hot topics will be immersive design, transmedia storytelling and world-building as well as new stereoscopic features, 3D Stereo for home and mobile entertainment and new game-driven realtime technologies for previs and production.

In an open atmosphere and casual encounters, fmx/forum presents top names of the industry and their latest achievements, hard- and software innovations can be tested directly with developers, recruiters search for new talent, schools and universities feature programs and graduates. [www.fmx.de]

EXPOSÉ 7 - open for submissions

Ballistic Publishing announces EXPOSÉ 7, the seventh edition of the premier annual artbook celebrating the creative talents of digital artists worldwide. Ballistic Publishing is now calling on artists to submit digital images for consideration. Images can be created in any 3D or digital illustration application. Photoshop and digitally manipulated photography is also welcome. There is no cost or limit to enter work for inclusion in EXPOSÉ 7. [www.ballisticpublishing.com]

Online Workshop

The Gnomon Workshop announces it's first interactive online event.
For the first time, they will rebroadcast ten lectures from previous live events including presentations by Iain McCaig, William Stout, Eric Tiemens, James Clyne, Wayne Barlowe, Kenneth Rocafort, TyRuben Ellingson, Marc Gabbana, George Hull and Brom.


Attendees to this online event will be given access to a private forum for the entire week. During the event, all ten presentations will be viewable online. Within the forum, questions can be asked of the speakers who will do their best to answer questions regarding their presentations. Each presentation ranges from 60-120 minutes, delivered in high-quality streaming video.(www.thegnomonworkshop.com)
download event PDF here

call for entries

Spectrum is open to every artist who wishes to participate and can adhere to the competition's rules: international entrants are welcome. Students, fine artists, and illustrators are all treated equally. There are no limits on the number of pieces an artist can submit and there is no pre-screening prior to judging.

Spectrum is sold in the mass market through all the major bookstores. Copies are also sent to many art directors and publishers to maximize exposure for the artists featured in the book.

Submissions for Spectrum 16 are now being accepted. Visit their website for an application and download the entry form here.

The Vaguely Xmas Exhibition

An art exhibition featuring work by 26 of London’s animation stars kicks off on Monday 17th of November (Private View) and continues until the 22nd of November. 11am - 6 pm. (www.articlesandtexticles.co.uk)

Waterloo Gallery Baylis Road Waterloo London SE1 7AA - Very close to London Waterloo station.

XXIII.CGChallenge

The US$220,000 Steampunk CGChallenge at CGSociety is getting up steam right now - and is the biggest prize pool for a CGChallenge to date!
This challenge asks you to render traditional myths and legends in the steampunk style using elements of gears, springs, brass and steam power. Re-imagine legendary characters from some of the world's most ancient stories. This challenge will be a Work in Progress Challenge to ensure everyone can learn from each other and offer feedback and critiques. Each challenger or team is required to submit Work In Progress images.

http://features.cgsociety.org/challenge/steampunk/index.php

Hans Bacher - Visual Development

Hans Bacher works as a visual development artist for the animation industry. As a production designer he created the look for Amblimation's BALTO and Disney's MULAN. His blog gives an insight into the world of animation and is a great source of inspiration.

In 2007 he published his long awaited book DREAM WORLDS - production design for animation. It is a visual feast of never-before-seen artwork, complete with insight from the artist.

http://one1more2time3.wordpress.com/

Freistil – European Commercial Illustration

The Black Issue

We are calling on illustrators to send us works exclusively in black and white. They can be freelance or commissioned works, illustrations in spaces and in motion, mixed media, collages and, of course, graphite drawings…
This will make FREISTIL a book that neither a website nor the usual catalogue providers can equal and that will again bring our view of illustration into focus today.

The call for entries is online. The deadline is 31 October 2008. The book will be published in spring 2009 by Verlag Hermann Schmidt Mainz. If you have any questions please contact at:

www.freistil-online.com

CA Workshop 2008

The ConceptArt.Org & Massive Black International Art and Design Workshop is a multi-day training event, designed by top professionals and educators in the fields of video games, toys, comic books, film, illustration, and Fine Art.
A number of volunteer instructors are there to help participants of all levels learn and improve in ways never thought possible and to apply those skills in the lucrative, booming entertainment industry and related fields. The workshop opens the doors to companies looking for quality talent with knowledge in the latest production techniques, and provides immediate opportunity for people who are ready to work in the fields of art and design.

http://www.conceptart.org/workshop/

International competition for emerging artists

RELEASE1.0 is an international design competition launched in partnership with ICA, London; Triennale Museum, Milan; Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin; and London Design Festival. The competition is calling for designs for innovative new museum- and gallery- shop products and in return offers the winners financial remuneration and, more importantly, access into some of the most influential culture institutions worldwide.

An international jury from the worlds of design, art and culture will sort through all the entries to pick the final three winning designs (in three different price categories), which will be sold in the shops of the competition’s international museum and gallery partners.

COMPETITION DEADLINE 20TH OCTOBER
VISIT WWW.RELEASEONEDOTZERO.COM TO ENTER AND VIEW SUBMISSIONS

Totoro No Furusato

Film animators, comic book artists and illustrators have come together to create original works of art inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's "My Neighbor Totoro." The work has been created for an auction to benefit the Totoro No Furusato National Fund - also known as the Totoro Forest Fund. It was held Sept. 6 at Pixar Animation Studios and was a huge success. A book featuring all the works of art will be available for purchase on their website soon and a selection of the artwork will be featured in an exhibition, Sept. 20-Feb. 8 at the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco.

http://totoroforestproject.org/, blog

Advanced Digital Art Production Techniques

The ADAPT conference is designed to teach the most advanced practices in digital film production. This conference touches every facet of digital art creation from film to video game development.

ADAPT joins computer graphic professionals and enthusiasts worldwide, delivering multiple high-end classes taught by some of the most renowned artists (f.e.:Alex McDowell, Syd Mead, Craig Mullins) from the most celebrates studios around the world.

ADAPT is both a forum and a stragetic venue where one can broaden their network, develop business relations as well as enrich their skills. It offers an opportunity to come together while moving forward as an international event that embraces digital art creation in all its magnificence.

www.adaptconference.com/