Revisiting the Past

I thought it'll be interesting to take a look at where I've come from, to where I am now in design-wise. This is just to reflect on my milestone so far, I guess you could say.

[For those that don't like reading, or this is just shitloads...STOP NOW!] - Heavy Image Load

I've always been watching Cartoons (Disney Movies like, Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dome, Aladdin etc being my Childhood favourites) and fascinated in video gaming (First console being the Nintendo Famicon), my brother was even more crazy than me, and I guess that's where I got my passion from. Growing up, I've been following through almost everything he does (not intentionally), and we were like twins, we both started off with writing left handed, brother got converted and I sustained being a lefty. We have similar drawing styles compared to the early art classes at school and even how we look.. So as to say my brother was very creative, only that he took a different path than Design. When we were younger, we didn't get the toys that we wanted, I remember when I wanted (Transformer) Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots and how my parents had to work week after week just to get me that toy for my Birthday. So I value it so much. The point however, was we didn't always get what we wanted, so my brother would make our own. For one example, Spiderman! - He would use our existing toys, one that was fitting to the figure of Spiderman, and design the costume for it. Merely just felt-tip-pens, paper, and cello-tape.

The way we spent time together, was using our toys, generating a storyline and play heroes vs villains..

As we started to grow out of playing toys, we began drawing Comics. I've still got them packed somewhere, and they are hideous. Won't be able to scan them up, but maybe one day, I'd get around to that. They were great times, but very stupid and they were basically garbage...haha

Then we got into Web designing and even larger into video gaming. It wasn't long after I became a (then) Macromedia (now Adobe) Flash freak. Everything was Flash, Webdesigns, logos, any designs and drawing, which I will get to later.

This is my Very first Homepage made in Flash (My very first websites ever (HTML) are all lost, so I can't show those..):

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/homepagev1/

At this time, I was an aspiring art/design-flop and web designer. I was having all these ideas of running my own studio and doing all these things that I thought would be cool, though I was not capable at all... so naive and stupid of me

Around now, my brother had stopped web-designing, stuck with video gaming and law.

Then it was my studio websites:

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/dstudio-v1/

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/dstudio-v2/

As it went on, I just adapted having an Online Portfolio. During this time, I've been renovating and renovating my websites, almost 4 times in one whole year.. with practically nothing to show for in my "portfolio section"

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/homepagev3/

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/dezonlinev2/

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/dezonlinev3/

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/new/

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/new2/


soon, I started making websites for people:

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/3ggman/home.htm (discontinued)

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/hav/old/ (discontinued)


About 3 years ago -- better designs, although not complete sites:

http://dstudio.orconhosting.net.nz/redeyeproductions/web1/index_content.html

While I was progressively designing websites, I also drew quite a bit. As I said from the beginning, I was very interested in Cartoons and Gaming, along side with my brother, but then again, who didn't like cartoons when they were young? - Disney was the big one for me, just loved them. With Disney and other cartoons (Simpsons, Doug, Peanuts, Dark Tales, DarkWing Duck, Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Voltron, Transformers, Galaxy Rangers, Street Fighters, Old Master Q, Dragonball, Ranma 1/2..list goes on), during my childhood, I had a strong interest in being a part of cartoon creation or making video games when I grow up. Of course, I had other perspectives when I was younger, like being a pro soccer player, wrestler or my earliest thoughts of pumping petrol when I was age 4, because it seemed quite cool (at the time) :P or following the old man's routes of being a chef.

I took the Art direction... Although I didn't practice it at all, I've somewhat been ok in drawing. I was especially ok at replicating, than drawing from my own imagination.

^ My very first attempt with flash animation (which contradicts what I said just before). "Share This"; It's basically about a dude flipping people off. It's so stupid...

^ This was my second actual attempt at animation. All drawn in Flash, and scabbed ideas off the Jackie Chan Adventures animated series.

There are a lot more old stuff that I've done, but these already showcase how bad I was when I first started.. :P

2nd year of College started, I began doing a bit more art, and also a new interest in Graphics/Architectural/Product designs. It was not till my second to last year at College, had I started drawing regularly and stopped web designing period.

^ First Art Board. Couldn't paint then, can't paint now... I can do some Digital Painting, but that's all that is to say about painting... still experimenting..

^ Here are some slightly better drawings in Flash. At this time, I don't use freehand, only constructing these with the mouse.

Product designs:

Year 12 (2nd) Art Board:

Logo, Invitations, and Poster to a made up Exhibition of Shigeru Miyamoto

Architectural designs:

There was a time where I had decided to do Architecture, and to stick to it as a career, even though I enjoyed doing art and design a lot more. I thought the money was there and have been told over and over again that designing is very unstable, but as luck would have it, after my year 13 Art Design class, it all changed...

Year 13 (3rd) Art Board:

Some closeup of a few character designs done in Flash:

This School project was illustrating a Children's Book. And these two a 2 of (3) "monsters" under a child's bed. And it's based on the kid's imagination, so they are quite sketchy..

^ Page 3 of the Children's Book. I know what you're thinking, a scary book for Children? IF it helps, it was largely influenced by Dave Mckean. More of an Adult Children's Book.

Whilst doing these, I also began designing DVD Covers for a NZ Based Pro Wrestling Organization. Impact Pro Wrestling for a period of time:

More can be found here

I'm continuing to pursuit Art Design. Now Digital Design, hoping to do animation, or comic/storyboards or conceptual art... I'm still learning! Hoping to achieve a much greater milestone...

I've also got to thank my buddy Antx'LeeLee, if not for him and his awesome art designs, I would not have pushed myself to do better. If not for him and his guidance, I would not have gotten wherever I am in life, design-wise.

So this is my semi reflection; Revisiting my Past in Design. My milestone so far.. My collection of uploaded work from 2006 - 2007 can be found here

Alike certain works that I haven't uploaded online to showcase my recent works, a lot of my older work are not uploaded to share. What is here is just a portion as an example. A few more can be found here

There are definitely things I've missed out and forgotten to mention.. But thanks for taking the time in reading this anyway :)