2015

So it's 2016, and I've gone about 8 months without blogging, so this post will be just a little (probably really long) update!

I'm only just realising how much of a blur 2015 was. I can remember a lot of stress? But after the stress, some of my coursemates/favourite people & I went to Annecy for their Animation festival! 

LOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS! ^_^ 

10 days in Annecy = 10 days of me Cheshire cat smiling with some of my favourites. 

 

Went to so many interesting talks (including Good Dinosaur/Sanjays Superteam/Zootopia/Genndy Tartakovsky) but the coolest thing I think I did was hold one of the Aardman puppets!

There's not point in me even attempting to do a proper review of the whole festival. All I can remember is:

•  The Good Dinosaur looks insanely impressive but eh, storyline a bit weak? Having now seen it, and cried, I still stand by my opinion. It's got nothing on Inside Out.
• Sanjays Super Team on the other hand is my new favourite Pixar Short. It was also probably one of the most interesting talks I went too! So interesting! 
• Zootopia is going to be insane. 
• Signe Baumane did such an amazing job of explaining her own personal story and her families battle with madness in a completely honest, yet entertaining way. 
• Adam Elliot's Ernie Biscuit was definitely my favourite short.
• There was another claymation short called 'Sexy Laundry' and its the most messed up/funniest short I've ever seen.

I was also lucky enough to meet the extremely talented Pernille ørum! (Who now has the most beauitful book!)

So in love with @pernilleoerum work ♡

A photo posted by Laura Jones (@fantanazz) on Jan 4, 2016 at 8:40am PST

And thats about all I can remember from Annecy. Here are some doodles. ^_^ 

 

After returning to the UK, I moved out of my uni house then a few days later was once again on my travels to Madeira/Lizard Island! Literally hours after seeing Taylor Swift with my sister; committed fan. 

 

 

Some more doodles! I'm pretty sure one of my favourite days of 2015 was spent drawing parrots. 

 

 

 

After three years I finally graduated with a 2:1. Fun. ^_^ 

 

Then once again left the UK to explore Brugge, Gent, Brussels (home of Tin Tin!), Ypres, Waterloo and the last stop at Chocques Military Cemetery where my Nan's Uncle, so my Great Great Uncle, was buried in 1915.

Below more snaps and doodles! Belgium is the perfect place for a drawing holiday. Just look at the architecture!

 
    

After all that, I went back to Animortal Studios to do two more weeks of work experience on Chuck Steel! Few months after that I attempted and failed at doing Inktober, but hey, I tried, and that's all that matters.

My reaction to Keith Lemon being involved in the BTTF Tribute show. Ugh.

 

Back to something animation related, I spent a night re-doing my showreel. Ta da :}

Showreel! from Laura Jones on Vimeo.

Below are two WIP. Which I keep starting, then forgetting which sketchbook they're in. So hopefully you'll see them finished at some point in 2016! ^_^

Should probably put some animation on this animation blog!

My hoverboard animation is about 16 seconds altogether (no wonder it took so long to do!) but the kick-flip was my favourite bit! So here it is ^_^ 

I'll upload the rest when I've removed all the rigs and whatnot. 

kickflip from Laura Jones on Vimeo.

Below is a test I did to explore the best way to animate the cake layering up and decorating itself. (as if by magic!) 

caketest from Laura Jones on Vimeo.


Oh and I've also started to make a website! It still needs a bit of work but it'll do for the time being.
(I really need to buy a domain name.)

http://lauramarlingisgod.wix.com/lauraontoast

'Shark still looks fake.'

My first animation planned involves a hover-board, and being a huge Back to the Future fan I've never been so excited to make a prop before! Its without a doubt the coolest thing I'm ever going to make!

Here's the making process! ^_^

I dug two little holes out of the balsa wood so I could glue magnets for the armatures feet.

Then I glued the little extra bit of wood to give the board a better shape.

Then the rest was all needle-felted! I cut the purple felt slightly smaller than the board, and then started to needle-felt the pattern into it.

So the board will be able to look like its hovering with the magic of After Affects a rigging point was needed so I glued two bits of K&S to the bottom pattern and covered it with grey felt circles.

When both sides were finished I needle felted them to sheets of bright pink felt and cut around the pattern, leaving a boarder of pink felt. 

Then to finish I sewed both of the sheets of felt together around the wood. Here it is finished. :}

Oh, and heres how the rig attaches to the board! Pretty nifty right?