April 30, 2010

Fun Art Fridays: John Locke Lost


Here's another fun exercised I did for the Design-A-Character group over on Deviant Art. (I've been doing a lot of these challenges latley, huh? ;)

Anyway, the idea of this challenge was to focus on faces and try to design a character based off of a photo. So, I tried my hand a one of my favorite characters currently on TV… Lost’s John Locke. I know a lot of people complain that the series is too slow and complex, but I dig it. It’s all about the characters, and the more I know about them the more I like it. I'm definitely bummed that this is the last season… :(


Copyright © Joe Costantini


April 29, 2010

Animation: Birthday Surprise!


This week's SweetIM animation is titled "Birthday Surprise!" In it, we get our final visit from an old friend of past weeks. I don't want to ruin it for you, but if someone gave me this as a birthday present, I'd have to end our friendship. ;)



Copyright © SweetIM Technologies Ltd.


April 28, 2010

Future Incite Interviews 2A!


2A! sits down to talk animation with Future Incite!

Future Incite is a video and post production studio located in Freehold, NJ, and owned by the totally cool Sundiata Cowels. Aside from doing some pretty sweet production work, Sundiata also does some really great interviews with local artists, producers, and directors. Plus, he’s a super-nice guy who makes you feel completely comfortable during the interview process. Thanks again Sundiata! ;)

Joe and I agreed to do an interview with him back in February when he stopped by our booth at the Engage! Expo. The interview is now posted on his website and we’re very happy with how it turned out!

Check out his article and listen to the audio interview here!






Copyright © Two Animators! LLP


April 27, 2010

Character Design: Ostrich Jeweler


Here’s another Sifaka World character design!

This time I present the Ostrich Jeweler. She can be found selling gems at the "Meerkat Mines Jewelry Store" located on the African continent of Sifaka World. Not much else to say other than I think she’s a pretty good looking Ostrich. ;)

Hope you like her!


Copyright © Sifaka Productions, LLC


April 26, 2010

MMMs: "O" is for Ocelots

We like to draw.
We draw lots and lots.
What we like to draw
Are lots of Ocelots!

Haha! Sorry, I’ve been reading lots of Dr. Seuss books to my son lately. The man was a genius! Anyway… a big THANK YOU to our pal Kelly Crisci for today’s Monday Morning Motivators suggestion. ;)

Next week's theme is anything that starts with the letter "P," so anyone interested in making a suggestion can drop us a line here or on our Facebook page. Become a fan, suggest a theme, and if we dig it we’ll draw it.

For those that don’t know… MMMs is our weekly exercise where we pick a theme and spend the first hour of each week sketching. The sketches can be loose or tight, but the point is to work out the weekend stiffness and draw something new.

Now without further ado, we present... "O" is for Ocelots!







Copyright © Two Animators! LLP


April 23, 2010

Fun Art Fridays: Rococo Style

Here's another fun exercised I did for the Design-A-Character group over on Deviant Art. The idea of this challenge was to design a character based off of a specific theme – in this case the Rococo era style of clothing. So with that, I tried my hand at a few different characters.

The first image here is my personal favorite… and actually the last one I drew. It pokes fun at the difficulty ladies had getting into those crazy outfits. Sheesh… and I thought wearing a suit and tie made me uncomfortable. ;)



Next up are two different gentlemen. I was pretty happy with the first dude, but after talking to Sarah -- who’s totally into costume design -- she suggested I turn up the “bling” on the outfits. So I did some more research and got inspired to draw the second guy… and then of course the girls.




Anyway, hope you like them. Until next time… Keep drawing!


Copyright © Joe Costantini


April 22, 2010

Animation: Goodnight Guy!


Something I've noticed as I get older is that if I'm not sitting up while I'm watching TV or a movie, chances are high that I'm going to fall asleep. I don't know what it is about TVs, but they're somehow soothing and almost hypnotic. I always find it easier to fall asleep with one on, even just in the background. This SweetIM animation is based on that.



Copyright © SweetIM Technologies Ltd.


April 21, 2010

Character Designs: Auxilium Baseball Crowd

Last week we took at look at the two main characters from the Auxilium animated spots that 2A! worked on. This week we’ll take a look at some of the original characters we created for those spots.

The second animation needed a crowd to cheer the winning baseball team on, and we were excited to design them. Overall, the look of the characters is based on those fun UPA cartoons from the 1950's, so we did lots of research to make sure we captured that fun retro feel. The finals came out great I think! They feel fresh, yet classic and familiar. Get ready to “root, root, root!” for the Auxilium team!





Copyright © Auxilium


April 20, 2010

TikiMon Island's "Kali's Daredevil Jump" Game!


2A! takes a ride on the wild side with Kali's Daredevil Jump!

I've already posted about two of the games we worked on for TikiMon Island, Surf Daddy Tiki and Tiki Idol, so today's post highlights the final game in the trilogy, Kali's Daredevil Jump.

Armed with only a motorcycle made of bamboo and a complete disregard for safety, your job is to guide Kali as he takes a death-defying leap across a pier full of obstacles. Players use the arrow keys to control Kali's speed and distance as he jumps over statues, barrels, and even a shark tank. Be sure to hit the brakes before you go over the edge of the pier though, otherwise you’ll end up in traction!

2A! designed and created all of the front-end visuals for Kali's Daredevil Jump, as well as providing all of the Flash animation for the website, games, and web-premier cartoon!

Ride on over to www.tikimonisland.com to test your dare-deviling skills!





Copyright © Mezco Toyz, LLC


April 19, 2010

MMMs: "N" is for Nudibranchs

If you’re scratching your head asking, “What the heck are Nudibranchs?” then you’re not alone. This is another example of how our Monday Morning Motivators exercise has exposed me to something I didn’t even know existed. These colorful critters were suggested by Beth Ann Spiegel over on our Facebook page. Thanks again Beth Ann, and keep the cool suggestions coming! ;)

Next week's theme is anything that starts with the letter "O," so anyone interested in making a suggestion can drop us a line here or on our Facebook page. Become a fan, suggest a theme, and if we dig it we’ll draw it.

For those that don’t know… MMMs is our weekly exercise where we pick a theme and spend the first hour of each week sketching. The sketches can be loose or tight, but the point is to work out the weekend stiffness and draw something new.

Now without further ado, we present... "N" is for Nudibranchs!





P.S. Here's another link to some really great Nudibranch photos on National Geographic's website. Enjoy!


Copyright © Two Animators! LLP


April 16, 2010

Fun Art Fridays: Draenei Shamen


I bring another World of Warcraft fan art this week. This was drawn in celebration of my boyfriend's Draenei Shamen character hitting the level cap at 80. She was super fun to draw, mainly because of her hooved feet and goat-like legs, which sadly are hidden under her kilt. I love doing WoW fan art because it's interesting for me to translate the 3D game graphics into a 2D illustration. Enjoy!

Copyright © Sarah Gencarelli


April 15, 2010

Animation: Call Me!


Well, Spring has finally sprung! With all of this great weather, plenty of people are sure to be cruising around with the tops down on their sweet rides. For this week's SweetIM animation, a familiar face has decided to join in on the fun....



Copyright © SweetIM Technologies Ltd.


April 14, 2010

Auxilium: Flash Characters & Costumes

When 2A! worked on the Auxilium animated spots, the client asked us to match a specific style and provided sketches for the two main characters. This meant we had to build the characters in Flash, closely matching the provided sketches, and mimic the look for additional characters and clothing designs! This week I thought we’d take a look at the Flash artwork and clothing designs of the two main characters.




The first short had our hero and villain face off in their normal spy outfits, while the second and third shorts required us to create new costumes. We wanted the look of old-fashioned swimsuits and baseball uniforms to match the classic cartoon design, and it was super fun to research and design a look for each. I especially love the baseball uniforms, as they're iconic and old-fashioned.

Check in next week to see some of our original character designs for these fun animated shorts!


Copyright © Auxilium


April 13, 2010

TikiMon Island's "Tiki Idol" Game!


2A! grooves to the island beat with the Tiki Idol game!

Last week I posted about the Surf Daddy Tiki game we animated for TikiMon Island, so this week I thought I’d talk about the next game in the series called, Tiki Idol. It’s a Dance Dance Revolution-style game that also pokes fun at American Idol. Players use the arrow keys to help Afu prove his star quality by wowing the judges with funky dance moves. Impress them to achieve the mega-stardom you so rightfully deserve! However, if your timing is off, you'll have to face the judges’ snotty remarks!

2A! designed and created all of the front-end visuals for Tiki Idol, as well as providing all of the Flash animation for the website, games, and web-premier cartoon!

Dance your way over to www.tikimonisland.com to test out your moves!





Copyright © Mezco Toyz, LLC

April 12, 2010

MMMs: "M" is for Moles

I have a mole?” Ha, ha! One of the great lines from Robin Hood: Men in Tights. It gets me every time. Whew (wipes tears away)!

Alas, today’s Monday Morning Motivators aren’t the moles that grow on your face, but the ones that tunnel under the ground. This week’s theme was suggested by our good pal Ben Price. Ben always brings the widest range of suggestions each week. Thanks again, Ben!

Next week's theme is anything that starts with the letter "N," so anyone interested in making a suggestion can drop us a line here or on our Facebook page. Become a fan, suggest a theme, and if we dig it we’ll draw it.

For those that don’t know… MMMs is our weekly exercise where we pick a theme and spend the first hour of each week sketching. The sketches can be loose or tight, but the point is to work out the weekend stiffness and draw something new.

Now without further ado, we present... "M" is for Moles!






Copyright © Two Animators! LLP


April 09, 2010

Fun Art Fridays: GPK Snowman

I was recently invited to attend a card show in Baltimore. I decided to take it as an opportunity to revisit some of the first GPK concepts I ever submitted. Below you'll see the original card based on my GPK snowman concept, my new pencil version, and a colored version I had displayed at the show.






Card images again are supplied by geepeekay.com!


Original Card (top image) is Copyright © The Topps Company Inc.
Illustrations © Mark Pingitore



April 08, 2010

Animation: Yes Dog!


Ok, I have one more dog animation for you... for now. ;) Dogs are called "Man's Best Friend" for a reason. They can be some of the most obedient and agreeable animals on this planet. This animation goes along with that notion.



Copyright © SweetIM Technologies Ltd.


April 07, 2010

Background Design: Beauty Studio Game Play

Here’s another background 2A! created for the MyScene Beauty Studio game. First, we sketched a rough layout for the game screen, where your favorite MyScene girls sit to be made over. I felt a simple, straight forward background would create the perfect backdrop for the game play.



Final clean-up was easy for this background once the sketch was approved. We used the same colors that were already approved for the intro screen. I’m really happy with how the background turned out, and it really allows the girls to stay center of attention.



Head over to MyScene.com to play the game and see all our work in action!


Copyright © Mattel

April 06, 2010

TikiMon Island's "Surf Daddy Tiki" Game!


2A! rides some gnarly waves in the TikiMon Island Surf Daddy Tiki game!

In the game, players use the arrow keys to maneuver Monsoon through the waves without wiping out! If your really good you can grab the golden coconuts, perform tricks, and score points with nose rides, 360's, handstands, and goat shredders!

2A! designed and created all of the front-end visuals for Surf Daddy Tiki, as well as providing all of the Flash animation for the website, games, and web-premier cartoon!

Be sure to head over to www.tikimonisland.com to catch your own rad waves!





Copyright © Mezco Toyz, LLC


April 05, 2010

MMMs: "L" is for Lions

Today’s Monday Morning Motivators were inspired by one of my son's favorite animals… Lions! He and I love to watch The Lion King together and then run around the house roaring as loud as we can! ;)

Next week's theme is anything that starts with the letter "M," so anyone interested in making a suggestion can drop us a line here or on our Facebook page. Become a fan, suggest a theme, and if we dig it we’ll draw it.

For those that don’t know… MMMs is our weekly exercise where we pick a theme and spend the first hour of each week sketching. The sketches can be loose or tight, but the point is to work out the weekend stiffness and draw something new.

Now without further ado, we present... "L" is for Lions! ROAR!! :P






Copyright © Two Animators! LLP


April 02, 2010

Fun Art Fridays: Happy Easter!


Well, the Easter holiday is this weekend, so we thought it would be fun to break out another Johnny’s Secret Nipple! greeting. I originally drew this a few years back, but recently updated the joke and image. So it’s a little old and a little new. ;)

Anyway, we wish everyone a happy holiday weekend!

Watch Johnny on YouTube.
Fan Johnny on Facebook.
Visit Johnny's Website.


Copyright © Two Animators! LLP


April 01, 2010

The Greatest Character Design EVER!!!

After years of struggling to refine our style and design the perfect character, 2A! can now proudly say that we've finally done it! Put your hands together for...

THE GREATEST CHARACTER DESIGN EVER!!!



...wink ;P


Copyright © Two Animators! LLP