In the Mind of Joanne Seto

Mother knows best

Joanne Seto — Tue, 14 May 2013 06:12:49 +0000

I made this card for my mom the other night after my vacation just in time for mothers day. I had tried a new fountain pen that I received from one of my good SpentPencil friends. It was definitely a fun drawing to do as I haven’t done anything more than a few lines with the pens before so i’m still pretty new at the whole process. I finished it up with some orange, red and blue water colour which i’m also getting familiar with as well. It’s always great to try new media as it opens up my eyes in the different textures, feeling, colour, etc.

I can’t write enough about how much my mother means to me. She has truly been such an inspirational figure in my life and is honestly the most ‘chill’ mother one can ever wish for. I’m so lucky to have someone like her in my life to teach me great lessons and being there for me when I don’t even realize I needed it. She has gone through so much in her life and really deserves the best. She’s someone I can truly proudly look up to and learn from.. I only wish for the best for her and hope her journeys will inspire others as well as I know it has.

SO, here’s to all the wonderful mothers out there that look out for their kids and believe in them no matter what they choose to do. Stay happy and keep fit mates

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Queue the music… QUEUE THE MUSIC!

Joanne Seto — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:47:38 +0000

How I feel when my earphones stop working on one side..

Sitting on the subway on my way to gym and all of a sudden I hear a crackling in the left side of my earphones which only means one thing..it’s happening. I adjust it and move it a little and eventually it just was on the point of static every 2 seconds. The thing is, I was only angry because I was already on the way to my training so it’s not that I could go back home and grab my other pair. Not to mention, it’s so hard to workout without your own music and having no choice but to listen to the same 10 songs they play on the radio.

Ah, this is what I get for not having the best quality earphones. But! Having said that I had some fun with my pen drawing this. So in a way I guess I turned this negative into a positive! I break my ear buds but i get this wicked drawing out of it. Walking dead influence is strong on this one.

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BMW Z4M – 3D wip model

Joanne Seto — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 19:20:59 +0000

I haven’t posted a lot of my 3D work in a very long while so it’s nice to be updating with something new for a change.

I started this a few months ago but never got around to working on it till now. This is about less than a week of a few hours a day or less of work.

I’ve also been screen capturing some work flow videos too but I didn’t think about capturing until most of the base was done. In other words, I don’t have too much on the videos. But I will record whatever is remaining for the model..which is quite a lot.

Still have some cleaning up to do, triangles, edge flow, mesh, etc.

Will be updating more on this model mid May, if not sooner since i’ll be on vacation for a few weeks. Sweet, sweet sunny California here I come!

Follow me on instagram to see more recent drawings and bits of my life @setoj!

Bill

Joanne Seto — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 02:09:17 +0000

Here’s a caricature of a stranger I did today. He was quite the distance away so I couldn’t see the fine details but I was quite happy with how it turned out! I don’t often do cartoon style in my drawings as it shows in my previous posts but, I felt this man had a good character to build off of. I decided to give him the drawing when I finished, I haven’t done this before so my hand was shaking from the thought of it (hence the blurry photo) But I knew it would hopefully make someone’s day happy.

I sat down beside him and said ‘Hi, I drew you. Can I take a photo?’ Haha but he was very at ease with it and seemed quite happy that he could keep the drawing so that’s good. My stop was coming up, so Bill and I had a quick friendly conversation.

Sometimes, seeing someone else’s smile will just make your day.

Follow me on instagram to see more recent drawings @setoj!

Home

Joanne Seto — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 01:48:01 +0000

I had mustered up this Venom drawing in time for Toronto’s Comicon. Ever since childhood, he’s been my favorite marvel character, so I couldn’t think of anybody better to draw than him.

Quite a lot has happened this path month. I joined an amazing group of artists called Spent Pencils (ill provide the link bellow to the facebook page). I had previously already met a few of the very talented members including of course, my boss, who was the one that offered me to join. It was a very warm and heart felt welcoming that I was so happy to be apart of. Everybody was extremely nice and welcoming. I love that everybody in the group is very passionate for art and well..just very down to earth with no cocky attitudes. Just bunch of people who have a passion for art.

It was my first time behind the table and it was an awesome experience! To see people looking at my drawings and buying prints of them was an amazing feeling. The venom prints sold out and a few of my designs were bought as well. At the time, I was happier to see people picking up the drawing and smiling at it more so than the money. It was a great first experience and i’m looking forward to FanExpo, which ill be prepared for this time!

https://www.facebook.com/SpentPencils

http://spentpencils.com

Follow me on instagram to see more recent drawings @setoj

Windy days

Joanne Seto — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 22:07:48 +0000

There’s always something so enchanting when watching a movie with a beautiful woman and having the camera focus on her. Her moment, her world, just her and the silent thoughts of endless moments in time. What’s more enchanting is the pleasing feeling of recreating that one moment in a drawing. To me, it’s the journey of the drawing rather than the final result of it that really captures my satisfaction and emotions. I only wish, that most of you will have that same experience and journey with what it is you are going through.

Ocean Road

Joanne Seto — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 19:56:12 +0000

As the subway ride home was coming to and end, I placed my sketch book in my bag. During this drawing I ran into many ‘I shouldn’t have made that line’ or ‘I could have done it better this way but now it’s too late’. But, sometimes we have no choice but to accept our mistakes and learn from them. As I sat there waiting for my stop I started to think about how drawing in pen is connected to how we approach life.

You have one tool, your pen. If you make a line you cannot go back but, instead move forward with it. Sometime’s we’ll over think the process and put too many lines without thinking. If we stop and we ponder upon our mistake and get frustrated we wont move forward. Sometimes we can fix them and sometimes we can’t.

I’m sitting on the bus. I open up the drawing and look at it one more time. I thought I was being too critical at the little mistakes, that I had forgotten to move back from it and look at it as a whole. Sometime it’s okay to make mistakes. However, we must remember that there’s no point in being frustrated with it. We must take it as a lesson and learn from it. That’s not to say that I wont ever make the same mistake but merely a self discipline in moving on and trying harder next time. There’s no room for dancing around childish emotions.

Fly me to the moon

Joanne Seto — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 09:40:02 +0000

Early December an old friend of mine messaged me up asking if I could do a sketch in pencil of a plane for her bf’s father. It was her Christmas gift idea for him, apparently the man loves them and even has a Cessna 172. So this drawing was based off various photos I found online. Her idea was to frame the sketch for him which I thought was an amazing idea as a gift.

I was hesitant at first, since at the time I was bombarded at the studio and the gym not to mention my travel time home. Not only that but, it was also a pencil drawing. Most of you who keep updated on my drawings might have noticed I haven’t posted a pencil drawing in forever and that’s because I simply haven’t picked it up since getting comfortable with pen. You could say I was doubtful on myself for perhaps being rusty. I just didn’t want the man to receive a horrible attempt at my plane drawing.

So, that night I decided i’ll try it out and see where it goes. I sat there with my pencil in hand and a 11×14 bristle board paper in front of me ready to go. I drew a few rough boxes and when the details started to come everything started to flow. The way the pencil tilts while I shade in dark areas, being able to erase my mistakes and the freedom of it all.

This is a photo she sent me a few days after Christmas of the man himself with his adorable dog and the framed sketch. She told me he loved it! Which of course couldn’t make me happier.

Overall, I can say that it took me a while to get into it, more in the beginning than the end of it. But in the short amount of time I had, I think I did a pretty decent job. Of course I can see flaws in the drawing, as all my drawings but, I don’t think one can be perfect. There is always another level you can reach or the goal. It’s not all about getting to your ‘end point’ but the experiences you had from the journey you took that really matters.

Two, please

Joanne Seto — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 04:44:26 +0000

Didn’t end up drawing anyone on the subway that day, but as I sat there staring into space an image came to my head and I thought to myself it wouldn’t hurt to pull out the good ol pen. It started out as a circle and a few boxes, but in the end I surprised myself at how precise the image in my head came alive to my paper. I guess the morning dread inspired me to give it more thought and feeling into it.

It takes two

Joanne Seto — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 03:21:43 +0000

Here’s another horrific drawing out of my head. I’ll imagine these images and sometimes test my skills in seeing if I can project my vision into a drawing. I haven’t had much luck recently with subway drawings, since I travel during rush hours. I find that whenever I have a chance to draw someone nowadays, I’ll let it pass because somebody will always be blocking my sight.

But I hold not grudge, as most of the time people are too self involved with their devices to notice that i’m drawing them. Perhaps, It’s because I’ve improved my ninja skills within the past year. I’ll tell you this though: the people that are interested in what i’m drawing or notice it right away are usually young kids who always seem to have a curiosity for it. Their innocence allows them to stare without anyone judging them. That gives me a positive aura that’ll inspire me.

It’s said that happiness comes from within and often can be unlocked through another’s smile. A subtle hint of a smile while you breath will make all the difference in the world.

High skies

Joanne Seto — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 04:51:12 +0000

I tried to stay away from fine details as I was riding the waves on this bus ride home. A young kid appeared in my vision and stared at my drawing. I find that whenever kids watch me draw; they don’t try to hide it. Instead they’ll hover over me with large beady eyes. As the kid approached my view, I started to draw a eyeball creature in hopes he liked it.

I’ve always found eyeball characters very innocent and harmless. There’s just something about the character it rubs off on me. It may as well be one of those things someone else might find disgusting and creepy, but at the end of the day we should give everyone a chance, creepy or not. I had a kick reminder today that we should not write other people’s future in our minds and assume things about them. We don’t know what this individual is going through or what their potential is unless we test it.

Shut it kid

Joanne Seto — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 03:25:55 +0000

Recently a lot of my drawings have been coming out more and more gruesome. I don’t blame myself; since drawing people on the subway can get boring and a tad frustrating. So instead, I’ll get these images that come into my head and soon after ill begin to debate whether or not to whip out my sketch book and sketch it. Sometime’s ill let the moment pass, but when I do decide to attempt the idea; I’ll surprise myself at how easy my pen flows. I think it’s because I let my mind take over and just let go of everything, not caring who see’s or what they think.

Just like in drawing, the things you do and choices you make shouldn’t be forced or it’ll become obvious and most of the time you wont be happy. It’s like what they say about career choices and jobs. If you do what you love doing, you’ll never have to work a day in your life.

Stranger days

Joanne Seto — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 02:22:56 +0000

Haven’t been drawing as much as I thought I would since I have 2 hour subway trips to work now..I guess I was too caught up with my novels. Now that those are over; i’m bringing my sketch book around with me more often.

I was having trouble getting back into staring at strangers and trying not to glare at them without being so obvious. It’s always a challenge when you want to examine their features and are unsure of how much time you have. The only parts I was able to draw of this man was a quick gesture of his facial shape and hat..the other details and shading are either made up with exaggeration or from memory.

The wire attached to the back of his head is to show his disconnection to reality. Perhaps it was the attitude he gave that rubbed off on me. Either way this drawing felt good because 90% of it was out of mind. Just needed that foundation and idea.

Fly Bird and Animation Reel

Joanne Seto — Wed, 31 Oct 2012 00:41:24 +0000

Have yet to render out my Fly Bird animation as i’m having problems with some stretching, it’s strange…but i’ll get it done! I’ll be adding more to this demo as i’m starting up a new lip sync animation and still want to continue with pushing FlyBird. Here’s what I have as of now,

or follow the link and you’ll be redirected to vimeo, enjoy!

ANIMATION REEL

Fly Bird – WIP

Joanne Seto — Sun, 28 Oct 2012 07:14:36 +0000

I did it again. I haven’t updated my animation in a while because I had the whole ‘ill upload it when I have this and that part done,’ mentality. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was drowned in it.

Friday was our final and last critique for our final projects, and everyone did really awesome! My animation is more or less done, well… it’s far ahead from the video I last posted. For now, I’m currently fixing what I can of my animation before I put together my reel! Here’s just a screen shot, a ‘behind the scenes’ if you will. I’m super excited to see how it’ll look when it’s rendered. Will be posting demo reel on Monday, so don’t drift too far, wish me luck!

Fly Bird – WIP

Joanne Seto — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 07:55:43 +0000

Been a long week, i’m sure we can all agree to that. Here is a part of my recent animation that I wanted to share. I’ve also been doing work in other parts but I didn’t want to show some parts done some parts half done, you know? If you have any suggestions on what I can add to spruce it up to a bit don’t hesitate to let me know!

Strings

Joanne Seto — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 04:55:19 +0000

Sometimes i’ll be sitting on the bus and ill take a quick look at the people around me, typically the one’s who aren’t looking back. I’ll begin to look at their features, if they have a unique essence to them. And by unique I don’t mean the way they dress but simply the way they look and how their features play out in my game of pen to paper.

I don’t have too much to say about these two strangers. I was going for a comical look for the man and over exaggerated his nose and ears, where as the woman I was trying to match her gentle essence.

It’s always a gamble with time when it comes to subway drawings but it makes it more challenging and meaningful I find. Kind of like how you shouldn’t always depend on time and make no action on reaching for your goals, time passes and you’ve become too old to even walk. Remember, accomplish your goals tomorrow, by starting today.

Clocks

Joanne Seto — Sun, 30 Sep 2012 19:15:16 +0000

It’s always a mystery of how much time you have to draw somebody before they reach their subway stop. Sometimes, i’ll start a great drawing and they’ll stand up and walk off. In this case, I started drawing this man and it went great. I took my time and really tried to get his proportions right until, I looked up and he walked on off. I looked down at my drawing, an outline of his hat and face. I shut my book and didn’t look back at it.

Later on my way home I was skimming through my sketch book and saw this one. I decided to finish it with what I remember him looking like. And it turned out okay, I think..Although he might look completely different from what I drew him as. But I guess that’s the whole process of art, looking at things differently.

Fly Bird – WIP

Joanne Seto — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 03:33:46 +0000

Alright, now we’re getting somewhere. Finally added the ending and the bird in the scene with some other mumbo jumbo. My blocking is pretty much done so i’ll probably start adding the breakdowns this week and then take some shots into spline, maybe take it all in at once..4 weeks left to make this look beautiful. I’m getting a lot more comfortable with uploading a video every week. Almost as if it’s become second nature, do one thing so much you’ll end up finishing the task without thought.

Ending Credits

Joanne Seto — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 17:26:43 +0000

It’s strange to be posting ending credits to our short film when it’s not exactly completed yet. Although, It’s close and looking awesome. If you don’t remember what i’m talking about don’t worry about it i’ll post our completed film later on. Just enjoy the pretty transforming flowers.

This was done in after effects cs5 using the Evolution plugin. I don’t use after effects too, too much, unless i’m rendering out my footage or adding small effects. It was my first time creating a camera and animating it which was strange because I kept pressing the Maya controls on my keyboard. After a while it became easier to use the settings and it’s honestly such a great program. It’s like anything, the more you practice and use it day by day it just becomes second nature and muscle memory.