I am still here...ish

If you're interested (does anybody blog anymore?)... I'm keeping up and posting regularly on Instagram. I'll try to do big benchmark posts still here...
If you're still following me...I do appreciate it

https://www.instagram.com/dethancooper_art/

Cheers,
Dan

UPDATED- STAR TREK BEYOND: A few pieces of....fan art

With some extra time at work, I was so inspired by the new Star Trek film, Star Trek Beyond...that it got me to actually play and have some fun in photoshop...drawing and painting. More to come...

                    

More Zootopia VisDev and Production work...

I didn't do a lot of splash pieces, on Zootopia. But this is digging into some of what was done.

From a cancelled scene with Nick at the Hopps family house for dinner

From Hopps bedroom- also never seen in the film. Initial brilliant designs done by Andy Harkness

This was a sparring dummy that Hopps kept in her bedroom.

Color scheme from Hopps bedroom. Production Design by Dave Goetz/ 

with Art direction by 

Matthias Lechner

     Texture reference callouts from Zootopia Police headquarters.. Drawing and design by Matthias
                     Lechner. All our props and environments require this kind of preparation.

A simple but really cute newspaper bin from Little Rodentia. Matthias established a really cute look throughoutthat all departments, design/Look/ modeling worked very hard to preserve. I think we did!!

Trash bin from the city. Note wear and tear and specific examples of what kind of paint and distress.

I think Byron Howard designed the Zootopia logo here. I scratched it up.

                                Dr.Armadillo's walk-in clinic. Cut out of the movie...sadly

Playing around with style....a couple new things

Playing around with shape and stronger graphic design, limited palette, and texture mainly in the lights. Like a monkey with a gun, also trying some new photoshop brushes.

Meh.

Zootopia Color Keys/ paintovers.....etc

        Zootopia in so many ways is a groundbreaking movie, from its message in the way we view and judge each other through to its game changing animal animation raising the bar on what is possible. The Lighting team was fantastic, and in most cases  was able to take verbal direction and deliver amazing results.All the other departments also delivered way beyond what we could've hoped or wished for. I'm still happy as a pig in sh*t that I was involved.

I post this in the spirit of showing the thinking process that we had in directing the lighters. Though these are retouched or minorly painted by myself, in all cases

they are under the supervision of Dave Goetz, my friend and colleague (and boss) and Brian Leach- our director of Lighting and Cinematography. My apologies to anyone left out.

Early staging keys  pushing big values and shapes

Look of Picture Tests-painted over already beautiful lit sets but pushing separation of values and silhouettes and atmosphere. Little Rodentia by Diana Zeng, and Tundra Town by Amol Sathe. Minor photoshop painting by yours truly

Color Key for the Manchas goes wild seq. Painted over existing rough lighting

                               

                                                         Very early Jumbaux Pop key

Welcome to Zootopia. Early paintover for color atmosphere and staging. Painted over rough lit shot

by Gina Lawes

                                Painted over a shot by Greg Culp and lighting lead, Diana Zeng

                                      Zootopia police department- lighting lead Gina Lawes

Jumbaux Pop-Lighting lead Mark Siegel

 Homesick Hopps-Light lead: Alex Nijmeh. This was our initial key for how dismal her apartment lighting was after her bad day on the job. The Final lighting is far better than this-which is how you want it!!

                                              FruFru's wedding-lighting lead: Diana Zeng

Another very early paintover, for staging and color. Painted over some very well developed lit keys by one of our lighting leads, Gina Lawes. Mainly adding shadow color, atmosphere, vignette

Zootopia Official Sloth Trailer (2016) Jason Bateman Disney Animated Mov...

Zootopia Official US Trailer #2

Zootopia Official Teaser Trailer #1 (2016)

Our first trailer!!!
Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Jared Bush directing/story
Dave Goetz: Production Designer
Matthias Lechner: Art direction of environments
Cory Loftis: Character design
Brian Leach: Lighting
Renato Dos Anjos: Animation Lead

Many more wonderful people creating the magic…you'll have to wait and see!!

https://youtu.be/5nP9hU8eUfE

ZOOTOPIA at Annecy

Its been ages since I last posted anything on my blog…sorry about that. What you may ask have I been working on?
That would be Zootopia.

Here's a taste of what is coming….enjoy!!!

http://variety.com/2015/film/festivals/annecy-disney-gives-toon-fans-a-taste-of-zootopia-1201521458/

Big Hero 6

   Our next big movie. Very awesome!!

http://movies.disney.com/big-hero-6

James Martin

Every now and again I like to showcase friends that I think are just plain…excellent.
My long time friend and colleague, James Martin has been at both Dreanworks and Disney and is superb in both 3D look treatments and a terrific traditional artist as well. James just finished working on the block-buster movie, How to Train Your Dragon II

Check it out!!!

http://jamesmartinstudio.tumblr.com/

Disney Summer Internship Program 2014

Our deadline for Summer Internship 2014 nears 4/20/14.   Our internship is one of the best programs out there. Give it a shot!! 

Summer internship Deadline Looms 4/20/14

Wondercon 2014- Disney's Master Teachers: Life Drawing For Animation

 Disney has a long tradition (dating back to the 1930s) of running life drawing classes for its animators. The idea is that understanding and mastering actual anatomy improves animated drawings and gestures. Disney's current master teachers-Karl Gnass, Mark McDonnell, and Bob Kato-will talk about their creative philosophies, their approach to life drawing and gesture, how classical drawing translates to animation, and what animation studios look for in artists. Best of all, they'll alert you to the classes they run for civilians. Disney visual development artist Dan Cooper will weigh in on how these classes have improved his animation skills. Moderated by Fast Company's Susan Karlin.

Sunday April 20, 2014 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Room 300DE

  1: Programs, Animation, Art & Illustration

• Tags Animation, Art & Illustration

 http://www.comic-con.org/wca/2014/sunday

My Painting Class at CDA

This last Thursday marked the end of my teaching for the time being-I need to concentrate on my current project at Disney with everything I can!!! Concept Design Academy is such a great school, and I couldn't have done the class without my TA Dan Holland (a great artist), Kevin Chen and his wife, Estelle and their encouragement (and the occasional slap). Thanks to everyone that went on that journey with me, and I'll try to do it again in 2016.

Cheers and happy painting and vis deving!!!

More Vis Dev stuff

Playing around. Not really new, but within the last few years.

Meh.

Cat Gladiator

Snorkeling beasties

Toxic Waste

Still a few openings left in my Color And Lighting class!!!

My class at Concept Design Academy has a few openings left...for the first time out of the 3 times I've taught it. Join us...we'll have some fun!!!
As in the previous post where I talked about this class, this is about practical observation...as opposed to color charts and theory. By learning to observe colors in nature, we can bring this knowledge to our work, no matter what style we work in!!!
http://conceptdesignacad.storenvy.com/collections/233350-all-products

New Trailer for Disney's new animated feature, "Frozen!!!"

http://di.sn/fFe

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Concept Art (from Production Designer, Scott Chambliss)

I didn't work on this, no. But I'm posting just because I thought this movie was hella fun!!! Go see it!!!

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Concept Art Featuring The USS Vengeance Read more at http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/GraphicCity/news/?a=79904#O63dtoUTIXWxgG2f.99 

More at Scott's Blog:

http://www.scottchambliss.com/Scott_Chambliss___Production_Designer/Portfolio/Pages/Star_Trek_2_%282013%29.html#grid

Bill Schwab on designing characters for Wreck-it Ralph

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7F6ZnpdXrCU

Bill Schwab, character designer for Disney's Wreck-it Ralph, demonstrates how to use the Samsung GALAXY Note II's powerful expression tools to draw Ralph and other Wreck-it Ralph characters.

Fantasia 2000

Fantasia 2000 recruitment trip to the UK and Ireland c.1997
(L to R- Me, CG Supervisor Steve Goldberg, FX/Artistic Coordinator Dave Bossert, Supervising Director Hendel Butoy,  Executive Producer Roy Disney Jr.,  and Producer Don Ernst). Picture behind, is Roy's private jet which we flew on. Yeah....like that happens all the time (Yes, I'm teasing).

Steve Goldberg and I had the best time ever on this trip...and I'm so glad I didn't us killed....or fired....or pushed out of the plane..... or....

An odd project, with some great people that worked on it. And yes, Francis Glebas...it was an honor to work on the Pomp and Circumstance section with you, Mitchel Bernal, Kevin Nelson, Dean Gordon and the BG crew (decor) and under-appreciated supervising animator, Tim Allen.