I have always loved animated cartoons since I was young. I loved the early Disney movies and wanted to be able to make my drawings move and come alive.
AG:How long have you been working as an animator?
I have been working in animation since 1997. I started off as a layout assistant, inbetweener, clean-up artist, then animator and character designer.
AG:How much time does it takes you to finish a drawing of an animal? Is it hard for you to draw animals from their photos? (eg. your customers give you a photo of an animal for you to draw) please elaborate.
The time that it takes to draw an animal varies depending on the animal. Short-haired dogs, for instance take less time to draw than dogs with lots of fur. Dogs with clothing & toys take more time to draw. I world say that on average, a drawing can take me anytime from 1 hour to 1 week to complete depending also on my client's feedback and revisions needed.
AG:Tell us more about the process of drawing a dog/animal.
First, I look at all the photos to get acquainted with the dog's expressions and how he /she looks from different angles. I then decide on a good pose. I do a rough drawing in Flash (drawing/animation program); then create a cleaned-up drawing with color. This is exported to Photoshop, where I continue to work on it until it's done.
AG:Do you only draw drawings of dogs (like the drawings you did for Boogie?) Do you plan to draw any animal in the future?
I also draw cats, birds, fish... any animal!
AG: Do you love dogs? Is there any particular breed(s) you love?
Obviously I love boston terriers. I am biased because Boogie is a boston terrier...
I love all smoosh-faced breeds.
Do you have any targets for your drawings in the future (what you want to accomplish?)
I love variety and challenges so I am open to new projects! I'd love to produce a book, an animated series, and more Boogie artwork.
AG:How do you draw Boogie? (Do you draw him when he's right in front of you,or you draw Boogie from his photo)
I draw Boogie mostly from memory but I also sometimes look at photos or look at him. He is usually right next to me.
AG:What is the basic requirements of being an animator?
With reference to the kind of animation that I do - which is 2D (hand-drawn) animation, the most important requirement is that you must love to draw and you must be able to learn to draw in different styles, be versatile and extremely patient. Animation is a very time-consuming process because you are working frame to frame, and it takes a while before you see the final result on screen.
AG:How do you normally charge?
I charge based on what I am drawing and an estimate of how much time the work will take to do and how much detail is required. I have set prices for my dog portraits.
AG:What made you choose Boogie when you were at the adoption center? How did he inspired you then?
I found Boogie online at www.bostonbuddies.org - I fell in love with the photo and description of him and made an appointment with the rescue group to go and visit him. At the time his name was Willy. When I met Willy, he was so cute and sweet, I couldn't go home without him so I adopted him immediately. No regrets!
AG: When you were young,did you ever though of being an animator? Or you had another ambition?
When I was young I had so many ambitions! I wanted to be a vet; a zookeeper; an art teacher, a private investigator, an archaeologist, work in a foreign embassy... I wanted to be an animator too but I didn't take this seriously until my mid-2O's. At the time, animation schools and courses didn't exist. I worked as an unpaid intern for many months to get into the industry.
AG:Do you have any advice for AG readers looking into a career similar to your own?
The times have changed and I think there are so many more opportunities now than back in my day! If you love drawing, I would say, do it. Seek out professional animators to work with and be mentored by. I learned almost everything I know from working with amazing talented animators and directors.Work with people you admire with; work on different kinds of projects (other people's as well as your own); the more you do, the easier it gets.
AG:How did you become famous? Like the company you work for Noe,how did you end up working there?
?? What company is this?
I am self-employed.
AG:What do you think is the most important thing of a drawing? (eg.The colour,the object etc.) And why?
The most important thing for me is communication and expression. Does it have something to say? Is in interesting? How does it make me feel? A drawing may be technically brilliant and realistically accurate but it could also be boring at the same time because it has no personality, originality or expression. Or it could be very simple yet full of life.
AG:Did you had to learn how to draw animation? Or did it come naturally? '
I have been drawing since I was three years old. I had to work very hard to draw well :) Like everything, practice practice...
AG:How did you discover your talent of drawing? Tell us the whole story you became and animator.
See previous answers
AG:Which artwork/drawing of yours do you like the best? Why?
I can't answer this question :) I don't really have a favorite.
AG:How many artworks/drawings you made so far? Tell us more.
I can't answer this one either. I haven't been counting. I have been drawing almost all my life. In terms of Doggie Drawings, I think I may have drawn about 1000 dogs.
AG:Do you work for a certain company? If yes,what do you draw/illustrate/ animate? Tell us more.
I am self-employed and freelance. I have an animation company - FWAK! Animation - and we develop and produce animated shows. Doggie Drawings is not a company, but it's the name I give to my animal-drawing business.
AG:What do yo think is the hardest part an animal to draw? (eg.a dog's eyes.) Why? Tell us more.
The hardest things to draw are the things that I am not familiar with, that I haven't seen in real life or don't know very well. For instance, I don't spend much time with horses, so if I had to draw a horse, this would be harder for me than drawing a dog. :)
AG:What tools and equipment do you use when you draw?
I use Flash and Photoshop. I also have a Wacom Cintiq tablet which is a monitor that I draw directly on with a stylus.
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