WHEN CHINASAURS RULED THE EARTH



Chinese paleontologist Xing Xu just unearthed a bird-like dinosaur nearly as large as a tyrannosaur. The new species has been named Gigantoraptor (how awesome is that?) and stands about sixteen feet tall (possible ancestor of Yao Ming?). Is this astounding find a missing link betwixt dinosaurs and birds or just a parrot with severe elephantitis? You be the judge!

More on Gigantoraptor at:
nature.com

Chades Challenge III: Telescopic Placebo




This week's assignment is sure to seperate the men from the amoebas. Any complaints can be forwarded to Adrian Molina and Emma Coats, the designators of this week's challenge words. Post your placebos next friday. Till then, sketch greatly!

Week two of Chades Challenge II: Elderly Mermaids

A mermaid found a swimming lad,
Picked him for her own,
Pressed her body to his body,
Laughed; and plunging down
Forgot in cruel happiness
That even lovers drown.
--William Butler Yeats (A Man Young and Old: III. The Mermaid)

Don't forget to check out all the other fishy vixens posted by the mighty Chades Challengers:
Ben Adams
Josh Billings
Lorelay Bove
Emma Coats
Steve MacLeod
Leo Matsuda
Adrian Molina
Laura Jane Murphy
Vi-Dieu Nguyen
Bobby Pontillas
Moro Rogers
Joe Ruiz
Sean Taylor
Rob Thompson
Lissa Treiman
Nate Wragg

Sir Ken Robinson's "The Value of Creativity"
This guy is a genius. I recommend you take the time to listen to the entire lecture, there are some pretty tremendous ideas in there. I just ordered his book, Epiphone. We'll see if his ideas seem as intelligent without the british accent.

Nothing gets the creative juices flowing in the morning like some good ol' dinosaur drawing!

And this is my 'Favela Girl'. Eric Favela is like the Freddy Moore of CalArts' '06 class. And if he knows you well enough, he can draw your dream girl even better than you'd be able to yourself. I had to wait about five years, but I finally got mine.

Here are a few videos I found of James Gurney, creator of Dinotopia and one of my childhood inspirations. My freshman year of CalArts, I sent James a letter telling him how much he inspired me and that, if he had any spare sketches lying around, I wouldn't mind taking them off his hands.
James was awesome enough to write me back and attach not only a visitor's pass to Dinotopia (I think I'll holiday there this Autumn, I hear it's nice there that time of year), but several original concept sketches, including the storyboard for the last page of the book. So here's the great man himself, and a few words of reptillian wisdom.

Story challenge with Vi: "The hunter becomes the hunted"
Here's my take on the subject. If you ask me, this reckoning has been a long time coming.