This year is swiftly flying by (like a Storm Petrel over the ocean, maybe?) and i've just realised we're well into April - how did that happen? Still, the days are getting longer and warmer (marginally) so before long we should hopefully be basking in the glorious summer weather... from inside the studio. The last few weeks have been enlightening with my introduction to some of the fundamentals of character animation - mainly weight painting and lip-synching, which have really helped my understanding of both. It's been a long time since i've worked on characters (and the first time in 3D - I trained as a 2D animator in the deep recesses of the misty past) but I still get a kick out of seeing the results as they're played back - a precious few seconds of movement for hours of hard graft, trial and error, and face-pulling, and it's always worth it.

Apart from that, the green pencils have been hitting the paper again as more concepts for The Elder have been the main focus of my efforts. This week it's back to scenery and props, looking at tribal villages and Aztec carvings and statues. With University deadlines looming (my favourite time of year, oh yes) it's good to spend some time being creative in a more traditional manner - i'm making it my business to try and draw a little every day, following the advice of a friend of mine. I'm also hoping someone will tell me that playing marathon sessions of Left 4 Dead will really help improve my creative abilities too.

-Rich