Comments on: Rocket Rabbit by JACK http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html Animation storyboarder, and part time comixer, James(JAMIE)Baker spouts off about this and that. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:27:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: James Baker http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21103 James Baker Mon, 03 Sep 2007 19:13:42 +0000 http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21103 Chris>> Welcome to the blog! Thanks so much for adding a comment. Even though, unlike you, I don't hate working in animation (quite the opposite in fact) I can very much relate to the frustrations you point out and how they can sap the desire to do creative stuff of your own... I battle that syndrome all the time. I am very happy to hear that you have picked up a brush as an outlet for your graphic creativity. Learning to paint has been on my "to do" list for about 20 years now... but it intimidates me. Chris>> Welcome to the blog! Thanks so much for adding a comment.

Even though, unlike you, I don’t hate working in animation (quite the opposite in fact) I can very much relate to the frustrations you point out and how they can sap the desire to do creative stuff of your own… I battle that syndrome all the time.

I am very happy to hear that you have picked up a brush as an outlet for your graphic creativity. Learning to paint has been on my “to do” list for about 20 years now… but it intimidates me.

]]> By: Chris http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21102 Chris Mon, 03 Sep 2007 18:12:18 +0000 http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21102 James, always a pleasure to read your latest entries; this insight into the creative process no less brilliant than usual. As you may know I was one of those who never stopped drawing into my adulthood. However, years spent in the animation salt mines eventually squelched my desire to hone those skills any further. Only recently, one boring afternoon did I pick up a brush and canvas and open up a set of paints my brother had left in storage. I have discovered a medium which gives me more immediate results and yet allows me all the time I wish; i.e. no idiotic, always too short, animation deadlines. Obviously the fact that I now have a so called "non-creative" job also affords me a steadier income and a greater appreciation of the spare time I have for personal creative pursuits. The irony of my aforementioned job is that as an electronics assembler I am now fulfilling a long frustrated desire to physically "make things"...hard to explain...maybe harder to understand; but there you have it. I think you'd get a kick out of this wonderful lecture on creativity by Sir Ken Robinson given as part of TED at Monterey: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/66 James, always a pleasure to read your latest entries; this insight into the creative process no less brilliant than usual. As you may know I was one of those who never stopped drawing into my adulthood. However, years spent in the animation salt mines eventually squelched my desire to hone those skills any further. Only recently, one boring afternoon did I pick up a brush and canvas and open up a set of paints my brother had left in storage. I have discovered a medium which gives me more immediate results and yet allows me all the time I wish; i.e. no idiotic, always too short, animation deadlines. Obviously the fact that I now have a so called “non-creative” job also affords me a steadier income and a greater appreciation of the spare time I have for personal creative pursuits. The irony of my aforementioned job is that as an electronics assembler I am now fulfilling a long frustrated desire to physically “make things”…hard to explain…maybe harder to understand; but there you have it. I think you’d get a kick out of this wonderful lecture on creativity by Sir Ken Robinson given as part of TED at Monterey:
http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/66

]]> By: James Baker http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21047 James Baker Tue, 28 Aug 2007 22:12:09 +0000 http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21047 Benton>>Thanks for sharing your childhood graphic enterprises; Superhero Porn no less! As I said before, I can't really remember NOT drawing but I think that the time when I started becoming really interested in making my drawings better was at around the age of 8, in the 3rd grade. I began cutting drawings that I liked out of magazines and glued them into a scrap book, and made a "portfolio" of my own drawings. Benton>>Thanks for sharing your childhood graphic enterprises; Superhero Porn no less!

As I said before, I can’t really remember NOT drawing but I think that the time when I started becoming really interested in making my drawings better was at around the age of 8, in the 3rd grade. I began cutting drawings that I liked out of magazines and glued them into a scrap book, and made a “portfolio” of my own drawings.

]]> By: bentonjew http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21044 bentonjew Tue, 28 Aug 2007 06:22:15 +0000 http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21044 I started drawing at around five years old. By the time I was in 1st or 2nd grade, I had gotten pretty good for a 6 or 7 year old. Classmates were offering me a quarter to draw the Legion of Superheroes fighting the Avengers or Superman having sex with Wonderwoman ( little kids can be so pervie...). When you're a little kid, it seems like it's important to be good at SOMETHING. Especially if you're not the best academically or good in sports. I know the attention I got from teachers and classmates was a big motivator. And of course theres always something magical about doing a good drawing. Even today I still get excited about watching someone really good make a picture. Anyhoo, great post Jamie! Perhaps your nephew will follow in his uncle's footsteps. I started drawing at around five years old. By the time I was in 1st or 2nd grade, I had gotten pretty good for a 6 or 7 year old. Classmates were offering me a quarter to draw the Legion of Superheroes fighting the Avengers or Superman having sex with Wonderwoman ( little kids can be so pervie…). When you’re a little kid, it seems like it’s important to be good at SOMETHING. Especially if you’re not the best academically or good in sports. I know the attention I got from teachers and classmates was a big motivator. And of course theres always something magical about doing a good drawing. Even today I still get excited about watching someone really good make a picture.

Anyhoo, great post Jamie! Perhaps your nephew will follow in his uncle’s footsteps.

]]> By: James Baker http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21043 James Baker Tue, 28 Aug 2007 06:05:36 +0000 http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21043 John>>I agree that there are those rare cases where someone seems to have an almost biological advantage, maybe something to do with the way their brain is wired, that makes the drawings simply FLOW from their hands... I have seen those people a few times in my career. It is especially startling when you encounter someone like that who is very young, because you then realise that it isn't ALWAYS simply a question of time and effort. That happened to me when I started working at the age of 17. I consoled myself with the idea my co-workers who drew so much better than me, did so because they were older and had been at it longer... and that I might draw as well as them myself, some day. Then, at around the age of 18, I met an artist who was my age who drew rings around everyone, young and old. Even so, I would bet that he had put in his share of hours, and that combined with his natural gift was a winning combo. Like with athletes, it is the time spent "in the gym" that counts with artists. Wherever you are on the "talent scale" you will maximise your gifts by doing the scribbling time... John>>I agree that there are those rare cases where someone seems to have an almost biological advantage, maybe something to do with the way their brain is wired, that makes the drawings simply FLOW from their hands… I have seen those people a few times in my career.

It is especially startling when you encounter someone like that who is very young, because you then realise that it isn’t ALWAYS simply a question of time and effort. That happened to me when I started working at the age of 17. I consoled myself with the idea my co-workers who drew so much better than me, did so because they were older and had been at it longer… and that I might draw as well as them myself, some day. Then, at around the age of 18, I met an artist who was my age who drew rings around everyone, young and old. Even so, I would bet that he had put in his share of hours, and that combined with his natural gift was a winning combo.

Like with athletes, it is the time spent “in the gym” that counts with artists. Wherever you are on the “talent scale” you will maximise your gifts by doing the scribbling time…

]]> By: John Hoffman http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21042 John Hoffman Tue, 28 Aug 2007 05:44:59 +0000 http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21042 Very well said. It's funny, I was thinking about exactly this just the other day. I have known a couple of people that just have an impressive (read annoying) natural ability at anything to do with drawing, but for everyone else, it seems to be 120% blood sweat and tears. The people who kept drawing when others simply lost interest, or were too frustrated to go on. Great post Jamie. Very well said. It’s funny, I was thinking about exactly this just the other day. I have known a couple of people that just have an impressive (read annoying) natural ability at anything to do with drawing, but for everyone else, it seems to be 120% blood sweat and tears. The people who kept drawing when others simply lost interest, or were too frustrated to go on.

Great post Jamie.

]]> By: tedm http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21028 tedm Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:13:41 +0000 http://www.james-baker.com/news/2007/08/rocket-by-jack.html#comment-21028 Great observations, Jamie! Great observations, Jamie!

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