Leonardo 'legs' armature test

Well this is why you test these things. Tim Hittle took on the task of putting the Leo legs through a trial run. During Leo's first step the ankle broke when all the weight of the armature was on it and it was off balance. Tim still persevered and made a cute little moment out of it.

animation by tim hittle

All and all though a favorable review from Tim on the armature. Once we can beef up the ankle joint it seems things will be good to go.  No matter I am excited to see this movement and am amazed at how good and meticulous Tim was even with this test. It is a lovely bit of animation.

Leo has legs!

armature by kamela portuges photos by jim capobianco (iPhone)

Hoping to have better pics tomorrow but here are the old fellows legs! The yogurt cup on top is just to give them a little weight.  So far so good. The armature feels great and moves very well. The knee joint is super small. The whole thing was handmade by Kamela Portuges. Leonardo would be proud!

The Sale is on! + Leonardo showing on Vimeo

Hey all, the sale is on. Great time to pick up the DVD or get other Leo swag for a reduced price. Be sure to apply code: DAVINCID at checkout.

and in honor of Leonardo's 560th Leonardo will be playing in its entirety on Vimeo. Be sure to leave a good word for the film!

GO to: ACW store

GO to: Leonardo Short on Vimeo

Da Vinci Day sale! 14th and 15th

In honor of Leonardo's 560th Birthday! This weekend all items at the ACW store will be 15% off + shipping and handling.  Promotion code: DAVINCID   

It is a great opportunity for anyone who hasn't picked up Leonardo: The Complete Codex to get the DVD set at a reduced price. Great for students and anyone interested in how 2D animated films come together. 

Leo Puppet construction notes - Leg Armature

armature and photos by Kamela Portuges

Looks like we are getting there. The knee looks small enough but Kamela at Images in Motion  has reports that it has been trickier then she thought to pull off. The other complication has been that other stop motion houses seem to be gobbling up the tiny parts, like mini washers, for their armatures. Any way Kam has persevered and made some amazing looking legs!   I can't wait to do a little animation with them. Love the feet!

Leo Puppet construction notes - size matters

photos taken by greg dykstra. sculpt by jerome ranft

First step in making a stop motion puppet - decide how big to make it. This is a huge decision since all the sets and everything will have to be to scale to this size. After some back and forth and consultation with Tim Hittle,  we are going with 8 3/8" which is consistent with what I have read about Aardman's puppets and Tim felt this size was "welcoming to an animator, approachable." This is encouraging since it is also the size of the sculpt Jerome Ranft made for 'Leonardo' . 

Next up Kamela Portuges at Images in Motion will create some test legs. Our big issue is the knee joint. Which is roughly as thin as Jack Skelington's from Nightmare Before Christmas.  Can we keep the current silhouette of the legs? Will we need to beef them up a bit to allow for the armature joint?