Bryan Ballinger

If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted? (Email, Webpage)

bryan@breadwig.com, www.breadwig.com, www.bryanballinger.com

What type of tools or media do you use?

2d tools: black sharpies, post-it notes, Photoshop, Painter, Alias Sketch. 3d tools: Maya, Mudbox.

Where is the place you would like to work or be an Intern if you had a choice?

I currently teach digital art at a small college, and do freelance illustration on the side, and I enjoy both.
I would love an opportunity to work on something that uses my looser, more cartoony 2d style.
Most of the work I get is for my 3d characters. And I love that, but my 2d work is a closer link to my soul.
For instance, designing characters for a cartoon in my 2d style would be a blast.

Who do you think are the top character designers out there?

Pixar certainly has a lot of great character designers.
Other specific character artists I like a lot include: Michael Gagne, Jeremy Vanhoozer, Doug TenNapel, Phil Foglio, and Hiroshi Yoshi

What are some of your favorite character designs which you have seen?

The characters in Michael Gagne's Frenzied Fauna are fabulous.
http://www.gagneint.com/Final%20site/books/fauna/Fauna_fullbook_1.htm

These 3d characters by Hiroshi Yoshii are just so great:
http://web.mac.com/hiroshiyoshii/iWeb/Character/CharacterWorks.html

And recently there are two artists who's characters I find to be some of the most charming ever.
Paintmonster (Marty Mito): http://web.mac.com/hiroshiyoshii/iWeb/Character/CharacterWorks.html
And Muffin (Mette Johnsen): http://mettejo.blogspot.com/

What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why?

I thoroughly love drawing dogs. Probably because I love dogs in general, but also because dogs come in such a huge array of sizes,
proportions, etc. And they all have so much personality.

What inspired you to become an Artist?

My best friend starting in 4th grade, Heath Gordon. He was so talented and an amazing cartoonist even in grade school.
That and my love of comics, specifically B.C., Tumbleweeds, and all my old Mad Magazines.

What are some of your favorite website links that would be relevant to this Blog?

www.drawergeeks.com, http://www.drawingboard.org/index.php, http://www.drawn.ca ,
http://www.cgchar-animation.com/ http://www.flightcomics.com/forum/






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