Harriet-Lane Ngo

Leftovers from Christmas

2012-01-01T16:14:00.000-08:00

My holiday vacation was pretty exclusive to my family this year, but I enjoyed every minute of it! This is a long overdue illustration of my dad and his dream cat. My mother has a strict "no pets" attitude (it must be an Asian thing!).

This illustration is for my friend Lauren Duda. My friends and I decided to do a Secret Santa art gift exchange for 2011. I don't know how many other ladies would have enough gall shave their heads for a cancer fundraiser. You rock, Lauren! This illustration involves a "fruit war" theme that our friends had concocted, and Lauren loves strawberries. Thus, the strawberry grenade was made.

I look forward to the new year of 2012. There are going to be plenty of changes and challenges, since I will be graduating from SCAD. I'm staying optimistic and praying for the best!

Harriet-Lane Ngo

Pour Jake (more puns!)

2011-12-20T17:52:00.000-08:00

Jake and I are the classiest, silliest little couple of peas. He's the culprit responsible for teaching me guitar, my new obsession! I'm ALMOST past the stage of buzzing and muting strings. In the meantime, everyone around me suffers. HA!

The Ngo Family Christmas Card

2011-12-11T12:14:00.000-08:00


For the winter holidays, my family celebrates Christmas, and my mom asked me to do a family greeting card. I don't find this the most enthralling line of work, but who can say no to his or her mom??? If I had things my way, this card would have been quirky and insane, with all of our personal characteristics and imperfections. That's what we remember and appreciate the most about each other. Maybe next year. For the meantime, Happy Holidays. :)

Sculpture

2011-11-29T20:49:00.000-08:00

OLIVE

Hey everyone, here's a sculpture my character that I should have done a long time ago. :) It's still in the rough stages, so feedback would be great, especially on how to get her smoother.
I have always enjoyed the process of sculpting, but I always had those insecurities of working with such a foreign medium. Throughout the Governor's Honors Program, I would love working in 3D because it was so therapeutic, but my work was awful... But the world kept on spinning, and I got over it.
Right now, I'm happy with the direction my artwork is going because I'm not trying to impress anyone anymore, and I'm being much more honest with myself--with what I wouldn't like to do for the rest of my life or what I would like to do.

Mijoté and Desiré

2011-11-28T11:23:00.000-08:00

This quarter was definitely one of the toughest. Despite the lack of updates, I got a lot of work done and met lots of lovely people. This is the first visdev piece I did for Jake Mittleman's film Mijoté. More to come, Jake! I really love working on this film. It's cute, French, cooking, and funky puns. It'll also help me simplify, since the style leans more towards a child's perspective:)


Anthropology--I learned tons and sketched tons. This is Desire, and we speak French together simply because we can. "Anthropologists are the best of the best!" he says, and I thought he was a great teacher and person. Below him is a little guest sketch from Miss Lauren Duda. <3

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving went well!

Cheers!
Miss Ngo

Roussillion!

2011-10-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

I'm trying out daily paintings.This is the second attempt of an alleyway in Roussillion, my favorite village in Provence.

Senior Film Updates

2011-08-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

I've dedicated most of my time this summer to my senior film "Olive" and post most of the trials and errors on my production blog: www.missngomer-productions.blogspot.com.

I did an animation test of Olive.

Olive Rough Animation Test from Lane Ngo on Vimeo.

And some style frames and drawings.

There are three weeks left before school starts. :(

A Work in Progress

2011-07-12T20:45:00.000-07:00

I never posted my Motion Media project called Braille Dreams, because I repainted a lot of it after the first cut. It was pretty much a big multiplaning assignment for me, but I intend to animate bubbles and the eyes. I hope you guys like the potential of the first cut. It's come a long way since then.

Figures

2011-07-07T18:11:00.000-07:00

My senior thesis: "Olive" has been keeping me pretty busy, but I managed to do a whole day of sketching fun characters, and this one wasn't too shabby.

Firenze

2011-06-16T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm back in the States and have already been thrown into volunteer work at Box City, my favorite summer kid's camp. These children are so hilarious that I've never laughed so hard in my life at some of the ridiculous things they do and say. Although I'm a bit jetlagged and haven't really had a moment of rest, I'm very glad to be home.

BUT...I have to share some sketches from Florence (Firenze). For those of you who weren't aware, I went to Florence solo. My friends and I parted ways on the last day of school and went on to experience many lovely adventures in a week before we met up again in Annecy, France. At first I was a bit apprehensive, but I took a bold step and had the best traveling experience of my life. Firenze is a beautiful city filled with art and culture, but the people I met there made it even more special. I was housed in a monastery with Filipino nuns who treated me like a sister, chatted at every breakfast with an elderly French couple, witnessed lively nuns dance traditional Filipino style, spent the day with a fellow American who took me to see the best view of Florence, and was treated by the nuns for the best gelato in my life. By the end of it, I got to exchange good bye kisses on the cheeks and felt like an honorary European. Woo!

Day 2: Piazza della Signoria

At the Uffizzi Gallery: Laocoon without the Sons because I was too hungry to sketch them in.

My new friend Nisha took me to the most amazing view of the city, where her campsite was stationed.

Suore Regina (Sister Regina) whose kindness and hospitality I was always remember. Grazie.

I hope you enjoyed my favorite sketches. The others need some color before I share them. I certainly enjoyed getting all the time I wanted and going anywhere I wanted since no one else had to wait on me to finish sketching. Traveling solo had its ups and downs, but everything worked out in the end.

Buonanotte. Good night.

Vernissage and Bon Voyage

2011-05-29T02:51:00.000-07:00

This is my last day in Lacoste, and then I'm off to Italy for a week.
This weekend, we had our Vernissage. "Vernissage" means "to varnish" in French, which is what the artist does to finish off his or her painting, and now it's developed into an alternate term for exposition.
I received more positive responses about my work than I could have ever imagined, and I'm glad my hard work paid off. I have a lot to learn, but I am happy with the direction my work is taking. I even sold one of my paintings of Shakespeare and Company to the local bartender, so if you ever stop by Lacoste, you can go to Cafe de Sade and see my painting on display. The other piece is a visual development piece for my senior film "Olive."

Shakespeare and Company


Olive Visdev (Not for Sale)

Lacoste Life Drawing

2011-05-16T14:51:00.000-07:00

We've had this woman for three life drawing sessions, and she was great. I discovered the lovely Caran d'Ache as my medium of choice for life drawing. I've felt like my drawing skills haven't been the best this quarter, but life drawing is always good therapy for a bad drawing funk, especially since it's always optional. The fact that it's not for a grade or for anyone else to judge makes it feel so much easier to draw.

Lacoste is almost over. We have two weeks left, and I don't want to leave.

The Vernissage is the last weekend of May, and I'll be happy to post some pictures of it for everyone.

I was chosen by the French teacher to do the Radio announcement (in French!) for the Vernissage with my lovely friend Taslim. I think it'll be online, so you can hear my lovely American accent. ;)

Happy Monday, and I hope everyone's week goes exceptionally well.

The Girl and the Fox

2011-05-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

So remember how I was animating on a student graduate film called The Girl and the Fox? Apparently, The Girl and the Fox won second place at the Student Emmy Awards and is a nominee for the Student Academy Awards! Great job to the director, Tyler J. Kupferer and his lovely crew members. Cassandra Poulson is responsible for this lovely poster painting.

SCAD is just as excited about it. Notice anything familiar? That's my shot that I had in my first demo reel! :) Animating for this film was a great learning experience. I still can't look at my earlier animations without thinking about wanting to do something different about them, but I guess that's natural.
Congratulations again, TGTF Crew!

Sketchbook Time

2011-05-10T07:36:00.000-07:00

Bonjour, tout le monde! Here are some sketches from the past couple of weeks.

Maison Forte and an out of tune piano.

I listened to the Verspers sing at the Abbey of Senanque on Easter weekend.

Temple of Diana and some mistranslated humor.

The view from the Pont du Gard.

The Pont du Gard.

Honey Candy, Chickens, and Hazelnut tree.

Lacostian graveyard.

Life painting (15 minutes).

Oppede castle ruins. Home to a very awful Baron responsible for the lives of many innocent Protestants.

Winged Victory of Samothrace

2011-04-13T16:13:00.000-07:00

The Winged Nike! I finally saw her and she's gorgeous. In comparison to all of the highly polished sculptures and finely detailed paintings, nothing in the Louvre was as striking as the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Raft of Medusa came really close, but there's just something so perfect about the Winged Nike, in all of her unfinished expression. I really wanted to capture the different subtle colors radiating off her stone surface. For the parents and friends back home, take a second look at the whites, beiges, and blacks around you every day and see the hidden colors in them. You'll be pleasantly surprised at how much you are missing.

Love,
Lane Ngo

Notre Dame Cathedral

2011-04-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

A sketch of Notre Dame. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by. :)

Joyeux Anniversaire

2011-04-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I spent my most of my birthday in classes, but that didn't stop me from having a lovely birthday. I am in a class called Travel Portfolio, which goes on many expeditions around Provence to experiment with media and hone observational drawing skills. We visited Roussillion, a city made of ochre, surrounded by cliffs of rich, vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. The locals sell purified pigment in their shops, as well, in ALL of the colors of the spectrum. Bridget bought me a set of pigments called Colours of Provence, which we christened "Rainbow in the Earth!" because the colors were so vibrant. The great part about them is that you can mix them with specific binders to achieve oil paint, watercolor, acrylic, and even tempura. It was the loveliest birthday, ever.

We went biked 12 kilometers today with Lauren and Taslim and hiked the cliff trails. It was sooo windy today that the sand kept getting in our eyes and we could see dust clouds everywhere. When we stopped to sketch this formation, the wind picked up and almost blew all of our papers and supplies away. My paintbrush fell down the cliff edge and Lauren climbed down to fetch it for me. She's an Amazoness.

We struggled to get these sketches, but I'm very pleased with the results we all had (I might go back and tweak the colors a bit). Biking back to Lacoste was also challenging because we had to fight through the mistral winds of Provence. Our bikes were literally tilting 45 degrees trying to stay on the right side of the road. This terrain really toughens you up. I'm exhausted. Good night. :)

Sketch post

2011-04-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

I've been hoarding my sketches from everyone, but I'm happy with this one. It's a watercolor study of this gorgeous view of the valley as a large misty cloud covered half of it. It's funny. I've always joked around about how the French have this secret to being amazing at everything artistic and creative. Now that I'm here, absorbing everything around me in Lacoste and especially Paris, I'm not surprised at why their work is so phenomenal and powerful...everything around them is so amazing...whether it's the light from the country or the sculptures on the street squares and all the amazing artists around them. It's a an artists' community of synergy. :) This study abroad is the most inspirational, yet humbling experience I've ever been a part of. We've got a lot of catching up to do, America.

Lacoste #2

2011-04-02T04:40:00.000-07:00

The mist covered the whole valley this morning.

The cats here are so well fed and spoiled.

Some building in Lacoste...unsure if it's a SCAD building or not. XD

Escargots! Bah!

The mulberry tree outside Olivier (my residence hall).

Bienvenue!

2011-03-27T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am currently living in a medieval village on a hill called Lacoste, overlooking the beautiful Luberon Valley, which is filled with vineyards and orchards of the French countryside.

Since day one, I haven't had a moment of rest. Daily and nightly explorations have led to many delightful adventures. This is the most beautiful and refreshing place I have ever experienced.

This morning, I woke up with Lauren to photograph the sunrise. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy to see the sun, but I didn't care. I'm just happy to be in Provence. I think it's just what I needed to revitalize my senses of color, light, and design.

A few minutes can mean the biggest difference when capturing the light of Provence.

This is the same view, with a completely different mood. I've been studying the light so much in my watercolor sketching, as well. I'll have to post those soon, too.

The rooftop view of Rue du Four.

Details of the mulberry trees outside our residence hall.

Walking along Rue du Four.

Hello, Lauren and Bridget! These two are my constant companions in France...and Montgomery Hall.

On our way to scout for a comfy spot to eat our food, we found a miniature version of Lacoste built into a wall!

This is a view from the terrace where we had our mini-breakfast picnic. Classic to the stone buildings are their blue shutters, which we also found in Apt and Bonnieux.

I've gotten a little rusty with my camera, but I'm getting used to the controls again. It's definitely helping with planning out compositions and is great color reference for when I'm field sketching and suddenly have to leave when I'm only halfway done. I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't bring a tripod with me for time lapses. Oh well. More sketching and painting awaits.

I hope everyone is doing well. I miss you guys and wish you could experience this with me!

Au revoir,
Harriet-Lane

Senior Film

2011-03-21T16:29:00.001-07:00

Hey guys, I just made a senior film production blog. Feel free to check it out! It's called Missngomer Productions. :]
www.missngomer-productions.blogspot.com

-Lane

*edit* My Portfolio page is up too, so don't forget to check that out and feel free to leave me any suggestions!

Winter 2011 Demo Reel

2011-03-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

After hours of failed exports, I managed to whip up this brand new demo reel. It contains work I've been for the past year and a half. The newer animations are from a graduate film called Rain Dance, by Nate Swinehart. Being a part of the Rain Dance Crew was such a treat. I loved working with every single one of those people.

Winter 2011 Demo Reel from Lane Ngo on Vimeo.

Stay tuned. In one week, I'll be blogging from Provence, France. I'm going to be out of the country, studying abroad for two months and will be backpacking for a week until the Annecy Film Festival. I'm so anxious about my trip! You'll be seeing lots of pictures, sketches, and illustrations coming soon.

-Lane

Character Designs

2011-03-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

Developing concept for my senior film is pretty challenging, but I'm learning tons and am having a blast with it. This is Olive, my main character. She's still a work in progress, but I figured that I figured I could post her for some feedback.

Sylvia's Fig Tree

2010-12-01T16:57:00.000-08:00

This illustration is based off a metaphor by Sylvia Plath. In The Bell Jar, she relates her life choices to ripe, yummy figs on a tree. Because of her indecision to choose one, all the figs fall to ground, rotten. It's a beautiful book and a must read.

Life update!

2010-11-24T17:18:00.000-08:00

Hello, again! As promised, it's time to recount my weekend at CTN-Expo, set up in Burbank, California.

First of all, seeing all of my old friends who graduated was probably my favorite part of the trip. I love and miss each and every one of you, and without your support, kindness, and incredible talent, I would not be that little ball of cheer and sunshine that kept hugging you all weekend! The Monty Family represented SCAD so well this year at CTN, and I can't wait to see you all there next year.

I was also surprised at how approachable and down to earth all people in the animation industry were. Meeting the geniuses behind Headless Studios, Kent Melton, and several other talented artists and witnessing how human they were was very encouraging. So many of them were willing to share information and advice about getting into the industry, and I'm so thankful to all of them.

The lectures were incredible. The end.

And to end with a high note, we got to see Tangled in 3D for free at Walt Disney Studios. It was unbelievable. Go see the movie, it's so entertaining and absolutely stunning! The animation was beautiful and compelled me to want to dabble in 3D again.

While I was at CTN, I found out that I was officially accepted into the Lacoste study abroad program in France! Eight weeks of Provence, and two weeks of backpacking through Provence to get to Annecy, France, just in time for the biggest animation festival of the year!

Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I know I'm extremely thankful for everything that's been happening in my life.

Cheers!
-Harriet "Lane"

Final Layout

2010-11-24T11:28:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I just got back from Burbank, California and just realized that I forgot to post my final blue pencil render layout for one of my classes. My hands were covered in blue powder, and I sneezed blue a couple of times. It was worth it though.

I can't wait to blog about California...it was one of the best weekends of my life and a great way to kick off the winter break.

Until next time,

Harriet "Lane"

2D Production

2010-11-17T17:28:00.000-08:00

Rice Terrace Chase Intro from Lane Ngo on Vimeo.

Another quarter is over, and I'm off to California tomorrow for CTN-Expo! I can't believe how lightning speed this term was, with time crunching deadlines and surprise visits from amazing animation companies. I definitely learned a lot and grew as an aspiring artist over the past ten weeks, especially with 2D Production and 2D Character Design and Layout. But guess what? I found that I really enjoy the visual development and storyboarding aspect of production, perhaps even more than I like animating. I'm glad that I have two more years of school to really explore and figure it out.

My plans for the break include a trip to LA/Burbank, Athens GA, and New York City! If I'm not traveling these next six weeks, I'll be at home doing animation tests for friends, working on a storyboard for my film, and making lots of Christmas presents. :)

Until next time! Ciao!

P.S. I'm available for freelance work now, so if you're interested, check out my "contact" page above.

Life drawings from Speed Sketching, Open Model Sessions, and Aquarium

2010-10-26T07:07:00.001-07:00

Character Designs

2010-10-04T21:39:00.000-07:00

These are my cleaned up characters for Character Design and Layout with Troy Gustafson. I'm really looking forward to sculpting a maquette of Avi. I've never been so connected to a character I've designed before. That must be a good sign, right? Everyone says they remind them of Zane's and Lyle's characters...oops! I think it's a compliment.

Rice Terraces

2010-09-21T18:41:00.000-07:00

A very hasty Visual Development for 2D Production.

Demo Reel

2010-09-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

Lane Ngo Demo Reel from Lane Ngo on Vimeo.

Hello everyone, I have just a few updates.

I just finished week one of SCAD. My junior year is going to be amazing. I'm surrounded by so many talented and charismatic people, and I can't wait to collaborate with them this year. I'm taking Character Design and Layout, 2D Production, and Mass Communications.

I still intend to do a junior film. I realized that I needed to take 2D Production first though, to get a good grip on workflow. At the end of the quarter, you'll see a 15 second teaser clip from my film.

Jeremy Moorshead also asked me and a few other students to put our demo reels together for Von Williams, a guest speaker from Sony Imageworks. His feedback was really helpful and encouraging! Most of you have probably seen all of this animation already, but I enjoyed seeing my growth in just one year of animating. Sophomore year was definitely brutal. Thank you for watching and for all the support.

Natalie Page

2010-09-01T15:46:00.000-07:00

Dear Dr. and Mrs. Page,

Since you mentioned how much you enjoyed my cartoon of Addi, I felt compelled to draw an illustration of Natalie just to see how different I could make them. They are completely different girls, but both very blessed to be part of new families. Natalie is a tiny bundle of energy and joy....she wore me out! I hope she likes it. I am also sending you a print of this via my mother.

-Harriet Lane Ngo

And SCAD friends, I feel like I should be part of the Nanny Diaries. I've taken care of so many little Asian girls this summer, I'm all tired out and ready to draw some white people. Tonight, I am packing my bags for Savannah. So long, Columbus!*wink*

Visual Diary

2010-08-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

My best friend Kimberly looks exactly like her sister Sarah. I thought it would be neat to sketch her, especially since she showered me with compliments for making a cartoon of an old man in a ticket booth. We volunteered together at Box City, and she made an epic theatre, but a scoundrel swept it up and took it home with him (whoever you are, I hope you know I'm giving you the "stink eye" right now).
Sarah was a big hit with the kids... :)

Thank you so much for letting me know about this volunteering opportunity. I loved every minute of it. These experiences are what count, and I hope that I've shown God's love for these children. I don't think recording it into any resume could really help me remember these kids as vividly as these illustrations. I never had a goal for this blog, but from now on I'd like to document my life in sketches, illustrations, and photographs...treat it like a visual diary for anyone who's interested in my story.

(edit) i think it looks better without the background. for some reason, the violets looked a lot better in photoshop than on the web. go figure. :/)

The Most Adorable Girl Ever

2010-07-27T16:11:00.000-07:00

Meet Addi. She was one of the many kids I volunteered with at a kid's camp called Box City, where they learned about architecture and city planning. In the end they made a city out of recycled cardboard boxes, paint, felt, and a mess of hot glue. Even though I didn't get paid for my labor, I'm glad I got to spend time with these kids. They were so smart, cute, and funny...it was surprising hearing some of the clever things they said, especially from Addi. She made a school for children who want to become astronauts, like her. She called it "Astrothought." We also made an abstract sculpture of the planets for her playground, and she took things to the next level by making an "martian mascot" and little kids who had all different types of hair and skin. There was even a pipe cleaner kid in a wheelchair. :)

I'm off to Myrtle Beach for the rest of the week. I think Savannah's on the way. Ciao!

Frankie Deux

2010-07-17T14:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Zane,

I hope you're doing well! Let me know if I need to make any changes to this drawing before I start coloring it. And I also need to know the dimensions for the cover.

-Lane

P.S. Knock 'em dead at Comic Con!

Vignette Gazette #2

2010-07-10T20:58:00.000-07:00

This is my warrior character design for the sketch blog Vignette Gazette. This blog was supposed to be more hardcore, but summer has turned a lot of us into slackers...and I'm very guilty of this too. But! I'm slowly disciplining myself.

Anyway, this guy's an Aztec Eagle Warrior.

Have a good weekend, guys. Much love. :)

-Lane

The look of the woods

2010-07-05T20:50:00.000-07:00

Here's the first conceptual art piece for my junior film about the Yao girl. I think I might name her Lucy, since about about a quarter of the script is inspired by my aunt's butterfly story. I know...the gravestone doesn't have any writing yet, but I'll add that later once I think of something good. It's been very tough working through character designs of the girl, but I'll have to post them sooner or later, so check back soon. :)

Frankie

2010-07-03T21:33:00.000-07:00

These are little sketches of an adorable boy named Frankie from the film This Side Up, co-directed by Zane Yarbrough and Scott Vanarsdale (who's website I can't find). I was just trying to get used to drawing him, since the characters in this film are pretty hard-core. ;) I like the idea of Frankie being in a cardboard box and pretending like he's flying, since he loves airplanes. Maybe he could be sliding down a grassy hill, since his house's lawn is crazy cool and nightmare to mow.

I've also been working on a script and some character design for my next big endeavor.
Oh, and I just became engrossed in a novel by John Steinbeck called East of Eden. If you had any bad experiences with Grapes of Wrath, trust me, this one's way more fun to read.

Guess what else? A wild peacock and deer visited my backyard yesterday. It was perfect for reference pictures. :) I haven't had the fondest feelings towards Columbus lately, and last night, I really enjoyed being a part of the South and getting those majestic visitors.

Good night, everyone!

Yao girl

2010-06-19T10:39:00.001-07:00

It's just a start, but I figured I would post what I have so far. The girls cover their hair have a big bun at the back of the head. When they're married and have children, they place the bun in the front of the head. I'll draw that stage next. It looks really interesting. I think I want my main character to be younger, though.

Inspiration! The Red Yao ethnic group of China

2010-06-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

I think I want to do a short film about the Yao people from China. They are a small ethnic group only found in the Guilin mountain region and rice terraces, which is in the southern part of China. The Yao women are fascinating, and even though I thought I was going to pass out from the winding road up the mountains, my ears perked up every time the tour guide Ginger spoke about them. They have hair as long as five feet, and they only cut their hair once in their lifetime, and that's when they're 16. This symbolizes that they are ready for marriage and are looking for lovers.

I also enjoyed listening to the origin of Chinese Valentine's Day. It is so beautiful. I might combine that story with the Red Yao culture and see what I get!

Here is a reference video. When I stayed in Guilin, I went to a water and light night show, and it was directed by Zhang Yimou, the famous Chinese filmmaker who also directed the Beijing Olympics opening and closing ceremony. It's just a little segment of the Red Yao girls.

Feedback, guys. Let me know if this topic appeals to you and if you want to know more.

doodly poop for Mr. Doering

2010-06-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of my doodles, Matt. I'll get some more up soon! The people on my tour were hilarious and I need to design some caricatures that will do them justice.

I've found that I love working in watercolor, marker, and pen and ink.

Because I'm jetlagged.

2010-06-13T05:00:00.001-07:00

I loved China. This was my family's (and Erin's) first time in China, and we couldn't contain all of our laughter, joy, and bowl-movements. From the adorable children with open butthole pants to the old shrunken monks, it was neat seeing so many different aspects of Chinese culture, especially since my parents always tend to glorify our culture. We saw the good, the bad, and the ugly. It was definitely culture shock when we were surrounded my crowds of people who looked similar to us but acted so completely different. I wonder if they thought the same thing when they spotted us, since they still kept talking to us in Chinese, but I had no idea what they were saying. It was kind of embarrassing not knowing my own origin's language, but what can I say? I was never raised speaking Mandarin, so "Wo bu dong?" Nonetheless, it was a great experience, and I'm glad I went with my family and Erin my roommate.

These were some of the highlights.

Performing his daily exercises in The Temple of Heaven, this man was one of the several senior citizens that put the Americans to shame. They were so in shape and agile! The Temple of Heaven is pretty much a giant playground for elderly Chinese people to hang out.

At the Temple of Heaven again, a woman is performing tai chi.

We rode in these ricksaws through a more rural part of Beijing. They took us to a local woman's house where she cooked lunch for us.

The little girls were so cute. In China, having siblings means that your family has to pay the government. It's very unfair, but seeing the traffic and overpopulation in Beijing made the One Child Policy a little more clear. I still don't like it, but China is just looking out their future.

Everywhere, people were trying to sell us souvenirs, especially in the rural parts. The rice terraces contained the Zhuang and Yao people.

The director of the opening and closing ceremony of the Beijing Olympics also directed this light and water show in Guilin, a mountainous region. The actors and dancers performed on the river water. It was one of the most stunning shows I have ever seen.

Across the river were red streams of color that moved like red waves with the powerful beat of Chinese drums.

The Chinese replicated the terra-cotta warriors, and we visited a factory and purchased a couple of small statues.

Chinese calligraphy is so beautiful, and this man is still practicing his writing in the Temple of Heaven.

A boy peeking in the box of incense in front of the temple in Xi An.

That's all for now! Check back for some videos later.

Squirrels

2010-05-27T20:14:00.000-07:00

Animating this little guy was really fun. It has definitely gotten me out of the animation funk mode. Thanks for watching, everyone. And thanks for all of your encouragement. It really has been a great year, and I'm glad it's over. Tomorrow I'm going to China! I'll definitely be keeping my eyes and ears open for some inspiration for a short film I will be embarking on this summer.

Cemetery Sneak Peek #2

2010-05-07T08:59:00.000-07:00

This is my animation (minus a few tweaks and details) for my cemetery project. It's about a little boy and ghost girl that play hide and seek. It's supposed to be a "looping animation" that shows a sense of depth with the screen space. And for family and friends back home to know...it's all hand drawn!

I've already started shading it with charcoal. I hope I have time to finish it before the end of the quarter. We'll see how it goes. But for now, here's what I've got.

emo lionfish

2010-04-25T18:41:00.001-07:00

just a little fun for a SCAD group blog called Sketch Frolic.

www.sketchfrolic.blogspot.com

Environments

2010-04-19T23:22:00.000-07:00

These studios are catching up to me very very fast, especially because midterms are this week...ahhh. Nonetheless, here's my favorite environment sketch of the week. It was a bit difficult getting the water from the fountain to look like it's shooting up, because the background is so busy, but other than that I was very pleased. This is my favorite place to sketch in Savannah. There is always so much happening here, and it's great to see the interactions between children and their parents, grandparents, etc. Tourists are wonderful. Enjoy! Until next time. :)

cemetery doodles

2010-04-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

For my Principles of Screen Design class, I'm animating screenspace traditionally (aka drawing zooms and zollies). It's still in progress, but basic animation is done, now textures and shadows need to be added! I was very apprehensive about adding sound to it, but it helps soooo much with the mood I'm establishing.

Anyway, here are some concept doodles I created in class for a sneak peek. I was inspired by the wall of tombstones in the cemetery on Oglethorpe Ave.

Character Animation

2010-04-09T00:47:00.000-07:00

I finished my Mushu head turn, just like I promised! What a week...It's funny how I've been so busy with work but can still meet new people at the animation building every day. I love my major. After hearing about how cut-throat the other students can get in their majors, it makes me really appreciate all of these wonderful, hardworking, and personable friends in animation, and I hope that one day I'll be a great resource, too. Speaking of which, I need to go to bed so I can look decent for the Career Fair.
Good night to all of you, and good luck.

Check out Mr. Mushu:

Norris life drawing

2010-04-02T12:54:00.000-07:00

It's the start of a new quarter, and I'm taking three very demanding studios (2D Character Animation 1, Speed Sketching, and Principles of Screen Design). The good thing is that I work better under pressure, and I'll be posting a LOT more sketches and animations over the next nine weeks. And after that....a CHINA trip awaits.

I've turned in my 600 gesture drawings, but here are a couple of new gestures I sketched this morning at Norris Hall. Real life models are a golden treat after having to desperately search through very random youtube videos of dynamic actions (ie., woman lifting weights and peeing herself, granny whacking papa with her purse, little kids ballet/hip hop dancing to soulja boy). I've never drawn so much in my life!

I also have a Mushu headturn animation next time, as well, so check back soon!

Essence of XAVIER

2010-03-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

One of my dearest friends, Xavier Robles de Medina (Reincarnation). Although he reminds me of a robot, he still has his moments where I just can't help but giggle, especially during Michael Jackson impersonations and yoga poses. Thanks for being a great friend and good company this past year. Oh, and thanks for introducing me to Moises! :D

dinostairs

2010-03-09T11:15:00.000-08:00

This is my final for Animation II. A dinosaur walking up and down some stairs to show if we understood weight. There's still a lot I need to do with it, but I had to turn it in today. :)One final down, another to go!

-Lane

dinosaur walk

2010-03-08T15:07:00.000-08:00

Finally, some real homework! This dinosaur is ridiculous and will probably never go on my demo reel like the rest of Animation II work. Yay? I'll probably look back at this in a couple of years and wonder...wow...what was I thinking? But for now, I think this will do. I'm just getting tired of these trivial assignments. I can't wait for my next quarter. I'll be taking Principles of Screen Design, Character Animation I, and Speed Sketching. So much work...it gets worse and worse every quarter. It will be worth it though.

"Success usually comes to those who are too busy to look for it."
-Henry David Thoreau

Until next time.

-Lane

The Girl and the Fox

2010-03-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

This quarter, I'm working on animating Ilona from The Girl and the Fox, the upcoming animated short film directed by Tyler J. Kupferer. It's looking so beautiful, and I can't wait to see it all come together in April.

Check out a composited still on www.base14.com

I'm alive. I swear. :)

2010-02-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

This is an old drawing of my mom I did for her birthday, but I added a few little tweaks to it. I can't wait to design her website this summer. A commission from a pediatrician sounds perfect.

Frog Animation

2009-12-19T07:23:00.000-08:00

The frog is the animation that I spent most of my time on this quarter. I really enjoyed this project, and Webber said I could put it in my demo reel. :D I wasn't too happy with my flour sack...so I'm going to make some adjustments to it, add some viz effects, and clean it up when I get the chance.

Animation 1 Sketchbook (part 1)

2009-12-17T12:54:00.001-08:00

These are my favorite gestures from my the first half of my sketchbook. Enjoy and let me know what you think.

MOM

2009-12-14T12:22:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday, Mom! I think it looks too much like mine, but whatever. She didn't want to look goofy like most of my other characters.

Kimi 2.0

2009-12-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

My best friend got her haircut and demanded a new drawing! haha, just kidding.

GUESS WHO?

2009-11-26T15:32:00.001-08:00

Henssey, my lovely sister who never smiles, but ironically makes me laugh until I can't breathe.

back at home

2009-11-25T15:17:00.000-08:00

This quarter was insane! I'm looking forward to the many crazy quarters ahead of me.
I gained a lot of confidence in animating, thanks to my wonderful professor, John Webber. Not only that, but I really learned that I have no clue what I'm doing when it comes to Maya software. Practically living in Montgomery Hall, I met some fantastic people every day who helped me. I don't know why or how, but they did, and I'm eternally grateful. :)
And arriving in muggy, damp Columbus never felt so good!

Climbing Kittens

2009-08-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

Jackson's kittens were the cutest things I've held this summer.

Ruins

2009-08-12T14:49:00.001-07:00

My first tablet drawing. Tell me what you think. Don't be shy.

Lion Lady

2009-07-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some sketches of a woman who adores lions and wants one for a future pet, because she's getting lonely. Note her fuzzy slippers.

It's up!

2009-05-27T14:13:00.001-07:00

My website is up, and I'm pretty happy with it. Hopefully I can get some storyboards up once I come home.

Time to pack. So long, Savannah. See you soon.

http://studentpages.scad.edu/~harngo20

I can't believe it.

2009-05-18T21:48:00.000-07:00

I'm still working on my website, so that will be up and running in about two weeks. The good news is that I'm deciding to keep this blog, because it still has its purposes. After researching several websites and blogs, I was embarrassed of how I never update with any artwork pictures to let people know what I am currently working on. I'll work on that. ;) This is a perspective drawing (pen and marker) I did last quarter in Drawing for Storyboarding. Surprisingly enough, I enjoyed working on this, even though it was a little difficult.

I can't believe my first year of art school is drawing to a close. Instead of winding down, my life is speeding up, and all I'm trying to do is hang in here and catch whatever life throws at me. In two weeks, I'll be coming home to catch up on my sleep, self, and sanity.

Luckily, Columbus won't steal me for my whole summer, because the Summer Swarm Orientation Assistant job SCAD offered me will consume the second half of my summer. My group of students will probably be categorized in the film and digital media department. Maybe they'll teach me a new thing or two. I'm still new to this field, but immersion can effectively get me grounded.

An Introduction: Statement of Purpose

2008-07-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

According to the Abstract Expressionists, art is a journey. The strokes, slashes, drips, and drops—the process mattered more to the artist than the final product, which was a representation of the journey that the artist had to take in order to create it. The stepping stones of our lives are filled with many surprises, failures, successes, and hard times which indicate the value of the journey, and I am willing to take all of the risks in order to make it through the journey of my life as an artist.
Ever since I first picked up a pencil, I wanted to become an artist. Over the course of my life, I swayed from art. I considered academically-inclined occupations heavily, but I realized that it was not in my nature to pursue them and letting art become “a hobby on the side.” Instead, I kept coming back to art, and it always welcomed me with open arms. When I came to the realization that art was never going to disappear in my life because I would never let it, going to an art college such as SCAD was what I needed in my future.
At the Georgia Governor’s Honors Program (GHP) 2007, my perspective on art made a drastic change, as well. This was when I first had a taste of the real college experience as a Visual Arts major with a Communicative Arts minor. Never had visual arts been a first priority in my life, and the difference was phenomenal. I cherished every minute of the GHP as an art major because I was surrounded by other talented student artists, as well. Each morning, we spent four hours motivating each other, inspiring each other, and asking and giving each other advice on a frustrating piece. When I was surrounded by forty passionate and motivated students, I became even more passionate about creating art. I also enjoyed switching from my studio classes to the classrooms where I studied and learned about East-Asian philosophy, advertisement and the media, Surrealist writing and art, and the role of women in television; so I still found satisfaction in learning academically.
Education has always and will always be an integral part of the journey that I am willing to take. The mind is what takes art to the next level—it is the breeding ground for innovation and creativity. The cultivation of the mind is a never-ending process that I am willing to take. The combination of academics and visual arts creates a synergistic effect of ingenuity that I admire, and I refuse to have one without the other. As a future career goal, it is my dream to become either an animator or an art history professor. I would love to combine my love of creative writing and artistic ability to create animated movies. Also, I would be satisfied with teaching art history because I love studying art and sharing what I have learned with others who will appreciate it, as well.
My journey so far has been a smooth one, but I am prepared for the role of the aspiring artist—the risks, the jumps, and the dives that come with it.