• How to start learning animation

    How to start learning animation

    The path to learning animation starts out with FX animation. Falling, bouncing, swinging objects are all classed as FX and are universally taught at the earliest stages of learning animation.

  • The Final Moments

    The Final Moments

    Ever wonder what happened to the people of Brackenwood? Why is Bitey the last of his kind? This new image depicts the final moments of the Dashkin, Viccans and Trogues as a portal opens from another world and the Yuyu suddenly appear. What happened next? We don’t yet know! If you’re interested in watching the ►►

  • 2D in 3D process

    As you may know the Prowlies Wildlife Documentary was a “test project” to see how well I could integrate 2D animation in UE4 environments. When it was complete, it was featured on the Twitch Community Spotlight and got some attention on Twitter. I attached Prowlies to my Epic MegaGrant application as a “prototype of a ►►

  • An EPIC update

    An EPIC update

    Bitey gets a grant from Epic!

  • BWDS 2: Prowlies

    BWDS 2: Prowlies

    Prowlies of Brackenwood are fun inquisitive creatures, energetic and constantly at play, even to their final day of life.

  • Sploosh

    Here’s the first test scene for the next Brackenwood wildlife doc featuring prowlies. The animation was done entirely in Toon Boom Harmony. The top half is a background still from my UE4 river environment. The lower half is all hand-drawn 2D, including water FX, shadows, reflections and creature animation. Surface movement and underwater refraction was done ►►

  • Game Over

    Game Over

    Due to a severe clash of personalities and wildly divergent goals and priorities for Brackenwood, the working relationship deteriorated beyond repair and I made the decision to end the Dashkin project on Oct 24, 2018. At its heart, Brackenwood is the story of the last of his kind; a lone dashkin exploring an empty world. ►►

  • Moving a castle

    If you’re a member of the FX course or an otherwise regular castle visitor, you may have noticed some things have changed in the past few days. An ex-colleague has kindly taken some time aside from his work to help me move the site. As anyone knows, when you roll a huge old castle to a ►►

  • Patron rewards

    Patron rewards

    The Brackenwood Patreon continues to grow and real progress is being made on the Last of the Dashkin sequel. Here are two of the physical rewards I’ve been working on for the Brackenwood patrons. The video below is a short time lapse of the card ink process. I’m using metal Hunt nibs and black Parker Quink.

  • You'll Never Guess!

    You’ll Never Guess!

    If you follow me on Newgrounds and social media, you might have seen that Brackenwood is making a return this year. After the cancellation of the Dashkin game and me being promoted at work, Bitey seemed to have no future. In years past, he was so real in my head that I could even have ►►

  • We've Been Waiting

    We’ve Been Waiting

  • The Point of No Return

    The Point of No Return

  • Into the Void

    Into the Void

  • Dashkin dies in the end

    Dashkin dies in the end

    2009 In December 2009, I released The Last of the Dashkin and promised fans that it wouldn’t be another 3 years before the next Brackenwood story. 2010 In November 2010, I messaged Sean McGee to ask if he was interested in working with me on a Brackenwood game. My plan was that the ►►

  • Amateur to Expert

    I recently received an email from a young fella who said he was feeling out of sorts for a direction in life and he asked me about how I got to where I am today. In fact over the years in emails, conversations and interviews, I’ve answered this many times in different ways so I thought ►►

  • A2H - now available!

    A2H – now available!

    My book “Animate to Harmony” will teach you three Toon Boom programs in one book: Animate, Animate Pro and Harmony.

  • Almost Here

    Almost Here

    My Super Saiyan gif goes viral for the second time, declared by Josh Levin of Slate mag as “The greatest gif in the history of gifs”. Also, my book, coming in Sept 2014.

  • From Animate to Harmony

    From Animate to Harmony

    Whether you use Animate, Animate Pro or Harmony, my upcoming Toon Boom book will get you started. It’s called “Animate to Harmony: The Independent Animator’s Guide to Toon Boom”.

  • Falling up

    The release of Toon Boom Harmony 10.3 brings amazing new blur and turbulent noise effects.

  • Checking in, up and out

    Checking in, up and out

    Dashkin, Bob’s Burgers and Clear Vision 2

Above and Below

 Posted by at 10:57 am  2 Responses »
Dec 062018
 

My latest project is the Brackenwood Wildlife Documentary Series where I introduce Brackenwood wildlife in short documentary-style episodes with voice over narration. The first episode was Fatsack, the second episode under construction is Prowlies. Update Dec 11, 2018: The completed scene, now with creature animation and finishing touches. All the animation and FX are animated ►►

Sploosh

 Posted by at 11:14 am  2 Responses »
Nov 262018
 

Here’s the first test scene for the next Brackenwood wildlife doc featuring prowlies. The animation was done entirely in Toon Boom Harmony. The top half is a background still from my UE4 river environment. The lower half is all hand-drawn 2D, including water FX, shadows, reflections and creature animation. Surface movement and underwater refraction was done ►►

Effects and Shirts

 Posted by at 4:07 pm  26 Responses »
Oct 042011
 
Effects and Shirts

The BiteyCastle Academy 2D FX animation course is now open! The place is all warmed up with almost 140 members (update: 300), throwing back tankards of piping hot secret knowledge nectar and churning out their effects assignments. It’s $24/month for a course that animators would elsewhere pay through the nose. In fact, if you’re a passionate animator, you ►►