MIAD Holiday Card 2021

This was commissioned by the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. The goal of this animation was to show the sense of community and warmth in the city of Milwaukee. I chose to depict a diverse rang of people and landmarks around the city. I utilized the MIAD brand colors to tie in the role MIAD has in the community, This project gave me a chance to work on my animation skills, the chance to get better acquainted with After Effects’ 3D workspace and particle simulation capabilities. The walk cycles were animated in Procreate, The people in the final shot were animated in Photoshop. The whole animation was composited in After Effects.

Fight Animation

This was a gif project for a class. I animated the characters in Procreate and the rotating background was done in Blender. I wanted to show the characters in 3D space with a rotation. It was a lot of fun to see flat drawings move in space. The background was made by repeating drawings in a circle and animating a camera. I hope to revisit it in the future to add backgrounds to the rest of the animation. I enjoyed being able to see these characters move in space and focus on their expressions and the way they move.

Looping Gifs

Stop Motion

These puppets were made with aluminum wire armatures and felted bodies. I made both of them by hand. The animation was done in Dragonframe 5. The first puppet is more simple, and the second features a solid clay head and nose as well as a hinged jaw that can open and bend to make him talk!

Lipsync Animation test

Song: “Nowhere to go but Up” from Mary Poppins Returns

Visual Development and Character Design

Mr. Pooch Detective Agency

Mr. Pooch Detective Agency follows the adventures of Mr Pooch (Asta). He is a dog detective sniffing out answers to mysteries throughout London. With his friends, Florence, Freddie, and Walter Brent, they go a many adventures helping Londoners (and more people around the world as they begin to travel!) In his first case, Mr. Pooch and the Music of Wolvenshire Manor, Mr. Pooch meets his friends, and together, they must find out the master of the music coming from a dark manor located a train ride away.

Mr. Pooch Detective Agency is an ongoing project I am developing. In my free time, I am creating concepts for characters, story, and setting as well as doing plenty of research about London and the era (50s-60s). The story will eventually be made into a graphic novel, and hopefully a series where the characters will solve more mysteries in London and around the world as well.

Unnamed Fantasy Project

This project is a project I am developing with my sister, Katie. This story takes place in a fantasy world, where there is magic and adventure. Together, we have collaborated to come up with characters and settings. I have created designs for several characters and concepts over the years. I hope to further develop this project with her as either a graphic novel or podcast show. I hope to create a proof of concept trailer further down the line as I further develop the architecture of the world

Rico & the Bandits of Smoky City

This project is inspired by a character I drew for a class project. His happiness and humor resonated with me, and led to the start of an idea for a comic I hope to develop. The comic will follow Rico, a young boy living in the American West. He spends his days practicing his shooting skills, lassoing chickens, and helping his mom and sister around his home. This all ends, when a group of bandits known as the Bullet Bandits take over his hometown. After a failed attempt to defeat the head bandit, he must go on a journey to become the hero he hopes he can become. Befriending an outlaw, learning agility and strength from the desert animals, and discovering the legacy of great hero of the past are many of the events Rico experiences on his adventure.

Finn McCool

This design is based off of a hero in Irish mythology, Finn McCool (Finn Mac Cumhaill). I drew inspiration from ancient Irish art and illuminated manuscripts.

I designed him for a racing game project for a visual development class.

Unnamed 60s England Boarding School Ghost Project

I created an idea for a writing class I took. I worked on developing a setting, characters, and a loose idea of a plot. The story is about a boy, Colin, who is sent to boarding school. There, he meets a ghost girl, Mila. They become friends. They play hide and seek in the halls, look at the animals on the grounds, and listen to rock music together. He enjoys their time together, but there is a secret surrounding the school and Mila.

Starlight Hero

This project is an old project I used to practice my color, lighting, and world building skills. Although I abandoned the project, it helped me learn about the work that goes behind an animated project. In a magical land once ruled by darkness, a hero saved it when he was granted powers from a star. The hero disappears after restoring peace, and is never seen again. Hundreds of years later, there is a kingdom, but it is ruled by a malevolent ruler. Blaze, the young prince of the kingdom, runs away from his home. He possesses great powers which lie dormant within him, as he is a descendent of the ancient hero. His sister hopes to use his powers to expand her rule. He begins a new life in the country, where he meets new friends. His past catches up to him. After discovering his powers, he goes on an adventure to strengthen his powers and to save the kingdom from evil rule.

Left: 2023 Redesigns