From 2D to 3D- without those annoying glasses.

One of the most enjoyable (and yes, sometimes horrifying) things about working in animation is seeing my work in the hands of other artists. Top among these pleasures is seeing a drawing translated into sculpture. I've worked with some great modelers at Blue Sky Studios over the years and I can easily say that finding a character in clay is one of the most exciting parts of the process. It requires a respectful dialogue between the designer and sculptor and a lot of trust. I am the first to admit that my designs are often too loose to sculpt with any real accuracy. They are sometimes cavalier little doodles that look good on the page, but offer little in the way of solid information for the purposes of translating it to three dimensions. That's where the sculptor's skill comes in. He or she needs to be able to interpret the sketch and somehow wrestle it into our reality. Alena Wooten, one of Blue Sky's top sculptors, seems to be refining that skill every day. She came into the studio recently and unvieled this beautiful piece which I had been completely unaware of until that moment. She based it on a little drawing I published in a collection of sketches several years ago and I am truly impressed by the result. I am usually standing over the sculptor's shoulder niggling over every last detail, but this appeared fully realized, with nary a peep from me. The dog is not quite finished but after some convincing, Alena allowed me to share it with you.