For All Two of You Who Read This Blog...

Don't go here for the next several days. Ignore the fact that this pathetic gathering of drawings exists, and go here. It's the blog of Character Designer and Storyboard Artist, Ben Balistreri. While I am really sick and tired of animation design currently consisting of flat caricatures (I want to see more styles, not just slight interpretations of the same caricatures dammit!!), this guy can do both the flat and round--and still keep it fun all the way. This is exactly how I wish I could draw when making designs for animation. So go check it out and study it (I'm going to--it rocks major booty!!)

All About Bob...

I have a friend named Bob Moore. He's a really cool guy working on Futurama, and I've done some drawings of him over the years. Here's a few of them.

some people don't get this one. i won't explain it.

Frog Flipbook...

UCLA Animation Workshop has magazine about animation that they have been making for many years now called "Animatrix". This is not to be confused with the set of animation shorts based in the movie world of The Matrix called, "The Animatrix". Now in the corners of the magazine they have little flipbook animations. I did one. Here it is. (NOTE: The images are assembled and presented in their original flipbook order. No further timing, or any other issues has been dealt with.) CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE IT MOVE!!

Two Peeps

Here are two former classmates of mine the top person being Katherina Frank, and the bottom being Jody Rice. Hope they are doing well.

And Even More Life Drawings...

There life drawings, what else do you want. Enjoy

UCLA Animation Screening...

It's that time again! The where you can go watch student animated films then drink enough alcohol to forget you even saw anything. If you don't know what I'm talking about, then read:

PROM FESTIVAL OF ANIMATION 2007
When: Saturday, June 9, 2007 5:30pm & 8:45pm screenings
Where: UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television, UCLA Campus, Westwood, California
RSVP: 310-825-5829
Please RSVP early to only one show; seating is limited. This event is free but parking in lot #3 is $8.

Otherwise, enjoy this postcard design I did last year to promote the screening. Peace!!

Another Napkin Doodle...

Hello! I'm staying late again tonight here at Nickelodeon all by myself and I thought I could again scan in a pic i have sitting here. I did this one today while i was waiting for my crab roll at this cool place in Burbank that has 50% off sushi. It's not great, but it will be another drawing that seems to have a smile (I've noticed that I'm in a expression rut). Enjoy the crab.

Posting at the Witching Hour...

Actually this isn't the 'Witching Hour', but to find out when and what it is, go here . In the meantime, for the rest of you who are still here and didn't click on that link, here are some napkins sketches. I love drawing on napkins because you really have to use ink to see the image (which isn't forgiving) and you are writing on a surface that wasn't suppose to be drawn on (even less forgiving). Plus I like to draw on napkins in a stream of consciousness (no thought of what I will draw until pen touches napkin) It is a wonderful challenge! Enjoy these and look for more to come--word.

this one is based on my friend Devon Devereaux ... but as an elephant... or part of an elephant.

here's what devon looks like (not drawn from photo originally, the drawing was done at a diner).

if you don't get this one, don't worry about it. just know that the cyclops is inspired by Kronos from the classic "The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad".

Vampiric Koala....

Hey folks, I once knew this girl from Korea that had some of the cutest drawings in the world, but they would be doing something really sinister at the same time. So one day she inspired me to do this doodle. Enjoy!!

to read the progression of how of this doodle evolved, start bottom left and go counter-clockwise.

First in a Series...

Don't ask me why Abraham Lincoln has a sattelite dish coming out of his nose, just have a beer and go with it.



--The Sir out.

A New Caricature...

kourtney is the one on the left, ashley on the right.

My future mother-in-law, Debby, has made a scrapbook for all her daughters as graduation presents from high school. She asked me to write a letter of thoughts or whatever mushy stuff I could come up with for the most recent to graduate, Kourtney. Now, it takes alot for me to write something that could evoke an emotion of some kind. And while I get along with her great, I don't know her as well as I might like to be comfortable writing something more serious... but I know what she looks like, and I can caricature her! So I did a rough this past weekend. Then tonight, as I stay up all night here at work, I decided to take a break and finish what I started. Now it is time to get back to work, but first, here is the drawing with the rough and a photo as reference. Enjoy!!