Most Visited Lectures on this Blog

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Some coffee, reading material and a bagel (New York)

      They say in a past life I took care of people and worked as a doctor... Which could explain my need to always make things easy for people. I took all the (Good) lectures on this blog and put them in one spot. Enjoy reading them (Or not.. I don't care, whatevs)

Here is a link to some free lectures I did for SkillShare! 
https://www.skillshare.com/profile/Daniel-Gonzales/5374059

PERSPECTIVE 101

COMPOSITION 101: Balance

ANIMATION 101: Hands

A Closer look at GOOD ACTING and BAD ACTING

LECTURE ON VALUE 101

LETTERS FROM REAL CREATIVE MINDS

GLEAN KEANE LECTURE: Tilt, Rhythm, Twist

USING REFERENCE 101

THE ART OF DISNEY'S FROZEN

IMPROVING YOUR ANIMATION 101

GRAPH EDITOR: Offsetting

ANIMATION 101: Momentum

GRAPH EDITOR: when you are panicking (tips)

HOW I STAY ORGANISED WHILE WORKING

HOW TO ANIMATE: a First Slam

HOW OT ANIMATE: Balance and Weight

TRAINING YOUR EYE

BACK TO SCHOOL TIPS

STREET ART

MAGIC OF TIMING AND TEXTURE

Do You Feel Like You're Working Hard For No Reason?

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“If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all.”  - Michelangelo

Adventure 217: My buddy and me far from home in Africa..

     "Danny you should write your stories out." "You need a blog." "DANNY, your life is so cool.." (on the inside I'm rolling my eyes so hard and saying fuck off.. They only hear the adventures and they don't listen to HOW I got to this point.) I'm not ungrateful but I've noticed that what they see is a guy in a different country every other minute. They see a guy who worked on Frozen and had been a part of Disney Animation for nearly a decade. They call me brave, talented and different... Buying one way tickets and living out of a backpack for 3 years, Crossing seas and passing by lakes that he can't even pronounce. They project onto me this Indiana Jones character, or hell, for all I know maybe they see me as Julia Roberts in some Eat, Love, Pray bullshit.  Have you ever watched the film, 'The Fall* with Brad Pitt? Remember when he's off in the back of a caravan crossing some foreign desert on another continent with weird animal furs and women napping on him? I'm sure that's what a lot of people imagine me as, which sure... it sometimes has been like that but let me give you a peek of the not so glamorous side.

(I'm currently writing to you from the Nordics. Where it is -15 degrees and the snow looks like a million diamonds sparkling in the sun. It's a rare sunny day here and it's motivating me to be creative and write this post. I just had some oatmeal for breakfast and I have my coffee sitting next to my keyboard. It WOULD be pretty peaceful but I'm listening to "Mo Bamba" head banging as I type. Thanks for joining me here and reading this post.)

"Remember that every successful person or any person that is remotely happy is coasting off the momentum they have made."

    Take moment to read that again and let it sink in. Think of how a NASA rocket takes off. It has to use so much of it's fuel to escape the gravitational pull of the earth. Once it's gone though, it can virtually coast through space for the rest of it's journey. It's the same with people. An extreme example is an amateur athlete who trains like a spartan from years. After they win a gold medal or a championship, offers for endorsements, spokesperson contracts, merchandise deals, and other opportunities often come pouring in allowing them to slow down a bit and take advantage of the momentum they created earlier in their career.
    Likewise for any business minded person or profession, once you paid the price to establish yourself as an expert or a person of integrity who delivers high quality results on time, YOU WILL reap the benefits for the rest of your life. What does paying the price look like? It looks like spending countless hours working towards something shows no sign in getting closer. It looks like not getting paid for what you're worth and taking shitty deals. Sometimes you work for months will no real income. It is being scared, unsure and having tons of doubt but it never never never looks like giving up and staying still. You take all this and you keep moving... sometimes for years.

     I'm in the middle of this 'paying the price phase' right now for the second time in my life. "Wait.. What Danny? But you're set already aren't you?" (I literally "PFFFFF'ed" right now at my computer) Yes I'm in the middle of this again... and wait for it: BY CHOICE.) 
     Sure the first time I paid the price I was putting in the hours as a teenager. I was staying in my room, watching friends on TV and drawing day after day. Parties and hang out's? Once in a while yes I would be social but 80 percent of the time I was with my nose in my sketch book drawing my little heart out. During college, I was pulling all nighters when nobody told me I had to. Completing personal projects for no purpose other than to get it out of my system. I didn't know if it was good, but I did it. I read, I studied, I redid work, I was a machine. My thought to myself, If I am not practicing, someone somewhere is. The average Olympian trains four hours a day at least 310 days a year for six years before succeeding. Training works, but it isn't easy! You need to be willing to pay the price. 
       Even after arriving at Disney and Pixar, I would stay waaay beyond working hours diving into lectures and practicing my animation. Not because I felt my animation wasn't good enough, no. I was still 'training' because I knew my real goal still required me to learn. My real goal extended beyond Disney and Pixar.. I wanted to work for myself. I told myself, I'm not going to work on someone else's idea for the rest of my life. And that required not only learning about animation but diving in and learning inside out all the other parts of the Pixar7Disney studios. I remember I would email and ask Mark Andrews if I can sit in on the story internship critiques at Pixar and I would stay quiet and invisible in the back corner taking notes. I remember I would always go to the Art department in Disney and look at every concept design board and the notes written all over the work. I remember feeling so lucky when I fought tooth and nail to be given the chance to ask Miyazki HIMSELF a question on how he goes about organising his ideas and what was his process in picking ideas for films and scenes. Every thing I did was in the direction of a goal I had in my mind. If an action wasn't getting my a tiny step closer to my vision, I'd ask myself why I was doing it.
 

ME: Working hard or hardly working? 

      There was never a moment I felt I was ready to take my goal head on, but eventually I left the safety and comfort of Disney at the age of 27. I felt good with all the knowledge I had gained. Whatever came my way, I should be able to handle it right? I have seen the inner workings of one of the most successful company in history works. I've worked on billion dollar oscar winning films that have literally effected and changed a generation. But a reality check soon knocked me down with the force of a million hurricanes.

     "What is a business plan? How do I type an invoice? Did you word that contract correctly? Was I too modest and come off as an amateur when I should of been bold and sold myself better? Are you sure you're spending your money the right way? Did you just accidentally offend them as you were introducing yourself because you aren't aware of how the culture works in this country? Do you even know how the taxes work when you earn income from outside the USA?"

   OMG I have so many other examples of shit I went through these last three years.. The ones I typed above are just a few. So again I put in the work, I read, studied and typed and spend countless hours staying up all night learning. Most importantly I asked questions. I remember meeting a business investor in Nashville and after two drinks I kind of straight up asked, "What does an investor look for?" and for the next 3 months he helped me type  and revise 21 pages of business plans and other things.   
      The biggest thing to get what you want is to ask, ask ASK. You have to get use hearing the word 'no', you have to get use to getting ghosted and your emails receiving no responses. You have to get use to getting looked at funny, feeling like an idiot and just being in way over your head and out of your league. But it is paying off. Now I can say I'm set up with contracts with musicians and companies doing work on my own terms where I get creative freedom to do my ideas. I'll share all that if you'd like in another post. 

     Anything worth doing is worth doing badly in the beginning. Remember when you first learned to drive a car. to ride a bike, to play an instrument, or to play a sport. You understand in advance you were going to be very awkward at first. It's just part of the process. And this applies to everything! Children know the best that you have to give yourself permission to be silly. But sadly by the time we are adults, we're so afraid of making mistakes or if something doesn't workout, we don't allow ourselves to be awkward. So we don't learn, we don't succeed and we're so afraid of being wrong. 

We all had a first kiss... How awkward was that? if you could survive that, you can survive the hardships of chasing your dreams. 

POST #4: Are You Bad at Being Productive?

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     I hardly ever write when I'm in a good mood like I am in now. (Why the good mood you ask? I'll never tell) My best work and all my momentum to be productive usually happens when I'm feeling low. I'm talking about 'My Chemical Romance' kinda low hahaha. Does that happen to you guys? I'm always noticing that it's either I'm really low or really really high when I'm the most creative. And I mean high: emotionally speaking, Not to say I don't smoke weed. of course i do! Who doesn't? (awkward moment if you're reading this and you don't smoke) I don't care any way, there is no productivity when I'm just.. coasting in the middle in normal fashion like the rest of the world. I'm sure there are others that go through this just like me

Lets see if we can get to the bottom of why that is:

Productiveness 

     So! My short by the way, is coming along nicely. I'm currently doing backgrounds for all my shots. I'm taking the exact streets I walked through over and over again in the Lower East Side in New York and throwing them in the short. "Danny can we see pictures?" - Lol... good try.
      I'm behind schedule right now but I'm always behind schedule. Here's something I wrote in my first week in New York about being behind schedule;

"..I've met some awesome people and I'm staying in the moment. Even if productivity is slower than I'd like, who cares. I'm in New York.."

     Up to that point, the only productive thing I had done was pack my one suitcase and buy that one-way ticket out of California. I had told everyone I'm going to start working on my short. Isn't that such a cliche; "the artist procrastinates." I have my own theories about why that happens but I'll save that for later. I remember back to a time I would looove to blame everything else for my situation and unproductiveness. And it's all in-between the lines where you find the excuses. For example check out What I wrote when I first got to New York.

"Why does wine make me feel safe. Why does a drink make me feel so invincible. A shot or a sip gives me confidence... I need to shake this or embrace this."    - New York 2016

     Even then I was already starting to become aware of one truth that no one can ever teach you. It's something you have to realize on your own. What ever it may be that you want to blame: Fun, Friends, drinks, money problems, a busy job you hate, a shitty relationship.. Those things aren't your problem. Your predicament isn't your problem. I'll tell you what your problem is: Your problem is your attitude and how you look/think about those things. 
     To the self destructive procrastinator like me,:you don't know it, but you have a problem that's main symptom is that it convinces you that you 'don't have a problem.' It makes you think everyone else who has real problems are the ones that need help. The drinker, the sex addict, the druggie, the lazy person, The video gamer, the obese, the Netflix binge-watcher, all of them! Sure you are all those things too, but you do them successfully, right? ...because it's not a problem for you, right? You're fine :) Pop some ecstasy, drink a shit ton of water, make out with a few people and do a walk of shame on a sunny Sunday morning with the Los Angeles skyline in the distance. And boom, you're fine after an IN-and OUT burger and ready to run errands like any other perfect citizen. Oh and god forbid any one points out your problems! So as evidence that you can 'handle yourself better than the others', you point to all you have accomplished in life to prove your point. This is how you get addicted to the mindset, not necessarily the specific things you do.
    Talk about a closed mind! I'm better now but FUCK did I have to go a long way. I thought my source of my problems was my location. So I traveled a lot but just like your shadow, this is something you can't shake. This stays with you where ever you go. You can't run away from yourself. I figured that out in Australia.

     Anyway, I just wanted to say that the sooner you change your mindset the sooner you solve your problems. The source of the problems is always internal and never external. How you react and shape your perspective is key.

Man this sounds preachy. How lame hahaha.

     Any way there's this dude called Brandon Novak. He explains all this much better than me but that's because he hit rockbottom way harder than most of us ever will. He inspired me to write this post. I'll end it with a Novak Quote

“I was a dreamseller, a medium through which my loved ones could project what they wanted to believe, what they dared to dream—that I would be well. I sold them a dream, something that never existed in the first place, their own idealistic vision of me.” 
― Brandon Novak, Dreamseller

Post #3: SlaughterHouse 5

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Hello hello to my three readers. (wait.. apparently four readers now because my stats show me someone in the Ukraine is reading my blog) ((and to Mr. or Ms. Ukraine I ask you, "whyyyy?"))

     I just finished reading a book named "Slaughterhouse 5". I figure many people have tried to write a war novel that tries to communicate how meaningless the whole act of war is and at the same time show how it destroys a person's life. "The Sun Also Rises" by Hemingway is the only other book I can think of that does this without actually ever including a war scene. Take Hemingway's book: add a person who is going insane, few mentions of the massacre at Dresden, some time travel and some other crazy shit like aliens (obviously it has aliens.. lol) and you have "SlaughterHouse 5". Its a classic yet crazy book that makes no sense until you finish it. And then you question.. is he really insane? But because the book is written so well, it keeps you from tossing it into a fire. Also, i recommend read it quickly, other wise you'd be opt to put it down and never return to it because it is so random. My two cents.

*WTH Danny.. I came here for animation wisdom, not a fucking book report...

     Hey! I read a lot.. so sue me. I either procrastinate on my short film through reading all day or watching "Friends" on Netflix for 7 hours straight! #LifeGoals, (am i right?) These posts are about the journey of making a film from scratch, and procrastination is a huge part of it whether I'd like to admit it or not. So yesterday I procrastinated by sitting at a train station for hours, the whole while determined to finish the second half of my book in one sitting. (its a short book) After I finished the book I looked around me. I'm sitting at a pretty empty bar. (if you know me you're rolling your eyes and saying, "of course he's at a bar")
     So back to the point: when you finish the book, you're left with a feeling that life just 'IS' and nothing really matters. I take a glance at the lives around me after i finish the last sentence. 4 bar stools to my right theres a kid, probably 23 years old with his laptop typing away at spreadsheet. It's a windows laptop so I don't think he's the obnoxious type.. He seems cool but he nursed a beer and a half for 2 hours so my respect for him fell a bit. Plus you could tell he wanted to talk to the two cute bartenders taking care of us but he never worked up the courage to do so. One of the bartenders was showing off some roses she received from a friend. A good luck token for her procedure tomorrow. A procedure for what? I didn't care enough to ask. I was more interested in; if the two basketball enthusiast to my left, actually had a chance with the bartender. for a good hour they were trying their best to flirt and start a conversation. They were always shot down with one word answers. Being there all day made the bartenders comfortable around me i guess, so when we chatted it it flowed without effort. "What are you reading, Where are you from, etc etc.. again, I couldn't of cared less. I just liked being there.

CUT TO:

     - When I was on a train somewhere backpacking between Bucharest and Kiev (Eastern Europe) I sat hugging my backpack and it was so warm and sunny. The word "warm" I use liberally because it was winter and it was still cold.. But still, it was blue skies for miles, and it was so peaceful. The mountain ranges and the forest looked so picture perfect that everybody on the train had their noses glued the windows. Especially the two women sitting across from me with their new Cannon cameras. I didn't know what language they were speaking but you can spot a tourist no matter what tongue they talk in. Everyone was wide eyed, taking in the scenery, everyone except me, I couldn't care less. Instead I chose to nap. Once in a while I'd open my eyes to soak in the view but to be honest I was soooo content just being in a place i didn't know, all the way across the planet surrounded by people I'd never see again.. I just relaxed and enjoyed "existing." Was it an existential moment? Meh, I wouldn't go that far to label it that. Maybe I was just content for surviving South Africa and the Middle East the two months prior.. IDK, i just liked being there.

On a train.. Somewhere in Romania.. 

Shit I haven't story boarded in 3 days.. But on the plus side I just had pancakes
...small victories are what count..

post #2: Pulling The Trigger: Going to New York

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Post #2: Shit, I guess this story is told best from the start...

I woke up in a California winter (which is about 75 F/ 23C if you're wondering) and within 40 minutes of opening my eyes I bought a one way ticket to New York.. with no insurance for my ticket. So this way I had to go. Didn't even check my bank, didn't even see if I knew anyone there. Sure, I made some people mad by leaving (sorry for making you set up a christmas tree and leaving you with it and all those memories! She know who she is) but I knew I needed to get away if I ever wanted to work on my own work. I don't have the discipline to say no to drinks and hanging out with friends. Hey at least i can admit it! Being honest is something I learned in AA.. I can also admit I went to a bar after every AA meeting. (Ok Danny stop sharing stuff) Any way I would write a lot as i traveled because pictures just didn't capture everything. So here is something I wrote when I first arrived to New York:

Yesterday I sat in a silly cafe in a nobody neighborhood. Ate nothing. It was so cold I didn't want to move. So cold, your body is automatically flexing when you walk. It hurts after a while. Maybe this is how it feels when your body turns into a popsicle. This city hates it's winter. Everyone dreams of California. And they don't understand why I'm over here. What am I doing? Is this a glorified vacation or did I just make myself homeless on purpose? Why are people amazed at this? Is it Bc I'm actually doing this? Traveling? People think I'm free. I'm just finding out in just carrying my own cage with me where ever I go. (LOL SO EMO HAHAHAHA i was going to edit and delete this part but .. meh, ill keep it in)

Today I'm sitting in a proper coffee house diner. The place only had 4 people in it. It was very old. 2 people spoke in a thick Bronx accent, "Add that. ...But think about it... So and so... How did you get that. ..12. By 12 months. 20,000? Wow. Yeah that's a lot a money. Yeaah.." The waitress/hostess was talking to a regular. The lady called me honey like how a mom does. She was sweet. She didn't get comfy with me until after I was there two hours writing at the same booth. I could only imagine she's never left that neighborhood in her life. Her teeth were messed up. She had a daughter in PA and son in Brooklyn. She was proud though. Very proud. Her name is Melissa. "My name is Melissa. Big me loss. Little me loss. That's a good name right?" I dont know what she ever meant by big me loss little me loss...

So about my short:

First off staying focused on making a short film isn't hard. I can stay focused while doing some dirty dishes, I can stay focus while being out on a Saturday night, I can stay focused on making my short while doing anything else BUT while doing my short. As soon as I sit down in my room I go blank and I rather just take a nap (naps are glorious)

 So recognizing this, I do most of my work in cafe's as I have traveled around the world. The result, 3 screenplays, storyboarding marathons, a few dozen Tinder dates and I've read 5 books in the last 12 months. And a lot of latte's ..or Flat- whites as they called them in Australia.

This is enough typing for now. Both Pictures are from my first time in New York

3 Years at Pixar, 5 Years animating at Disney, 2 Years traveling the world, What could i possibly have to talk about?

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-First post of many-

       If you're reading this that means I actually worked up the energy to type: "CUNT" Now that i set the bar as low as possible for politeness, I can be myself. Which was going to happen anyway but this way you have a fair warning before I start to document the daily struggles of making a short film from scratch.

       First of all, "Hi" to my 3 readers. I do hope one day you find relationships and get a life. I do not know how you manage to give me a few thousand views a month. I refuse to believe people actually read my blog.. my last post was in... 2015? wow. Well don't get too excited I'm not going to drop some invaluable animation knowledge. There are better blogs for that.

DANNY WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN UP TO? 

        Thanks for asking. Where do I start?.. hmm Well at some point i'll get to all the parts. It'll include me in handcuffs in the back of a police car, the occasional sex-capade, riding a Motorcycle at 2 am with bunny slippers in Lebanon because I locked myself out of my place, in South Africa on a horse back safari (which is insane now that im thinking about that.. but i guess the lion could eat the horse instead of me?) no less insane than me driving on the Syria border through kilometers of marijuana fields though. Spiders in Australia that look like that thing in 'ALIENS' that comes out of the stomach and sucks your face, Mushroom cloud explosions in the Ukraine that wont ever get reported (not even kidding..) Randomly sitting down for 4 hours at a birthday dinner in Nashville with three elderly white southern ladies, (yes we talked about TRUMP) And tons more i couldn't be bothered to recall

Bunny Slippers

South Africa

Anyway, I need to get back to story boarding. Usually I find my self at a random Cafe but today the dinning room table looks very nice. (Mainly because the light is too bright outside for my hangover) 

Unfaithfully yours,
Danny

Back to School Tips for Artists

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       Art College costs a lot of money! What else is new... We can't change that. What we can change is how to make the most out of it. And guess what is also tough, being a successful artist! Lots of wasted energy can go into your freshman year or any year for that matter. So here are a bunch of tips I read from an article a while ago I thought would be helpful to share. Hopefully it will help out some people! Its hard being a Freshman so read these tips and maybe write a few down ;) Good luck! 

DID I CHOOSE THE RIGHT MAJOR??
If you can, double major. Do one that is practical and likely to get you a job! Seriously, putting your eggs all in one basket being an animator or a painter.. Don't do it! Its a huge risk! Thank me later. 

Sit in on your intended major’s upper-level classes. If they bore you, change your major. (For animator's with their eyes set on big studios TAKE A CG CLASS YOUR FIRST SEMESTER) 

Ask upperclassmen which professor challenged them and helped them understand the most important concepts to their major. Take the class from the professor that comes up the most. 

When you pick a major, find out if people usually take more schooling after graduating in that major. Sad story is, that most freshmen don't know that their art B.A. wont do anything for them in many fields.  

It’s never too early for internships. Or you will have regrets. Many people wait till their senior or junior year which is a big mistake. You can always return back to school, you can't always ask for that opportunity to internship once it passes.  Don’t let one of those big regrets be lack of experience because you started looking for internships after you graduated and need a job. 

CLASS STRATEGY

If you don't like a class or you think you are being over worked. Drop a class! Or if you don gel with a teachers teaching style, switch! 

Do all your hard classes first. Or you WILL burn out.Not every professor is great. Not every course is great. Sometimes you have to take the bad ones. The trick is not to let your good classes suffer because the bad ones caused you to burn out early. Prioritize your time ;) C's and D's get degrees!! (I heard that term from a friend in Berkeley haha)

If you’re in a major that has a lot of writing, take a class that teaches you how to write — not one of those waste-of-time freshman seminars that have a topic and tell you to write about it, but one that actually teaches rhetorical styles and how to think about writing. If you learn to write well and fast, A’s from all-nighters come easy, especially in upper-level classes that only have you submit a paper. Not so much related to art students but the concept is. You have a major that has a lot of drawing, LEARN HOW TO DRAW well. Don't take a walk in life drawing class, take one where the instructor actually cares and instructs. 

Ask your teachers questions often.

Ask your advisory what classes are required and fill fast? take those early. If not you might be in a situation where you have to graduate an extra semester later bc you couldn't get into a required class. 

STAY ALIVE

If you don't exercise, try doing it the summer before you start school and try to keep it going through classes. You will be sitting and going through a lot of stress. Get your body ready and weather the storm as best you can!


SLEEP! 10 minute power naps will save your life. There comes a point where you will become unproductive, learn to recognize that and just go to sleep. wake up with energy and get back to the grind!


Ask for help if you are drowning. An adviser, a teacher, fellow students. You are not alone and we're all trying to get you to succeed.NEWS FLASH! It’s O.K. to skip a class here and there. It’s O.K. to go to class in pajamas. It’s O.K. to go to class with a runny nose. Don’t worry about that one class you tried hard in but still earned only a D. It won’t matter in the long run. 

LIFE

Get to know the people around you, even if you dont think you'll like them. everybody knows something you do not, find out what that is, and in the process you might learn to like them. Make your wolf pack squad that will get your back when you're sick and forward you your class assignments. Socialize with your professors and classmates, you never know when they'll come in handy.

LEARN HOW TO DO SMALL TALK FOR CHRIST SAKE! I don't care if it's awkward, practice it!! Its a basic skill that will cripple you if you don't have it when looking for a job.

Enjoy college, go PARTY, project X style! Go make friends, make mistakes, go to sporting events, get into trouble once in a while! Dont let life pass you by.

Do try to go to class. your professors are people too. Be kind and respectful. They are trying to teach you some good stuff.

_________________________________________________________

I hope this helps you out, share it with fiends and remember to not under estimate college! Good luck to all you starting the school year.  If you want to read a better written version of these tips click here! James Yang wrote a much better article than  me :) 

TEN MISTAKES YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE

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     I've been there and done that. We've all made mistakes and that isn't news. The sad part is when people make mistakes and don't realize it. They then ask why weren't they given a chance or why did they get fired. You don't have to make these mistakes just to learn and build character. I made a list of a few to help you out! Take a look at this list and learn from the mishaps that others have done before you. 50% of the fight for finding any job is how you hold up as a person, the other 50% is the quality of your work. Always keep that in mind

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1.  Acting entitled
Do you feel your work is going to revolutionize the art world? Do you feel your work is so unique that you can't see why anybody WOULDN'T want to hire you? IF so don't act like everyone should treat you like a king or queen with out proving yourself first. ALSO If it's your first day, Don't ask to leave early to get an oil change for your car. Hopefully it'll dawn on you that it's inappropriate and sabotaging to your career

2. Starting the process too late
In a perfect world, college students should start looking for meaningful internships for summer break after their freshman year. Most students assume they will get a job after they graduate with out too much effort and wait too long to begin the process.

3. Under-utilizing the alumni network
"Yea Danny, I know a friend who knows a friend that has a sister who he met once... that'll totally hook me up" Though parents and their friends can provide good contacts, the network of professionals that comes through a college or university should be one of the first places you tap.

4. Using a resume that’s sloppy and too self-centered
Resume basics: like clear, tidy layout, careful proofreading for grammar and punctuation, and use of keywords from the job description. don't make it about what you want from an employer but rather what you could do for them. For example please do not say this, “entry level position where I can use my skills, ideas and enthusiasm and I can learn a lot.” Instead, the emphasis should be on what they can contribute to the employer.

5. Writing cover letters that repeat the resume
Don't regurgitate your resume. Make it short and to the point and say something about yourself that your resume does not.

6. Doing poor research
Know who you are applying for. Read everything on their site, search for news clippings about the company, and track social media information, like Twitter feeds and Facebook pages. Get a look at their culture and vibes.

7. Failing to clean up their social media profile
"BUT DANNY! They need to know i can be fun too!" lol, All of those piss drunk, yolo pictures on Facebook should be kept on the low with privacy settings. Everyone needs a polished LinkedIn profile. We're in the future now, adapt! 

8. Not showing enough appreciation for the interviewer
Say thank you for your time! Always thank the interviewer in person, make it clear you would consider it a privilege to work at the company and ask about the next step in the process. Then follow up soon. 

9. Failing to show generational deferenceNow this one is debatable but maybe that's because I'm still in my 20's but it is important. Be respectful to how things are done and go with the flow. Its a very modern concept that all parties have a voice and that's a good thing but tread carefully. Its very natural for us younger ones to want to just go up to the boss after our summer internship is finished and say,  “Could I give you some feedback on my internship?” We are are so used to being included in conversations, we fail to grasp our position in the pecking order. PLEASE don't think I 100% agree with this note but it is a reality and you will find yourself in workplaces that love their pecking order. Choose your battles carefully.

10. Relying too heavily on listings and job fairsThis habit is an epidemic, almost on par with "the thirst." Whether its looking for a job or looking for an apartment. Spending too much time applying to online listings, and through anonymous job fairs wont cut it anymore. Remember: Most people find jobs through people they know, rather than through advertisements. People find jobs by looking up companies and searching for their 'contact us' webpage. If you see a listing for a job, try to find a personal connection to the employer and use that as your entry point.

Thanks for reading! Hope that it helps you out!

PERSPECTIVE 101

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  I came across an article that talked about perspective that I'd like to share with all of you. I believe the person who wrote the piece was someone named Martina Cecilia and she has a blog named Electicalice.tumblr.com Its a great site I highly recommend it :) 

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     Perspective was one of the first things Davinci would make his students learn. I believe he made them learn it before he introduced them to proportions!
      A lot of people think perspective is very difficult but little do they know perspective can be easy if you know a few rules. If this is your first time hearing the word perspective. It means 'point of view.' It's when an artist can draw objects and you can tell exactly how far, tall, and big they are.
      When I first was learning how to draw in perspective in elementary school it made me feel as if I was creating a window into another world. That feeling is a great one and I hope that this post can help you feel the same if you just starting to learn how to draw. 

Have your lines reach a vanishing point

     This is the most important rule to know.. Notice in the image that all the yellow lines all go to one point (the vanishing point). Always make your lines go to the same point. Notice how the red line does not go to the same point as the yellow lines. Its an awkward line and it's wrong.

"But DANNY, its such a minor mistake, the image looks fine to me!"
- True, the red line's mistake is a very subtle one, but drawing is all about the details. The more effort you put in double checking your work, the greater the quality will be. People will notice the time you put into your work, they might not be able to tell you why your work looks better but they will FEEL it. So grab a ruler and always check your perspective.

LOOK! Even the little details such as doors still follow the Yellow lines...

      When more than one line isn't following the rule and doesn't line up with the vanishing point, things can start to look confusing. There are times when you have to draw something that makes you break this rule, it's rare but it does happen. But 9 out of 10 times, You need to follow the vanishing point rule. 

The red lines do not go to the vanishing point

Objects look smaller the farther away they are
     Look at these two images of 'buildings'. The second image feels correct bc the closer to the vanishing point the building is, the thinner it gets. 

-"Danny, how do I know how thin to make the building, should I guess?"
      No, there is also a rule on how thin/smaller to make an object the closer it gets to the vanishing point. This one seems complicated but if you do it once, you can do it all the time. Make sure you use a ruler! 

Lets say you are drawing columns - set up your vanishing points and draw your first two columns how ever you want. 

Look at the 3 Horizontal pink lines. The most important one is the Pink Line that goes through the middle and cuts the columns in half. 

Draw a diagonal through one of the squares (RED LINE)

At the end of the red line, you will draw a new column!!

Keep drawing diagonals (RED LINES) to draw as many columns as you like!

Now you can use this rule as a guide to correctly draw columns perspective.

TIP: The closer the object is to the viewer, the thicker the line should be

      This is not a rule, this is just a tip that can help add depth to your drawing! If you have ever seen some mountains that were far away, do you ever notice the ones further away are harder to see? You should do the same to your lines in your drawings! If nature does it, you can do it too. You can even start to leave lines out when they start getting too close to each other. Simplify when you can without breaking the rules :) 

lines are all dark...

Far away lines are lighter :) 

Don't be lazy! Find reference and use it to make your drawings better!
       Take this window for example! The quality is in the details :) It'll bring realism to your drawings.

     Last but not least, remember perspective applies to people as well. A lot of people will draw figures and not CHECK to see if they are the right size when compared to the other objects in the drawing. Grab your ruler and never forget to check your drawings :)

     I hope this helps you out. I know the internet is a big place and it's hard to find good advice. That's why I sometimes post things I find from other sites here for you to read. Remember, I didn't invent perspective, so my way isn't the right way or the only way. All I do is share what I know. Drawing is fun and it shouldn't be hard, if perspective is really difficult for you, keep practicing and don't be afraid to ask people for help.

(source)

How To Improve Your Creativity 101

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It's been a while. I wont make a big deal about this being my first post in almost half a year, obviously my clavicle is healed so lets just get right back to business :)

Staying creative is one of many things an artist must do to be successful

      It takes a lot of motivation and drive to continue making art. You will read MANY things that insist that they are the key to retaining your momentum and increase your drive. They are all a little bit true and a bunch of bull at the same time. Every person is different and will have different ways to get motivated. For example some people like it rough with the stress of deadlines while others enjoy a slower, thought out pace. It makes sense to me that what might motivate one person will not motivate another. 

      Today I read something that I felt spoke directly to me and gave me tons of energy inspiration. I read 4 tips about creativity by the creator of a comic strip called "Calvin & Hobbes" (Bill Watterson) I'll share them with you:

1) You have to lose yourself in your work
     Make your art and your thought process should be one. Inject your opinions and how you see the world into your work and let it inspire your imagination back. 
(I'm always thinking about my animation and even during stressful times, dream about it! This small tip I can relate to a lot)

2) Create for yourself

     Once in a while forget that you have an audience and just do what you like. Aim to make yourself laugh or a close family member. 

(I especially like this note because when you enjoy the work you are doing, you don't mind working hard and putting a 110% into your art)

3) Make it beautiful
     I'm going to quote the exact words bc it hits it right on the nose: "My advice has always been to draw cartoons for the love of it, and concentrate on the quality and be true to yourself. also try to remember that people have better things to do than read your work. so for heaven's sake, try to entice them with some beauty and fun."
(always do your best!)

4) Every medium has it's power
     Whether its the power for a few seconds strung over 10 years or a national anthem being sung at the World Cup Finals, video games, or crafts... Every Medium has a way to connect to people that is unique.

The internet never stops being creative

         These four tips have helped me out, I hope sooner rather than later you also find what you need to stay pumped about your work