Saturday, September 04, 2010

Pickle Pup Gets Mangled

I worked on a movie I'll call "Pickle Pup."   My job was to blend computer characters (and their shadows and reflections) into live action scenes.  As the show neared completion, someone sent out an email asking everyone who worked on the show to sign the official poster.  It was going to be a gift for someone.
Most people just signed their names, but some added sketches of the title character.
I decided that's what I'd do too.   I liked to draw, right?   Never mind the fact I did absolutly no drawings, character design, or animation for the movie.

I planned to draw something like this:

What I really drew looked like this:

Arrrgh!   It might have been okay as a doodle, but compared to the professional sketches on the poster, it looked amateurish.  As in "I can't draw and am not aware that I can't draw."  And it was right next to my signature (which in a state of cockiness, I'd made rather large!)
I tried to fix it.

Soon it looked like this:

It was a mess.  What was worse, I was holding up the line.  People behind me (including people who got paid to draw cartoons) were getting impatient.  And wondering what the hell I was doing.

There was no saving the drawing.  It was a smeared, mangled train wreck.   I tried to blot it out into a stylish wedge of black:
The result was as stylish as a mustard stain.   Right next to my name.
I should have blotted that out too.

9 comments:

RHSteeleOH said...

Oh no!

Will you tell us what pickle pup really is when it's released? Or is it really pickle pup? hehe.

Pile Girl said...

Sounds like something I'd do. Love the progression of disaster.

eggy said...

This sure sounds reminiscent of Pigglepug. That's a funny story.

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

Hi RHSteeleOH,
I think Picklepup would be a cool character (probably because I spent time drawing him and got attached to him).
The real-life poster involved cute, talented rodents.

Thanks, Pile Girl.
It's funny how totally botching something- to the point where repair efforts only make it worse- make such good stories.

Hi Eggy,
Pigglepug? Was he an Eldorado character? After I came up with "Pickle Pup" the name "Pigglepug" floated up from my older memories...

Linda Davick said...

I'm here to spoil everything.
I actually LIKE "What I really drew looked like this"
better than "I planned to draw something like this"

stray said...

Great series! I see what Linda means about the natural character you drew. I am terrified of signing anything for fear I will make a mess.

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

Linda, stray, you spoilers!

I'll have to agree the "crude" pic has its own batty charm.

Sally said...

funny funny funny! and I love the wacky drawing on your blog logo now.

Namowal (Jennifer Bourne) said...

Thanks, Sally!
I wasn't sure if the new look was an improvement or a distraction. Either way, it's sincere.