Anthony Projects

Cosmic Cat Storyboards

2009-04-19T22:24:00.000-07:00

So here's a quick layout of how the book might work. I based the drawings on the short version of the story (I'll email the file) that was sent to me by mom. In this version I'm trying to distill the essence of the story so we will need to make a shorter, purer version of the text to go with it. Maybe a few sentences per page at the top or bottom of the pages, a few sentences bridging the pictures and explaining the world of Cosmic Cat.

I was thinking after I did this that maybe we should replace Cosmic's crash at the Whitehouse with his ship just getting stuck in a tree in a suburban neighborhood. It'll make it a little more universal, plus you don't have to really get unnecissarily political. You still get the "it looks like humans are in charge, but they really aren't" story line, without all the strange back story. Also, getting stuck in a tree doesn't damage the ship, and maybe the human owner just ends up filling the milk tank in the ship, and its ready to blast off again at the end of the story, after Cosmic cleans up and gets a rest. Anyways, this is my input. Once mom slows down the work train a little, I'm going to have her maybe find a layout/book size that works (maybe just picking a size on lulu.com or another online book publisher) and we can layout the text, refine the story, and start on some more refined illustration ideas. Let me know what you think is missing/needed in the story, maybe we can all help with the new draft together...loosely based on the layout/illustrations below and our common recollection of the story elements and dad's existing writing work. Cosmic Cat Go!

Matt-Cat Sketches

2009-04-13T10:51:00.000-07:00

Just some older cat ideation I wanted to post

Matt- Cosmic Preliminary

2009-04-12T22:45:00.000-07:00

Heres a quick development shot of cosmic. Trying to get a few iconic bits in, like his coloration (with one unnatural-ish tone and some distinctive white use) goggles instead of the ubiquitous cat with fish bowl on head, and bell communicator, cat planet emblem, etc. I'll probably refine this as the production progresses, but its getting close. Mom is going to help layout the book soon in InDesign and Hopefully we'll start storyboarding pretty soon. We'll try to get everyone's feeback in refining the story bits too...maybe I'll post the text so we can go back and edit anything to make it the best flow and layout for kids.

quilted cowl pattern

2009-03-30T06:17:00.000-07:00

So it’s kind of the wrong season for most of the world to be thinking about warm wooly hand-knits, but it was chilly here yesterday and I was reminded how much I love this cowl I knit during my Minnesota winter.

FINISHED SIZE

7” x 23”

MATERIALS

Malabrigo Yarn Silky Merino [50% silk, 50% merino wool; 150.0 yards (137.2m) per 50g skein]; color: Rupestre; 1 skein.

1 US #6/4mm needles, 32 inches or longer

4 stitch markers

Embroidery needle

2- 1” buttons

needle and thread for sewing on buttons

GAUGE

5.5 sts/8 rows = 1 inch in pattern

PATTERN NOTES

Quilted Lattice stitch pattern (Worked over a multiple of 6 sts + 1)

Row 1 [RS]: [K1, sl 5 wyif] to last st, K1.
Even-Numbered Rows 2-8 [WS]: P all sts.
Row 3 [RS]: K3, [insert right needle under strand from Row 2 and K next st bringing st under strand and out toward you, K5] to last 4 sts, insert right needle under strand from Row 2 and K next st bringing st under strand and out toward you; K3.
Row 5 [RS]: Sl 3 wyif, [K1, sl5 wyif] to last 4 sts, K1, sl3 wyif.

Row 7 [RS]: [insert right needle under strand from Row 6 and K next st bringing st under strand and out toward you, K5] to last st, insert right needle under strand from Row 6 and K next st bringing st under strand and out toward you.
Repeat Rows 1-8 for Quilted Lattice Pattern.

Make sure to stretch the float across the slipped stitches to prevent puckering of the finished fabric.

3-stitch One-Row Buttonhole:

Sl 1 wyif. [Sl 1 wyib, pass first slipped stitch over] 3 times. Turn work. Using a cable cast-on, CO 4 sts. Turn work. Sl 1 wyib, then pass the second st on right needle over the first st. Continue working across the row.

DIRECTIONS

Provisionally CO 103 sts. Work in Quilted Lattice stitch until work measures 6”, ending with a WS row.

Knit 1 row, pm. Do not turn. Pick up and knit 43 stitches evenly spaced along short edge of work, pm. Transfer 103 CO sts to needle and knit, pm. Pick up and knit 9 sts, cast on 3 sts using backwards loop CO, skip 4 rows along edge (this creates a buttonhole), pick up and knit 19 sts, cast on 3 sts using backwards loop CO, skip 4 rows, pick up and knit 9 sts. 192 sts.

Begin working in the round as follows:

Rounds 1 and 3: [K1, M1, K to next marker, M1, sm] 4 times. 8 sts increased each round.

Even rounds 2-10: K all sts.

Round 5 (picot round): [YO, K2tog] around.

Round 7: [K1, K2tog, K to 2 sts before next marker, SSK, sm] 4 times. 8 sts decreased.

Round 9: [K1, K2tog, K to 2 sts before next marker, SSK, sm] 3 times, K1, K2tog, K7, insert a 3-stitch one-row buttonhole, K19, insert a 3-stitch one-row button hole, K7, SSK, sm. 8 sts decreased.

Break yarn, leaving a tail that is at least 6 feet long. Fold the hem at the picots and sew the live stitches down to the corresponding row of purl bumps. (A Kitten Knits has a great picture tutorial for this.)

FINISHING

If desired, whipstitch around the buttonholes to keep the two layers from separating.

Weave in all ends and block as desired.

Sew buttons to short edge of cowl as shown (the centers of mine are about 1.5” from the edge).

Danno's Goals di 2009

2009-02-23T17:17:00.000-08:00

i need to get a (more) proper portfolio

that involves
1 catelogueing viable projects
2 getting feedback on which are most impactful
3 choosing what these projects say about me, my personal thesis
4 with that in mind, choosing a portfolio format
5 trying to get the first few un-developed projects in line with it (techshop!)
6 getting a novel web portfolio together (def thinking cool AJAX, like rss organization)
7 editting, layout, publishing
8 sending it out with deadlines for either school or work (later)
ack.

Tom's Goals 2009

2009-02-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

Despite my rather constant goals of self-actualization and world peace, I will attempt a bit more attainable goals for my portion of the family project. Since it is widely acknowledged that photography may be the one art form I have even a slight chance to get good at, I would really like to have two goals.

1. Begin to understand the fine points of manual settings (f-stops and exposure times) as evidenced by some nice night shots including some long exposures.

2. Use my digital camera to develop a better sense of framing and interest in photos of people, particularly with candid shots.

I have my tripod and my photography book with me in Madison and will try to take a few evenings to begin some night shots. I will use the digital on this as well for posting purposes.

sarah's 2009 goal

2009-02-16T20:31:00.000-08:00

so now that I'm officially an Anthony, I'm joining in the Anthony Family Creative Quest.

my creative goal for this year is going to be (surprise!) knitting-related. I have lots of ideas bouncing around in my head for patterns, and my ultimate goals for the year are 1) to get a pattern published in a knitting magazine (online or print), and 2) to self-publish a pattern that (I hope) fellow knitters will think is worth paying hard-earned money for.

unfortunately, most knitting magazines won't publish anything that's been "published" anywhere else, even if it's just a picture in a blog. so. I'll be working on that project (for which I already have a pretty solid idea, as far as pattern and yarn go) without blogging much about it, but I'll also be working (and blogging) on the as-yet-undetermined self-published pattern.

along the way, I'll probably post some free patterns-- simple little things, modified patterns, and other patterns that I don't necessarily think are "sale-able."

here we go!

Cosmic Week 1: Cosmic Cat Inspiration board

2009-02-16T07:49:00.000-08:00

A collection of some classic space and 50's style illustration, as well as some space cats to inspire the look of the book illustrations.

Mom + Matt's Goal: Illustrated Book

2009-02-15T11:24:00.001-08:00

So I have been wanting to work on some illustration this year, and to help complete the Cosmic Cat book. I will be working together with mom to finish a fully illustrated Cosmic Cat story to be published/printed on an online book service. Our weekly goals will be various development steps in the book: character design sheets, rough layouts, finished pages, story tweaks, etc. and we will be looking for feedback along the way to make it a stronger final product and story.

For this first week we will be doing some research about sizes, lengths, and styles for children's books and will be uploading an inspiration board to help define our visual styling by next week.

Blog 2.0 is alive

2009-02-15T10:13:00.000-08:00

This year we are changing the format a little. After a bit of a taper with moleskine related gift/journaling last year, we are looking to restart a goal-based creative endeavor in which each family member picks an ultimate goal and posts weekly updates on progress made to reach that goal. The goals will ultimately be creativity based, and as a group we can provide input and feedback to helpt reach these goals. So the next basic step is for all of use to list our ultimate end goal and define what our outputs will be, both for the future and more specifically for next week. Lets keep each other on task! Goals to be finished by the potential Anthony family vacation ( a reward?).

Dan: Productive Groundhog Day

2009-02-03T13:55:00.000-08:00

Dad: Inauguration Day: Breaching the Wall

2009-02-02T15:12:00.001-08:00

Dad: Inauguration Day: Breaching the Wall

Mom: Day in Review

2009-01-31T21:32:00.000-08:00

Matt: Inauguration Day

2009-01-29T12:04:00.000-08:00

2009-01-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

In order to re-vivify, for more than a year, for 2009, a new challenge: (ahem) over MLK 3days, then Obama day, chose a day. At the end of the day, draw a singular image that can describe the day. Take no more than 15 minutes, and focus on one illustration.

#16: Dan: Cosmic Cat Paraphenalia

2008-09-15T14:24:00.000-07:00

Fleshing out a few concepts around CC Tech, Lore, and Storyboard.

Dad Week 15 - Map of the Middle Aged Isles

2008-09-10T20:29:00.001-07:00

Tom Anthony
tjanthony@aol.com

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Matt 16.2 - more Cosmic Cat Doodles

2008-09-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

Matt 16.1 - Cosmic Cat doodles

2008-09-10T20:20:00.000-07:00

Mom #15: Chocomap

2008-09-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

#15: Dan: Personal Journey Map ala Beck

2008-08-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

sur le Metro

Week #16 Cosmic Cat himself

2008-08-18T12:22:00.000-07:00

So this week we are doing doodles of our favorite childhood story hero Cosmic Cat... product of dad's imagination. In the next few weeks I think we will flesh out the story/universe for Cosmic Cat, but for now, just do some doodles on what Cosmic cat looks like. Make one version with different detail possibilities, or many different ideas of whats possible. Only key considersation is that he is a cat that does space travel.

Matt #15 Sound map of Morgan's Rock

2008-08-18T11:37:00.000-07:00

Week #15 Cartography

2008-04-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the week hiatus, trying to let everyone get caught up a little. This week's challenge is drawing a map of an imaginary place. Treasure map, topography, road map, mind map, visual thesaurus, video game world-view, personal friend network map... a map of anything really.

MOM #13: Sapphire Martini, always in Fashion

2008-04-02T13:09:00.001-07:00

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Dad Week 13 - Shaken, not stirred

2008-04-01T19:30:00.000-07:00

Tom Anthony
tjanthony@aol.com

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#12: Dan: Are they going green?

2008-03-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Irony.

Matt#13 droplets

2008-03-26T16:59:00.000-07:00

Matt Week#12 Me Pot o'Gold

2008-03-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

Week #13 Martini Glass

2008-03-21T20:11:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we need to get a little more on track, but this is for next week Wednesday hopefully. This week the idea is to design and draw some glasses meant for a Bombay Sapphire martinis, a la this competition:
http://www.designerglasscompetition.com/

#11: Dan: Two Takes on Lamp-type

2008-03-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

Dad Week 12 - Erin Go Bragh

2008-03-19T21:27:00.001-07:00

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Mom #12: Think Green

2008-03-15T13:09:00.000-07:00

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Mom #11: Typed Plugged In

2008-03-15T12:42:00.000-07:00

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Week #12 Irish Doodles

2008-03-13T13:42:00.000-07:00

Channel your inner Blarney and a do some drawing/scribbling related to Ireland or St. Patrick's Day. May be performed under the influence of Guinness.

Matt #11 illuminated text

2008-03-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

Dad #11 Monogram Lamp (can you see it?)

2008-03-11T20:14:00.001-07:00

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Dad #10: Saffron Rice Beckons

2008-03-08T16:09:00.001-08:00

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Dad #9: Segway alternatives at the Louvre

2008-03-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

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#10: Dan: Haiku on Food on Trace

2008-03-06T16:08:00.000-08:00

Week #11 light fixture

2008-03-05T19:27:00.001-08:00

This week the challenge is to Design a light fixture using the alphabet. Use however many letters you want, but everything must be some form of letter.

Matt #10 The Switcheroo

2008-03-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

Mom #10: Haiku from Paris

2008-03-05T10:30:00.000-08:00

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Mom #9: Juicer

2008-03-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

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Week #10 Consumable Haiku

2008-02-29T22:21:00.000-08:00

Illustrate one or two haikus any way you would like. The only stipulation is that the subject matter must be food or drink related.

Matt #9 Kitchen Robot Race

2008-02-29T22:17:00.000-08:00

Mom #8: L'amour faire des courses

2008-02-20T19:21:00.001-08:00

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Week #9 Kitchen machine

2008-02-20T19:17:00.000-08:00

Build a magical machine from small kitchen utensils or anything found in your kitchen cabinet or drawers. Do a collage, draw, use any medium necessary, without actually taping utensils into the book (it won't shut very well if you do).

Mom #7: Desert java mirage

2008-02-20T19:15:00.001-08:00

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Matt #8 N3RDY Valentine set

2008-02-20T18:50:00.000-08:00

Dad #8: Valentine

2008-02-17T15:35:00.001-08:00

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Dad #7: Red Wine Rorschach

2008-02-17T15:34:00.001-08:00

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#7: Dan: Coffee

2008-02-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

This illustration is for my first architecture project in my continuing studies at CCA. It is a test concept of the use of a single 8ft wall to define a space, in this case an amphitheater-like rise.

#8: Dan: V-Day Mixed Metaphor

2008-02-14T16:51:00.001-08:00

Week #8 Valentines

2008-02-13T18:53:00.000-08:00

Something fun and hopefully quick: Design your own Valentine's Day cards. Cheesy phrases, cynical or not. You decide.

Matt #7 Coffee Worlds

2008-02-13T18:52:00.000-08:00

Week #7 Coffee and Ink

2008-02-06T19:17:00.000-08:00

OK, this week is partially inspired by a Dan Anthony original, but I thought it would be fun to do a mixed media pen/coffee collaboration. Use the coffee as a wash for shading. Create something from the stains and build on the drops or rings with the pen. If you cant think of anything, just throw down some coffee do a kind of Rorschach. I guess just be careful to not put too much on the pages, so they don't wrinkle. or warp anything else. Other than that though, have at it.

Matt #6 Childhood Mashup

2008-02-06T19:13:00.000-08:00

#6: Dan: MedievalMonsterMash

2008-02-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

But did you ever wonder what to do with the leftover bits?

Dad #6: Globby

2008-02-04T08:45:00.001-08:00

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MOM #6: Zupa and Zing

2008-02-01T06:25:00.001-08:00

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#5: Dan: The Bird I Think of Most

2008-01-31T11:50:00.000-08:00

Week #6 Mix'em up monsters

2008-01-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

For those that remember the book, create your own mix'em up monsters, with different parts of different monsters or real animals. You can design the monster in 3 segments like the book or you can mash them up any way you want; get crazy with it.

Dad #5: THE BIRDS

2008-01-29T07:28:00.001-08:00

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Mom #5: FLAMINGO, Not the pink plastic lawn bird

2008-01-28T15:30:00.000-08:00

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Matt #5 O RLY?

2008-01-27T13:01:00.000-08:00

#4: Dan: Anthony Travels Infographic

2008-01-25T15:14:00.000-08:00

Conclusion

As time goes on,
the Anthony tribe grows,
and so does the adventures!

MOM #4 Wherever we go, there we are

2008-01-23T20:04:00.001-08:00

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Dad #4 Mind Expanding Travel

2008-01-23T19:24:00.001-08:00

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Week #5 Birds!

2008-01-23T18:08:00.000-08:00

Alright, this one is for dad now that hes warmed up. The goal is to draw birds, real or imaginary, in their native environment. Make it work.

Matt post #4 Anthony family is go!

2008-01-21T21:00:00.000-08:00

Dad#1 Thankful

2008-01-17T19:09:00.001-08:00

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Challenge #4: Anthony Family Vacation Mashup

2008-01-16T18:34:00.000-08:00

For this next week's challenge, I am looking for a cut and paste job. Print a few small versions of your favorite Anthony family Vacation photos and paste them into the book. Then write in some captions, or picture frames, or anything you want to doodle around the stuff. One week starting.....now.

Dad #3 Limerick: SubZero

2008-01-15T18:16:00.001-08:00

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MOM #3 SAKE

2008-01-15T13:06:00.001-08:00

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#3: Dan: Dirty Limerick

2008-01-14T17:19:00.000-08:00

There once was a chair by Eames
In Holstein it's a thing of dreams
But people forget now
It came from a Cow
who would rather be making cream.

Matt post #3 limerick

2008-01-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

In a time when the land was lost
The dinos went by without frost.
But when snow came down
They fled from the town
In a ship which the waves did toss.

Dad Week 2 : Hot Cocoa

2008-01-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

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Week #3 Write and Illustrate a Limerick

2008-01-08T20:54:00.000-08:00

Allright, so this one is pretty straightforward. Write an original limerick and illustrate each line of the poem.

more about limericks here if you need a refresher:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limerick_(poetry)

Also I need some suggestions for the following weeks. I have a few ideas for the next few weeks, but I need to start making a longer list of ideas, so if you guys have any, let me know and I will work them in.

#2 MOM : Tea & Honey

2008-01-04T16:08:00.001-08:00

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#1:Dan: Thanksgiving

2008-01-04T00:43:00.001-08:00

dear family, I am thankful for things beyond counting this year, but
really one grabs my attention now:

#2: Dan: Hot Drink

2008-01-04T00:42:00.001-08:00

The Humble Bean

Matt Post #2 Cappuccino

2008-01-03T19:29:00.000-08:00

Week #2: Favorite Hot Drink

2008-01-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

Alright, in honor of the cold snap (at least here in the midwest) I am going to have everyone draw their favorite hot drink and then draw the separate components used to make the drink. Get creative...show it as a diagram, being made, where the components come from (Cows? Soy bean plants?) etc.

Matt Post #1

2008-01-03T19:17:00.000-08:00

moms post #1

2007-12-28T13:38:00.001-08:00

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#1 First Family Challenge

2007-12-24T17:31:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this will be the test for the first week. I'll try to help get everything worked out and everyone posting. But the first idea for the first 2 page spread from everyone is to create, write, draw some random graphic of a thanksgiving type message, whether its turkeys and cliches or what you are really thankful for this holiday season. Something fun is always the best to keep yourself entertained. So lets get to it, and here's to a year of family fueled creativity!

Blogger test

2007-12-24T17:24:00.000-08:00

So this is sent in through my aol mail, so you can just send an email here to post online, I'm assuming with pictures is okay too.

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2007-12-22T22:43:00.000-08:00

So the idea here is that you can draw anything on the two pages and just take a picture of it and post it onto the site, no scanning needed. Pretty simple.

Tria Markers: They recently reformatted the actual marker, which I don't like as much as the old one, but I like it as its the least toxic smelling that still colors over Bic Pen without causing it to bleed.

2007-12-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

The tools of the trade: 3 moleskine journals

BIC Ultra pen: one of my favorites. Its good for some variation in line weight. Not great with markers, but good all around cheap pen.

Pilot G-2 0.5 mm: A decent gel pen. I had heard good things about Pilot G-2 as being a favorite pen for people who use moleskines. I bought 0.5 so it would be better for sketching than 0.7mm, but when I've tried it was a little difficult for sketching. Good for writing though, nice and smooth and takes marker.

A nice all around nylon type marker pen. Fine point, but not too fine for a nice solid line weight. Good with marker as well.