Christi Bertelsen's Art Blog

gecko comp

2012-01-25T14:12:00.002-05:00

I made a sample comp of a gecko Geico commercial. I've always wanted to draw his cute little belly.

Texting

2012-01-16T19:18:00.001-05:00

This is a concept piece for something I'd like to animate. I just like the idea of tiny bottles texting. The tiny Blackberry prop is made out of wood, paint and a Blackberry print glued to the front. It's a little sloppy...I'm not used to making stop motion props and its really cold in my apartment.

Snowman Graph Paper (8-bit style)

2012-01-01T16:46:00.000-05:00

This is my holiday animation :)

koopa paratroopa

2011-12-16T13:30:00.001-05:00

A turtle-bird from my sketch book.

Poker pig

2011-12-07T02:39:00.002-05:00

I've been playing a lot of online Texas Hold 'Em in the past week. I drew this sketch while playing. It's very much inspired by Animal Farm, as I think you can see.

Cop pepper spraying the moon

2011-11-21T23:55:00.008-05:00

Everyone is doing it...I wanted to make one too.

Flips commercial

2011-11-11T00:59:00.002-05:00

This is my latest work. I drew the 2D character animation on a commercial for Flips cereal. Produced by Dancing Diablo.

Mario is 30

2011-09-14T18:31:00.000-04:00

...but today is the anniversary of Super Mario Bros. which is 26 yrs old. His first gig was that dude in Donky Kong.

My drawing isn't terribly original, but I wanted to draw Mario by hand and on graph paper, which is how the old games where animated. So here's my tribute.

Tegan and Sara

2011-09-14T18:30:00.000-04:00

I'm playing around with another little animation. Here are T&S as very small 8-bits.

"Launch" Illustration Friday

2011-06-18T06:14:00.007-04:00

I haven't made art (visual art anyway) in while, so I made something for Illustration Friday.

Here's a pic of the lightbox.

MJ 8-bit on Youtube now

2011-06-15T23:32:00.002-04:00

I showed this clip as a flash file, but now its on Youtube in HD. I am working on getting some new content. I've had some shoulder pain, but its getting better.

MARKER

2011-05-07T01:29:00.004-04:00

This is the video Jose, Gina and I made last Saturday morning for the 24 Hour Film Race.

24 Hour Film Race

2011-05-04T02:45:00.002-04:00

This is a still frame from "Marker" a short I, Gina, and Jose made over the weekend. It will screen on Thursday in Brooklyn. I hope the picture looks okay on the big screen. The video camera was free on craigslist and didn't record sound or focus on a zoom. The image above is what came out after adjusting in post.

Mariah Carey 8-bit animation

2011-01-13T18:40:00.003-05:00

I know it's way past the holidays, but I thought I'd finish this anyway. Plus, Tricia keeps texting me about it. Watch out, there is music. I hope you like it.

In case you are interested in my process here are a few screen shots.

The Mariah (and Micheal Jackson) poses were animated in very tiny photoshop documents, then saved as bitmaps and imported to Flash, converted and resized. I learned this from Chris Pace when animating his digibird. It takes more time than drawing in Flash but the pixels remain true like actual sprites. I've tried Fireworks a little bit, but I'm more comfortable with PS.

Here is the background in Photoshop.

Here is a pic of Mariah's symbol in Flash. She has 18 main poses. To add eye and mouth movements I repeated her body frames and added the other things on top. That way had about 100 fames to choose from. I'm a little better at multiplying by 18 now.

These are the frames for the snow/confetti animation. Each flake has an 86 frame loop.

Rothko Man

2011-01-13T18:40:00.001-05:00

Why Rothko Man is the epitome of absolute beauty and perfection:

This piece explores concepts of the Golden Ratio, symmetry, simplicity, and the arm of Michelangelo's David.

updated 8-bit MJ animation

2010-12-02T18:43:00.000-05:00

It still isn't finished, but there is little more dancing.

And here is MJ in Beat it gear.

8-bit Micheal Jackson

2010-11-29T05:04:00.003-05:00

Somehow I've become obsessed with animating Michael Jackson dancing. I actually can't tell if this is considered 8 or 4 bit.

Here is a test of the animation... it has sound.

8 bit Our Lady of Guadalupe

2010-11-23T05:10:00.000-05:00

In another competition :)

2010-10-21T15:06:00.003-04:00

I am in the NexTV Directors Competition. I hope you will vote for my films...You don't have to sign up...just click VOTE by my name. I will buy you coffee or something, really.

This sounds like a cool contest because the final judging panel consists of producers from Disney and other major studios. I don't know if I even have a chance, but it's still worth a shot. So I hope you will click and vote.
http://www.nextventertainment.com/talent/mini-competition/
or
1. Go to www.nextventertainment.com/talent
2. Click on the big tab at the bottom left of the page that says,
"Shortcut to the Finals"
3. Click on my name :)

Here is an old film that I recently digitized...hopefully it will entice you to vote for me :)

2010-10-14T05:08:00.003-04:00

NexTV Director submission

2010-10-11T15:04:00.002-04:00

This where I ask you to vote for my submission

http://www.nextventertainment.com/talent/mini-competition/
I don't think you have to sign up. Please vote for my films. My name is near the top "Christi Bertelsen."

cosmetics

2010-09-29T14:39:00.008-04:00

Sneakers

2010-09-29T12:02:00.007-04:00

A few shaded

pencils only

Remembering Super Mario Bros. 2002

2010-09-03T21:42:00.002-04:00

If you want to see scenes from your favorite 80's game you only need to punch it into youtube or google. At the time this was taped, a Nintendo needed to be present. I hope that the concept is not fully lost.

The premise: ask people to draw the 1985 video game "Super Mario Bros." worlds from memory to illustrate how a 2 dimensional video game can evoke the emotion of recalling a visited place. Although a few other early games created a similar reaction, I choose Mario because of its vast popularity therefore, connecting millions of people through the shared experience of having traveled through a world that does not exist.

Illustration Friday- Double

2010-07-31T16:54:00.001-04:00

I didn't finish in time to submit, but here it is. I hope it looks as if he's saying "Make it a double". My first idea had to do with El Mariachi. Perhaps I will finish that sometime.

Asifa eight

2010-07-23T02:01:00.001-04:00

Here are a few sketches from tonight's drawing class. The model had very interesting gestures, although I didn't manage to capture any of them well. So these are not very dynamic, but I like them.

Illustration friday- Breakfast

2010-07-17T03:46:00.003-04:00

The thing that came to mind was a song called The World Should Revolve Around Me by Little Jackie. The lyric is "...which came first the Chicken Nugget or the Egg McMuffin?" Since I didn't find any ads or illustrations for it, I thought I would try.

Asifa seven

2010-06-28T02:43:00.000-04:00

Chase-Man

2010-05-27T16:10:00.002-04:00

Long before Chase began using their name as an adjective... My friends and I referred to the bank as "Chase My Money".

Photoshop

Training for the NYC Marathon

2010-05-24T12:24:00.007-04:00

Background pan Created in Photoshop

Still frame- Animation in Flash.

Urban Stencil

2010-04-23T04:33:00.003-04:00

Stencil graffiti inspired animation.
Story/Animation/Sound/Editing- by Christi Bertelsen.
Associate Producer- Cassidy Barnes.
ADA Sport Inc.

-please vote @ ADASport.com on May 11th 2010

Storyboard Backgrounds for a project

2010-02-08T01:36:00.003-05:00

Here are a few storyboard backgrounds for a project. The character is missing. I will show the entire board once the project is finished.

2010-01-17T01:11:00.000-05:00

A few frames from a recent storyboard job.

Life Drawing six

2009-12-04T04:54:00.006-05:00

Life Drawing five

2009-11-21T08:53:00.002-05:00

2009-11-17T16:21:00.002-05:00

Pencil. Digital color.

Life Drawing four

2009-11-11T02:05:00.000-05:00

Princess and the Pea

2009-11-08T03:52:00.000-05:00

Pen and ink, Digital color.

Garfield

2009-11-08T03:43:00.000-05:00

Pen and ink, Digital color.

Babex

2009-11-04T11:19:00.000-05:00

A little illustration I drew for a friend who gave birth to a baby boy. I was trying to play on the delivery theme.
Pen and Ink, Marker.

Drawings from Sketch books

2009-11-04T03:44:00.000-05:00

Life Drawing three

2009-10-27T02:02:00.000-04:00

Woman from Harper's Bizaar.

2009-10-25T03:48:00.000-04:00

Sketch from Harper's Bizaar.

Hedwig

2009-10-25T03:47:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite scenes from Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

Macy's location sketch

2009-10-25T03:46:00.000-04:00

A sketch from MACY'S. Pencil, Digital color.

Remedy Diner

2009-10-25T03:45:00.000-04:00

A sketch of the Remedy Diner on Houston St. Pencil, digital color.

Life Drawing week two

2009-10-22T02:01:00.000-04:00

Self-portrait Han Solo. Me as a kid.

2009-10-21T04:28:00.001-04:00

"Then, I'm Han Solo!"

A while ago I sketched out a little autobiographical (sort of) comic which I never finished.

Girl feeds fish

2009-10-20T11:10:00.001-04:00

This is a frame from at short story about a girl and her fish. I colored this frame to use on the homepage of my website.
Pencil, Digital color.

Marshmellow Fish

2009-10-20T09:41:00.000-04:00

Life Drawing week one

2009-10-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

Wedding Bird

2009-10-09T04:33:00.002-04:00

Photoshop, Flash.
I animated this based on a design by Chris Pace for his wedding website.

Caricature- Madmen theme

2009-10-03T03:32:00.000-04:00

Caricature with a Madmen theme. Pencil, Digital color.

Caricature- Team GREY

2009-09-01T04:29:00.000-04:00

Marker.

Mr. Cleanstone

2009-09-01T03:59:00.001-04:00

My idea for a Mr. Clean ad.
Pen and ink, watercolor. Digital color.

GREY Guys

2009-07-29T03:49:00.000-04:00

Designs for a party poster at GREY Group NY. Digital.

Brian at the Ball

2009-06-15T11:16:00.000-04:00

Pencil, Digital color.

Self portrait Skateboarding

2009-06-03T03:51:00.000-04:00

Pencil, Marker.

Pieta at St. Peters.

2009-03-21T03:52:00.000-04:00

Sketch from my trip to Rome.

Fundraising poster

2009-03-01T02:07:00.000-05:00

Self-portrait for Team in Training. Digital.

Angry Bear

2009-02-19T04:45:00.000-05:00

Rendered with marker and colored pencil. Composited in After Effects. The back ground pan was painting with Photoshop.

Angry Turtle

2009-02-04T04:46:00.000-05:00

Rendered with watercolor. Composited in After Effects.

Running in Tuscany

2009-01-12T01:49:00.011-05:00

Self-portrait animation.
Flash animation. Background pan in photoshop.

Light Houses. 1 minute animation.

2008-11-11T04:50:00.001-05:00

Educational lighthouse piece produced by DarcyVDesign for a children's pilot- written and narrated by David Engel. Directed and designed by Christi Bertelsen.

Self-portrait Han Solo

2008-10-30T04:26:00.000-04:00