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Brother Thomas Film

02

Jul
2015

One Comment

In Brother Thomas

By Steve Leeper

Guest Artist/DMA Alum: Shanay Anderson

On 02, Jul 2015 | One Comment | In Brother Thomas | By Steve Leeper

For her contribution to the Guest Artist gallery Shanay has chosen a pivotal moment in the film.  Br. Thomas’ epiphany where he sees for the first time nature in all it’s glory.

Shanay has captured the moment beautifully!

Thomas’ gaze moves our eye upward into swirling branches with shafts of light filtering through their jewel-like leaves, coming to rest finally on the dragonfly. . . gives me goosebumps just looking at it! 🙂

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22

Jun
2015

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In Guest Artists

By Steve Leeper

Guest Artist/DMA Alum: Cole Phillips

On 22, Jun 2015 | No Comments | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper

What could be better than staying up late and perusing your sketchbook by moonlight. . . with a dragonfly on your head? 🙂

Cole’s illustration of Br. Thomas brings out the monk’s childish nature.  From the look on Thomas’ face he has no idea that the sun set hours ago.

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10

Jun
2015

One Comment

In Guest Artists

By Steve Leeper

Guest Artist/DMA Alum: Chad Bierdeman

On 10, Jun 2015 | One Comment | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper

An Epic image from the Great White North!

For Chad’s Guest Artist contribution he chose to tell the entire story of Br. Thomas in an single epic image! 🙂

Judging from the glowing red clouds and sweeping landscape I’d say he’s settling in comfortably to his new Canadian surroundings.

chadB-portrait_THB_800w

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01

Jun
2015

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In Guest Artists

By Steve Leeper

Guest Artist/DMA Alum: Sarah Bodnar

On 01, Jun 2015 | No Comments | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper

Hi-fiven’ a dragonfly!

In classic Sarah Bodnar form, Br. Thomas has been transformed into pure child-like creativity!  I love the expression on both of their faces!  You can tell they’ve been up to something.  The only question is what???

Have they been out exploring nature when Br. Thomas should have been inside working? . . .or did they just TP the statues of the Church Fathers? 🙂

bodnar_sarahDble

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20

May
2015

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In Guest Artists

By Steve Leeper

Guest Artist/DMA Alum: Gracie Klumpp

On 20, May 2015 | No Comments | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper

Gracie’s version of Br. Thomas shows the flustered monk, as usual, late for work and running past one of the Church Fathers with the blue Dragonfly in hot pursuit. In the film the statues never show signs of life, only perceived judgement and long shadows. I love that in Gracie’s version, it seems that the statue and the dragonfly have an understanding about Br. Thomas.

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22

Sep
2012

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In Guest Artists

By Steve Leeper

Luis Contreras

On 22, Sep 2012 | No Comments | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper

I first met Luis in 1994 when he moved to Chicago to begin teaching at Columbia College in the animation department.  We were both charged with developing core classes and it was immediately apparent that we shared the same love for story and animation. When Phil Vischer was looking for a story artist for his VeggieTales project I knew exactly the artist for the job.

Luis’ sense of character and his flair for dramatic expression comes through in the image he created for the Guest Artist Gallery.  Luis’ Brother Thomas is both older and younger than the Thomas who’s been showing up in my storyboards.  A red-haired young man, completely in the moment, breathing in the freshness of the new day.

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04

Aug
2012

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In Guest Artists

By Steve Leeper

Dennis Jones

On 04, Aug 2012 | No Comments | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper

I had the pleasure of getting to know Dennis this past year when he sat in on my puppet making class at HU.   I was supposed to teach him how to make a foam puppet.  In the end I think Dennis schooled us on three-dimensional character design instead.  Either way he created a killer Viking puppet named Mangus, which helped to push all of our puppet making techniques to the next level and almost forced us to buy a larger oven.

Dennis’ distinct illustration style gives Brother Thomas a completely new look.  Not only has his haircut improved, but it looks as though he may have lost a few pounds while hanging out in Dennis’ studio.  I love the mischief that’s going on between he and the dragonfly.  They certainly look like they’re up to something.

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20

Jul
2012

2 Comments

In Guest Artists

By Steve Leeper

Tim Hodge

On 20, Jul 2012 | 2 Comments | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper

Tim Hodge and I worked together at Big Idea Productions back in the early 2000’s.  As one of the first artists to migrate to the Mid-West from Disney Studios Tim brought a wealth of story and production insight that could only have come from a major studio.

Tim’s Veggietale directorial debut was Lyle the Kindly Viking which to this day stands out as one of my favorites in the series. . . what’s not to like about an asparagus viking knitting pot-holders. 🙂

I love what Tim has done with Br. Thomas.  Somewhere between religious ecstasy and winning the Irish lottery!

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09

Jul
2012

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In Guest Artists

By Steve Leeper

Timothy Botts

On 09, Jul 2012 | No Comments | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper

Tim Botts has created the second contribution to our Brother Thomas Guest Artist Gallery.

The quote is from Thomas Aquinas, 13th century monk and namesake to our central character.  Combined with Tim’s imagery they pretty much sum up the project.

Beyond their physical beauty, Tim’s images bring new layers of meaning to familiar texts and cause me to read more deeply into phrases I haven’t seen before.

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25

Jun
2012

One Comment

In Guest Artists

By Steve Leeper

Bryan Ballinger

On 25, Jun 2012 | One Comment | In Guest Artists | By Steve Leeper

I can’t think of a better person to help kick off our Brother Thomas Guest Artist Gallery.

In a few weeks Bryan’s illustration will be joined by other images inspired by “The Temptation of Brother Thomas” story.  Whatever turns up in the following weeks you can be sure they’ll be nothing like the first.

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