Miguel Otálora

Portraiting

2012-01-04T12:55:00.000-08:00

2011 bye bye

2011-12-31T12:56:00.000-08:00

Bombín Cuadrado # 8

2011-12-20T12:47:00.000-08:00

Illustrations for the article El Pato Donald bebe gin tonic en temporada electoral. [Bombín Cuadrado # 8].

Working with frutabomba

2011-12-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

I had the chance to work in a great project with an amazing animation dream team. The project was finished in record time and directed by my good friend Juan Carlos Lopez (owner of the mexican studio frutabomba). More info: here!

Coca-Cola FM Versión Chavito Concierto from Cru de Ladies on Vimeo.

Cartel Urbano # 39

2011-12-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

Illustrations for the article Couch Surfing [magazine "Cartel Urbano" #39]

Rejected artwork # 1

2011-11-21T22:00:00.000-08:00

Just misunderstood...

XVPLA 2012

2011-11-19T06:13:00.000-08:00

Concept, illustration and design that I made for the Premio Lápiz de Acero 2012. This is the most important design award in Colombia. I used the award statuette in my illustration style.

The Bet @ Moscow

2011-10-13T18:21:00.000-07:00

My shortfilm THE BET will be screened at Big Cartoon Festival (Moscow - oct 28th - nov 7th). Take a look: http://www.multfest.ru/rus/

La vaca que cae

2011-10-13T18:18:00.001-07:00

This time I just want to share Emiliano González´s work. Great mexican animator and super cool dude! Take a look: http://lavacaquecae.blogspot.com/

Commissioned illustration for La República

2011-10-07T08:05:00.001-07:00

Here, a rush black n' white illustration that I made for the editorial page of the newspaper La República (the article is about the Steve Jobs dead), the idea was provided by the newspaper.

Strange Kids Club Fanart 2

2011-10-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

Another Strange Kid zombie fanart! Check it out straight in the website: http://www.strangekidsclub.com/?page_id=7292

THE BET in CORTOCIRCUITO 8

2011-09-30T15:03:00.000-07:00

This thursday october 6, my short film THE BET will be in CORTOCIRCUITO 8 - The Latino Short Film Festival, NEW YORK. If you are in NY and have some free time, check your schedule and go to King Juan Carlos I of Spain Center, 53 Washington Square South at 7:00 pm. @ NEW YORK. All the best and thanks from here!
[ http://www.cortocircuito.us/films.html ]

Fast sketch

2011-09-27T14:25:00.000-07:00

Little fast sketch for explain some point about the quality line in digital ink...

Breaking Bad Fanart

2011-08-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

My Walter fanart!

For Satan 2

2011-08-06T20:10:00.002-07:00

More commissioned artwork for Satan.

New T-shirt design for ASIFA Colombia

2011-08-06T18:36:00.000-07:00

New T-shirt design for ASIFA Colombia (International Animated Film Society - Colombia). Available on ASIFA Colombia Store (http://www.asifacolombia.org/tienda/index.html).

For Satan

2011-07-30T19:03:00.007-07:00

Commissioned artwork for Satan.

⌘ + Q

2011-07-27T18:19:00.000-07:00

⌘ + Q

Baal Zebub

2011-07-26T15:41:00.002-07:00

Baal Zebub, lord of the flies.

El Malpensante # 121

2011-07-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

"El rumor de tu presencia" (The rumour of your presence). Article by Luis Miguel Rivas. "Daniel Álvarez has a neighbor who snores...".

El Malpensante # 120

2011-06-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

Illustration artwork for the article El Nuevo Catecismo (The New Catecism). El Malpensante # 120.

La Casa 81

2011-06-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Today, from "La Casa del Ritmo" (The house of Rhythm) Bogotá, I'll be performing an illustration live act. Check it out via internet live stream @ [ www.lacasa81.com ]. 6pm (Bogotá local time).

Strange Kids Club (Fan Art)

2011-05-31T11:19:00.001-07:00

I had a lot of fun doing this fella. This artwork was for the Strange Kids Club. Over here!
I'm also working in a little project for the club. I'm really exciting to do it! Keep an eye on this kid!

Lápiz de Acero Winner

2011-05-27T06:38:00.000-07:00

And my little fella Fanny Mickey (the logo that I made for the XII Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá) got the Lápiz de Acero (Category: Visual Identity), a price to the excellence in design. All my love to Fanny Mickey († 2008).

El Malpensante # 119

2011-05-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

Illustrations for the article "Cartas cruzadas" (Crossing letters) of the magazine El Malpensante edition 119. The article by Santiago Gallego Franco, tells the story of the strange correspondence between the writer John Kennedy Toole and his editor Robert Gottlieb.

Sincera - It has been a long long time

2011-05-10T21:04:00.001-07:00

Around 7 years ago, I made my very first animation short: Sincera, a music video for the song with the same name by the colombian hip-hop group 90Grados. The quality is pretty naive and the animation is not even close to be decent, but still, I spend 6 months and over 2.000 drawings doing it. It was kept in the bottom of an old cd tower.
Curiously, it got the chance to be showed again and Sincera will be screening this Thursday 12 (4pm) taking part in the Colombian Animated Music Videos Showcase. So, if you have the time to take a look of Sincera, it's going to be screening at the "Jorge Tadeo Lozano" University (7th building, 7th floor, video room) Bogotá, Colombia. Also, the Wednesday 18 (6pm) at the "Javeriana" University (Luis Carlos Galán Auditorium) Bogotá, Colombia.

Also bad dudes have feelings

2011-05-10T18:17:00.000-07:00

Character design for a small work in progress.

O-INK [ skin ]

2011-05-04T18:45:00.000-07:00

Going around and around with the O-ink project, I decided get it deeper and draw straight to real human skin.
Soon, the documentary video (by my friend Nazly López) and full illustrations.
Above, just a little sketch that I did in my own arm just to feel the tools.

Inferno b-day BAFOMET

2011-05-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

New piece of artwork for the birthday of my cool friend Rodrigo Tórres.

Lápiz de Acero Nominee

2011-04-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

I got two nominations to the Lápiz de Acero Awards, probably the most importants colombian design awards. The "XII Festival Iberoaméricano de Teatro de Bogotá" logo (Visual Identity Category) and "The Bet" (Digital Concept: Animation) are running for a place in the top of the design projects of 2010. More info here!

Carlos Riaño

2011-04-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share this cool site from my good friend Carlos Riaño, a terrific colombian illustrator that I found again in my path a couple of weeks ago. Carlos was my first illustration teacher at the university and now we are working together in some cool projects (http://portfolio.miguelotalora.com/#1258982/The-creativity-boomer).

His site here: http://www.carlosrilustra.com/

Lucky Star

2011-03-21T19:37:00.002-07:00

Found it!

You should have shot me twice

2011-03-21T17:24:00.001-07:00

You should!

3 cool dudes

2011-03-19T02:49:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to meet 3 cool dudes in the beautiful city of San Juan de Pasto, I just want to share their work:

Yody Castro
Lorena Álvarez
Andrés Barrientos

Check 'em out!

En Agosto

2011-03-19T01:39:00.001-07:00

From my good friend Andrés Barrientos (A.K.A. Barri): En Agosto

ILUZTRA 2011

2011-03-11T18:23:00.000-08:00

The next week (march 16th to 20th), I'll be taking part in the event ILUZTRA 2011 at the beautiful city of San Juan de Pasto (Nariño - Colombia). I'll be there with my conference: Animation and Illustration: Some stories about.
If you are in Colombia and have the opportunity to check my conference, take a tour over San Juan de Pasto.
More info about the event here!

I ♥ you

2011-03-11T18:12:00.004-08:00

Love (in its romance and twee sense) is one of the silliest things I've ever known. I think this is just a corny version of recreational couple life.
I hope my cousin never reads my blog, because I fucking hate his laptop cover. It is a "I ♥ you" handcraft that his girlfriend made for him. It is made of little color papers. As handcraft it is not even a good one, but this is not the point. It is supposed to be a personal and unique connection between them. So, the public exposition of the message is quite silly. If the idea just works for them in a kind of private way, why they don't use a hidden code of a secret game of images? Maybe because the details are the important matter here, so, the love in this point of view is just a collection of little stuffs to represent in a physical way something that probably doesn't exist and details convert themselves into needed shapes to make sure there is still something over there. Cousin, if you read this, please don't hate me (I know you love your girlfriend).
On the same path, I really hate the scenes when in stories, a couple is looking each other, with shining eyes, and they force the tension to the limit until they got a kiss. Cute. Also quite simple way to show people in love. Cute and dumb. Dudes on weed also have cool shining eyes and too many of them got a lot of kisses from random people (maybe they have to much love to give or they understand it too much to know how to fake it or I don't know). I would prefer the scene when the love counts by itself and there is no need to show something to make it evident. For example: a guy that doesn't empty the trash folder of his laptop, cause he knows that in somewhere over there, there is still a picture of her before she cheated on him. Or a girl cleaning her boyfriend face just a moment after she pulled the trigger on his head. For me, they are really falling in love.
By the way, I'm not a dark dude. Not at all. I just talk too many bullshit. Of course, I've been a cheesy guy in too many ways, but it is because the love sounds tentative. Also I found the "I ♥ you" in my wallet got erased and now I just have a piece of paper that I used to write the phone of my Internet company. I noticed it while I was making a complaint about my ADSL speed.
But, in the other hand I have to say I understand the twee love idea just for old people (because I really do). They have lived all the shitty things in the world, so they have enough training to make it good and in the proper way. For me, that it is the only way the romantic love works. Also because they could forget they are into love and color papers on the laptop can help quite a lot. Old people, please use "I ♥ you" and all those kind of things as much as you want, also try to get shining eyes.
All this introduction just to share a video that I found seeking for something in Youtube (first time that I share something from another person and write something this long). From my really talented friend and ex-classmate, the cool Vinay Giridhar: Love's age.

El Malpensante # 116

2011-02-15T16:13:00.002-08:00

Artwork for the cover of the magazine El Malpensante (ed. 116), one of the most popular literary magazine in Colombia.

Nevermind, I'm a loser

2011-01-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

Nevermind, I'm a loser

2011-01-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

Nevermind, I'm a loser

2011-01-05T18:23:00.000-08:00

Nevermind, I'm a loser

2011-01-05T17:52:00.000-08:00

Hell yeah! Sick and Twisted

2010-12-13T14:36:00.001-08:00

From the Sketchbook

2010-12-10T15:28:00.002-08:00

I opened a new section in my site "From the Sketchbook". Just drawings took directly from my personal sketchbook. Check out the section here!
The quality isn't very good, I have to get a scanner. I'll try to keep it updated!

Bogotá Vignettes #3

2010-12-10T13:13:00.003-08:00

[3]

Bogotá Vignettes #2

2010-12-10T04:58:00.000-08:00

[2]

Him: With that dress you look like a whore
Her: Sorry, I didn't know that, I take it off right now
Him: I didn't say take it off

New postcard

2010-12-09T19:49:00.000-08:00

New postcard artwork from www.miguelotalora.com!

Bogotá Vignettes

2010-12-09T19:46:00.000-08:00

New comic vignettes about little chats.

And my attempt of translation above:
Him: And there she was, seductive as only a whore can be...
Her: So you like whores
Him: I didn't say that...
Her: You'd like me to be a whore
Him: I didn't say that either
Her: One day, I'll be a whore
Him: Then, that day, I'll love you
Her: That day you'll have no money to pay me
Him: And that's why I'll love you

Santa Claus is comin' to town

2010-12-01T21:20:00.002-08:00

He's making a list and checking it twice. Hell yeah, Santa is comin' to town! New artwork for my website's x-mas postcard (the postcard is available to purchase, send me a message if you like what you see).

Nest at man

2010-12-01T08:14:00.000-08:00

For the Guard Dog Global Animation Jam (Oscar winner Bill Plymton's Guard Dog), I got the scene 29: "nest at (yelling) man". Here, the art of my scene. The full jam will be available very soon.

I ♥ hot dog

2010-11-22T20:55:00.001-08:00

New artwork as homage to one of the best invents ever. Simple and terrific!

O-ink #3

2010-11-22T20:05:00.001-08:00

The third illustration for the series O-ink.

A lil' Patrón portrait!

2010-11-16T18:49:00.000-08:00

A little self-portrait that I made for the credits of the Guard Dog - Global Animation Jam.

The Bet won the SHORTSNONSTOP Jury Prize

2010-11-15T21:27:00.000-08:00

And the bullet is going around, this time it has hit Canada. The Bet got the Jury Prize at the Canadian Film Centre’s worldwide short film festival SHORTSNONSTOP, presented by TELUS.
Check it out!

CORTO+MOSCA (Best Animation) - The Bet

2010-11-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

And the bullet went to the beautiful city of Manizalez to the Short Film Festival of Manizales and got the first prize in the category: Best National Animation (the award: corto+mosca national animation).
Check it out on the official festival website!

/////cinco

2010-11-11T08:43:00.001-08:00

A new line in my bio-filmograhy and kinda second part of Bogotá Bang Bang, /////cinco (/////five) is my one minute try to learn a bit about film-making and my very first live-action short film. /////cinco is a POV story about the criminal behavior.
The extreme low bugdet film was shot in the fourth floor of my friend's house (Klara Forero), a space full of pieces of Bogotá.

Director: Miguel Otálora
Assistant director: Nazly López
Camera: Javier Hernández
Sound: Andrés Montaña
With the collaboration of: Natalia Chinchilla, Diego Peñuela, Nicolas Cardenas and Oscar González
Special thanks to: Klara Forero and her family, Imaginaton 2010 and Congofilms.

I also rehearsed the only character. The film isn't available online right now, but if you are interested in take a look of it, write me an e-mail and I'll send you a private link. Thank you! I'll keep trying!

New artwork for FANTASY ★ LIFE

2010-11-11T08:21:00.001-08:00

For the new documentary of the great director Nazly Lopez: FANTASY ★ LIFE, I had the pleasure to make the poster and the graphic design of the film. The documentary tells the story of Dainier, a young magician who survives with his magic in the mystical Cuba.

News!

2010-11-11T08:12:00.004-08:00

It has been a long time without news.
Well:

The Bet:
Winner Best Animation - UFRAME International Academic Video Festival, Spain
Top 10 Finalist - SHORTSNONSTOP, Canada (winner is gonna be announced soon)
Top 5 Finalist - CIUDAD LUNA Independent Film Festival, Colombia
Official Selection - FIA'01 International Festival of Animation, Uruguay

Also, our bullet was in an short film expo at the beautiful city of Cartagena (Colombia) in the Short Film Festival LUMIÈRE 2010.

Histoires du Sacré-Coeur:
Official Selection - EXPOTOONS 2010

100 Carteles (100 Posters)

2010-11-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

Going back a little bit, I found the expo 100 Carteles (100 Posters), a collection of hundred cultural posters in Bogotá (1986 - 2006). The expo took place the last year and two of my posters got in. Also, there are five of my posters through the full research (it counts with over 400 posters).

The Bet in the BANG-AWARDS

2010-08-31T17:12:00.000-07:00

The International BANG-AWARDS is a film animation contest in Portugal. BANG has a disclosure and a display of deep relevance in the world and The Bet is in it. Right now, BANG is in online voting time until december 1st.
Here, the official video player from the BANG website.

An interview with Miguel Otálora

2010-08-27T11:56:00.000-07:00

The site www.animadorescolombianos.com posted an interview with me. A little of this and that.
The interview is available here!

The Bet. 2nd Place PIGZAR Animation Contest

2010-08-27T11:49:00.000-07:00

And my bullet got the 2nd place (professional category) in the Pigzar Animation Contest made in Colombia (www.pigzar.com). Thanks to the friends from Pigzar. This is the first achievement that The Bet got in home.

The Bet in Spike and Mike's New Sick and Twisted Animation Festival

2010-08-05T15:40:00.001-07:00

Now it is official, the bullet of The Bet is around the globe in the Spike and Mike's New Sick and Twsited Animation Festival. Check it out the site if you want to know the upcoming shows: http://spikeandmike.com/sitepages/festival.php

The Bet on Aniboom's Youtube channel

2010-08-05T15:36:00.001-07:00

I was lucky that the site Aniboom posted The Bet on its Youtube Channel.
Check it out!

The Bet in Animacursed (Brazil)

2010-08-01T10:33:00.001-07:00

The Bet: Official Selection Animacursed - International Festival of Horror Animation

Rio de Janeiro - Brazil
2010, September 8 to 12 (September 7 is the festival openning)
CCJF - Centro Cultural Justiça Federal

São Paulo - Brazil
2010, September 17 to 23
Reserva Cultural

www.animaldicoados.com

Repulsive

2010-07-14T12:33:00.001-07:00

Officially: THE BET > extremely repulsive...
Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation® presents:
REPULSIVE ::: New uncesored collection DVD (18+) with the most repulsive animation, introducing THE BET by Miguel Otálora.
DVD available to purchase on: San Diego Comic Con 2010 (booth #1536) or Spike and Mike's online store (www.spikeandmike.com).

Immer die Ionna - Best direction / best sound design

2010-07-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

I´m happy to let you know that the documentary Immer die Ionna (where I had the pleasure to participate as animator beside my friend Juan Arenas) got the best direction and the best sound awards in the Festival El Espejo, an international short film festival from Colombia.
Congratulations to Nazly and all her crew.

Onehugeeye

2010-07-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

The Bet this week on onehugeeye, a meeting point for inspiring character animation.
Check it out!

animadorescolombianos.com

2010-07-09T20:14:00.001-07:00

This week, The Bet got posted on animadorescolombianos.com, a blog and website with animation news from Colombia. Check it out!

TBCB

2010-07-04T13:37:00.000-07:00

New illustration for the Fan Club of the colombian rock band The Black Cat Bone.

Bogotá Bang Bang

2010-06-29T19:20:00.001-07:00

Robotsoda ::: Otálora

2010-06-10T22:27:00.001-07:00

Good luck Paula!
Original (right): Juan Arenas A.K.A. Robotsoda
Version (left): Miguel Otálora

The Bet on curiousbrain.com

2010-05-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

The Bet got posted on www.thecuriousbrain.com, one of the most important blogs about art, animation and design. The blog is also ranked in the list of the top250 blogs.
Here!, the link to the post.

Animation demo reel

2010-05-13T13:47:00.006-07:00

Here you have it, my animation demo reel!

Big Put*s

2010-05-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

Some new character sketches.

And the house was in flames...

2010-04-22T18:43:00.000-07:00

New artwork while the house is in flames!

Mr. M

2010-04-20T23:47:00.000-07:00

This was the very first version of the character that I used for my cut-out animation series Histoires du Sacré-Cœur. The first four episodes will be officially released on May 15th.

The Bet

2010-04-16T12:07:00.015-07:00

Finally, The Bet. Enjoy it!

An out of control bullet is the result of a bet in a small dive bar. The Bet is an absurd journey of blood and black humor that will end in the same place where it shouldn't have started.

Direction, animation and digital color paint: Miguel Otálora
Presented by: Vancouver Film School
Original soundtrack: Solo Etra
Sound design: Jacob Kinch

Check it out on the Vimeo channel here!

Histoires du Sacré-Cœur

2010-04-08T21:07:00.003-07:00

My first flash short film Histoires du Sacré-Cœur. A puppet cut-out animation to be realeased officially on May 15th.

From Colombia with love

2010-04-06T11:02:00.001-07:00

Courtesy of my good friend Clara from Colombia, I got this picture of a sculpture of my design. It is located in the International Centre in Bogotá. Thank you K!

YJ King

2010-04-04T17:43:00.002-07:00

New very rough character design called YJ King, a Colombian dude who manages the Salsa band Borojo.

o-ink #2

2010-04-03T00:01:00.002-07:00

A new o-ink artwork.

Madame Alexander

2010-04-01T16:51:00.003-07:00

Once I was walking trough China Town (Vancouver) when I found a creepy McDonald's toy wearing a Mickey Mouse costume. Later on, I found that Alexander (as the back of the toy says) is part of a big collection of Alexanders known as Madame Alexander Dolls (www.madamealexander.com). This illustration is my personal version of the Madame Alexander.

And as well, one image that I took of Alexander, just for you can figure out how creepy is this guy.

Huevos n' Niche

2010-03-31T18:30:00.000-07:00

Those characters were the very first sketch of the ones included in my most recent 2D film The Bet. At the end, I used a very different vesion of them. The Bet will be released officially and showing online on May 1st, 2010.

Politically incorrect

2010-03-31T16:52:00.001-07:00

I've been working on a couple of characters like the one above. This is one of the sketches in color. I'm thinking in animate them in a sorth film with this kind of look.

o-ink #1

2010-03-31T13:51:00.001-07:00

This is an illustration from the my new series o-ink. I'll post more of those ones pretty soon!

Don Puerco

2010-03-31T13:45:00.002-07:00

Don Puerco, a bad-ass southamerican wrestler!

Vimeo channel

2010-03-30T00:39:00.001-07:00

Recently I got a Vimeo channel to upload the videos that I've made. Check it out in this link!

El patrón

2010-03-30T00:25:00.001-07:00

This is an illustration that I made for myself. It is a kind of personal mark and I love it so much. Soon, I'll be selling t-shirts with this chubby friend!

Jangala

2010-03-30T00:13:00.002-07:00

This poster was for a party in Bogotá made in 2009. I just took cutouts from old magazines and mixed them to create this character. It is different from the rest of my poster designs and it had to be done really rush, but I had a lot of fun doing it, so, I decided to post it. By the way, I'll post the full collection of my posters very soon, so, come take a look from time to time. Regards!

FITB 2010

2010-03-29T10:18:00.003-07:00

For the festival I also made 3 short films.
Illustration and design by Me; animation by Juan Arenas; music by Solo Etra.

If you want to see the other 2 short films, you can visit my vimeo channel as well.

FITB 2010

2010-03-28T21:49:00.000-07:00

This is my most recent poster. I made it for the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro de Bogotá 2010. This was inspired for Fanny Mickey, the founder of this teather festival that died in 2009. She was a very representative character of colombian culture and for the festival, the organization released a design contest in hommage to Fanny that I won (yeah!). My design is now the image of the festival and it is around all around Bogotá (Colombia), everywhere. Here, the link to the festival, and of course: my design!.

Guerrilleros

2010-03-28T21:36:00.000-07:00

This poster design made in 2008 is for the documentary Guerrilleros. It is about the travel for all Sierra Maestra (Cuba) of a family of artist involved in the circus. The journey is a confrontation against their own ideals.
Production by Carlos Rodríguez; direction by Nazly López; poster by Me.

El deseo

2010-03-28T21:19:00.002-07:00

This poster made in 2006 is for the documentary El deseo. The story is developed in Santa Cruz del Norte (Cuba), where the bureaucracy coexists besides the desires of the stylist from the small salon El Jardín.
Production by Anne Katrine Nibroe-Nielsen; direction by Nazly López; poster by Me.

Oriente

2010-03-28T21:03:00.002-07:00

This poster design is for the documentary Oriente. The documentary is a portrait of Cuba, trough the story of the characters of the clown company Guerrilleros. Their performance is a ritual playing straight to the east (english translation for the spanish word Oriente), place where the sun rises.

Production by Guasavita Films; direction by Nazly López; poster by Me.

Immer die Ionna

2010-03-28T20:54:00.008-07:00

Animation short made in 2009 and included in the documentary Immer die Ionna, a story about a waitress caught between Germany and Greece.
Production by Nazly López, Greda Sieber and Filmakademie; animation short: illustration and direction by Me, animation by Juan Arenas; poster by Me.
The full documentary is now playing in different festivals and it'll be soon online.

Pucha

2010-03-28T20:41:00.003-07:00

This poster design that I made in 2007 is for the documentary Pucha. Rogelia, also known as Pucha, is a revolutionary old woman that built her small wooden rustic house in the heart of the Sierra Maestra (Cuba). Her legacy didn't reach her next generation when her daughter and her granddaughter left Cuba and started a life in Miami.
Direction by Nazly López; poster by Me.

The documentary is available online at this link.

Life drawing sessions

2010-03-27T22:54:00.002-07:00

Here it is my first post. I'm gonna start with the basics: a little of life drawing!