Happy New Year!

Hi, Happy New Year!

I’m Brittney Galloway, lead (and only) animator at the Sleepy Gallows (SG). This is the first issue of the SG Newsletter. Ultimately, this newsletter will share the progress of Sleepy Gallows projects, but there will be some other things I hope you all like.

If you’re coming from LinkedIn or Instagram, you probably know I’m currently working on an animated short called The Elusive Green Elephant. I’ve wanted to make a whimsical short with a green elephant since my university days in 2013. When the world shut down in 2020, I started working on the concept again and pulled in some friends to help a bit. In 2022, I had a working animatic. In 2023, I worked on one shot a week every week. For 2024, the plan was to finish all the animation, but my day job and burnout had other plans. However, 2024 was not bad. I learned a lot about Blender NPR (Non-Photo Realistic) rendering and Moho Animation 14 Pro. As a tradigital animator, my horizons have broadened, but with learning comes slow progress. This year, I will make up time with my new skills.

This newsletter will not only be about the Elusive Green Elephant. I’m also developing an animated web series called Sister Hearts, another short called Princess Charming, and a comic that I’m working on with my sister Crystal Galloway. Princess Charming is fully roughed out, but it needs a lot of cleanup and sound design. The comic is yet another Cinderella story, but I promise we have a fresh take. I also still plan on concluding For Peace, Love, and Harmony in some way. All of these will take a couple of years.

In addition to these projects, there will be a spotlight section and helpful art tutorials. I think it’s important to share art and artists that we like. So, every issue will share an animated short, indie animation, or foreign animated film AND a separate section for an artist that may or may not be associated with the animation spotlight. I also feel that people who are interested in this kind of newsletter or blog are also artistic or curious about different processes. Feel free to share your favorite artists and resources as well!

Animation Spotlight: Wade

What it’s about: In the big picture, this is a film about climate change in Kolkata, India. It is a horror film about a town that has flooded and the living that were left behind.
I found this great article on Medium if you’d like more of the backstory and inspiration.

Why I like it: It was surprising! I never knew what would happen next in a stressful way.

Artist Spotlight: Martha Opiyo

Art Tutorial I Like

Marco Bucci has the best hand tutorial I’ve ever seen, and I immediately improved after trying his techniques.