Beaver's Blog

Today, animation is full of 2D and 3D productions. These two techniques mingle and intertwine to offer us increasingly original results. But what are the differences between the two? In 2D animation, the characters’ movements take place in a two-dimensional universe. During the process, you must consider each visual angle and each source of light, then imagine them, draw them, and redraw them each time. All the actions are drawn by hand, frame by frame, and the characters’ movements are broken down into a succession of drawings (24 frames per second). 3D animation, for its part, involves more advanced techniques for super-realistic results. It adds more width, height, and depth to the dimensions. The characters and objects evolve in an environment that is entirely computer-generated using 3D animation software. This technique offers more possibilities thanks to the freedom of movement of the camera or the ability to change the placement of the lighting in a scene.

May 6, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

There are 5 types of animation: The first is 3D (used, as you’ve seen, to transform the characters from our comic strip), which is very widespread in the film industry. These synthetic images make it possible to create characters and their universes; it is the most common animation method used today. There is also traditional or cel animation, which uses hand-drawn, 2D drawings; stop-motion animation, a technique involving the physical movement of objects, often using modeling clay to create each picture; graphic animation, using animated graphic design to bring text and images to life; and, finally, vector animation, which is a more modern version of traditional animation, based on 2D illustrations.

April 23, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

We are still working on our Beaver 3D animation project! Here is one of our most recent versions of the Black Honeys!

April 14, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

Hmmm... Our friend Beaver does not seem to be very happy with his new suit! Nevertheless, he and his whole family would like to wish you a very good Easter holiday!

Happy Easter!

April 8, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

When making a comic book, how is the narrative framework defined when planning the script? Since your comic is a narrative, the first thing to do is determine the story to tell. Your synopsis will convey the mood and the story while also allowing you to set the tone, clearly define your intentions, and assemble your ideas. With respect to your scenario, it will include the complete content of your subject, including the graphic sources of inspiration that will enrich your story. For the latter, be sure to learn about the period, clothing, hairstyles, architecture, slang words – in short, everything that will make your story the most credible in the eyes of your readers!

April 1, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

Do you know the technical language of a comic strip? Or the terms used to describe the elements of a comic strip? First of all, the support used by the designer is called the “board.” When printed, the term used is “page.” Each board is made up of several lines of images called “strips.” Each line or strip can have one or more “panels” or “vignettes.” For each vignette, there is a drawing and a “balloon” or “speech bubble” whose “tail” designates the speaker. The tail may also be referred to as a “pointer.” “Onomatopoeia” evokes a sound or the cause of a sound, such as “Boom!” or “Crack!”. And finally, to complete this lexicon, the “captions” placed at the edge of the very top of the page are used for comments or “voiceovers” as the story is told.

March 18, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

If you have been following us for a while, you will have noticed that we don’t hesitate to reveal all our comic book creation secrets! But how do you define a comic strip? It is said to be a sequential art. It can tell a realistic or fictional story illustrated by a succession of drawings and texts confined to frames. The characters express themselves in balloons, also called speech bubbles, or even through onomatopoeia, to tell us their story, their thoughts, or their feelings.

March 11, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

What makes a character endearing? They cannot be perfect. They must have their faults. A perfect character is not believable. Just like in fiction, a perfect life does not exist. We recognize ourselves in the weaknesses of the character. What are Beaver’s faults? Well, we already learned in the first story about his vain side, as it his vanity that leads him to carve a huge nickel with his portrait as an effigy. During a violent storm, the nickel falls from its pedestal and destroys the village dam. This is the basis for the beginning of Beaver’s story, which involves trying to win back the love of his family. As the central character, Beaver’s credibility is important; otherwise, readers won’t identify with the characters... whether they be animal or human. This is called character consistency. Naturally, the characters’ faults are only part of what needs to be defined for them.

March 4, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

What is rigging in 3D animation? The rigging or rig can be compared to a human skeleton. By integrating rotation axes, a structural matrix for the character’s limb movements can be created. When integrated into the character’s movements, it functions within the limits of the skeleton established for that character. Rotation or homothety makes it possible to enlarge or reduce a character, while translation, on the other hand, allows an object to slide and thus compose each of the bones and, consequently, the skeleton, thereby producing the movements that the character can make.

February 25, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

As you know, we started the process to develop our 3D animation for Beaver. But maybe you would like to know how we manage to make the movements of a 3D animation realistic. Well, “motion capture” or MOCAP studios allows for movement to be captured using real actors and then integrated into the animated 3D characters afterwards. This is the simplest and, above all, the most realistic way to proceed. In a dedicated studio, the actors will work on a platform that is sensitive to pressure on the ground. Equipped with infrared cameras and using passive reflective markers stuck on the actor’s clothing, technicians will be able to detect all movement and record it in software. Some more advanced studios don’t even use markers anymore since high-quality cameras capture motion using Machine Learning technology.

February 5, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

Clearly, nothing stops us! What do you think of the evolution of our characters to 3D? Here is our third transformation! The Black Honeys!

January 27, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

Here he is! Our final 3D version of Moose!! Isn’t he fantastic? What do you think?

January 17, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

Meet the brand-new 3D Moose character! He is currently being developed, and work is progressing well. When the two main characters from the Beaver series are finished in their 3D form, we can create a little animation. We will add the voices, which will be a major step towards the animated film! Today, we are discussing what the voice of each of the characters will sound like. It’s not as simple as you might think, as the voice constitutes a major personality element. We’ll need to test them out, and the public will attend. We will offer different sketches with the two characters and voices, and then we will call on the public to determine which the best voice for our first two 3D characters.

January 7, 2023, by Claude Jalbert

Beaver and his whole family wish you a very happy 2023 filled with happiness and adventures! He invites you to the launch of his fourth volume, which will be released in the fall of 2023!

December 29, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

It’s almost Christmas! Beaver and his whole gang wish you a wonderful Christmas Eve with your family and friends!

December 23, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Once we have an idea for a comic book character, it takes several attempts to bring their look and personality to life in picture form. This is important because the character you create will follow you throughout the series of books you produce. In the beginning, you have to define your character’s personality, habits, quirks, etc. Then, you have to put all that down on paper. You’ll also need to add some physical characteristics in order to aid the illustrators if these are essential to the character you want. Next comes the illustration.

How and from what? The secret is to use as many designers and illustrators as your budget allows in order to find the best illustration. When we created the characters for the Beaver series in 2014, we hired a number of designers to do sketches. From the psychological characteristics of the character, the designers let themselves be inspired and put their talents to work.

It turned out that the illustrator Mylène Villeneuve was the one we felt best knew how to visually realize the characters who today populate the Beaver universe. Her talent impressed us right away and she has been working with us for the past eight years!

Keep following us to learn a little more about the world of comics and to keep up to date with our news!

December 6, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

The aesthetics of a comic book are very important. The story matters, but as it is a visual medium, it is its visual rendering that gives the story its soul. For Beaver, we used a more streamlined style inspired by popular comics like Tintin, Asterix, etc. For The Zonzons, we did it differently. We produced a mood board (or in French, a trend board). These are aesthetics of several comics pasted on a larger image often linked by the line used or the dominant colour palette. We collected styles from the last 40 years and then pasted them to create several mood boards, which later enabled better communication between producer and designer. We eliminated the styles that we were less interested in and then, using a few key frames, we developed a basic aesthetic that corresponded to our vision.
Keep following us to learn more about the world of comics and to keep up to date with our news!

November 24, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Volume 4 of Beaver, Mansion of Lost Souls, is making great strides! Claude Jalbert went to find a young designer, Sacha Bernard, who is just as passionate about comics. He will be with us for the production of volumes 4, 5 and 6! Although we respect the aesthetics of the previous books, Sacha will use his talents to bring the action to life in a plausible way to keep the readers in suspense. In this volume, we will see some new characters, including Moosette, who will make Moose's heart beat faster. The origins of this pretty moose might surprise many. Then we have Rat l’Escogriff, the antagonist of the story. But be careful, don't judge him too quickly, because the revelations of this rat’s origin in volume 5 could change your opinion!

Keep following us to keep up to date with our news!

November 2nd, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Beaver dreams of the big screen! But producing an animated film is very expensive. Movies like the Ice Age series cost enormous sums to make. We are talking about $59 million dollars for the first films and over $100 million for the last ones. How can films of this magnitude be produced in Québec? First, the production is not obliged to use stars for the voices of the characters; using lesser-known or new talent can reduce the cost. In addition, the marketing budget is lower in general since Québec films rarely benefit from advertising beyond Québec unless the film has an international reach. However, the costs remain enormous. For The War of the Tuques in 3D, the budget was $12.5 million.

Keep following us to keep up to date with our news!

September 28, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Meet one of our newest characters that will be part of Beaver's next adventure! Rat l’Escogriff is the antagonist of book 4. He is obsessed with conducting all sorts of experiments on animals, and it will be a challenge for Beaver and his friends to fight him.
To learn more about our characters or to order one of our products, click on the link!

September 12, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Here is one of our new characters who will appear in our next volumes: Moosette, Moose's muse, whom he discovers during the adventures of book 4. It will be love at first sight for Moose!

To learn more about our characters or to order our products, click on the link!

JPM Shop

September 1st, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

What a nice picture! Here it is for you, our photo-souvenir version of the Beaver family! He is surrounded by his better half Naya and their two children, Manolo and Yendrick!

August 26, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

We are currently in full production of the fourth volume in our Beaver series, and here is a preview of our characters... who will undergo a slight metamorphosis!!! Indeed, in this new adventure, Hérik drinks a vial of a chemical product whose composition we do not know. He drinks it believing it's a lemon-lime-flavoured slush. His transformation is amazing!
To learn more about our characters or to order one of our products, click on the link!

JPM Shop

August 19, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Meet Tapie. This character, who seems adorable at first glance, is, as you've probably discovered recently, an unsympathetic mole. However, he still agrees to help Beaver in book 3 in the face of the disasters they confront.
To learn more about our characters or to order one of our products, click on the link!

JPM Shop

August 10, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Beaver's 3D modelling is complete. The model will be prepared to allow 3D printing of the character and this requires some work. For example, the hair must be replaced with solid geometry and certain parts of the character must be adapted for a better 3D impression. We will then be able to sell figurines to fans and collectors. The Moose character will be the next character to be modelled in 3D. We will keep you posted!
To learn more about our characters or to order one of our products, click on the link!

JPM Shop

August 2nd, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

You've been following us for a while now and we want to let you know how much we appreciate it. So, for your pleasure, here is an exclusive look at one of our pages from the next volume of The Canadian Beaver, which will be published in 2023! Only a few more months to wait...

July 22, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Your comic book storyline is now well illustrated. You have a finished cover page. You have finally arrived at the last step: the presentation of your work to a publisher, who, if they accept it, will be able to include it in their catalogue and then ensure its printing and marketing. The editor will also be responsible for the diffusion and distribution of the comic strip through various points of sale, both traditional and digital. In addition, to ensure the success of your masterpiece, he can hire a communication professional to develop a marketing strategy to stimulate and encourage sales.
Keep following us to keep up to date with our news!

July 15, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

In our past posts, we've talked a lot about the process of creating comic book content... but what about the cover page? Unless otherwise specified by the screenwriter, it must be representative of its content, while meeting the commercial imperatives of readability and originality. Generally, the cartoonist chooses to illustrate one of the strong moments of the story. For the rest of the cover layout, a graphic designer can intervene and include other information such as the names of the authors, the name of the series or collection, the publisher, etc.
Continue to follow us to learn more about the process of making a comic or to keep yourself informed of our news!

July 8, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

In this post, we will talk about colouring techniques. There are three methods of colouring used for comics. The first one involves printing an inked board in publication format on drawing paper and applying the colours with gouache or ecoline. The colours are based on the four hues (cyan, yellow, magenta, and black) necessary for the reproduction of a page in quadrichromy . The second method involves scanning the inked board and colourizing it using the computer . Fast and economic, this is the most popular method today. Finally, the last method is the direct colour method. Requiring a high degree of skill, it consists in applying the colours directly on the pencilled board. The work will then be completely handmade, with the exception of any additions that might be added using the computer afterwards. Keep following us to learn more about the process of making a comic book or to keep up to date with our news!

July 1st, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

In our last publication, we started to tell you about the steps an illustrator goes through in the production process of a comic book. Once the pencils are approved, the illustrator can begin inking the board. Even though today many illustrators and cartoonists use computers, this process is still used today. If the inking is done by hand, it can be done with a pen, a brush, a rapidograph, or a felt-tip pen. The illustrator will take into account what the finished product is intended to look like in his decisions about how to proceed: if the comic book is to be produced in colour, he can be satisfied with simply ironing the lines of the pencil with ink. On the other hand, if it is to be produced in black and white, he will have to take into account the lighting, the shadows, and the contrast, and try to distribute the black layers in a balanced and harmonious way. Keep following us to learn more about the process of making a comic book or to keep up to date with our news!

June 27, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

As you already know, we will be starting with a new artist for our next issue of Beaver very soon. His task is an important one, as he will be illustrating our heroes for your pleasure only! As soon as he receives the first pages of the script, he will quickly sketch our main characters in their clothing and environment. He will also make a storyboard with small bubbles to lay out in advance the dynamics of each page. This is called the pencil sketch. This draft will be modified and improved until the desired progression is achieved. Keep following us to learn more about the process of making a comic book or to keep up with our news!

June 17, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

When creating a comic book, there are several steps to go through in the illustration process. Once the script is established, we must first make a storyboard in order to have a precise idea of what we want to illustrate and how many pages it will require. You may have noticed that in the first three books, the number of pages increases with each volume. This is an editorial choice, first because we wanted to develop our stories more, to give ourselves space to better illustrate our ideas, but also because we wanted to give more to the readers. Once the storyboard is finished and we have a common vision of what the book will be, the illustrator starts the illustration by pencilling the frames. Of course, the graphic research and concept validation stages were done before the first book! Once the drawing is finished, the colourist comes in and does the colouring and shading work. At the very end, the pages are assembled and all that remains is the printing and distribution! Want to learn more? Continue to follow us or visit our website in the blog section to keep up to date with our news!

June 10, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

The Beaver series is about to get a new artist for the next three books! Although we prefer to keep the same aesthetic for the next books, it could still evolve with the new artist. Naturally, in the conception of a comic book, there are several stages to go through in the illustration process, which can mean that our drawings may evolve according to our storyboard. But once the storyboard is finished, we promise that you will have as much fun reading our new adventures as we had producing them! Keep following us or visit our website to make sure you don't miss anything!

June 2nd, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Maybe you don't have all the volumes of our incredible Beaver series yet! If you don’t, or if you want to give it as a gift... Now is the perfect time! Get all three volumes and receive a surprise gift from us thanking you for your purchase!!!! Hurry up and go to our website to order!!!

https://bit.ly/3ivBsxH

May 27, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

As you already know, soon you'll have the chance to read about the new adventures of Beaver and his sidekicks in Volume 4, "The Mansion of Lost Souls." You may be wondering what the creative process is like for each of our new issues. Well, here's a short summary, just for you! And that's really because we love you guys, because we don't usually tell everyone our secrets! Usually, we write a storyline of a story which allows us to synthesize an idea. It should be summarizable in two or three sentences maximum. Then, we write what we call a short synopsis. A short synopsis, depending on the length of the film or a book, can take a quarter of a page to a full page. In the case of Beaver, Volume 4 will be 46 pages long, so a paragraph or half a page will be enough to make up the short synopsis. For longer films or projects, sometimes a long synopsis is necessary. For example, a film lasting an hour and a half requires a 90-page script (1 page = 1 minute). To write a good screenplay, a long synopsis can be 10 to 20 pages long, which provides the screenwriter with enough details about the screenplay to write it and add the dialogue.

May 20, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Here, for your pleasure, is our latest 3D version of your favourite character, Beaver! He's in a big hurry, as we're also preparing the fourth volume right now! Keep following us on our page or visit our blog so you don't miss anything about our ongoing projects!

May 10, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Volume 4 of the series Beaver is being written. The title of this new volume is "The Mansion of Lost Souls." At the moment, Claude and Steeve are writing the details of the story in preparation for the script. Sometimes, other writers are added to help come up with detailed ideas for this new story. They may also act as scriptwriters to add humour if the series requires a humorous tone. Do you have Volume 3? Not yet! Order it from our store!

https://bit.ly/3ivBsxH

May 3, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Have you visited our blog lately? Our 3D version of your favourite character, Beaver, is starting to look realistic! More characters coming soon in 2022! Continue to follow us on our page or visit our blog to keep up with our progress on the project!

April 14, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Here is Renalto. Called the Chosen One, he has a mission to fight the vampires! Maybe he will appear in one of our next volumes… Only one way to find out! Keep on following us and don't forget to get our most recent works to find out everything about our characters! Do you have Volume 3? Not yet! Order it from our store!

https://bit.ly/3ivBsxH

April 4, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

Have you read our latest comic book? If you have, you will surely recognize this character, who appeared in this work, where he causes the destruction of the village! It is Gloutte, a fish from the piranha streams! I think we can definitely classify him as a villain! What do you think?

March 24, 2022, by Claude Jalbert

The work to put our favorite characters in 3D has started! Still with the aim of making an animated film, we want to model all of our characters and do some animated sketches! The modeling and texture work are very long steps but which are crucial for realism.

November 17, 2021, by Claude Jalbert

Did you know that when designing comics, a screenwriter is often called upon? Screenwriters are constantly collaborating with the illustrator, and it’s not unusual for them to team up for several years at a time! This type of writing develops characters that are often very outspoken, short dialogues and highly diversified situations and actions! The Canadian Beaver is an excellent example of a screenwriter/illustrator pair working together! Check out this link to find out about these adventures! www.thecanadianbeaver.ca

August 23, 2021, by Claude Jalbert

The year 2016 saw the birth of the character called the Canadian Beaver, an outstanding sculptor who’s sure to impress! Discover the adventures of Beaver and his friends in this book featuring a zany universe! This product was made entirely in Quebec and is looking to soon make its début on your TV screen! To purchase one of the books and encourage its creators, click on the following link: https://bit.ly/3teT0lc
You can also check out a video while we wait for our friend to appear on our screens! What’s more, you can follow him on Facebook and keep up with what’s new with him, since we’ll soon be announcing the release of our 3rd book next May!

July 31, 2021, by Claude Jalbert

The Bizz-Bizz, Black Honey and Killer-Bees are our ultra-dangerous criminal biker gangs! But sometimes, they like to look good in the story to help get Beaver’s gang out of deep trouble! Although these bikers look sinister, they are very friendly, and their actions sometimes save the day!

July 16, 2021, by Claude Jalbert

A talented sculptor, Beaver has won the competition at the Festival du Bûcheux de St-Pamphile several times, but one day, he loses the respect of his village when he carves a large nickel out of wood with his face on it and the monument falls into the Black River, carrying away the village dam. Banished, Beaver must flee and heads west without any real objective until he finds out about a provincial carving contest in Hull. He aims to triumph in the HULL woodcarving contest to win back his loved ones and restore his self-confidence after flooding their home. He wins the first contest and is pleased with this experience, so he decides to roam the country to win other contests along with his astonishing band of pals.

July 19, 2021, by Claude Jalbert