Raphael's Phantoons of the Opera

Working on some new merchandise. Anyone fancy a "Masked Lothario" poster? I'm thinking 14x20 but with a high enough resolution that you can probably customize it to 28x40 without any degradation in image quality (I can have that option open to buyers if desired).

TAFKaR

The new site looks good! I love the home page. But is the animation really gone? It never did work for me on the old site, and I was hoping I could try with the new. But I don't see it.

Loettchen wrote:The new site looks good! I love the home page. But is the animation really gone? It never did work for me on the old site, and I was hoping I could try with the new. But I don't see it.

Phanimation will eventually make its way back onto the site. I really wasn't doing enough content to warrant its own section, so I decided to put it aside for this new version of the site. Once I can dedicate more time to it (even if they're just storyboards) and find a way to post them that works for everybody, I'll set up a sub-gallery for them.

TAFKaR

When he spies on a woman through a one-way mirror, she likes it. Paris loves him in the springtime. He can wear a red brocade codpiece and still intimidate everyone in the room.

He is the most interesting opera ghost in the world.



TAFKaR

Now available are two new phantoon posters: "Masked Lothario" and "The Slave Girl" -- perfect for the school or college-age phan!

Masked Lothario (special edition)

The Slave Girl

Buy before September 7th and you can get them for 50% off using the coupon code DECKYOURWALL

TAFKaR

I've just released the first wave of eight 8x10 prints at my Zazzle store. I think they're currently being indexed, so check back often in case they don't appear in-store immediately.

http://www.zazzle.com/raphael2054*

TAFKaR

*swoons over the Masked Lothario poster*

~Madame~

Raphael wrote:This one's new, and one I'm particularly proud of:


R.

You should be proud! This is extraordinarily beautiful, and very evocative. Isn't it amazing how you can sense so much character and history from it.....wonderful. (um, obviously catching up on some of the forums, so forgive the lateness of this.)

Thank you, Molina

TAFKaR

2012 Calendar now available for purchase at my Zazzle shop!

Phantoons of the Opera 2012 Calendar

TAFKaR

Working on a number of projects, one of which is LONG overdue. In the meantime, I threw this one together for fun:



TAFKaR

LOL! I love it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS, OPERA HOUSE!!!!!



And a happy New Year to you all

TAFKaR

I..am speechless...

That tan line. (which I just noticed)

I will never look at Piangi the same way again...

...
You've scared me for life...in other words: Love it !

Hello Raphael, sorry for commenting only today I love your work! Your realistic pieces are really wonderful, and the cartoon ones are very funny! It was a real pleasure to look at your website, and the banner you did for the forum makes me smile each time I see it (even if it's a bit sad, but it's still absolutly unlikely )

Thank you very much, Melly I'm currently busy with a handful of special projects (and a few commissions), but I try to update the site every few months so the site doesn't go stale. I'm about due for one around April, so I should have at least two or three new illustrations posted then.

R.

Website has just been updated. New art, wallpapers, and a behind-the-scenes page added.

R.

For those not already in the know, my farewell gift for the Phantom Las Vegas Company was a personalized farewell card for each cast member as well as a card for the conductors and musicians and the staff and management. Each piece can now be viewed on my website:



R.

OMG, Raphael! WOW!!!!
All those cards are just phantastic!!!! What an awesome gift for the PLV cast and crew!
You just never cease to amaze me.

I don't think I mentioned it here yet, but I recently added a tumblr account to my site to supplement my phantoons Facebook page so I can have more direct interaction with visitors. I'll be posting in-progress works, one-offs, and assorted ramblings. You can access my tumblr page directly from this link:

http://phantoonsoftheopera.tumblr.com/

R.

Raph, given that you are one of the Phantom fan artists I admire most, and also someone I consider a good friend, I would be most honored, and would of course not mind at all.

Thank you

~Madame~

Ages ago, I started a project to create an animated MotN music video. It never got past the animatic phase, but I did do a pencil test on this one shot. It was previously posted on an old iteration of my website, but many weren't able to view it due to the file format. Now that I recently purchased a HD video recorder, I went back to the original videotape and re-transferred it, as well as laying the Crawford audio atop it for the first time (picture quality's still crappy because it's SD, but there was no getting around that).



Looking back nearly 10 years later and with many more Phantoms and Christines under my belt for inspiration, if I revisit this project I'd most definitely scrap almost everything and start over from the ground up to improve it. Maybe bring it a few phan artists to assist me in layout and set design, render backgrounds, etc. I regret never taking more extensive courses in 3D character modeling - not only would they have been invaluable as digital maquettes, but a 3D version of the music video would have allowed me my proclivity to constantly move/drift the camera in every shot, because animating shifting perspective is annoying to no end.

(Looking back, I also realize I suck as an animator *LOL* The timing isn't fluid, the characters aren't moving in more than one axis at a time - how embarrassing...)

R.

Oh wow, Raphael! Thanks so much for sharing this rough animation with us here! I certainly remember this project of yours...I'm a big fan of it even now...I followed it *very* closely a few yrs back as you were working on it, and I do hope you continue to work on it at some point b/c I would LOVE to see the finished product!

And you know what...for any "flaws" that animation may have...it still was/is a damn good first try! I still find it impressive in a way...kinda wish I could do something like it myself for my own Phantom project that I've been working on for yrs (and have yet to complete).
But that's just it -- b/c I myself can't do any kind of animation like this, I find what you've done all the more awesome! So great job, Raphael! I'd love to see more.

Raphael, the work you do is really, really amazing. Been a fan of you since finding you on the MCMC page in early 2000. This was always something I really wanted to see and I thank you ever so much for allowing me to finally see it! It makes me year for a animated OLC video now.

Thanks very much you two I'd be very interested in revisiting it and doing some proper, fleshed out storyboards for the animatic. It's just a matter of finding time to dedicate to it amidst a backlog of other projects. WAY too many and far too little time!

Next year is currently dedicated to greeting cards, original character designs, a calendar and hopefully a fun phanimation project for December.

R.

Raphael wrote:Thanks very much you two I'd be very interested in revisiting it and doing some proper, fleshed out storyboards for the animatic. It's just a matter of finding time to dedicate to it amidst a backlog of other projects. WAY too many and far too little time!

Next year is currently dedicated to greeting cards, original character designs, a calendar and hopefully a fun phanimation project for December.

R.

The fact that you've planned that far ahead is both intimidating and awe-inspiring.

Viscountess wrote:The fact that you've planned that far ahead is both intimidating and awe-inspiring.

I credit it more to the fact that it's the only way a procrastinator like me can get anything done

R.

Raphael wrote:Thanks very much you two I'd be very interested in revisiting it and doing some proper, fleshed out storyboards for the animatic. It's just a matter of finding time to dedicate to it amidst a backlog of other projects. WAY too many and far too little time!

No problem! I'd love to see it when done! I have waited that long for the video to be re-uploaded, I can wait longer for a properly colored video!

To kick off the celebrations for Phantom of the Opera's 25th anniversary on Broadway, here's a trailer for a pet project of mine:



The battle begins February 1st.

R.