April 5 - Balloon Dawgs

"The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity."

~ Alberto Giacometti

Scott Tripp is one of the artists that I admire most.

It's no secret that I'm a superfan - you could connect this blog to his Balloon Blast Video Show in a single breath of air with no twists.  But what really sticks with me is how he treats creativity itself as the true art form, the balloons are just the medium.  He could be using ketchup packets and binder clips and make it work in the right situation.

I have been enjoying his Balloon Artist College webinar series.  I believe the original pitch was that they were set up to be "jams", while there is definitely some participation, they're really more of an amazing lecture series.  

This week I picked up a something new - nothing flashy, just one of those quiet ideas that changes everything once it lands.  He was making stick figure people, but using them in different ways to tell a story.  This was one of the designs he put together - too cool not to use.

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Other balloons by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

February 5 - Cyanide & Happiness

"All comedy is tragedy, if you only look deep enough into it."

~ Thomas Hardy

The creators of Cyanide & Happiness are wonderful - but twisted people.

What started as a webcomic in 2005 has evolved into an empire of dark jokes and irreverent humor, it consistently/hilariously/horribly crosses the line in all the right ways.

We played a lot of the Joking Hazard, their card game.  It felt like a healthier alternative to Cards Against Humanity - but then again .. what isn't? 

I had semi-built a version of these ages ago when using Scott Tripp's Smoosh technique but never got around to actually setting up a scene.  

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Other balloons by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

December 25 - Trippmas Purple Pig

~ Balloon Blast Video Show (S05E04)

Really didn't have to look far for the purple pig to use for the 11th and final day of Trippmas.  It was an honor to be asked to contribute to the show that serves as the genesis for this blog.  I felt it was only fitting to build a purple pig, maroon this this case - I included a picture of how many takes it took for me to get one where I was almost happy with. (and I'm not sure why the video gets blurry just before my section ...)

... and HAPPY HOLIDAYS by the way!

What I most appreciate about Scott Tripp is his hunger to "be more", he is aware that we are in an evolving artform - and has his eye on future evolution.  His purpose written into the theme of his show - "improve our artform", he's embraced the hunt to do that.  But what he doesn't realize, so I hope he reads this.  He already has.   \m/  You rock, Scott.

Right I was first starting the year, the idea of building 26 different purple pigs seemed an impossible task, but these kind of exercises are what I've come to know as "dirty dishes" tasks.  When faced with an insurmountable pile of dirty dishes, just pick up a bowl and clean it.  Then do it again .. and again.  Pretty soon the dishes are done.

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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December 24 - Fart Gun

~ Despicable Me (2010)

Counting down the last couple days of Trippmas!  For the 10th let me present this Fart Gun.

Looking at the video you can tell that the version of the fart gun in the movie is different than the "minion" version, but that one is definitely my favorite.  Scott made some initial versions but then  Christopher Lyle rebuilt applying his infectious flair and big bold inkwork to make it a minion.  It is a brilliant ploy in encouraging the viewer to understand exactly what it is.

I'm getting sidetracked by the actual coolness of the design though, what makes this "Tripp" is that it incorporates fun out-of-the-restaurant ideas and additions, and much like bubble-gum ice cream, you're left with something after you're done with the initial play and the balloon is gone.  Adding something like this is adding that new spice that ends up  making the meal something new and different and you maybe might plan an entire meal around next time.

Tosh came and photobombed when I was trying to take some pictures, and my boys were gracious enough to pose for the action shot.

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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December 23 - Scott's Super Smoosh Snowman Shooter

Do you want to build a snowman?
Come on lets go and play
I never see you anymore
Come out the door
It's like you've gone away...
We used to be best buddies
And now we're not
I wish you would tell me why!
Do you want to build a snowman?
It doesn't have to be a snowman...

~ Frozen (2013)
   Do You Want to Build a Snowman

Even though we've already looked at a classic Smoosh snowman, for the 9th day of Trippmas, let me present Scott's Super Smoosh Snowman Shooter.

A contribution to Christopher Lyle's recent balloon tutorial package A Very Yellow Christmas, this has the elements of Smoosh but taken to a more tactile and fun place.  In addition, there are some of Scott's techniques to give your balloon inkwork some added dimension.

The design didn't include arms, but I thought I could get a few more poses with them.

Making a yellow one seemed to be the obvious thing, this is from a download called A Very Yellow Christmas.  So here is a Lyle-man, opting for a pickle nose instead of a carrot.  The snow, that's .. that's ...

... ewwwwwwww.

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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December 22 - Nozzle Things

Giant nozzles, bolts and beams
They called her Atlas by all means
Blood, sweat and tears were her payload
She was a stairway to heaven
Old Apollo 11
The rocket ship their Grandpa drove

~ Jimmy Buffett The Rocket That Grandpa Rode

Bugs!   For the 8th day of Trippmas - I give you Nozzle bugs... creatures?

One of Scott Tripp's passions is saving and finding uses for all the little bits and bobbles and scraps.  The Balloon Blast Video Show has a segment every so often called "Scraps & Crap" with some suggestions.  These are the result of one of those experiments and another Patreon video (link) - Nozzlebugs!

Of all the fantastic Patreon videos, and there are many great ones, this is my favorite.  It's such a left turn from any sort of traditional "balloon" tutorial and is really just creativity exploration.  I've already explored this Nozzlebug video in a post last year when they were released (link), and I've been saving my nozzles ever sense - now finally with some purpose!

Beginning with the spider to refresh my memory, I next tried building a nozzle-only tree I saw posted recently by Russell Wells and got a little crazy jazzing that one up, the star is big even as a 160, so I should have gone with something on the inside.  Next I started building a candy cane - but it felt very bland and not something "Trippmas-sy".

So I present to you - Dr. Cane.  Deliciously evil and evilly delicious, borne from the forgotten and discarded remnants of half-eaten candy canes,  he is the sworn adversary of the Tooth Fairy - preferring to extract healthy teeth from rotten children.

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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December 21 - Christmas Mantel

Oh the weather outside is frightful
But the fire is so delightful
And since we've no place to go
Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

~ Let It Snow

Presented for the 7th day of Trippmas - Scott Tripp's Christmas Mantel.  This is a fairly recent Instagram and/or Facebook post, and using the rainbow light to simulate fire is a stroke of genius.

Even though changing lights have been used before, typically it's in a fairly simple fashion.  This is the first time I've ever seen a rainbow light used to enhance any sort of drawing, it's a really cool flicker effect.

(.. note how simple the balloon really is, as all focus is on the fire.)

I think one of the things I love about Scott's designs are how well thought out they seem to be, masterfully so.   I'm struggling to come up with some other way to enhance this in any sort of meaningful way.  Thankfully the Balloonatics of Baton Rouge have come to the rescue.

Stephanie Gintz Morace shared her version of the design as a fancier and festive way to give out her business cards and added the balloon stockings and garland.  (Her business card was on top)

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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December 20 - Trippmas Ornaments

Down in the workshop all the elves were makin' toys
For the good Gentile girls and the good Gentile boys
When the boss busted in,
nearly scared 'em half to death
Had a rifle in his hands
and cheap whiskey on his breath
From his beard to his boots he was covered with ammo
Like a big fat drunk disgruntled Yuletide Rambo

~ Weird Al Yankovic
   The Night Santa Went Crazy

Presented for the 6th day of Trippmas - here is a balloon concept I saw Scott Tripp playing with recently.  His concern is that it might be too similar to Pico's to share, but I don't think so - this is more of a Smoosh160.

Ornaments perhaps?  These little guys would work great as another minimalist concept.  They remind me of "Little Tykes" toys, those toddler-friendly rounded bottoms that would fit into all of the various vehicles, I could even see them as lego-figures.

Once I copied the elves and Santa, I wanted to try something different and made the Mr. Hankey.  I've really come to appreciate in these minimalist-type balloons is how much freedom they really give you to create whatever you like.

Plenty more days of Trippmas ahead!

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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December 19 - 12 Flamingo

A flock of flirting flamingos is pure, passionate, pink pandemonium-a frenetic flamingle-mangle-a discordant discotheque of delirious dancing, flamboyant feathers, and flamingo lingo.

~ Charley Harper

I'd like to present this flamingo from the video 12 (link) for the 5th day of Trippmas.

This design by Scott Tripp holds a special place in my ... catalog of ... things .. flamingo?  12 was one of the first video instructions that I purchased.  This flamingo was one I practiced over and over again, and the sketch I made to remember the design is still in my original notebooks.

(Can't really show you a picture of my notes ... but here is the index for evidence!)

How can you not fall in love with the humor of Scott Tripp?  The video that was scheduled to release on 12/12/12, cost only $12, be limited to DVD release of 144 (12x12) ... is called 12!

... but it has 13 designs.

Anyways, here is the flamingo that is on page 1, the second design of the notebook I used to keep shorthand record of all the designs for memory sake.

Yet still I think this is the first time I've actually had to build it and I went ahead and watched the video to refresh my memory.  Ah well..

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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December 18 - Record Player

I saw him dancin' there by
   the record machine
I knew he must a been about seventeen
The beat was goin' strong
Playin' my favorite song

~ Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
   I Love Rock 'n' Roll

Record players aren't an every day balloon design...

... In fact, record players aren't even an every day thing themselves. 

My reason to include this Patreon video as the 4th day of Trippmas is that Scott casually proves that there are no limits to balloon creations.  Record players are round, have needles and speakers, spinning parts.  This is a request that would make most twisters shake their heads, but Scott masterfully and easily weaves reality out of air.

Just another day at the office for Scott...

One of the things I really like about this design is that it's not fragile - it's a big sturdy box.  It's durable and playable with moving parts and spinning dials that move and make sense.  The design is to be a hat, but it works perfectly well as table decor.

Become a Patreon supporter of the Balloon Blast Show and receive great additional never-to-be-released instructions like this one! (link)

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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December 17 - Hybrid Animals

“There are 2 kinds of artists, essentially: those who want to make something popular, and those who want to make something dignified. But then there is still that rare hybrid case, and perhaps by that unintentional stroke of genius, in which one's work uncontrollably becomes both popular and dignified yet beyond its time.”

~ Criss Jami

The third day of Trippmas, and here's another tasty morsel of Scott Tripp's Brain.

When he presented the idea of hybrid animals and shared a website with a bunch of brilliant MS Paint sketched ideas.  I can't find the original link, but animal hybrids are apparently a huge Photoshop-for-fun thing because nowadays every search yields hundreds of top 10, 20, or some number of animal hybrids.

I realize the Photoshop effect is very different from the balloon effect - we need a different approach.  For something to Photoshop nicely, it needs to have similar shades that you can blend into each other.  You can have something very specific like a llama-cow.   The Balloon art is abstract and would take something that you can define by distinct characteristics.  One of Scott's examples was a Snailephant, the ears and nose of an elephant and the body of a snail, another - cowtipede, a many legged cow.

Taking a page from the balloon book of Dr. Moreau, I came up with these.  Here is both a Piguin and a Pandapus.

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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December 16 - Smoosh Snowman

There must have been some magic in that old silk that they found
Oh when they placed it on his head he began to dance around
Frosty the snowman had to hurry on his way
As he waved goodbye you can hear him cry, I'll be back again some day

~ Frosty the Snowman

The second day of Trippmas, lets go no further in the countdown (count up?) without talking about Smoosh!

It still ranks as probably my favorite balloon concept, so many balloon designs rebel against the natural round shape of a balloon.  This embraces it, it keeps the design simple and leaves all creativity/details to you, it's a lego brick that you can do anything with..

Now this snowman is copied from a design that Scott Tripp shared and is a perfect example of Smoosh in action.  The design sticks close to the concept, even the broom is similar to the bamboo from his tutorials.

Yet if you take a look at the inkwork I copied from Scott, you can see he provided a great amount of detail.  The buttons aren't just round blobs, they are colored with colored button holes and a highlight.  This would work just as well with coal buttons but is the perfect canvas to spend as much time as you like making something.

Dancing snowmen?  Not a problem...

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Other balloon designs by and inspired by Scott Tripp:

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