Beauty and the Beast

Black India Ink and watercolor on watercolor paper.
12.7 cm x 17.8 cm (5.00 in. x 7.00 in.)

 Re: the 2017 live-action treatment of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: I liked it.

Black India Ink watercolor paper.

In this concept for poster, I was inspired by the marketing piece painted by Drew Struzan for the 1991 animated feature. The style is inspired by Art Deco designers like Alphonse Mucha. Compositionally, I wanted to vignette away details the farther they were from the faces, which is why Belle’s arm just disappears. The likenesses aren’t 100% spot on, I’ll admit.

[my quick review]

Lilo and Moana

Black India Ink and water color on water color paper.  

27.9 cm x 21.6 cm (11.00 in. x 8.50 in.)

2016

In this double-Disney-movie-crossing and time-crossing image Moana and her pet pig, Pua meet Lilo and her pet “dog,” Stitch. Inspired by a suggestion offered during one of last year’s “What Shall I Draw Today?” sessions, this unlikely meet up was one of the top nine liked posts on my Instagram @monstregram7.

In it”s creation, I thought that Pua’s abundant cuteness would instantly win over the young Lilo. Meanwhile, alien Stitch turns his destructive impulses on the oar of island princess, Moana. The choice to put Lilo in her hula costume was to help her visually align to Moana’s costume.

[The Top 9 of 2016]

Hidden Figures

Conceptual drawing

Water color and black India Ink on watercolor paper. 

12.7 cm x 17.8 cm (5.00 in. x 7.00 in.)

2017

In making this poster for the illustration of my review of Hidden figures, I kept thing as simple as possible by focusing on portraits of the main characters. Circles are always powerful focusing elements and the NASA logo/ insignia is basically a blue circle. Of course, in it’s simplicity, I allow myself to more quickly move on to other things like house cleaning and working on the next art piece.

Link to my 5-point review of Hidden Figures @ That’s Good Spam

Beauty and the Beast: Bittersweet and Strange

Water color on water color paper.
21.6 cm x 27.9 cm (8.50 in. x 11.00 in.)
2016

Here’s another 1 of the top 9 liked pieces posted on my Instagram feed, @mosntergram7, a painting commemorating the 25th anniversary of the premiere of the beloved Disney animated feature film, originally posted on Monotonae Nov. 24.

Personally, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is one of my top 5 favorite of their animated features, and it’s my number 1 if I answer from my gut without internal deliberation. None of the continuity errors or the weaknesses of the young animating crew detract from the essential message of the film, “true beauty is what’s inside.” Plus, Disney was still building on the success of The Little Mermaid (despite The Rescuers Down Under) and it happened to be the right film at the right time for me and my Disneyland friends.

By now I’ve drawn Belle and Beast a lot. I have had the opportunity to do so professionally on Main Street of Disneyland Park, and with Disney Consumer Products. This new piece was done from memory inspired by a moment in the ballroom dance sequence. If any one thing makes this different from my work for product art is the choice to have Belle’s eyes closed. Sure she closes her eyes in the film sequence, but folks on the production side want to hedge their sales bets by establishing a character connection with the consumer/audience with open eyes and better yet eyes directed at the consumer.

As a watercolor painting, the making of this brought memories of my aforementioned time working on Main Street making personalized original character art that were reproduced for wristwatch faces. I still self-describe my efforts with paints as a “colorist” rather than graduating to that of a “painter.”

The logo is included as a mark to signify the anniversary. It’s nothing official and probably would be very different if I spent more time developing it.


[The Top 9 of 2016]

Rogue One

Conceptual poster design
Black India Ink and water color on watercolor paper.
12.7 cm x 17.8 cm (5.00 in. x 7.00 in.)
2017

Here’s my poster to illustrate my review of the movie, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story on That’s Good Spam, my “bookmark” blog.

Similar to the design conceit for many movie posters, this one features almost exclusively the film’s characters. I attempted to weight the character scales pretty equally, with the primary protagonist, Jyn Erso played by Felicity Jones, at the top and centered. All the rest are members of the resistance/rebels if not of the team of the film’s name. I didn’t go far for reference, as I did base all of the character images off of the same one poster used in actual marketing. The vertical, scratchy lines was initially inherent of the fine quill tip ink pen. Rather than going in with solid back areas, I kept the tight hatching liking the overall rough, unfinished appearance as if it contrasted with the sleek polished aesthetic of the film’s galactic empire.

I chose to only reference the galactic empire by the partial Death Star weapon at the top. No Darth Vader. No AT-AT’s. This by no mean signifies that I have planned a contrasting sister poster of Imperial characters. It was entirely a decision of economy.

[link to my review of Rogue One]

[link to That’s Good Spam]

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Turns 25

Water color on water color paper.
21.6 cm x 27.9 cm (8.50 in. x 11.00 in.)

Tuesday, November 22, 2016, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast celebrated the 25th anniversary of its premiere theatrical release.