Project Name: The Teddy Bear Picnic
Project Type: Art
Target Date: Summer 2015
Story
I’ve horrified some of you with this story. I wrote it when I was 17 or 18 and have wanted to produce it in some graphical form ever since. It’s a sad story (like everything that I write), but with a good message (also like everything that I write).
The story is about our relationship to our beloved stuffed bears, our innocence, and the costs and risks of ignorance and enlightenment. My original medium was to be 2D or 3D animation, which I’m not opposed to, but I’d like to find a better tool for that than AutoCAD or SketchUp, both of which I know well enough to know that they’ll be a pain in the ass. Alas, the time it would take me to learn something like Maya or Rhino simply won’t be available for a while.
I explored drawing the characters while I was in Iraq. I was actually busted by a Navy Lieutenant while drawing a teddy bear, which made for an odd conversation. I had to trade a drawing of some kids riding a camel and another kid near a tank to keep her from telling my troops. They found out later anyway.
When I was experimenting during and after Iraq, I was using a set few marker colors for main objects and characters, and watercolor for the background. In this way, I never had to change marker colors in order to affect mood. I simply had to paint the background and the bears would change accordingly. Honestly, I’m just not that great with a huge selection of colors. I much prefer black and white or sepia.
Description
I’m currently planning to do a series of single frames where each frame of the storyboard is a completed piece. I would do these in the mixed mediums of conte, charcoal, and chalk with some water here and there for tricks. Perhaps a few (literally one or two) other colors would sneak in as appropriate.
I currently have a two and a half page (19×24″) storyboard, several character roughs, and a color scheme.