Animation Artifacts &Models &Rowland B. Wilson 04 Sep 2009 07:37 am
more Rowland Wilson models
– Yesterday I began the display of models by Rowland B. Wilson done for SullivanBluth’s 1994 feature, Thumbelina. I have another large stack of them – all xeroxed copies, and I’ll try to get them all in today.
This film is far from the best of Don Bluth, but it goes to show how much solid work is done for any feature film. There’s also quite a bit to be learned from any feature. Many of these models didn’t end up in the film (take a look at Thumbelina herself in yesterday’s post) but the drive was a forward one.
Off to the modelshow:
1
(Click any image to enlarge.)
2
3
Another color one copied in B&W
4
5 
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14 
15
16
17
18
19 
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
Some notes
29
30
Finally, here are two color photos Rowland took of his presentation art.
31
on 04 Sep 2009 at 3:12 pm 1.Stephen Worth said …
Ouch! What makes good artists go down roads like this? Are they trying to please some theoretical audience? They seem to be more interested in the ruffles and buttons on the shirts than on the appeal and organic life of the characters wearing them.
on 05 Sep 2009 at 3:15 pm 2.Suzanne "Skeezix" Wilson said …
There were more than 80 characters designed for Thumbelina, including a snake!
And they all had names!
on 07 Sep 2009 at 2:19 pm 3.Charles B. said …
Some nice drawings. The film, however, is as big a travesty as everything bluth “produced.” Just awful.
on 07 Sep 2009 at 5:46 pm 4.Mark Clayton said …
Au Contraire, s’il vous plait. Bluth’s Thumbelina is a wonderful animated film — very entertaining to watch, with a nice balance of comedy and drama, and original songs and a music score that are absolutely first rate. It is clearly successful within the scope of its artistic ambitions…to wit, the film delivers exactly what it promises. If one doesn’t like what it promises, that is another, more subjective, issue.
on 11 Sep 2009 at 7:37 pm 5.Ricardo Cantoral said …
I agree with Steve 1000%. What the cluck happened when this film went into production ? Unlike all of Bluth’s films, these character designs are actually aesthetically appealing. If this was the road the film was taking I dare say we could have had those evil two words Donny can’t stand…a *gasp*…”Coherent Story”. O_O