How big of a jaw? That was the question I wrestled with during the character design phase for Gaston. I had preferred a more caricatured, villain looking version with a big jaw. When I was asked to go into a different direction and "beautify" Gaston, I drew the following portraits in protest, almost angry. I was thinking: Is this what you want? You can't be serious. TV soap opera looks for a Disney villain?
This type of a design will only result in stiff, lifeless animation.
So I continued doodling poses that still showed some oomph, some physicality that would help me to get a hold of the character.
One of the animators from Team Gaston was Joe Haidar, who did some terrific work on the character. He just sent me an image of a drawing I gave him way back.
These are clean up drawings (by the talented Kathy Bailey) based on my animation. As you can see, I am fighting to invent entertaining expressions while trying to keep this dude handsome at the same time.
More of Kathy's work over my roughs.
These are thumbnail sketches for a scene during "Gaston's proposal". Here he is referring to what kind of children he and Belle are going to have.
"We'll have six or seven." Belle: "Dogs?" "No Belle, strapping boys like me!"
I drew these poses off a TV monitor while I was studying the live action reference.
What a challenge this character was. A villain who does't look, but acts like one. An unusual but interesting concept.
Andreas, Gaston he's kind of a comic character very good design I love your sketches there are great thanks for your post.
ReplyDeleteJeremy
Mr. Deja, because you're so dedicated to your fans, you answered my question, you answer people on a regular basis as a down to earth working artist, a hard working artist and a good one at that, I made you this fan art.
ReplyDeletehttp://oi65.tinypic.com/30c1s2q.jpg (Uploaded to tinypic so you know its a safe link.)
Once again, thank you for sharing so many amazing posts, and going above and beyond.
I'm so glad you post things like this. It helps me to appreciate the character so much more! Truly a legend.
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ReplyDeleteSeems that Studio went for "caricatured, villain looking version with a big jaw" direction eight years later with CLAYTON from Tarzan.
Amazing work on mirror scene, Andreas.
I'm glad Gaston's jaw wasn't made exaggeratedly large; we wouldn't want him to look like Jay Leno, would we?
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing them!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you animated this assignment
Andreas, what a challenge for a character design indeed. And yet - it went along with the whole point of the movie - "looks can be deceiving." Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorites precisely because, up until then, most of the Disney princesses had fallen for the first handsome man to cross their path... This was the first Disney film to advise women (and everyone in general) to look beyond the exterior to the core of someone's personality. Thanks for taking on the challenge - it paid off. :)
ReplyDeleteNo one models the best like Gaston!
ReplyDeleteThese images are now happily rotating on my desktop as inspiration. Great stuff as usual!
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