My Uncle Oswald Initial Character Designs

        When designing the characters of Oswald and Yasmin, I took a great amount of inspiration from fashion illustrations of the period, as well as the artwork of Mucha, Klimt and Beardsley. Beardsley in particular seems an apt fit, whose work has been descried as having an emphasis on the grotesque, the decadent and the erotic, three features which Dahl's story also embodies.

        What drew me to these styles was the somewhat exaggerated body shapes, especially evident in the fashion illustrations as well as Beardsley's work. The elongated, curving bodies, pointed features and flowing costumes mirror the organic lines and natural motif of Art Nouveau. Combined with the rich colours employed by Klimt and Mucha, these characteristics denote a sense of luxury, grandeur and beauty, which I feel suits the characters of Oswald and Yasmin very well.

        Having thoroughly read and re-read Dahl's story for any description hinting at the two protagonists' appearance and character, I began to sketch out some initial ideas, attempting to incorporate features of the aforementioned artists. However, although it was tempting to get carried away with the exaggerated shapes, creating incredibly tall and slender characters, it was important to bear in mind that these characters will exist as puppets, not hand drawn characters who can bend the laws of physics. Make the body shapes too ridiculous and the armature may be unable to support the puppet.

        I hope that with these designs I have managed to find the correct balance between the distinctive elongated style seen in may early 20th Century illustrations, and the necessary practicalities of building a puppet. Although the majority of the costumes her for Yasmin's character are quite revealing, as I develop this character further I feel it would be sensible to attempt to give her clothing which cover more of her skin. This is due to the fact that visible skin will be harder to achieve than a clothed body. I would have to consider using a silicone skin or other material, which may be subject to damage and wear through contact with mine or any other animators' hands.