LEGO allows fans to submit ideas for new sets, and boy are there some incredibly creative designs that are put together. Once 10,000 people support a project, the company puts it through a lengthy review phase along with other projects. Only a limited number of designs ever receive final approval to move ahead to the manufacturing stage. A few months back, a WALL-E set made it to the review phase – LEGO has now announced that it has been approved and it will be released in stores! [Read more…]
PixArt: November Feature I – Wall-E and Eve
Edwardian Taylor is one talented guy! One look at this fantastic tribute to Wall-E and Eve and it’s obvious where his passions lie. Coming from a background in both traditional illustration as well as animation (both 2D and 3D), he’s a bit of a jack of all trades. Take a look through his extensive portfolio to see the many sides of this versatile artist. We’re so thankful he took the time to contribute to PixArt. We hope you like his piece as much as we do. Take a closer look at it after the break! [Read more…]
PixArt: September Feature III – Pixar Wall of Fame
UK Artist Clare Elsom brings fantastic humor and wit to her charming drawings. Her portfolio is packed with samples of her fantastic art that’s been featured on children’s books, merchandise and publications from around the world. And now she lends her distinct style to the world of Pixar in this fantastic tribute. Our thanks to Clare for this wonderful wall of characters. Make sure to visit her website and blog to see all the other great images from this very busy artist! [Read more…]
PixArt: July Feature I – Happy 4th
Stephy Coffey does some seriously appealing character design. Lovely ladies and dashing gents fill her portfolio pages. There’s lots to like about her great work. Her conceptual work and illustrations are sure to please. Check them out for yourself at her blog. She’s really outdone herself with this all-American tribute to Pixar just in time for the 4th of July. Take a closer look at her artwork and read more about Stephy in her own words after the break!
The Greatest Feat of ‘WALL-E’
A few weeks ago, this column discussed the concept of risk-taking at Pixar Animation Studios. Recently, one of the studio’s head honchos, Ed Catmull, admitted that the growing reliance on creating sequels as well as original films is in part because sequels were financially less risky. Perhaps, when considering the cost of marketing as well as how much certain movies or characters make in merchandising, that may be true. But simply looking at the box-office takes of Pixar films proves that Catmull’s statement is faulty: as daring as their stories may be, no Pixar film can be categorized as a flop. As much as we may presume that original storytelling is riskier than relying on sequels in financial terms, at Pixar, it’s almost as if they can tell whatever stories they want and people will pay no matter what.
The Pixar Perspective on Risk of Original Films vs. Sequels
What separates Pixar Animation Studios from the rest of mainstream animation companies, as this column has mentioned plenty of times before, is its willingness to take a risk. In many ways, they’ve been operating under a system of risk from the very beginning, before they were even an established name in the TV-commercial business. The first major risk they overcame was the very acceptance by the public of computer animation being utilized for a feature film; in the intervening time, the biggest risks they overcame were story-based, as they pinned their hopes on movies about robots who don’t speak a discernible human language, a rat who wants to cook, and more. But in recent years, the risks they’ve run up against are, in some respects, of their own doing. To wit: how risky is it for Pixar to invest more heavily in the future on sequels than on new original films? Does the studio stand to lose its respect among the public by reviving old characters instead of creating new ones?
PixArt: March Feature – Pixar Movie Poster Mash-Up
There is an infectious and positive energy to the work of Colorado-based artist Luke Flowers. His style is distinct but versatile and full of personality. One look at the amazing images he’s created for us and you’ll see what I mean. Mashing up Pixar characters with some iconic films of the 1980’s, Luke has created an homage to both segments while still maintaining his own signature style and charm. He really threw himself into this project and we couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. A third poster was created for this series but, you’ll have to head on over to his site to see that one. It’s pretty great. While you’re there, you can get a closer look at this on-going project and see a little more detail about each poster he’s created so far. Our thanks to Luke for all of his time and effort on these wonderful images. Read on for more about Luke in his own words!
Preview: Limited Edition Pixar Posters Coming From Mondo
Mondo has become the face of the movement to create limited-edition posters of films. Designing great posters requires the ability to tell a short story about what viewers can expect through a limited amount of space. Setting out to develop posters for classic films, when millions have seen them and have grown fond of them, is not as easy as it sounds, but Mondo has quite a number of talented and creative artists by its side. New limited-edition Pixar posters are coming soon, including for WALL-E and Up. Take a peek at them after the break! (UPDATE: Online sale info has been added at the end of the post!)
What If This Year’s Best Picture Nominees Featured Pixar Characters?
The question asked in the headline of this article is a ridiculous one but as we have often seen, the Internet is always prepared for situations like this. Where there is an outlandish idea, there are some creative folks waiting to provide us with a preview of what it may look like. There were no Pixar films nominated for an Academy Award this year, but what if characters in the studio’s catalog appeared in the nine films nominated for Best Picture – what would that look like? Find out after the break!
PixArt: November Feature II – Eve
It is quite obvious that UK Artist Natalie Smith has a soft spot for the worlds and characters of Pixar and Disney. Take a look through her work and you’ll find tributes to Toy Story‘s Mr. Pricklepants, Monsters University (as featured in our Monsters Mash-Up Tribute earlier this year) and Mickey Mouse. She definitely brings a distinct style to her whimsical character designs and illustrations. Check them out for yourself at her website (currently under construction) and her dribbble account where you will see her passion extends to the worlds of superheroes as well. Continue reading to find out more about this talented artist in her own words!
