Hey now, you party animals! Since it’s been carnaval here, I thought I’d share some behind the scenes contributions for last year’s De Rijten carnaval-themed parade float: “The FeastBeast Breaks Loose”. I worked closely with head of design Maarten van der Velden to help with the character design of the FeastBeast. I’m specifically highlighting the head.
For the frontal main shape, the idea was to visually create a dynamic explosion from the center of the head outwards. Like the personification of a party erupting, with lots of festive shapes breaking out.
The concept of multiple mouths and eyes originally started with the idea to suggest movement, as if the beast is dancing wildly, in the spirit of animation smears. But we concluded this wouldn’t read well in sculpture form.
We did decide to keep multiple mouths and eyes for a few reasons. To give the beast its own unique character. To make it not look too much like a specific animal. And we figured with multiple mouths and eyes, a beast could party more loudly through more means of expression.
I tried some variations with a 4th eye, but it pushed the design into more of an alien monster territory. Might’ve gone too far on that one. That’s ok, though. Often I find it’s good to push ideas too far and find out how much to pull it back, rather than taking no risk and not pushing it enough.
The pupils being shaped like upside down crosses are a reference to the fight of the church against carnaval, the theme of carnaval turning things upside down and to make the eyes more animal-like. But they did not make the final cut.
I’ve included some of my thought scribbles for this project. I like to scribble these to develop characters and (their) stories, and make them inform design choices.
Check out this post to see what the final FeastBeast looked like during the Brabantsedag thanks to every Rijt’s contributions!
