Friday, March 07, 2008

"Let Your Hare Down" designs

A new episode of "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends" aired last night so I thought I'd show you some designs.

Here's a bull that Bloo rides. I tried to make him more of an American "bull-riding" steer and not the standard "Bully for Bugs" Spanish Black bull. He ended up being black in the final show anyway.



Here's a "Ben Franklin" action figure that Craig told me to make look like a "He-Man" style figure. Of course I had a "Merman" figure sitting on my drawing desk at home so I could try and get some authenticity. I also have "Trapjaw" but I didn't use him. Of course true He-Man aficionados will note the extra joints and rivets in Ben's arms but I thought it helped sell the image as a figure and not an actual character. Also I tried to add a slight discoloring to the arms as if it were made from different plastic then the chest. Obviously I spent too much time thinking about this.



Here's a burro that I don't think made it into the show.



And finally a crowd of angry Mexicans who run through a scene almost faster than the human eye can see.

29 Comments:

At 12:44 PM, Blogger Sam Nielson said...

I love these designs. I want that Ben Franklin made into a toy.

 
At 12:59 PM, Blogger Bobby Pontillas said...

Lol! The He-Man treatment is classic. And I love the idea of one of the family is a luchador! Hilarious.

 
At 2:49 PM, Blogger Mike Frenette said...

really love the mexicans and the bull, awesome stuff

 
At 4:13 PM, Blogger Dougmian said...

I will waste my time but, I need to post my comment, I liked the donkey's colors! Gray skin and colored cloth, beautiful contrast! Great drawings!

 
At 6:11 PM, Blogger Jose Manuel Balanzario said...

Im mexican and I could complain about the desing of the mexicans but , I`ve really meet people like this every day!

Awesome work ^^

 
At 10:05 PM, Blogger Elaine R said...

Oh no!!! i missed seeing it! If the crowd of mexicans made it into the show, wouldn't the burro have been in too? It was in the same shot. They went thru the scene kinda slow so I'd understand if it was. But then I'll wonder how many other shots in that sequence I did are gone!!! :o ...maybe I shouldn't watch it afterall...
:)

 
At 7:53 PM, Blogger Mukpuddy said...

These are awesome bro!! The Bull is crazy cool and the Ben Franklin action figure...pure genious!!!

 
At 10:56 PM, Blogger EL GRANDE said...

Where do I start Ben? The bottom image is truly amazing. Each character is so realized. The animals are also simply wonderful. I have only just recently been introduced to your work, but I am an animal lover, and now officially a Bellisteri fan as well.

Ciao,
joe y elio

 
At 1:09 PM, Blogger Dave Dick said...

Such a smart design sense! These are all fantastic!

 
At 1:11 PM, Blogger Albert Sorrentino Jr. said...

these are amazing, very funny! love the Franklin piece!! awesome!

 
At 2:32 PM, Blogger OV! said...

BB!

nice bull man. that ben frank is totally wicked. haha

awesome.

>oVi

 
At 6:42 PM, Blogger Dougmian said...

Thanks Ben!
I´m so happy with your comment!
You are a great artist and great person!

 
At 10:10 PM, Blogger David Colman said...

love how you always find an original approach to an overdone subject, well done my friend...

I am jealous you still have some original He-man characters....My Mom stupidly listened to my whining way back when "I am too old for He-Man!" damn me!!!

Anyway, wanna use some of your postings in another lecture of mine this Friday, I wanted to ask first, is this okay?

dcolman27@hotmail.com

 
At 8:39 AM, Blogger Nathan Lindsay said...

great stuff Ben. Los Mexicanos enojados should have been on screen a lot longer, they are hilarious.

 
At 9:22 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

That bull is too cool for school!

 
At 12:07 PM, Blogger Dustin Foust said...

Ha Ha awesome! Your bull reminds me of a video I seen on Super Cows. Great design.

 
At 1:48 PM, Blogger Katy Hargrove said...

XD What the hell, I need that Ben Franklin! I'm gonna be laughing all day about it. Great design!

 
At 5:49 PM, Blogger Carlos V. said...

That Ben Franklin action figure is my favorite drawing in history!!!!! One look at the chest and I knew it was he-man inspired, great job!! The bull is classic as well, do you have a flickr page?? If not, get one dude!!

 
At 10:26 PM, Blogger Josh 'Hat' Lieberman said...

When I originally saw the design of the Ben Franklin action figure all those months ago, I figured it played a significant role in the plot. And after watching the episode the other day, I found out I was wrong...
It seemed like such a specific prop to be designed, but nonetheless hillarious, and what's even funnier is that it's only on screen for about 3 seconds.

 
At 3:55 PM, Blogger Feri-san said...

Mexican here too, señor. Usually I get tired of the stereotype some people have of us, thinking ALL of us are like that and undermining us because of that, but really, the designs are gorgeous, though they portray mexicans from the 1920's more. You still see those kind of attires but in the most rural areas of Mexico and even then, there aren't that much of them as cities expand and they move to the urban areas. I gotta say I like how you did the woman's nose, it's very reminiscent of our mayan ancestors. I can tell you think these things through, Ben.

Many people hate the stereotype (including myself sometimes if it's portrayed offensively)but in cartoons I don't mind as much because the characteristics like The sombreros (Which FOREIGNERS wear/buy more than the actual MExicans xD) and colorful dresses set us apart from the rest of the people in the cartoon. We do not sleep against a nopal, we don't ride burros all the time, we don't drink booze all day long, and we do have technology, but it's our rich culture, our roots, traditions, what makes us different and sets us apart, just like every culture in the world is different, and I really liked how you portrayed each of them here.

I must say I haven't seen the Foster's episode, but imagining it, I like the Brown bull more. Your designs are always so clean and beautiful. You had me picturing that action figure screaming He-man's battle cry XD

and i'm really loving that burro, too bad it didn't get used :/

Great job as always, keep it up!

-Feri

 
At 6:15 PM, Blogger Shawn Escott said...

Just wonderful! The bull is so cool!

 
At 8:09 PM, Blogger Kyle Marshall said...

great lookin' designs, and i really dig that action figure

 
At 1:04 AM, Blogger Ben Balistreri said...

psi and feri-san: Well thought out and interesting posts. I'm glad you weren't offended as I certainly made some attempt, (however small, given the time I had to draw these) to shy away from standard cliche Mexican stereotypes while still having fun caricaturing them the way I would any race on the show. I agree items like the "sombrero" didn't really represent what little research I did but sometimes for the sake of needing an idea to be instantly recognizable you go with a symbol that reads well as opposed to one that's truthful. Mexican people are lots of fun to draw so hopefully I'll get some more opportunities to add them into the show!

And thanks to everyone else as well for all the nice words! You all are swell!

 
At 8:04 AM, Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Ben,
Love the bull and Ben-Heman design! Just awesome stuff.

 
At 10:15 AM, Blogger Alan said...

Ben Franklin definitely has the power of Grey Skull.

Great design work!

 
At 11:08 AM, Blogger XAV said...

very simple and efficiant designs ! love them !!

 
At 8:40 PM, Blogger Alexandre Augusto Ferreira said...

Great design as always!
Congratulation!

 
At 11:10 AM, Blogger DivaLea said...

"Also I tried to add a slight discoloring to the arms as if it were made from different plastic then the chest."

You are a man after my own heart, that you think of these things. When I draw props, I am even making mental notes of when it was lost in the backyard, when the dog bit it just once, how it got shiny on one side from being taken in and out of a pocket, etc.

I have to believe in these things!

 
At 10:23 AM, Blogger Juanma said...

Hahaha I actually still own the HE man action figure
love the detail on the furry underwear. hhahah that figure turns around on its hips in a funny way.
I like the stereotypical angry mexicans.the little one looks like francisco a mexican friend of mine

 

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