1: Quick black and white sketches, getting to grips with content. Bits of these to be used in Rumpelstiltskin also. I was thinking back to my research on CAMERA ANGLES which helped greatly with composition.
BELOW: ADDING COLOUR AND TONE TO THE IMAGES. TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE, I HAVE CHOSEN TWO SCENES FROM BEAUTY AND THE BEAST THAT ARE THE EPITOME OF THE ATMOSPHERE I WANT TO CREATE. I PICKED FOUR COLOURS TO WORK WITH, I THINK I SHOULD LIMIT THIS EVEN MORE IN THE FINAL IMAGES BECAUSE IT WILL FORCE ME TO CREATE SOMETHING CLEANER AND MORE REFINED.
BELOW: DRAWN UP FROM THE PREVIOUS STORYBOARDS. THIS DOESN'T WORK THOUGH, THE LINES ARE NOT CLEAN ENOUGH AND THE COLOURS ARE TOO MUTED. I WILL TRY MORE STORYBOARDS IN PENCIL AND THEN EXPERIMENT WITH THE GRAPHIC PENS BECAUSE I THINK THEY WILL GIVE THE MOST CLEAN FINISH.
The Stories:
Rumpelstiltskin
There was once a poor old Miller, who was summoned to the King. He was so scared that before the King had time to speak he told him he had a beautiful daughter who could spin straw into gold. His daughter, although beautiful could do no such thing! The King, who was as greedy as he was rich and handsome, told the miller he better bring his daughter to him, if she had such talents! The King fell in love with the girl when he saw her but decided to test her and sent her to a tower full of straw! He told her she must spin it all to gold by morning or he would kill her! She wept after he left until a little man appeared and told her he could do what she could not...if she gave him her necklace. She did and in the morning the room was full of gold! The King was so greedy he bid her do it again, or he would kill her! The man came again, this time demanding her ring, she gave it and the room was full of gold next morning. This time the King said that, if she spent another night at the task, he would marry her the next morning! She wept, for she had nothing left to offer the little man. He demanded her first born child and she accepted, for she did not want to die and did not know if she would ever even bear a child. It was accomplished and the king married her. The next year she had a beautiful child and the little man appeared demanding his prize. The Queen wept and he took pity, giving her three days to guess his name! She sent a messenger all over the kingdom to find boys names but for the first two days, she did not guess correctly. On the last day, her messenger came across a little man in the forest rhyming his name and told the queen. That night she guessed ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ and the man ran from the room with steam coming out of his ears, never to be seen again.
There was once a poor old Miller, who was summoned to the King. He was so scared that before the King had time to speak he told him he had a beautiful daughter who could spin straw into gold. His daughter, although beautiful could do no such thing! The King, who was as greedy as he was rich and handsome, told the miller he better bring his daughter to him, if she had such talents! The King fell in love with the girl when he saw her but decided to test her and sent her to a tower full of straw! He told her she must spin it all to gold by morning or he would kill her! She wept after he left until a little man appeared and told her he could do what she could not...if she gave him her necklace. She did and in the morning the room was full of gold! The King was so greedy he bid her do it again, or he would kill her! The man came again, this time demanding her ring, she gave it and the room was full of gold next morning. This time the King said that, if she spent another night at the task, he would marry her the next morning! She wept, for she had nothing left to offer the little man. He demanded her first born child and she accepted, for she did not want to die and did not know if she would ever even bear a child. It was accomplished and the king married her. The next year she had a beautiful child and the little man appeared demanding his prize. The Queen wept and he took pity, giving her three days to guess his name! She sent a messenger all over the kingdom to find boys names but for the first two days, she did not guess correctly. On the last day, her messenger came across a little man in the forest rhyming his name and told the queen. That night she guessed ‘Rumpelstiltskin’ and the man ran from the room with steam coming out of his ears, never to be seen again.
Beauty and the Beast
A merchant was travelling through the rain when he came across a castle and beautiful gardens. He plucked a rose from a bush, thinking how much his daughter would like it to mark her books. At that, a horrifying monster appeared who demanded the man would die if he did not bring him the thing he most valued, as he had plucked his most beautiful rose. He bid the man bring him his beautiful daughter in payment for the rose he had taken. The man returned to his daughter and told her his plight, he said they would run for he would never give her to the monster. In the night she went to the castle, for she loved her father and he was too old travel. The monster was kind to her, gave her a beautiful room in his dark castle. She dined with him every evening and thought him misunderstood, for he was, indeed, cursed and she pitied him. The monster fell in love with the beautiful girl, she was clever and well-read and he thought, she liked him well enough. Every night he asked her to marry him but she turned him down, she could not marry a monster, even if she did like him. One day she wept, for she missed her father and the monster was sad at this, so he let her return to her father for one week. The girl reached home and her father was ill, so she forgot her promise to the monster and was late returning. When she found him, he was lying under his rose-bush. She thought he was dead, and wept for him. As her tears fell onto his face he changed. He was no longer ugly but very handsome, with auburn hair and a dark skin. He awoke and asked her again; this time she said yes.
A merchant was travelling through the rain when he came across a castle and beautiful gardens. He plucked a rose from a bush, thinking how much his daughter would like it to mark her books. At that, a horrifying monster appeared who demanded the man would die if he did not bring him the thing he most valued, as he had plucked his most beautiful rose. He bid the man bring him his beautiful daughter in payment for the rose he had taken. The man returned to his daughter and told her his plight, he said they would run for he would never give her to the monster. In the night she went to the castle, for she loved her father and he was too old travel. The monster was kind to her, gave her a beautiful room in his dark castle. She dined with him every evening and thought him misunderstood, for he was, indeed, cursed and she pitied him. The monster fell in love with the beautiful girl, she was clever and well-read and he thought, she liked him well enough. Every night he asked her to marry him but she turned him down, she could not marry a monster, even if she did like him. One day she wept, for she missed her father and the monster was sad at this, so he let her return to her father for one week. The girl reached home and her father was ill, so she forgot her promise to the monster and was late returning. When she found him, he was lying under his rose-bush. She thought he was dead, and wept for him. As her tears fell onto his face he changed. He was no longer ugly but very handsome, with auburn hair and a dark skin. He awoke and asked her again; this time she said yes.
The Wild Swans
There was once a girl called Elsie. She was Princess, with seven handsome, tall brothers who loved her. They took her on adventures, crafted her swords and bows and arrows in the castle grounds and read her stories from the large library in the castle. Their mother had died and when she was still young Elsie’s father re-married. The new Queen was vain and didn't like Elsie, who was prettier than her. She banished Elsie to live with a poor family, telling the King the girl had died in the woods while on one of her adventures. The King was heartbroken and gave his sons all of his time, so the jealous Queen turned them into seven swans and banished them. When Elsie grew she went to the palace as she wanted to see her lovely brothers. The Queen on seeing how beautiful she had become, rubbed he face with dirt and oils so the king would not recognise her. So she was sent away and got lost by the stream. She washed herself and , lovely once more, found herself surrounded by seven swans who promptly, when the moon rose, turned into the brothers. They cried at finding their beloved sister and told her of the Queens curse. They wanted to go across the sea to another kingdom to warmer climates and made Elsie a woven mat. They flew her across the sea and she dreamed. An enchantress came to her in the dream and told her to craft seven shirts from nettles; crush them and weave them with her bare hands and feet into shirts for her brothers and they would be free. She could not utter a word whilst she accomplished this. One day, while her brothers were flying a Prince found the beautiful, quiet girl and took her away to his castle. He married her and she became Queen but at night while her husband slept she made the shirts still. People said she was a witch and the Kings men took her away to be burned as a witch. Her bothers came to save her, flying to her aid as she was on the cart. She threw the shirts over them, the youngest brother’s was not finished so he still had one wing but the curse lifted! She spoke again and shouted her innocence before collapsing. The king caught her and cried for her but she awoke and they lived happily together in the new kingdom.
There was once a girl called Elsie. She was Princess, with seven handsome, tall brothers who loved her. They took her on adventures, crafted her swords and bows and arrows in the castle grounds and read her stories from the large library in the castle. Their mother had died and when she was still young Elsie’s father re-married. The new Queen was vain and didn't like Elsie, who was prettier than her. She banished Elsie to live with a poor family, telling the King the girl had died in the woods while on one of her adventures. The King was heartbroken and gave his sons all of his time, so the jealous Queen turned them into seven swans and banished them. When Elsie grew she went to the palace as she wanted to see her lovely brothers. The Queen on seeing how beautiful she had become, rubbed he face with dirt and oils so the king would not recognise her. So she was sent away and got lost by the stream. She washed herself and , lovely once more, found herself surrounded by seven swans who promptly, when the moon rose, turned into the brothers. They cried at finding their beloved sister and told her of the Queens curse. They wanted to go across the sea to another kingdom to warmer climates and made Elsie a woven mat. They flew her across the sea and she dreamed. An enchantress came to her in the dream and told her to craft seven shirts from nettles; crush them and weave them with her bare hands and feet into shirts for her brothers and they would be free. She could not utter a word whilst she accomplished this. One day, while her brothers were flying a Prince found the beautiful, quiet girl and took her away to his castle. He married her and she became Queen but at night while her husband slept she made the shirts still. People said she was a witch and the Kings men took her away to be burned as a witch. Her bothers came to save her, flying to her aid as she was on the cart. She threw the shirts over them, the youngest brother’s was not finished so he still had one wing but the curse lifted! She spoke again and shouted her innocence before collapsing. The king caught her and cried for her but she awoke and they lived happily together in the new kingdom.