Getting the task. There is no snow in Moscow.
The train takes the illustrators and the project manager beyond the city of Vladimir to visit the production facilities where tea glass holders are made. The factory, heavy machinery, metal. Learning about production technology, asking questions, taking some time to enjoy the snow and going back home.
Looking at what has happened in the world of glass holders in the past hundred years, making sketches.
The art director chooses the designs with the bears and the soccer ball. Elaborating, making sketches and sending to the client.
The client likes both designs. They choose the bears surrounded by the Russian pattern but ask to make the bears larger.
The illustrator is searching for the balance between the ornament, the bears and simplicity.
Considering bear figures. Should they be heavy and clumsy bumpkins like real-life bears? Or should their physical shape be a representation of our unconditional victory?
We also need to think about the handle as there are various ways to produce it. Creating sketches for a rod-based design, but of course we would prefer it to be cast.
Finding a way to combine larger bears with the dense Russian pattern and move away from the classic symmetry and an ornamented edge.
Sending the designs to the client, they also choose the latter.
Drawing it in vector.
The art director asks to work on the paws.
Fixing, filling the areas according to casting depth, the lighter it is on the illustration, the more convex it will be in metal. The client decides to go with a cast handle with a climbing bear, hooray!
Receiving a 3D version of the plate.
Asking to make the folds on shorts less pronounced.
Receiving 3D designs of the handle. We need to make the bear simpler, asking the industrial designer to help. Making sketches.
The client decides to go with a classic handle instead of the one with the bear.
