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Wallace and Gromit - a sneaky preview of the M Shed exhibition Wallace and Gromit - a sneaky preview of the M Shed exhibition
(about 9 hours later)
The notebooks are jam-packed with gems: vivid character sketches, ideas for jokes and crazy scenarios, and designs for outlandish inventions. The notebooks are jam-packed with gems: vivid character sketches, ideas for jokes, crazy scenarios and designs for outlandish inventions.
Many made it off the page and appear in some of the most beloved British animated films; others remain marooned on the page – unused for now but perhaps still waiting to be moulded into clay. Many made it off the page and appear in some of the most beloved British animated films; others remain marooned on the page – unused for now but perhaps still waiting to be moulded into clay.
These are the notebooks of Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.These are the notebooks of Nick Park, creator of Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep.
A few pages of the hardback books are to grace an exhibition to celebrate the UK's favourite cheese-eater and his long-suffering canine sidekick. But the Guardian was given a deeper peek inside Park's notebooks, one of which he always keeps at hand. They offer a fascinating insight into the creative process, showing how some characters arrive unexpectedly and fully fledged; how others develop slowly and evolve. A few pages of the hardback books will grace an exhibition to celebrate the UK's favourite cheese-eater and his long-suffering canine sidekick. But the Guardian was given a deeper peek inside Park's notebooks, one of which he always keeps at hand. They offer a fascinating insight into the creative process, showing how some characters arrive unexpectedly and fully fledged, and how others develop slowly.
"I always keep a sketchbook to hand. I never seem to finish them, I just half fill them then start again," said Park. "Every idea has its seed somewhere else. I didn't know it at the time but some of these sketches were ideas for upcoming films. Unconsciously I'd draw a picture of a sheep in a basement. I didn't know that a Close Shave [which heavily features sheep in a basement] was going to happen. "I always keep a sketchbook to hand. I never seem to finish them, I just half fill them, then start again," said Park. "Every idea has its seed somewhere else. I didn't know it at the time but some of these sketches were ideas for upcoming films.
"Sometimes you get a character in your head and your keep re-drawing it to make it work – a bigger nose, maybe smaller eyes. And sometime you just come across the answer without thinking." "Unconsciously I'd draw a picture of a sheep in a basement. I didn't know that A Close Shave [which heavily features sheep in a basement] was going to happen. Sometimes you get a character in your head and you keep redrawing it to make it work – a bigger nose, maybe smaller eyes. And sometimes you just come across the answer without thinking."
Fans of Shaun the Sheep will be thrilled by an early appearance – and possibly his debut – in a sketch dominated by Wallace and Gromit gazing at a gleaming ring with Wendolene Ramsbottom, the former's love interest from the film A Close Shave. Fans of Shaun the Sheep will be thrilled by an early appearance – and possibly his debut – in a sketch dominated by Wallace and Gromit gazing at a gleaming ring with Wendolene Ramsbottom, the former's love interest from A Close Shave.
A couple of sketches of the sheep that became Shaun (a pun on shorn) appear in the bottom right corner. Shaun went on to pretty much steal the film and proved so popular that he went on to have his own glittering career in his spin-off shows and will star in his own film next year. A couple of sketches of the sheep that became Shaun appear in the bottom-right corner. Shaun went on to pretty much steal the film and proved so popular he later had a glittering career in spin-off shows and will star in his own film next year.
The genesis of a less fluffy character is also intriguing. Over a couple of pages Park sketched a ferocious-looking dog and a robotic canine. Clearly playing with names for the animal, he scribbled down Fido, Bonzo and Kipper but underlined Fi Fi.The genesis of a less fluffy character is also intriguing. Over a couple of pages Park sketched a ferocious-looking dog and a robotic canine. Clearly playing with names for the animal, he scribbled down Fido, Bonzo and Kipper but underlined Fi Fi.
It looks most like Philip – the hunting dog belonging to Lord Victor Quartermaine in The Curse of the Were Rabbit – but the robotic alter ego suggests it morphed into Preston, the cyber dog that torments Shaun and Gromit in A Close Shave. It looks most like Philip – the hunting dog belonging to Lord Victor Quartermaine in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit – but the robotic alter ego suggests it morphed into Preston, the cyber dog that torments Shaun and Gromit in A Close Shave.
In the sketchbook Park suggests that "Fi Fi falls into a shearing machine." In the sketchbook Park suggests that "Fi Fi falls into a shearing machine." Actually it turned out even worse – in A Close Shave, Preston ended up in his own dog-food mincing machine.
Actually it turned out even worse – in A Close Shave Preston ended up in his own dog food mincing machine. The fertility of Park's imagination is clear from one double page. Among the sketches are a multi-spouted teapot that was eventually used in a Wallace and Gromit tea advert. Close by is a picture of Wallace being caught in a giant mousetrap as happened to him in the Were-Rabbit. There is also a picture of Slugman, a character that bears a resemblance to the evil toad in the movie Flushed Away. Yet another interesting item on the page is a "hover-car", which Park and his team have tried to use a number of times – and still hope to one day.
The fertility of Park's imagination if clear from one double page. Among the sketches are a multi-sprouted teapot that was eventually used in a Wallace and Gromit tea advert. Close by is a picture of Wallace being caught in a giant mouse trap as happened to him in the Were Rabbit. There is also a picture of Slugman, a character that bears a resemblance to the evil toad in the movie Flushed Away. Yet another interesting item on the page is a "hover-car" which Park and his team have tried to use a number of times – and still hope to one day. One series of pictures shows Wallace and Gromit away from their normal milieu, bobbing on a boat in Lake Annecy in south-east France. They are watching a hand breaking the surface like the Arthurian Lady of the Lake – but offering a plate of cheese instead of the sword Excalibur. Entitled Wallace et Gromit du Lac, it was probably created only because Park happened to be at Annecy attending the animated film festival there.
One series of pictures shows Wallace and Gromit away from their normal milieu bobbing on a boat in Lake Annecy in south-east France. They are watching a hand breaking the surface like the Arthurian Lady in the Lake - but offering instead a plate of cheese rather than the sword Excalibur. Entitled Wallace et Gromit du Lac, it was probably only created because Park happened to be at Annecy attending the animated film festival there. It is not only images that Park toys with in his sketchbooks. In one he was clearly searching for titles for The Curse of the Were-Rabbit. He tried Bunny Trouble, Run Rabbit Run, The Great Vegetable Plot and the Vegeburglars.
It is not only images that Park toys with in his sketchbooks. In one he was clearly searching for titles for the Curse of the Were Rabbit. He tried Bunny Trouble, Run Rabbit Run, The Great Vegetable Plot and the Vegeburglars before finding the one he was satisfied with.
The idea of the show at the M Shed in Bristol, home city of Aardman Animations, is to show fans how Park's ideas move from his mind to his sketchbook and – often – into movies and television programmes.The idea of the show at the M Shed in Bristol, home city of Aardman Animations, is to show fans how Park's ideas move from his mind to his sketchbook and – often – into movies and television programmes.
Also included in the exhibition are film sets that will be instantly recognisable to fans of Wallace and Gromit, such as the pair's chintzy dining room and wonderfully old-fashioned kitchen. The rocket from A Grand Day Out that the pair travel to the moon in can also be viewed at close hand. Also included in the exhibition are film sets that will be instantly recognisable to fans of Wallace and Gromit, such as the pair's chintzy dining room and wonderfully old-fashioned kitchen, and the rocket from A Grand Day Out in which the pair travel to the moon.
Visitors will get to examine storyboards and can scribble and sketch out their own pictures and stories in a specially created kitchen area within the gallery that could have come out of an Aardman film.Visitors will get to examine storyboards and can scribble and sketch out their own pictures and stories in a specially created kitchen area within the gallery that could have come out of an Aardman film.
It is not always easy. "You have to get your ideas down and start wrestling really and then something comes through the fight," he said. It is not always easy. "You have to get your ideas down and start wrestling really," said Park, "and then something comes through the fight."
• The exhibition Wallace & Gromit from the drawing board runs at the M Shed in Bristol until 7 September. • The exhibition Wallace and Gromit from the Drawing Board runs at the M Shed in Bristol until 7 September