Creature development for a hypothetical theme park attraction: What if plants were given so much time to develop they created their own culture?
Since the final attraction would include so many characters, it would make sense to have only one articulated animatronic. And because the water ride is intended to have a few hills (think Splash Mountain) it would seem that the ride's antagonist would be the must deserving of this attention.
A few sketches exploring a snake-like predatory plant that has vines that can be seen throughout the attraction. The "dog" at the upper right hand corner was an exception, since a more mobile creature might be scarier. Unfortunately too scary for kids!
Deciding I like the large "muppet" mouth inspired by pitcher plants, I drafted a few more ideas for a more laid-back antagonist.
This final design was chosen because of its large, goofy mouth as well as its abundance of fur and dirt (which could help hide seams).
Final colored character design with expressions. This monster would be articulated at the neck, eyes, mouth, and tongue. It's rolling body that pops in and out of the dirt is entirely static. The mane is full of twigs, leaves, and red pitcher plants.
