Concept Art- L&S Under Bridge

Ferdinand - Rocks-fences-cactus

Ferdinand - Shrubs/bushes-planters

Ferdinand - Final Designs for Madrid Buildings

Ferdinand - Distant countryside treatment

Early attempts at stylizing the BG elements. I had just one tree to work with, as that had been identified pretty early on as to the simplicity the AD was looking for in all the BG elements.  That tree was a great example of the large-small-tiny design mantra, (it was not my design), but it really helped me get to the style quicker.
The factories amidst the regimented Olive trees was an earlier idea, one that was supposed to show Ferdinand's transition (on his transport to the ranch) from the rounder, saturated and friendly landscape he was used to, to a de-saturated, angular threatening area where he was headed.
Started to play with cloud/smoke shapes through these as well.

Ferdinand - Int. El Primero's Bullring Prep room, Madrid.

 

This needed to be kept severely simple. The proportions for the props, I wanted to echo El Primero's, stretched out look. A place of meditation, almost Chapel-like. I knew the lighting would be from the one high window, and secondary lighting would be candles, etc. This had to feel like his inner-sanctum.

Ferdinand - Abattoir

The Ranch Abattoir....simple was best. Too complicated and it started looking like a factory, but it had to look menacing and different from all the other structures in the film. The first few sketches were too reminiscent of labor camps, just too dark. I thought the height of the "chimney" , the tiny windows and the barbed wire was enough.

Ferdinand-Ranch-Barn-Practice Ring-Dance Off Area

 

Various designs of the Ranch Barn/Practice Bullring Visitors Booth (where El Primero sat).

Horse& Bull Dance-Off area...that eventually got simplified to just grass on either side. 

The original concept was that the horses were on the nicely lush, watered, grassy side, and the bulls were on the dirt and rocky "shtincky" side.

Ferdinand-Ranch Kitchen

Interior of the Ranch kitchen. Didn't want it too fancy, the word utilitarian was used to describe how it should look. A working ranch that would need to have the capacity to feed farmhands, etc.
I liked mixing up the cabinets, and the curtains to give it that eclectic quality. I think the wall tiles were lost for the final.

Ferdinand-China Shop

The China shop was a challenge. I designed the four walls, then designed smaller "movable" display units, as I weren't sure what business Ferdinand would be doing. Scale was a huge consideration, as Ferdinand was the largest character, and was going to interact with the little old lady who was vertically challenged. The various china pieces had to scale to each other, Ferdinand and the lady.
Originally the whole shop was going to be revealed wrecked, but budget contraints won out and we hear most of the carnage O/S, with just a few items and the broken front window in the film.  I originally designed the front window as round, as it seemed more quaint and to match some of the other window motifs. The back door, I wanted to feel like a prison door, with the tiny window, etc.