[VOCALOID] Big Al CupcakeRedux
This design was made for the BIG FestivAL, a Vocafest 10th Anniversary celebration of English Vocaloid Big Al, originally released December 22nd, 2009. You can find the final artwork as part of the BIG FestivAL Art Zine here → https://celestrai.itch.io/big-festival-zine
I discovered Big Al around early July 2019 searching for Vocaloid music. While I had known of Vocaloid throughout the early 2010s, I didn't discover the existence of English Vocaloids, let alone Vocaloids with such a bassy voice range, until that fateful summer. I quickly learned where I could purchase Big Al and other Vocaloids to use in my music, and created several song ideas using Al and other voicebanks.
When I discovered he was due to have his 10th Anniversary, I desired to create an entire album of Big Al originals, but felt overwhelmed by real life obligations at the time. It was only when I found out there was a community event, the BIG FestivAL, for fans of Al to create a collaborative album and art zine of Big Al content that I jumped at the chance to submit, and get help with, my own works.
My musical works for the BIG FestivAL included an original song entitled "Neverending Rain/Reign", and a Big Al cover of Peter Gabriel's "Big Time". You can find them on my SoundCloud.
Though I no longer involve myself so deeply in the Vocaloid community, I still produce Vocaloid content and am happy to share my Vocaloid works and expertise with other musicians and artists. Anybody is allowed to use this art in their Big Al music videos, or draw from the redesign for their own art, provided that it all remains within Vocaloid purposes.
VOCALOID belongs to Yamaha
Big Al belongs to PowerFX Systems AB.
Final Poster Design
Transparent art of full body
July 2019 - Initial Big Al portrait (sketch)
July 2019 - Initial Big Al portrait (digitized with a phone art app)
Head turnaround designs made from the initial portrait
Body design
Clothing design (front)
Clothing design (back)
Design sketch with logo concept and short bio (age is 10 years after the original Al biography, and he's gotten much stockier)
Pose and expression idea
Body design (plus a Young Frankenstein reference)
Accessory design
Body design
The initial idea was to have the poster resemble a box-art mock-up for a fictional release of an upgraded Big Al.
The box-art would have featured the original redesign and three additional "appends": Showtime, Whisper, and Growl.
After the box-art design fell through, a poster design was quickly sketched up and used as design reference.
Poster - head sketch element
Poster - body sketch element
Poster - hands and feet sketch element
Poster - necklace ("Nellie") sketch element
Poster - Final sketch composite ready for coloring