This project was to create a character influenced by a story written before 1960.

Concept art - Character design

Einar Martinsen

 

When i started to get some ideas for this project i wanted to create a character with a original and solid story. In other words i wanted to create something that you dont usually see. The story and the setting behind the character had to be interesting because story is what count the most. I hated the idea of creating something usual like a pirate, typical 60's gangster from New york or something not creative. I also wanted to find a well known fact, or story people could recognise. Some ideas i had conserned inventors. I found some text about gun inventors and the wright brothers who invented aircrafts. I realized i didnt have the freedom i wantet to play around with the creativity of the characters.

 

Then i focused on something i find very interesting. The history, facts and effect of Abisinthe. Well known phrase as "the green fairy"
This was something alot of people know of, but. I havent seen alot of consepts regarding the story of absinthe or the characters in that setting. My story is mostly based upon Paul Verlaine. A famous, crazy french poet who was active from the late 1800's to the early 1900's.

 


The story behind this character art project goes back to Frace in the early 1900's. The Setting is in a cafe were they served absinthe. Absinthe was very popular due to its low production price and avalability. French gentlemen, poets and other other people connected to the high class of society, drinked alot of absinthe.

The myth behind absinthe was that the drink made you hallucinate and go crazy. After reading alot about the story of absinthe I have my own theory why absinthe became illegal. It all started with the competetion between the people producing liquor. Absinthe may had some bi-effects like if you consumed alot of absinthe over a long period of time it would make you slightly Braindamaged. Not to different from liquor. But, a theory from studying Van Gogh's paintings. People could see that his paintings became slightly more yellow over the years. Made the myth about color blindness effect in absinthe more likely. Since Van Gogh was a heavily absinthe drinker.

On to the reason why Absinthe beacame illegal. Jean Lanfray (b. 1874) was a Swiss laborer convicted of murdering his pregnant wife and two children in a drunken rage on the afternoon of August 28, 1905. It was said that Jean drinked absinthe before murdering his family, and that is why absinthe became illegal. The strange thing about this case is that Jean had drunk an excessive amount of wine and hard liquors that morning, along with two ounces of absinthe. However, due to the moral panic against absinthe in Europe at that time, his murders were blamed solely on the influence of absinthe.

Another theory why absinthe was moraly bad, is due to the competition it made for the liquor companies. By 1910, the French were drinking 36 million litres of absinthe per year. And since absinthe was alot cheaper than regualr liquor due to how easy it was to make, and how little recorses that was needed. I think the liquor industy made up story's about hallucinations, rage, braindamage and so on, and published these facts alot in the media. When Jean Lanfray murdered his family influeced by a large amount of wine, liquor and only two ounces absinthe. The other liquor producers then had something solid to blame on the absinthe, wipeing out the large competition.

Im not sure of the effect caused by "the green fairy". I like to belive that the hallucinations are a true fact, because it make's the story of absinthe very interesting.

 

My story is based on alot of these facts written in the early 1900's. I was inspired by alot of sorces, but there is one quote written by Paul Verlaine. A famous french poet, who was belived to turn mad. Maybe due to his heavy absinthe drinking.

I think this short quote sums up alot more than a boring story. Since this poet represent a group of people that gathered or just spent time in cafe's drinking absinthe. And mostly all people know about the myth of absinthe.

 


The quote is from 1897 when Paul had confessed about his addiction.

"absurdities which I owe to my abuse of this horrible drink: this drink, this abuse itself, the source of folly and crime, of idiocy and shame, which governments should tax heavily if they do not suppress it altogether: Absinthe!"

I fell that i managed to create a design that looked interesting, a pose that presentet the characters act and state of mind and i think the audience will read the character easily.

My artistic influences were the many stories and facts about absinthe, poets, Van Gogh, traditional art, films that takes plance in the 1800's. I really like traditional art and i think this influenced me the most.