For the opening animal procession at the beginning of the Lion King Kids, I made these six gazelles which could be worn on the kids’ arms like shields. The straps were velcro to make it easy for the kids to get a good fit on their arms. You can see them in the background of one of the pictures below. The idea was that they could make them “jump” by moving their arms. Three gazelles were meant to be seen from one direction and three from the other. While the fronts were painted, the backs were plain and flat. Although the gazelles were almost identical, I decided to decorate each with a different style of “symbols.” I wanted something that would look interesting, but might not be recognized for what they were at first glance. And since this was a Disney show, I added a Hidden Mickey symbol on each one. The kids were so excited when they noticed them.
Drawing the gazelle pattern on luann plywood
Wooden templates, which became the backing to hold the handles, laid out on one inch rigid foam
Gazelles with base color drying
Close-up of one of the gazelle heads, showing the antler pattern to suggest depth
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