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Disney Character Designer answers your questions about Concept Art, Character Design for Animation, Digital Painting & Illustration.

From Pandora’s Box To The Holy Grail: Why Prop Design Is Essential For A Competitive Visual Development Portfolio

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Pandora_Detail_320wPandora’s Box, The Holy Grail, The One Ring, Lightsabers, Reese’s Pieces, The Red Pill, The Ark Of The Covenant, Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers, The Flux Capacitor, Thor’s Hammer…

Props are essential for creating believable worlds.

So why are they often neglected in Visual Development portfolios?

In this article, Ejiwa “Edge” Ebenebe – Editorial Assistant for The Oatley Academy – and I share three creative challenges that will help you fill your portfolio with props that tell a story.

This is the fourth part of an ongoing series…

1.) Create A History For Every Prop:

RaidersIdol_580w

Era-specific materials, style, taste, texture, color, dust, weather, fabrics, patterns, storage, quantity, physical condition, monetary value, dents, scratches, inscriptions, creative customizations…

There are stories in the objects that surround us.

When you design a prop, you’re designing its history as well.

You don’t have to write an epic backstory for every single prop in your portfolio.

…but an imaginary history will inspire authenticity in your designs.

…and authenticity is essential for designing believable worlds.

2.) Connect Your Props To Your Characters:

Fozzie_Puppeteer_MuppetShowYou didn’t spring into existence, full of memories, tastes, hopes and fears…

Rather, your individuality was formed by your life experiences.

…and you, like everyone else, own a collection of objects that you associate with specific memories from your life experience.

There are memories in the objects we collect.

Whenever possible (and especially for your portfolio) design props that communicate a relationship with one or more of your characters.

What is the character’s relationship to the object?

DocBrownHelmetWhy did the character keep this object?

…or did they lose it?

Did the character augment or affect the appearance of the object?

Do they take care of it?

…or take it for granted?

Did the character make it?

…or break it?

3.) Prepare With A Personal Project:

Wilson_580w

While extensive research will certainly help you become a better prop designer, research without clear goals can become overwhelming.

Personal Projects focus your study and guide your visual development process.

That focus alone will make research more manageable.

…but choose a topic that interests you and your innate, creative curiosity will keep you going.

Develop several pages full of props for your Personal Project and you will feel way more confident and prepared for your next studio gig.

4.) Learn How Stuff Works:

T2Arm_Miles_580w

Whether you’re a gearhead, a costume designer or a hobbyist historian, specialized knowledge will support your creative career.

It could even lead to related work on an animated production.

My (Chris) first visual development gig was as a “Prop Visual Development Painter.”

My job was to paint over prop designs to make them look like they would appear in the final film. (You can see a few examples on my art page. You can learn more about the process here, here and here.)

I learned how to paint many different materials. I learned how certain mechanical objects were built and how they work. I learned about nature, anthropology and meteorology…

…but imagine the advantage you will have if you can demonstrate this knowledge in your portfolio the next time you apply for a VisDev job.

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Comments

  1. Great post. Good thing to remember for sure. I am a new winger – or maybe not an official winger, but a fringe-winger and I love your site. Listening to the podcast has been awesome. I studied as a graphic designer, but I am slowly coming over to the dark side – illustration! Haha. What will my professors say?!

    My favorite prop is probably finn in adventure time’s swords, or maybe the various wands in Harry Potter.

  2. Hmm my favourite prop used in movies would have to be Dorothy’s Ruby Red Slippers! (technically could be costume) The colourful statement they make in a movie where colour literally directs the movie, very powerful and clever use of red!
    I also love this topic about talking about props. If you make your props not only reflect something about the character, but take on shapes you have designed to be you environment, you can push the visual language of your environment to create a stronger designed message. You can use them to create cohesion and to break the environments visual language. Fun topic Chris!

    • So true, Tegan.

      You can also imbue your prop designs with visual representations of the story.

      I had an earlier draft of this article where I talked about the top from Inception and how the design is a visual metaphor of the story.

      It got a little too wordy for this post but it’s interesting to think about.

    • Hey Tegan 😀

      Such good points! Props sure can… propel the story forward (I’m not sorry).

      Also, the transition (or distinction) between costume & prop is an interesting one that I was thinking about while we were writing this post!

      • Haha! Love it! maybe when the piece of costume is used as a prop, in the Wizard of Oz it changes possession & defines 2 characters. Hmmn many thoughts

  3. Hey Chris! thank you for this very informative article! I have a few annoying questions 😀 if you don’t mind answering! Do studios provide you with a simple 3D base mesh and you just get to paint over it and add the details or do you need to know a 3D software and do the whole thing? also do you think learning a 3D software like MODO is essential for a 2d character artist, these days?
    lastly you mentioned every prop needs a brief backstory so does the DA give you a brief for the props just like with the characters and Environments?
    I truly appreciate all the hard work!
    Keep rocking dude!

    • I think I can help a little with your question about how studios handle paint overs. I’m sure it varies from studio to studio and depends on purpose, but I know that one studio I worked with provided basic renders of what needed to be painted, for example the character with basic textures (clothing, hair) and the lighting.

    • Good questions, EHSAN. Every studio is different and every AD is different.

      Sometimes I would paint over a 3D mesh, sometimes I would paint over a pencil drawing by a prop designer and sometimes I researched, designed and painted the prop.

      Regardless, you are always looking for ways to “plus” the design. …which just means you’re always looking for ways to bring more to it, to improve the quality of the asset without disrupting the production.

    • Woops! I forgot your other question! Sometimes the AD will have ideas and sometimes props are described in the script. But you will find that the majority of the work is your responsibility.

      • THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE! I GREATLY APPRECIATE ALL THE REPLIES! 🙂
        I should start doing a lot fo studies and prop designing then!!

        also my all time favorite prop : WOODY’s COWBOY HAT!

        again you guys rock!

  4. Too many props to think about… Ahhhhhh!

    Radagasts Staff is a close favorite.

    But probably Jason Voorhees’ Mask from Friday the 13th. I love how he came about it randomly in a sporting goods store. He uses it to hide his shame, hide from the world and generally make him more comfortable going on his.. murderous rampages. It was a throw away thing that became synonymous with the character almost instantly. Perhaps its doesn’t really count as a prop as its an item of clothing? I don’t know. But its a great example I think.

    • LOTR is a prop designer’s paradise. Gandalf The Gray’s staff is one of my favorites from the series.

      The Radagast design is full of visual interest. …and that Jason Mask – bone-chillingly minimalistic.

    • There. are. so. many!!! Jason’s mask is an interesting one; I was familiar with the visual of the mask before I ever even watched the film; it’s so iconic.

  5. Great post! And it’s so true, at least in my case I tend to forget about props easily. I remember I was talking to my friend some months ago about my personal project and we were at a bookshop where some Harry Potter wands and other stuff like that was being sold, and my friend said “Are there any cool objects in your story? Things people might want to buy and keep for themselves?” I froze and had to think fast until I found a single one. It was such a good call! When creating a story I tend to forget that not only characters or events can make the plot progress. Props are a great resource for storytelling too and they can have so much personality. I don’t think I can pick an absolute favourite famous prop, but I’ll say the Neverending Story book. I love books in general, as objects too, and since I read it I just thought it was the ideal book of books 🙂

    • Neverending Story is one of my favorite things ever. I actually had a draft of this post where I referenced The Orin but it didn’t really make my point as strongly as WiiiiiLLLSOOOOON!

      • Hahaha, I understand! The Orin is such a nice one too, we actually have one at home and even if it’s not an official one I look at it and it carries so much meaning. I need more props like this in my story! *Gets back to work*

    • Thanks Lorena! It really is amazing isn’t it? There are so many props I would love to own in real life; they carry a lot of impact with them in the stories they help tell 🙂

  6. I love the Ghostbusters proton pack, and all their gadgets! Ghost trap, Ghost sniffer. I also like Indiana Jones, holy crail, and the Ark of Covenant. These are few I like and I have built the Ghostbusters proton pack from household items, which was really fun and creative. It makes you become a carpenter, painter, electronics geek and designer, taking on these prop builds. Very cool!!!

    • Proton Pack is one of my all-time favorites, Carl! …and GB is one of my all-time favorite movies.

      All of the Ghostbusters’ gear had such an amazing, DIY aesthetic. Brilliant work.

  7. I usually design characters or landscapes without objects or equipment (are fairly minimal as design) and perhaps is also becoming a problem. They are likely to be uninteresting or tell very little of the subjects represented. Maybe I should enrich them of details and things (obviously without throwing things at random).

    I fear it is also a matter of laziness. To draw more, when the Academy of Fine Arts leaves me time, I do drawings that I can afford to do with certain times. so I end up doing simple things and perhaps trivial. Consequently my portfolio is full of these things.

    Sorry for the small vent but it is a bit ‘that goes on like this
    Thanks chris for the interesting post

    • Yes, Loris. You’re right in thinking that detail, texture and complexity can really enhance the believability of your characters and their world.

      But there is always the risk of obfuscating the story accidentally. …so the rules of composition, value, color etc. always apply.

    • Oh I totally get what you’re saying Loris; I definitely struggle with enriching my characters with history.

      I do think it is a laziness thing for me, and something I need to push through! I am always in awe of people who do it well 😀

  8. Hello! Long time pod cast listener but first time blog comment. I hear on the pod cast how nice the community is so thought I’d get over my comment shy-ness.

    This is a great suggestion. I remember in art history classes we were encouraged to analyse the props / objects in a painting as they symbolised things about the people or situation. They can add so much depth but I must admit neglect them in my own art work. Too excited about drawing the character!

    Whenever I draw or doodle for practice, I think about people, animals and plants but I’m going to give drawing and designing objects for a story a go now. Thanks for the post and inspiration! 🙂

    • Thank you, Mair! And thank you for jumping into the comments! We have insane amounts of fun down here. Haha!

      I’m a sucker for that symbolism stuff. I’m getting ready to teach Painting Drama again so I need to go brush up on my art history. Do you have any favorite examples?

  9. Yes! This! I have been preaching this for years. I call it, “junk art” and I think every artist, especially every young artist, should have “junk” in their portfolios. In school, I was always told to make the epic dude with a sword, or a axe swinging minotaur, or the sexy babe in the space suit. “Cool” stuff not “ordinary” stuff. Then, when I was looking for a job, I was asked, “do you have anything like tables, chairs, forks, etc.?” Of course, I didn’t, so finding work was hard. I made a rolling pin, a silly little rolling pin (although I did spend many hours perfecting this rolling pin), and I started to get interest, and got a internship gig. So I made a wooden mallet, a kitchen knife, and a crowbar, and got a job offer at game studio. It completely blew my mind that very ordinary assets can land you a gig.

    My favorite prop, Mighty Max’s baseball cap, a ordinary looking cap with amazing teleportation abilities, yes please!

  10. Thanks for this post Chris. I tend to forget about props when it comes to my own art, despite the fact that I constantly point them out to my wife while playing video games–“Look at this leaf! It’s so perfect! Every tiny object in this game’s world was thought about and crafted by a person! That’s amazing!” “Mhm, that’s cool.”

    Last month I was at Universal Studios walking through Harry Potter world. It was nothing but wonderfully believable props. Tiny details stacked on tiny details that compounded to make a fictional world feel real. I pointed those out a lot too. Hmmm, seems I should be doing instead of just admiring!

    Speaking of admiring, I’ve always loved the prop work Ben Caldwell does. Every prop has the same style as his characters, which makes for super believable objects. You can see a few on this page of Fantasy Cartooning: https://p.gr-assets.com/540×540/fit/hostedimages/1380322141/690327.jpg

    Maybe as an exercise I’ll start including one or two props for every random sketch I do. Annnnnd now I want to go draw.

  11. Hi Chris and Edge!

    I love this post!

    And while I know this post is tailored to VisDev portfolios or students, I find it extremely applicable to writing. I’m writing prose for the OAlive! project. And I’m really not good at prose. I often don’t think things through or describe things well enough. The questions you suggest to ask about the objects are really firing off in my brain right now. It’s AWESOME.

    Hmmm, favorite famous prop…. I know this isn’t incredibly famous nowadays, but there’s a golden bridle that Bellepheron used to tame Pegasus in Greek Mythology. That’s always fascinated me. And that’s an old old story. Crazy how objects can hold a certain kind of story in amongst themselves. Just by existing they have a story.

    Thanks guys!

    • Hey, Britny! This is definitely important for VisDev portfolios but – you’re right – it certainly isn’t exclusive to VisDev. I’m only focusing this series on VisDev to help answer some common questions about VisDev portfolios specifically. I would love to discuss this idea of “Props, Plot, Prose and Storytelling” with you further.

    • Britny!! <3

      Thank you! I totally agree that this information is applicable in numerous scenarios. It really is amazing how much power and symbolism a single item can carry with it!

  12. Even if I suck at character design I really like making props, in fact, I may enjoy drawing props more than characters. But well, as an environment painter it might be natural haha.

    This article is a bliss because it make me feel good about my workflow and way thinking (thought flow?) when I m designing these. I’ve always thought that I tend to overthink things, especialy when I try to make everything related to the character it belong to, phew, that’s a good new!

    My favorite prop? Damn, that’s a tough question! I might go with the Laputa stone from Castle in the sky because I love the idea of little object carrying great power and symbolism!

    Great article

    • Though I can’t say for sure, Florian, you sound like you were born to design props! I *strongly* encourage you to pursue that natural inclination and indulge your curiosity. And sketch all the time! Keep us posted.

      • Thanks Chris!

        It might be hard to tell a story with props only so I do try to learn how characters are working!

        Still, it’s a good thing that my personal project is full of them!

    • Woohoo! You go Florian 😀

      Also, major props for that adorable teacup icon (see what I did there? I’m hilarious, I know).

      That’s a great observation! So many fantastic props you’re all reminding me of, haha. Laputa was such a moving, powerful film.

  13. Great post, Oats! Enjoyed it thoroughly, I usually design characters; I love exploring characters and who they are, the use of the prop is a usual piece of information that describes a characteristic.

    It could represent there personality, personal achievement or goals; it could be their most precious object, or their most dangerous horrific curse.

    The prop I most like is The One Ring; simply because this is a small object that has immense powers that could destroy the world. The bearer of such a device is test with it. I love these kinds of obstacles/ burdens for a character; and it’s not the kind of weapon that can be used for good.

    A prop is a good piece that theatre actors love; a prop to an actor means anything. In the theatre a prop could basically be an empty box of sweets, but to an actor; it’s the Pandora’s box. Actors can soak their entire performance into one simple object.

    For artists we do a similar thing, only we can make our imaginations come to life on the screen and page for all to see.

    This was a great post and it has inspired me, and given me a new motive or practice to try out.

    Thanks,
    Tyrone.

      • I can understand your passion for the One Ring! I do love the idea of tiny objects holding a great power!

        I do think that it simple really “rough” design is helping to convey that idea! Just like the lamp in Alladin, it’s really rough and could be easily mistaken to be a common object and I like that!

        But, in some ways, isn’t that hard to make the viewer really aware of the power of that props with such a simple design? And how can you achieve that efficiently?

  14. My favorite famous prop would have to be Maxwell Smart’s shoe phone. It’s so goofy and really helped support the character and humor of the show. I’m also a big fan of Gromit’s knitting needles in Walace and Gromit.

    • Wow. The shoe phone is an ideal example, Caroline! I wish I had thought of that one for this post! Fantastic! The entire “Get Smart” world is revealed in that single prop. Amazing.

  15. Great post, Chris and Edge! Normally, I gravitate more to designing characters and stories than props and environments, but this article is just the thing to help me get excited about that process! I think my problem in the past was that I thought about props as simply “objects”, not important parts of the storytelling process.

    Since none of my story ideas are ready for the prop design stage, (I’m still trying to figure out their structure!), I’m thinking of trying this exercise out on a pre-existing story, like a fable or fairy tale. That way, I only have to work on one thing at a time.

    I’m not sure I can pick a favorite prop, but one I’ve always been fond of is The Really Useful Book in the movie Mirrormask, which gives the main character well timed pieces of advice. (I would love to have something like that in my life!)

    Thanks again, guys! This series has been super great! ^_^

    • Thank you Bethany! I’m the same, haha; I’m trying to get better at the ‘props are more than simply objects’ thing!

      This is going to sound really ridiculous, but I’ve been trying to remember the name of that movie FOREVER! I remember it being a really eerie film; I’ve been wanting to re-watch it for a long time now, so thanks for jogging my memory! 😀

  16. As Andrew Beck coined above, I guess I too am a fringe-winger. I never miss a post, but I’m often too shy to comment, though I love reading the comments of other wingers.
    I know it can sound boring to draw “ordinary things” or props, but I have found that when drawing some normal or boring object, or 3D modelling it, I tend to fall in love with something about it. Sometimes its shape, or the way the light plays across it, its usefulness, or the way it interacts with the spaces and the objects around it, or all of the above.
    This ‘falling in love’ aspect might have something to do with the intensity of focus that’s required in order to capture the essence of the object. Perhaps (and pardon my little fantasy here) as we work, we breathe in a wisp of that essence; it enters into our psyche and lodges there becoming a part of our experience, enriching us not only as artists and designers, but as persons.
    Another thought-provoking essay, Chris. I will be super-aware of this as I continue to redesign my graphic novel. And your set of questions to ask about each prop is genius! Thank you!

    • Hey Jande! Fringe-winger is one of the best things I’ve heard today, haha!

      I love how poetically you’ve conveyed your thoughts; there really is so much to be discovered beyond the surface of even the simplest objects we create 🙂

      • Thank you, Ejiwa! (my apologies for not responding sooner) It makes me happy to learn that my sometimes overly colourful verbiage is appreciated. :`D

  17. Hi Chris and everyone! I really am glad I found your website. Your podcast are so fun to listen to and they give something to think about after wards. I am a illustrator/ recent graduate from school and it is a little tough right now, but listening to the artist on the podcast make me feel better as I move forward each day.

    Maybe it is because I am a anime fan, but I really like the digivices on Digimon. The idea of having a device that changes a cute monster into an awesome fighting one is so cool! Thanks for letting me share.

  18. Very interesting, I didn’t even know about the name “prop” that says how much i neglected them. Thank you for opening my eyes to this concept.

    There are so many props to think about !!!
    I think my favorite one would be the skeleton organ in the goonies.

  19. Great post Chris! It certainly takes a lot of understanding and thoughtful planning to create believable environments.

    I recently went through the hiring process with a start-up game company. They cut 120 applicants to 8 and then had us complete 2 test projects using Adobe Illustrator (so all vectors). The first was technical- just mimicking their style, environment and objects. The second project was to create your own environment using a medieval theme.

    So I researched medieval times and gathered appropriate reference. When constructing 3D objects in a 2D space the more you understand the materials the better. You cant just focus on the ‘what’ you have to also figure out the ‘who, how and why’. Which is exactly what this post is saying.

    The gaming company only hired one artist and I was unfortunately not chosen. The two projects combined took me 8-10 days and around 100 hours of creative. But the experience was rewarding and I will continue to apply.

    Keep up the great work Chris,

    Best,

    Tim

  21. My favourite prop… hmmm..

    I honestly don’t know, but the rose from Beauty and The Beast was the first object that stuck in my mind when I was a kid.

    Something about looking at such a delicate, fragile and pure thing in a dark cramped and dusty Beast’s room… I remember rewinding the tape just to look at it, hahaha. I’m crazy.

    Great article, Edge and Chris! Thank you SO MUCH for it!!

  22. Prooops- my big love! Such a nice article.
    My favorite prop is Mary Poppins´ umbrella. I love how it not only beautifully odd, but also serves as a symbol for Mary Poppins being the angel from the sky character. Oh my, how I whish I had a parrot umbrella.

    • Maike!! Hi there, it’s my very own Mary Poppins! (I’m so witty :P)

      Seriously though, you’re all jogging my memory tremendously; her umbrella is so iconic! As well as her bag 😀

  23. I always thought the Grail journal in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade was amazing.

    • Oh yeah. SO GOOD. That journal captivated me as a kid.

      On that note: The Holy Grail from ‘Last Crusade’ a great example of a prop that plays a key role in communicating both plot and character.

  24. Thanks for this upload! I’m wanting to be a prop/layout designer or painter when I get out of college! This is super helpful! As with anything you post lol

  25. Other than Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade being one of the defining films of my childhood, I have to agree that the Grail Diary is one of the best props in film history. As a child I was in awe of the level of detail Henry Jones had put into the drawings – in one image/moment you see everything you need to know about his character and his relationship with Indy.

    I also really love the tiny moment in Aladdin when the Sultan is piling the tiny glass figurines upon one another. The action says a lot about him and what he has to do all day as in contrast to Jafar who comes in and topples it over – foreshadowing- and the delicate-ness of them is so specific to his status.

    Also the dolls Patsey makes out of corn husks in 12 Years a Slave – so telling – so on point. The necklace from Rosemary’s Baby. The Jumanji game + pieces. Sonic Screwdriver. I love props!

    Oats, I wanna join Magic Box, but I keep getting this terrifying “this website is not safe” message – any thoughts?

    • Aaaaw the Sultan’s glass figurines are so cool 😀

      About the magic box’s website, don’t worry it’s all safe! As long as it have ChrisOatley or Oatley Academy in the URL adress it should be good 🙂

      I did not have any trouble with it by myself, but better safe than sorry!

    • SO many good points in here! Also, so many movies I need to watch again.

      Hmm, I’ll ask support! I’m not sure why that would be showing up, but both chrisoatley.com and oatleyacademy.com are legitimate and safe sites 🙂

    • Hi, Vashti!

      We had a glitch in our SSL file that was triggering that error message. You will find that it is fixed now!

      Great points about props too! SO GOOD!!!

  26. Brian Froud Props!
    In all my Brian Froud books he has sketches of props, goblin props, troll props, all sorts of stuff. I can only assume he really likes designing props.

    The Dark Crystal is a good example of how the various objects used by the characters can reflect their personalities. Twisted metallic items for the evil skeksies, and earthy stoney things for the wise and humble Uru.

  27. Yay props!!! The unsung heroes of vis dev!!! 😀 Thank you so much for this post guys; really awesome things to keep in mind, all the time. It’s amazing how many ‘normal’ things are needed to make a story come alive, but I think it’s also amazing how cool some of those normal, everyday things do look when you really look at them. 🙂

    I think one of my favorite recent props, were the steering wheels from Mad Max: Fury Road. They not only served their purpose of being steering wheels, but once removed they also became a symbol of triumph and ownership of sorts. Super cool. 🙂

    Thanks again guys!

  28. Love this! I went into this thinking, “Meh, props” and now I’m like “Holy Crap, Props! Am I right?!” and I just want to draw props all day. Can’t write much cause I’m listening (thanks Google Translate) to this at work, but my fav. props are the wands in Harry Potter because they all have so much personality and are all so distinctly different, but they match their owner’s personalities so well. Love them! You’re great, Chris. Gotta go back to work.

  29. So many props and I can easily lose hours thinking about props and world building.
    Where would Jason and the Argonauts be without a Golden Fleece.
    What about Medusa’s head being used as a prop.
    What would King Arthur be without the sword in the stone or even Excalibur.
    Something that has always caught my eye is The Alethiometer or otherwise know as “The Golden Compass”. It stands out as something that can look simple yet work on a mysterious metaphysical level.

    • Yep Rich, totally agree! It’s funny, I was actually thinking about Medusa’s head while we were writing this post, and wondering if it would be considered a prop; I guess it would! 😀

      • @Edge Definitely, while attached it wouldn’t be but afterwards then I think it would be a prop.
        Must be that mind control and world domination thing working in the same wavelength 😛

    • I notice a lot of story is base around a prop ， such as the lord of the ring which is base on the ring， speaking of Excalibur you reminded me of a japan anime call fate/stay night which is base on a holy cup, prop can really tell cool story

  30. I found this to be rather interesting. I live in the Pittsburgh, Pa., area and happen to be, among other things, a member of IATSE Local 3, function mostly as a carpenter in the CLO shop. We have a summer season in Pittsburgh and the first show was MARY POPPINS. Besides working on various aspects of the set, I built most of the larger props and several of the gags that make the show interesting.
    As an artist and photographer, I often rely on props and models. When I get to do them for myself, I get to do all the work, which I didn’t do at the CLO shop – painting is a separate department. Thanks.

  31. I love talking about props. I interned at the National Museum of American History, and spent some time up close and personal to a few props (the ruby slippers from Wizard of Oz, etc) in the popular culture exhibit, including counting how many times the shoes were photographed (108 times in 2 hours, if I remember correctly, about one damaging flash per minute).

    My favorite book prop is Martin the Warrior’s sword in Redwall. Talk about an item of significance with its own story behind it.

    I watch two prop-heavy TV shows (one ended): Warehouse 13 and Bones. I am amazed by the depth of details on the props for both, in particular Warehouse 13. I carry around my own Phoenix artifact from the show (they sold it as a keychain for a while), and while it has a large significance to the story of the show (a symbol of rebirth with a literal rebirth element), it has now held significance in my own life as a fidget item/stim. There’s a great behind-the-scenes thing that came out with the end of the show that interviewed their prop designer. She explains the difference between prop, set, and costume, and my favorite moment was truly a WH13 moment: she realizes that doorknobs are both set *and* prop (meanwhile, there was a doorknob artifact). Every artifact has its own story, even the ones on the shelves that are part of the set. One of my favorite Bones episodes echoes of this: “Night at the Bones Museum” because they not only have awesome mummy props (including a sarcophagus that is more based on the movie The Mummy (original), which they quote the entire episode), the exhibit text in the “exhibit” at the end was all real. As someone who interacted with real and replica artifacts in museums, the significance of “prop” as an object full of story has a huge role in my life as both artist and writer.

    Thanks for the great thoughts.

    • I just remembered another prop-heavy TV show that uses props to tell story/set period: Call the Midwife. They use real objects half of the time, not replicas. Talk about history coming to life and props with a story!

  32. I can’t say I have a specific favorite item, but I always loved items in fantasy genres (enchanted swords, books, staves, potions, etc.). I will take this advice not only in portfolio design but my own character design, and hopefully they’ll become more interesting and less stiff. Thank you so much for this article!

  33. Great article. I’m actually working on a prop page for my thesis and this has made me think about how to refine it. Currently it looks nice and shows its purpose in the design. However I haven’t put as much story into, like your article is mentioning.

    My favorite prop right now is Steven’s Rose Quartz gem from Steven Universe. It holds so much meaning based on it appearing on him or in flashbacks when his mother had it. Also it is heavily used as a device for much of the story and the emotions that Steven goes through. All very dynamic for a rather unassuming gem design.

  34. First, your website is where I’ve been going every day at work while I paint. Slowly trying to drink it all in. Love your interviews. Love your focus on storytelling. Inspiring stuff. And more than any of that I love the community that you have created that builds not only stories and pictures, but each other up, encouraging them on. It’s awesome and I’m hoping to join that community now that I am post-wedding crazyiness.
    I’ld just email you, but I can’t find a spot to send it. Wondering if you are aware of the re-proposed copyright laws being prepped by the copyright office. Listened to this today while I painted.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDoztLDF73I
    Trying to let other artists know while we can make our voice heard as they write it up. Thursday is the last day we can write in our concerns at http://copyright.gov/policy/visualworks/comment-form/. There are more links at the youtube link that explains it much better than I can, but the legislation’s wording makes our art much easier to be used by other people and limits legally fighting against it drastically. Again, it’s still being written, but it is not good for us in its current state. They want us to register all of our art to have legal protection. Time consuming much?
    Again, sorry for leaving this here. It’s really off topic, but very important to what we do and I don’t know where else to put it. :/

  35. to add to my earlier post look at lightsabers to jedi knights kinda a right of passage to create your own, and what would Xena be without her chakram.

  36. The most famous prop for me is Snoopy’s dog house. It was so important to snoopy and his life. It opened up his world beyond his own and allowed him to act out a parts of his personality that perhaps was not possible in his reality. I think it helps a characters development to know they have a hidden world that only exists in their imagination.