- “[The sky backdrops] were designed specifically by my art director, who's also a pilot, so he's got a lot of knowledge of skies, 'cause it's obviously drawn by a man who knows his clouds. He's up there all the time!”
- ― David Mitton, The Making of Thomas the Tank Engine
Robert "Bob" Gauld-Galliers was the art director for Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends.
Career
Gauld-Galliers began working on the show in 1983 when the test pilot was produced, and helped set the look in the 1940s and 50s in keeping with the illustrations of The Railway Series.
In 1998[1] and 2000[2], he was commissioned by Sony Creative Products Inc. for the development of Thomas Land in Japan.
He was art director on all series until the seventh series and created the character Nigel for the Sodor Construction Company, who was dropped at the last minute.
He was also the set designer for TUGS and one of the original production designers for The Magic Adventures of Mumfie.
Gauld-Galliers is also a pilot, which David Mitton found a great advantage when it came to painting the skies for the sets in the series. He is a big aviation fan and has a passion for World War I aircraft.
Art Director
- Series 1
- Series 2
- Series 3
- Thomas and the U.K. Trip (Thomas and Friends scenes)
- Series 4
- Series 5 (No credit)
- Series 6
- Jack and the Sodor Construction Company
- Series 7
Trivia
- He is credited as Bob Gauld-Galliers, except in TUGS and the third and fourth series.
- He, Britt Allcroft and Patrick Breen all worked on "Magic Adventures of Mumfie".
- He, Martin Sherman, Miranda Larson, David Mitton and Philip Reeves all worked on Mitton's unfinished project; "Adventures on Orsum Island".
- CBECC is based on a private biplane flown by Gauld-Galliers during his days at flying school.
References
- ↑ Fuji-Q Highland Thomas Land (1998.07) on Murayama Inc.
- ↑ Thomas Land Waterscape (2000.07) on Murayama Inc.