Based on his – little – four-legged companion, artist Mitch Boyer is working on Vivian The Dog Moves To Brooklyn, a children’s book about a huge Dachshunds relocation to the ‘big city.’ New York may be large, but when it comes to the main protagonist of the story, large may actually be cutting it short. Using visual effects and some serious editing, Boyer had turned his adorable tiny pooch into a 6ft tall giant.
Boyer created a Kickstarter in order to fund his project, and he also explains that he and Vivian have moved between four states, five cities, and ten different homes during their five years as pet and owner. Every year in the U.S., more than 5.5 million children between the ages of 1 and 9 have to move with their families, and Boyer knows the uncertainty of unfamiliarity all too well, which is why he’s hoping to give comfort to kids on the road.
In the 32-page book, Boyer stars as Vivian’s owner in the book, not only in real life. He tells us that after their big move from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Brooklyn, Vivian “is the only giant wiener dog around.”. She can barely fit into her living room and later she decides to go back to Albuquerque alone. He wouldn’t divulge how the tale ends, obviously, but it’s got me feeling worried for big Vivian!
Boyer is fantastic when it comes to illustration and design, and he is also nice enough to share the process behind these gorgeous images of him and Vivian: each page begins with a paper sketch or storyboard, followed by compiling props and planning the setting composition. After the photo shoot, several images are compiled in a composite, and each final result is decided. Boyer has chosen a fun and quirky way to portray the bond between a man and his dog.
