Dinosaur Stuffed Models that are more than just “cute”
Its cute, stylized form captures the long neck, short tail, and forelimbs longer than the hind legs of a Brachiosaurus plush. This “cute dinosaur” is designed to be enjoyed by children and adults alike.
BrachiosaurusBrachiosaurus
Classification: Saurischia/Sauropodomorpha/Brachiosauridae
Size: Total length 22 meters
Period: Late Jurassic
One of the largest herbivorous dinosaurs for which an almost complete skeleton is known. Its forelimbs were longer than its hind limbs, giving its body a downward slope from the shoulders to the hips, and it had a relatively short tail. It was once thought to have lived in water, but because it lacked a diaphragm in the chest and its lungs would have been compressed by water pressure, it is now considered terrestrial.
Interview with Supervisor Hirokazu Tokugawa
- Plush toys have a distinctive stylized look, and their charm and soft feel appeal to people of all ages, from young children to adults. Favorite is adding a new plush series called Stuffed Model. What are your impressions of plush toys?
- I have long been interested in how to design dinosaurs and other animals to suit the materials and scale of plush toys. I enjoy looking at plush products in museum shops in Japan and abroad, and over time I developed many ideas about how I would approach them myself. The Stuffed Model series gave me the chance to try out the dinosaur plush concepts I had been developing for years.
- The concept was to create a “cute dinosaur” while still capturing the defining features of the real animal, allowing personality and charm to coexist. Mr. Tokugawa supervised the project from the initial illustrations through the expression of each dinosaur’s features. What details did you especially want to convey in Tyrannosaurus, and what are its highlights?
- Compared with Triceratops, Brachiosaurus has a relatively simple shape. I aimed for a design that would be recognizable from its silhouette alone, making repeated fine adjustments to the head to capture the distinctive Brachiosaurus look.
- The dinosaurs use subdued colors that fit naturally into everyday spaces. Were there any particular images or motifs that inspired the Tyrannosaurus color scheme?
- Since Brachiosaurus was a large dinosaur, I wanted the color to convey its size and weight, so I used a dark brown base palette.
- Finally, could you share your overall impressions of the Stuffed Model series and a message for those who will be picking one up?
- My impression of developing the Stuffed Model series is that it was challenging but fun. Unlike reconstruction models, plush toys are constrained by their size and the fabric and materials used, so it is not always possible to achieve the exact shape you want. Finding ways to express both dinosaur character and cuteness within these limitations is difficult, but it is also a rewarding opportunity to rediscover what makes dinosaurs appealing.
Supervisor Profile
Hirokazu Tokugawa
paleoartist／prehistoric lifereconstruction model artist
A dinosaur reconstruction model artist who creates works that combine academic research with the appeal of three-dimensional art, he is also a leading specialist in prehistoric life reconstruction models.