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African Cats Revisited
The Disney Nature film African Cats premiered in theatres in 2011. Way back I posted some artwork I had created based on scenes from the film. The sketches were used as part of the film's...
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Frank Thomas' Lady
A beautiful character layout sketch of Lady is being offered currently at Heritage Auctions. Frank Thomas drew this lovely pose of Lady as he was planing the scene. The size of the character, the...
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Ollie Johnston's Ichabod
I recently found this low res photo online of Ollie Johnston as he is animating a scene with Johnny Appleseed. Behind him, pinned on a board are a couple of sheets showing sketches of Ichabod Crane and...
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Beauty and the Beast Reunion 2016
I just came across this group photo from a few years ago at the Academy. We had a great panel that night with artists and voice talents to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film. I guess Beauty and...
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Props
 Disney Feature Animation posted this amazing drawing a while back. It reminded me what Milt Kahl told a young animator (not me) : "Don't underestimate the importance and the potential of props for...
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Marc Davis, Jungle Cruise
Some of you might not be aware that in 2019 Disney published a two book edition called: Marc Davis In His Own Words: Imagineering the Disney Theme Parks. By Pete Docter and Christopher Merrit.Each...
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Two Ladies by Iwao Takamoto
When the film Sleeping Beauty followed Lady and the Tramp in 1959, audiences were in for a surprise. All of a sudden the styling, for both backgrouds and characters, had become flat and graphic....
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The Magic of Xerox
I was thrilled last week to be given the opportunity to revisit Disney's original Xerox "machine" in the old Ink & Paint Department on the Disney Studio Lot. This thing STILL WORKS, after all these...
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Geraldine Page inspires Medusa
At Disney each time animators started exploring a new character assignment, it became very useful to do some research on the character's voice actor. Before animating Scar I looked at photos and...
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AnimAID needs your Help
By now most of you probably heard about AnimAID, an Animation Art Auction through Sotheby's whose proceeds will go directly to members of the LAÂ Animation community who lost their homes during the...
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Cinderella Storyboard Sketches
I love Joe Rinaldi's story sketches. Much like his colleague Bill Peet, on top of his superb storytelling he worked out camera angles, staging, terrific character poses and expressions as well as...
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Lilo Roughs
After seeing a few of my first pass Lilo rough animation drawings online, someone asked me, why some of them look clean while others are drawn in a sketchy way.The answer is simple. Every time I am...
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Early Yzma II
The last time I posted some of my early Yzma designs was in 2011. I had a blast exploring the possibilities for this character. I was trying for 100% Eartha Kitt. Sultry, sensuous, vain, with a hunger...
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Sargent
I have been meaning for a while yo talk about American artist John Singer Sargent (1856 - 1925). There is a new exhibition currently at the MET in New York called "Sargent and Paris". He lived there...
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Kimball Roughs
I was about 11 years old when I first saw what Disney animation drawings looked like. My parents had bought me a little Super 8 film box set with a clip from Lady and the Tramp. It also included a...
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A Kaa Moment
A few years ago I was "freeze-framing" through a scene with Kaa and Shere Khan. The tiger has settled into his position by a tree, ready to interrogate the snake about Mowgli's whereabouts."It's me...
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Lilo 2002
Lilo and Stitch is in the news again, so I thought I might post film frames from a few of my scenes with Lilo. Just going through these scenes after so many years...a lot of emotions are coming back to...
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Rare Photos of Marc Davis and Milt Kahl
This is a very special treat for me, and I am sure it is for you all as well.In 1967 Marc and Alice Davis spent some time in Italy, and they visited Gamma Animation Studio. One year later Milt Kahl and...
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Nightkill
I am experimenting again with the idea of drawing wildlife from documentary film footage. Let's face it, you will never be able to witness a scene like this one in the wild. When you study film...
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Julie Riehm
Julie Riehm Casaletto is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. She was Disneyland's first ambassador. Walt introduced Julie in 1965 to a television audience during a show called "Disneyland's...
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A Marc Davis Wire Sculpture
Did you know that Marc Davis experimented with sculpting in wire? Long before his best friend Milt Kahl produced a series of ballet poses in wire, Marc created this magnificent bull. I love that he...
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The Black Cauldron
 Next month The Black Cauldron will be 40 years old. It was released on July 24, 1985.I still remember those wonderful pastel color sketches Mel Shaw produced for the film. An enormous amount of...
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Milt Kahl Pics
I recently discovered this scene from Disney's Hyperion days. Artists taking a break. Except for one person at the bottom of the photo, and that person has to be Milt Kahl.Milt at the studio, mid...
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Kley Wild Life
It's always a good day when you discover a new drawing by Heinrich Kley. These fantastic sketches of anthropomorphic elephants, rhinos and hippos were published in an old German magazine offered on...
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Geraldine Page inspires Medusa II
Here is one more press photo of actress Geraldine Page from the 1962 film Sweet Bird of Youth. Milt Kahl stated that he actually studied her acting in this movie. In one scene Page kicks Paul Newman in...
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