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More Busch Circus Sketches
These beautiful, spontaneous sketches by Wilhelm M. Busch date back to 1984. Drawing from life really doesn't get any better than this. Within seconds Busch scribbles down characteristic poses of...
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Ollie Johnston...20 Questions
I don't know who asked Ollie to answer these questions, but this questionnaire is currently available on ebay. Other artists from the field of entertainment did the same, such as Jane Russell and Carol...
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Dwarfs
I have had color xeroxes of these beautiful rough animation drawings on 12 field paper for a while. They feature a few of Snow White's dwarfs drawn by three animators at the time of production.The...
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A Pecos Bill Myth
Ward Kimball and Milt Kahl both animated personalty scenes of Pecos Bill from the 1948 Disney movie Melody Times. This was outstanding casting, Ward brought zaniness to the character, while Milt added...
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Roger Rabbit Scenes II
"Pasword!""Walt sent me".The writers of Who Framed Roger Rabbit had a field day as they came up with all kinds of inuendos that referenced the golden age of Hollywood animation.I remember animating...
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Mr. Toad
Disney's version of Kenneth Grahame's book The Wind in the Willows is one of those few productions that I would label as a good film, but not a great one. First conceived as a full feature film, before...
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Hollywood Animation 25 Years Ago
I can still hear the chuckle in Marc Davis' voice when he told me over the phone:"We made the cover of MODERN MATERNITY magazine." Charles Solomon's article on the state of animated films at the end of...
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Horse and Jockey in Wire
I made this wire sculpture quite a few years ago. It was inspired by one of Heinrich Kley ink drawings. I loved the action in his sketch, and wondered if could get this sense of motion onto a...
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Pinocchio Maquettes
Joe Grant and his character model department were very busy during Disney's golden age. The artists produced inspirational drawings, rough model sheets and of course those stunning character maquettes....
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Disney Cels
Ever since I was a child, watching Disney animated films, I was in awe not only of the animation but also the characters' colors. I loved the muted palette of the early features, but also the vivid...
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Joe Grant Art
This is how I remember Joe Grant during his second stint at Disney. Looking kind of serious before coming up with a wry, funny comment. The great thing about Joe was that you could talk to him about...
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King Triton Stuff
I found more King Triton rough drawings in the bowels of my archive. The sheet above, providing instructions for clean up, was produced by my then assistant Lou Dellarosa. Below you can see my first...
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Rico Lebrun
Within the animation community Rico Lebrun is mostly known for his teaching stint at Disney during the pre-production phase of Bambi. In the photo you can see him giving a life drawing featuring a deer...
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Marc Davis Designs
Years ago when I asked Marc Davis wether he animated those few scenes of the Queen in Sleeping Beauty, I didn't recall. But this drawing of the character holding newborn Aurora as she looks up to her...
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Dumbo Mix
The artist who drew this beautiful sequence for the film Dumbo is Bill Peet. The playful interaction between the baby elephant and his mother is what you would call "Disney Gold". It sets up the bond...
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A Rhino inspires a Dragon
Rocky, the rhino, is a character who was supposed to appear in Disney's Jungle Book. Story man Bill Peet added him to the film's cast, but Walt Disney didn't like Rocky and asked for his removal. Milt...
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Cinderella Live Action Reference
It's always fun to compare Disney live action photostats with the final result in the film. In this sequence from Cinderella the heroine was supervised by Marc Davis based on performances by Helene...
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More Wizard's Duel Sketches
Here is a sheet with more of Bill Peet's ideas for the Wizard's Duel in The Sword in the Stone.All drawn on notepad paper outside of the studio during a trip. Peet's mind at work as he searches for...
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Bongo
I have never been a big fan of Disney's film Bongo, which is a part of the 1947 feature film Fun and Fancy Free. (I remember Ward Kimball commenting: "Now, what kind of a title is THAT?")The first part...
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Heinrich Kley and Fantasia
It is no secret that the art of German Illustrator Heinrich Kley had a profound influence on Disney's Fantasia. Before the film went into full production, the head of the character model department,...
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