Orphan's Benefit (1934)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Orphan's Benefit (1934)
original production animation drawing
pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 2.5" x 2.25"

This original final animation drawing of Donald Duck was created by a Disney Studio animator in production of the animated cartoon directed by Burt Gillett, and a cel painting was made directly from it. Donald successfully recites "Mary Had a Little Lamb" but can't get through "Little Boy Blue" without inciting unruly behavior in the assembled youngsters; this drawing is from the opening moments of his third attempt. A color version of Orphan's Benefit directed by Riley Thomson with new animation was released in 1941. The animator wrote the studio designation “4” at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene.

Quick Draw McGraw (1959-62)

HANNA-BARBERA STUDIO
Quick Draw McGraw (1959-62)
original production animation layout drawing
pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 7" x 10.5"

This original animation layout drawing of Quick Draw McGraw and Baba Looey was created by a Hanna-Barbera Studio artist in development of a scene in an episode of the first series of Quick Draw McGraw cartoons that aired from 1959 to 1962. The artist wrote the designation "12FC" at upper right to indicate the field size of the scene.

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Alice in Wonderland (1951) 
original production animation drawing
brown and black pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 7" x 4.75"

This handsome rough animation drawing of Alice was created by Disney supervising animator Ollie Johnston in development of a scene in Walt Disney's animated feature based on the stories by Lewis Carroll. Ollie Johnston, one of Walt Disney's master animators known as his Nine Old Men, supervised the animation of Alice in most scenes during conversation with the Doorknob while in pursuit of the White Rabbit. Interestingly, Ollie and Frank Thomas alternated animating Alice in three scenes as she reads the directions on the bottle: "Hm...better look first, for..." (OJ), followed by "...if you drink much from a bottle marked poison..." (FT), then "...it's almost certain to disagree with one sooner or later" (OJ)." This is one of Ollie Johnston's drawings of Alice from the last of the three scenes. Frank Thomas animated the Doorknob. The animator wrote the number "202" at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene.

Hercules (1997)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Hercules (1997) 
original production animation drawing
red and black pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 8.5" x 6.5"

This exceptionally nice final animation drawing of Hera, Queen of the Gods, holding the baby Hercules was created by a Disney Studio animator in production of the animated feature; it is an animator's extreme drawing with grid at upper right. It is a very finished and polished drawing yet retains the animator's red-pencil construction lines and shading. This red pencil could have been removed in the computer animation process, or a final clean-up may have been made and scanned. The animator wrote the studio designation “H60” at upper and lower right corners of the sheet to indicate this original's place in the scene. 

The Little Mermaid (1989)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
The Little Mermaid (1989) 
original production animation drawing
pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 9.25" x 5.5"

This original rough animation drawing of Ariel was created by a Disney animator in development of a scene in the animated feature. This scene occurs during Ursula's "Poor Unfortunate Souls" musical performance as she draws Ariel close and whispers: "Now, here's the deal..."

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Lady and the Tramp (1955) 
original production animation drawing
brown and black pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 5" x 6"

This full-figure original rough animation drawing of Bull was created by Disney animator John Lounsbery in development of a scene in Walt Disney's CinemaScope animated feature. John Lounsbery, one of Walt Disney's master animators known as his Nine Old Men, supervised the animation of Bull in this scene in the dog pound, and this is one of this drawings. After Nutsy has been led through the "one way door," the English bulldog remarks "Oh well, a short life and a merry one!" The animator wrote the designation "9" at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene; additional animator's note "shoulders up" is written to right of the image. 

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) 
original production animation layout drawing
red, blue and black pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 8.75" x 9"

This original animation layout drawing of the wicked Queen as the Old Witch was created by a Disney Studio artist in development of a scene in the climax of Walt Disney's first animated feature. After poisoning Snow White, the Old Witch flees from the Seven Dwarfs into the mountains where, during a sudden rain storm, she attempts to pry loose a huge boulder and roll it down upon her pursuers. Three poses of the character are shown in this layout drawing as she picks up a tree branch from the ground to use as a lever on the boulder. The position of the character was changed during production of the film, and a 2.5" wide section of brown paper tape, punched with the Studio registration system, was added to the bottom of the sheet to raise the Witch in the field. The artist wrote the designation "14J Sc 22" at upper left to indicate this drawing's place in the film; other production notes also appear on the drawing.

Pinocchio (1940)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Pinocchio (1940) 
original production animation model sheet
photostat on paper, dimensions: 11" x 14"

Since the early 1930s the Disney Studio has produced model sheets of its animated characters and/or atmosphere and concept art for circulation among artists and animators working in production of an animated film. Before the 1970s they were reproduced by a photostatic or printing process. They were made when a character or setting was in development and to help animators maintain a consistent look to the character throughout the film. This photostat model sheet of Geppetto was made at the Disney Studio during production of Pinocchio, and it was issued to animators for use in drawing Geppetto, the kindly wood-carver who makes Pinocchio and becomes his father after the puppet is brought to life by the Blue Fairy. Disney's great animator Vladimir Tytla supervised the animation of Geppetto, and the images reproduced in this sheet are likely his work. It is punched with the Studio's registration system along the bottom and stamped "Return to Character Model Dept." in lower right corner.

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Sleeping Beauty (1959) 
original production animation drawing
pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 9" x 4.25"

This original rough animation drawing of good fairy Fauna in castle dress was created by a Disney animator in development of a scene in Walt Disney's Technirama animated feature. The animator wrote the designation "110-F" at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene.

Fantasia (1940)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO Fantasia (1940)  original production animation drawing pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 3.75" x 3" This original rough animation drawing of Hyacinth Hippo was created by a Disney animator in development of a scene in the Dance of the Hours segment of Walt Disney's landmark animated feature. The drawing is by Preston Blair who, with lead animator Norm Ferguson, animated Hyacinth in this scene in which the lead ballerina goes into her solo dance on the lawn outside the palace of the Duke Alvise. Mr. Blair wrote the designation "80" at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene.

Pinocchio (1940)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Pinocchio (1940) 
original production animation model sheet
photostat on paper, dimensions: 11" x 14"

Since the early 1930s the Disney Studio has produced model sheets of its animated characters and/or atmosphere and concept art for circulation among artists and animators working in production of an animated film. Before the 1970s they were reproduced by a photostatic or printing process. They were made when a character or setting was in development and to help animators maintain a consistent look to the character throughout the film. This photostat model sheet titled Gendarme F-3 Seq. 4c was made at Disney Studio during production of Pinocchio. It was issued to animators on "9-20-38" in development of the sequence in which Geppetto searches for Pinocchio. This sequence was shortened considerably during production, and the Gendarme does not appear in the film. The studio's "Return This Material to Art Props Dept" stamp appears at upper right.

Puppy Love (1933)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Puppy Love (1933) 
original production animation drawing
pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 4" x 3.5"

This original final animation drawing of Mickey Mouse was created by a Disney Studio animator in production of the animated cartoon directed by Wilfred Jackson, and a cel painting was made directly from it. Dick Lundy animated this scene of Mickey playing the piano to accompany Minnie singing the title song, a jazzy tune that likely was composed for the cartoon.

Mr. Lundy joined the Disney Studio in 1929 and within a year became an animator. He handled scenes for the shorts of the 1930s and was credited for animation on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). In 1939 he became a director, and his first carton wasSea Scouts. He directed a number of Donald Duck cartoons from then into 1943 (his last was The Flying Jalopy) when he left to work at the Walter Lantz Studio and, later, M-G-M. The animator wrote "Scene 16" below the image to indicate this original's place in the film; "488" is written at lower right to mark the drawing's place in the scene. 

Peter Pan (1953)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Peter Pan (1953) 
original production animation drawing
red, blue, green, pink, and black pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 11.5" x 11"

This rare, large-image final animation drawing of Peter Pan holding the gift containing Captain Hook's concealed bomb was created by a Disney Studio animator in production of the animated feature based on the story by J. M. Barrie, and a cel painting was made directly from it. Eric Larson, one of Walt Disney's master animators known as his Nine Old Men, supervised the animation of this scene in which the package begins to vibrate and smoke as Tinker Bell heroically flies into the scene to whisk the bomb away from Peter Pan. The package was partly colored to indicate the effects and vibration of the package. The animator wrote the studio designation "93" at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene; "B-93" written at lower left identifies the visual effects that were likely painted on a separate cel level.

Peter Pan (1953)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Peter Pan (1953) 
original production animation drawing
pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 10.75" x 9.5"

This lively rough animation drawing of John Darling, Wendy and Michael's brother, was created by a Disney animator in development of a scene in Walt Disney's animated feature of J.M. Barrie's classic story. Disney animator Hal King supervised the animation of this scene, and this is undoubtedly one of his drawings. Huddled with the Lost Boys, John pontificates on his strategy for dealing with the natives just as he is captured by a brave concealed inside a tree: "We simply surround them and take them by surprise." The animator wrote the designation "61" at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene.

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Sleeping Beauty (1959) 
original production animation drawing
red and black pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 8.5" x 4.5"

This superb rough animation drawing of Maleficent and her familiar, the raven, was created by a Disney animator in development of a scene in Walt Disney's Technirama animated feature. It is an animator's extreme drawing with two grids at lower right. Marc Davis, one of Walt Disney's master animators known as his Nine Old Men, supervised the animation of this scene in King Stefan's castle at the gathering of "royalty, nobility, the gentry, and...even the rabble." After Merryweather blurts out that Maleficent's presence was not wanted, the evil fairy feints taking her leave. The Queen asks "And you're not offended, your Excellency?" to which Maleficent replies: "Why no, your Majesty." The animator wrote the designation "33" at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene. 

Pete's Dragon (1977)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Pete's Dragon (1977)
original production animation drawing
blue pencil on an untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 9.5" x 10"

This handsome rough animation drawing of Elliott, the film's animated dragon who was designed by Ken Anderson, was created by a Disney animator in development of a scene in the animated and live-action feature film. The animator wrote the designation "9" at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene