Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (circa 1937) 
animation model sheet
photostat on paper, dimensions: 11" x 14" + 1" strip at left

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 "Production F1 'Snow White' Prince Models" at center was made at the Disney Studio, likely soon after production of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It is a second-generation print, made from a photostat for reference and future use; a strip of two punch holes was added at left, and it was kept in a studio binder. "Library of the Walt Disney Studio" is reproduced in the model sheet at right. All three notes refer to the rotoscope process by which the studio used its live-action film of an actor as the Prince for reference in animating the character.

Fantasia (1940)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO Fantasia (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 "Cricket Violinists Used in Bug Orchestra for 'Nutcracker Suite'" was made at the Disney Studio during production of Fantasia, and it was issued to artists "11-1-38" for their use in developing these characters for the film. They were superseded by the live-action orchestra and do not appear in the film. Interestingly, the shadow of a human hand appears in one of the images, indicating that Leopold Stokowski would have conducted the bug orchestra.

Lady and the Tramp (1955)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Lady and the Tramp (1955) 
original production animation drawing
red and black pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 5.75" x 6.25"

This handsome rough animation drawing of Tramp, one of the film's title characters, was created by a Disney animator in development of a scene in Walt Disney's CinemaScope animated feature. Milt Kahl, one of Walt Disney's master animators known as his Nine Old Men, supervised the animation of eleven (11) consecutive scenes of Tramp, Lady and the Beaver in the zoo during the removal of Lady's muzzle. Beaver wonders "how ya get the consarned thing off, Sonny?" and Tramp steps forward to explain "to remove it simply place the strap between your teeth." The red pencil drawing in Tramp's head and face is undoubtedly Mr. Kahl's work. The animator wrote the designation "65" at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene. 

Pinocchio (1940)

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Pinocchio (1940) 
original production animation drawing
red, green and black pencil on untrimmed animation sheet, image size: 4.75" x 4"

This original final animation drawing of Pinocchio was created by a Disney Studio animator in production of the animated feature, and a cel painting was made directly from it. Wolfgang Reitherman, one of Walt Disney's master animators known as his Nine Old Men, supervised the animation of Pinoke in this scene during his performance in Stromboli's marionette show. Initially taken aback by the ferocity of the anarchist Russian marionettes, Pinoke soon finds himself imitating their dance and kicking himself in the fanny in time with the music. The animator wrote the circled number “146” at lower right to indicate this original's place in the scene; studio stamp denoting production, sequence, and scene numbers also appears at lower right.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) 
two (2) original production animation drawings
red, blue and black pencil on two (2) untrimmed animation sheets, image size: 3.75" x 4.25" (Happy), 4" x 3.5" (Dopey)

These two (2) splendid final animation drawings of Happy and Dopey were created by a Disney Studio animator in production of Walt Disney's first animated feature, and cel paintings were made directly from them. The two drawings are a matched set; "Reg to #210" is written in red pencil next to the drawing of Dopey. Happy and Dopey are seen hanging on Grumpy's words as he asserts that the Queen "can even make herself invisible! Might be in this room...right now!"

Animation of this scene was supervised by Fred Moore, Walt Disney's brilliant and admired animator of the 1930s and early-1940s who was responsible for the Seven Dwarfs throughout the sequence in which they meet Snow White. The animator wrote the studio designations “210” and "6" at lower right to indicate each original's place in the scene; studio stamp denoting production, sequence and scene numbers appears at lower left. 

Alice in Wonderland

WALT DISNEY STUDIO
Alice in Wonderland (1951) 
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 "Dee & Dum Seq. 05.0" was made at the Disney Studio during production of Alice in Wonderland, and it was issued to animators for their use in developing their animation of the madcap twins Alice meets in Wonderland. The images shown in the model sheet are story or character drawings and were likely intended to suggest expressions, antics and visual gags.