Van Eaton galleries has some new artwork, here is a piece from Bedknobs and Broomsticks

Some old artwork, reworking with courage to resurrect some life into the cartoon. The most popular shoe I remember beside the Monkey Boot were the Larger Red "High-Top" Dock Martins. These air-wear boots allowed for great bounce when driving up to Hollywood to dance to you favorite 80's band.

I suppose 22 year old drawings would be considered to join the History page of my animation blog. These drawings are pretty good, not sure if I could even draw like this anymore! I made a this clay fishbone animation in 1989 and this is a drawing of it.

The drawings I liked the more in these old sketch books were where I had 'real life' reference. Stuff that I was inventing was pretty ruff and didn't have much direction, just "in the moment" sketches. . . not well planned. But I was just learning back then.

Originally I wanted multiple hands on each rib. I imagined the style was in a 1940's with still some early "rubber-hose" technique . You can see the influence that Chuck Jones and Marv Newland had on my work. Balloon-like flexibility.

This Chris Dowd caricature was suppose to go along with the Angelo character but never did any animation to accompany the Angelo and Fishbone cartoons . His head could be enlarged 20%. I was trying a brush-pen technique here. While crude I think my passion for drawing shines through my lack of skill at the time.

Here is a drawing I did in 1989. I don't sit around doing this anymore but thought this was pretty good. I found several sketch books going in many mysterious directions. I hope to post more good finds.

I am not too sure this background works with this set up but it looks authentic. I remember them being at the lunch room school cafeteria.

First animation of Milhouse.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24gvMY0GR5w&feature=related

I found these Simpson cels from 1989 being sold at "Deep Archives" for around $200 each recently. Visit http://www.thedeeparchives.com. The weirdest thing was I bought drawings from this exact first Simpson commercial Comic Con 2008. I thought the price were pretty good being this one of the highest quality animation being produced at the time, main characters and hard to find classic first Butterfinger Commercial. Quality being artistry and Craftsmanship. Actually I bought two cels from this scene as well.

I was watching Walt Disney's Robin Hood (1973) tonight and in aw at all the work put into that film. The cast members are fantastic for each of the character voices. There's an emotion scene where the Sheriff of Nottingham barges in on Friar Tuck during a rainstorm and takes a last farthing from the poor box.

Friar Tuck tries to him to put it back but the Sheriff says, "I just doing my duty". The acting in the animation follows the voices perfectly bringing out emotion in the scene. These two character a large in size and the animator's literally throw their weight around. The way the characters move and act helps the story move along visually.

This above early color size concept piece is just as exciting to me as when I remember seeing it in 1973. I'm sure Milt Kahl and Wooly Reitherman had some challenges working this stuff out. It's a lot of work getting all of it done in a timely fashion.

After searching through 20 website I found one piece of art I helped work on.

From a Treehouse of Horror Halloween Episode. Bart's evil Twin.
http://www.animationartwork.com/simpsons_animation_art

After searching through 20 website I found one piece of art I helped work on.

From a Treehouse of Horror Halloween Episode. Bart's evil Twin.
http://www.animationartwork.com/simpsons_animation_art

While researching Nuclear Reactors I can across this beautiful colored map.

Here's an illustration that is in the works, the arm was behind the head trying to look like he's (I'm) running late but it ended up looking more like a fashion pose which I didn't want. So I may try snapping fingers or hold sheet music?

Th pin stripes on the overhauls will look better and simplify the drawing if the are in "light gray" instead of black. I'm really trying to keep this simple. Ha! I may add some halftones to add sparkle.................?

These are just traced from images I got off the internet.

After tracing these I think I have a much better idea how to draw these characters.

I didn't want to make them fancy or in my own style or anything, just the character we all love in a line drawing placed on stars.

These old posters are great, they show the power of color. Even if the characters are a little off model, bold color, composition and contrasting lettering are great design elements to keep your interest.

I love this old Donald Duck. Everything feels just right here.

This 80's Mickey is great, drawing front views of characters can be the most difficult drawings to pull off...well beside a 3/4 rear!

Again great color and wonderful how they got floating heads against the ocean musical stream...

This Pinocchio is just the angle and expression that I need for the final page in my book.

The work done here on the lettering here is so right on for the movie.

Amazing how life - like and child- like are these very loose drawings. They really were excited about what they were doing. At least they're work shows this excitement for me.

Primary colors work fairly well.

This pan looks to me like a sericel.
Walt Disney's Pinocchio clip art reference for a page in my book "Happiest Music on Accordion".

"It's not much of a tail. but I'm sorta attached to it."

- Eeyore the Donkey

One of my favorite lines from the original "Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (1967). I was thinking about backgrounds for my cartoon and was curious, what environment and style I'd like to put him into. The first thing that came to mind, were the backgrounds in the opening titles of this film.

These backgrounds have a simplified "storybook" look. They started with an over all "solid color" that covers the entire frame (Emerald,Teal or Shamrock) then with a few blended charcoal elements using colors (brown, grey & yellowish green). And lastly, a cel xerox of a pencil line (pencil turns to looking like a black inked line ) sitting on top of the artwork.

The lines are broken and allows color to enter and exit freely. The same with the grass, each blade is free to sit however it wants. The last element for me, are the white high-lights on the tree (light green in the tree leaves). In the rest of the film, the leaves are more detailed but here, they are just simple "puffy" clouds.

I better add that this background pan is most likely a 16 field which is larger than television 12 field which can hold more detail. If one would want this quality they should consider that too!

Hands are in silhouette but are 3-D with volume. My drawings of hands are getting better but are far from this masterwork.
These multi-drawing effects had to be done separately then combined. They are too perfect.
The animator here probably played the piano, he drew the fingers (while most of the hidden) actually pressing the keys. Hand of GOD was working here.
This reminds me of Ren Hoek. Really funny even after seeing for the 15 times!
The duck has no eyebrows yet he's got some angry looking eyes! Look how the left hand is in silhouette on shirt and the cuff throughout the scene, always favors one side.
This distortion reminds me of Bob Clampett. Could be Ward Kimball.
These arm are stretched but they maintain the mass. This is so hard to draw! That door is animated too, talk about time consuming/painstaking work.
Donald is mad at the guy who just left the door.
I would love to see Popeye and Donald in a fight.
These are so extreme yet they stay on model! Great effect, simple shadows, not easy to pull off yet these guys did it like they were breathing.
Bottom of feet!

If you only knew how many times I would try getting a 3/4 foot on a pose like this. Not needed. Look!!
Some distortion but really stay in realistic proportion.

These poses of Donlad Duck are really extreme. I guess the animators really took animation to it's fullest potential. Not to mention the great background that some falls under 'animated background' as well. These were all hand inked too! The amount of skill and talent back then is incredible.

Everytime I see the owl from Bambi, he reminds me of George Liquor. Such a weird thing because John HATES Disney. Must be my own point of view but something with the eyes and the red nose and orange beak.

You can find similarities in all characters. I think it's impossible to be total original but John is one of the most originals out there. The Friend Owl was voiced by Will Wright, I'd be interested in finding out who animated him..

Bill Justice "Mickey Mouse Club" Animation Director dies. Probably one of the most exciting children's Show songs ever created. Thanks to my mother for sending me this article.

Walt Disney had the idea of Mickey Mouse but did not make actually draw the cartoons of Mickey and friends. He found the best draftsmen in the business from New York and paid them to bring his dreams to life.

Bob Clampett's mother made the very first Mickey Mouse doll. Bob Clampett almost worked for Disney but went to Warner Brothers instead. Bob Clampett, next to Tex Avery animated the wildest cartoons ever made.

Making a 3-d doll out of a cartoon character can be very difficult and time consuming but once you got the prototype approved, you can have many of them made. Do your best hire a designer and or a Toy Company or Doll Maker. This way you are getting someone who as already profession experience in that area.