As was frequently the case, as art and artists continued to be vital in Walt’s life, and as he maintained lengthy and deep friendships with so many artists, the notion of carrying forward the artistic spirit and collegiality that had been so deeply engrained in the Studio culture began to take shape as a whole new notion, and yet another generous legacy.
Walt Disney and the Gift of Art
This month we celebrate the Season of Giving, and the generous legacy of Walt Disney. Not simply the films and entertainment that Walt gave us, or even his generosity to the community and numerous charitable organizations over his lifetime—we celebrate the bounty of Walt’s influence in many areas of our culture around the world, a true “gift that keeps on giving,” even today—110 years after his birth.
“Now, to tell you the truth,” Walt Disney said, “I was never a good artist. I was never satisfied with what I did, but it was a means to an end.” For a man who maintains a reputation as one of the world’s great artists, that thought is both a humble one, and an explanation of the place of art in his life.
Walt had always been interested in drawing, even in his childhood. He recalled, “…I had an Aunt that was a very favorite aunt who would come and visit us. Her name was Aunt Margaret. She’d always bring something for my sister and she’d bring me a big tablet and these Crayola things. I was always drawing Aunt Margaret pictures. And she’d just rave over them, and she’d keep them.”
As he began his adult life, he gravitated to the commercial applications of his avocation. During his service in the Red Cross, he spent his off hours drawing, “I was doing drawings then and I sent them into Life and Judge,” he said, “I had my drawing board right by my bunk. The guys would throw me ideas. I’d draw them up. We’d all wait for the next issue. It wouldn’t be in.”
As he returned home and his career progressed through early work in advertising and the infant animation medium, Walt gained more experience and skill (and the surviving work proves that he was a better draftsman than he gave himself credit for in later years), but he was also aware both that there were more accomplished and efficient artists around him, and that his creative desire had a breadth that extended well beyond the drawing board.
After founding his own Studio, he focused on the application of artistic talent to production need as well as creative visions that he had for his filmmaking. “The first thing I did when I got a little money to experiment, I put all my artists back in school,” Walt proudly recalled. “Art schools that existed then didn’t quite have enough for what we needed. So we set up our own art school.” Walt hired Don Graham of the Chouinard Art School in Los Angeles who spent nearly a decade studying the challenges presented by animation and teaching Walt’s team, focusing the animators’ attention on “action analysis,” and ways to convert two-dimensional graphics into the illusion of moving three-dimensional action. (He did research on the significance of animation as a graphic form, which became the material for studio reference materials and the forerunner of his classic 1970 textbook, Composing Pictures).
In 1950 Walt engaged Don to investigate the possibilities of making films on various aspects of art. Dividing his time between Disney and Chouinard, Don’s research intended as a film eventually ended as a component of Bob Thomas’s 1958 book, The Art of Animation.
At about the same time, as Walt entered the nascent field of television, he made the (correct) assumption that his viewers would be interested in not only the Disney product, but also in the artistic effort, technique, and principles behind the work. Several of hisDisneyland television programs featured fairly thorough views of art techniques, including “The Story of the Animated Drawing,” “Tricks of Our Trade,” and “The Plausible Impossible;” his program “An Adventure in Art” uses Robert Henri’s 1923 book The Art Spirit as it’s through-line, and contains a fascinating segment featuring four of the Studio’s disparate artists each painting the same tree.
Author and animation historian Michael Barrier notes that “certainly [The Art Spirit] has echoes in the studio’s practices in the thirties and forties. Henri speaks of brush strokes, for example, in terms that evoke the best drawn animation: ‘Strokes which move in unison, rhythms, continuities throughout the work; that interplay, that slightly or fully complement each other.’”
As was frequently the case, as art and artists continued to be vital in Walt’s life, and as he maintained lengthy and deep friendships with so many artists, the notion of carrying forward the artistic spirit and collegiality that had been so deeply engrained in the Studio culture began to take shape as a whole new notion, and yet another generous legacy.
In 1960, Walt began plans for a new school for the performing and visual arts, where different disciplines commingle under one roof. The following year, Walt and Roy helped guide the merger of the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music (founded in 1883), and the Chouinard Art Institute (founded in 1921), to form California Institute of the Arts. The Disney brothers worked tirelessly with Lulu May Von Hagen, chair of the Conservatory.
In 1964, after receiving accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, California Institute of the Arts was introduced to the public by Walt Disney at the Hollywood premiere of Mary Poppins, which was a fundraiser for the new school. The short film, The CalArts Story, specially-produced by Walt Disney Productions, was presented prior to the feature film.
The original concept presented by Disney envisioned the CalArts campus in the hills on the Cahuenga Pass adjacent to the Hollywood Bowl, but when this location later became unavailable, the campus was re-sited to Valencia, 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.
Today, California Institute of the Arts houses six schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music, and Theater—and offers internationally acclaimed degree programs across the range of visual, performing, media, and literary arts. CalArts also operates the Roy and Edna Disney/CalArts Theater (REDCAT) in the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex located in downtown Los Angeles, and leads the county-wide Community Arts Partnership (CAP) youth arts education program.
Throughout his career as a creative innovator, Walt Disney was dogged by the demons of public perception. “I’ve been criticized many times for being an artistic success and a commercial failure…then from another set of critics I was…all commercial, and anything artistic was purely coincidental, you know?”
Fortunately, critics are not the final arbiter of any artist’s creative influence; and the impact of Walt Disney in the art he created, the artists he influenced, the art he inspired, and the teachings of his art have the final statement of the value of his artistic legacy.
Images above: 1) Walt self-depicted as an artist on his first business card. Courtesy of the Walt Disney Family Foundation. 2) Walt’s public identity as an artist never faded. Courtesy of the Walt Disney Family Foundation.
On December 10, Pixar’s Academy Award®-winning director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera, and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Andreas Deja will visit The Walt Disney Family Museum for an examination of the way Walt Disney’s perspectives and passions forever impacted the entertainment industry around the world and across the media. The three filmmakers will converse with host and moderator Jeff Kurtti about how Walt’s vision and creativity continues to influence our culture today—and how he has been a vital stimulus in their own work.
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What is a giclée?
Giclée printing (pronounced Jee-clay) is commonly considered to be the highest quality digital reproduction technique for fine art. It starts with an extremely high resolution, detailed scanning process during which the image and topography of the original artwork are captured into a digital file. Then the giclée prints are created using specialized printers that literally spray the image onto a substrate such as canvas, paper, etc. However, not all giclées in the world are created equal… (see below: What makes Disney Fine Art’s giclées so special?)
What does “Gallery Wrapped” mean?
Gallery Wrapped is a type of fine art presentation which is intentionally un-framed. The canvas is stretched across wooden stretcher bars and then held in place on the back in a way that is not visible when the art is hung on the wall. The result is that the image, as well as the “wrapped” edges, are visible. This is a more contemporary style of presentation and is therefore most popular with contemporary artwork. Although it’s not necessary, it is still possible to frame a gallery wrapped image if desired.
Where can I see this artwork in person?
Disney Fine Art can be purchased by visiting any of our participating gallery retailers. These galleries are independently owned and operated and may carry select pieces from our collection. To see if there is a gallery near you, type your zip code into our Gallery Locator.
What makes Disney Fine Art’s giclées so special?
Most people would agree that owning a highly specialized, restaurant grade range certainly wouldn’t make you a Gourmet Chef. The taste of the food ultimately depends on the culinary abilities of a skilled person, and the tools of their craft are only as good as those who use them.
The same is true for fine art printing. Anyone can buy a giclée printing press, but it takes a very specialized and exceptionally skilled team of printmakers to not only properly output what the press creates, but to elevate it to an art form. Our team of artists and specialized staff go to great lengths to ensure that Disney Fine Art is created with the utmost care and attention to quality.
Just like an artist’s original work, each and every piece of Disney Fine Art limited edition artwork is carefully handmade. Canvas is hand textured (or sometimes intentionally un-textured) to emulate the look and feel of the artist’s original creation. After an extensive process of color correction and press calibration to ensure an accurate reproduction of the original, the giclée print is created. It is then hand trimmed and treated with a coat of varnish which protects the canvas from moderate amounts of scuffing, UV light exposure, moisture and humidity. Some editions are then hand embellished personally by, or in collaboration with, the artist in order to bring an even greater degree of depth and texture to the piece. Embellishments are applied using colored acrylic paint that is complementary to the image, as well as a clear acrylic gel which adds texture and dimension to the original brushstrokes that are visible in the print.
Each piece is then carefully inspected for quality and upon passing inspection, goes on to be hand signed by the artist. Once the artist signs the artwork, each piece is then individually hand numbered in accordance with the edition size.
Prior to framing, the canvas is stretched across hand cut and joined wooden stretcher bars, which are measured to the exact dimensions of the image. It’s only after the art is properly stretched that it is ready to be carefully assembled into a custom frame. If the art is gallery wrapped, the art is fitted with hanging wire and is ready to display.
What is a serigraph? (a.k.a. screen-print)
A serigraph can most easily be defined as a silk-screen or screen-print, albeit a very sophisticated and labor intensive one. Using the original artwork as the master guide, each color is carefully hand separated into individual elements and burned onto separate screens. The serigraph is then created by screening each color, one by one, onto the substrate (i.e. paper, canvas, etc.) thereby layering all the colors into their proper locations, pass by pass, through a process of physically pushing the ink through the openings in each of the color screens, ultimately combining to build the final image.
It is a painstaking, labor intensive and very precise technique, both in the color separating process and in the ability to keep all the screens in proper “registration” with one another throughout the lengthy process of laying down so many individual colors during multiple screen passes.
Considered a “traditional” printmaking technique because it is an analog process, serigraphy does not traditionally employ the use of a computer, but rather the careful artistic eye and technique of a master printer and color separator.
All Disney Fine Art serigraphs (and all other print mediums that we publish, for that matter) are created under the watchful eye of one of the art industry’s leading print experts, Tim Dickson, who for over 30 years has perfected the craft of fine art print making. His expertise is highly sought after and he is trusted by some of the world’s leading artists who want their work reproduced at a level that is nothing short of perfection.
What is a lithograph?
A lithograph is a printing method which dates back more that 200 years. It began with “stone lithography,” a process by which an artist’s work was rendered onto a stone and with the use of various solutions that either attract or repel ink, the stone essentially became a stamp which could be pressed or rolled onto paper to transfer the image.
The modern version of this technique is a process called “offset lithography”. Before a lithograph can be produced, the image is separated into four colors: Cyan (Blue), Magenta (Red), Yellow and Black (i.e. CMYK). Since most colors in the spectrum originate from these colors, when they are combined to varying degrees, they can reproduce most color that may be found in the original work. For this reason, this process is also commonly referred to as “Four Color Process” printing.
Offset lithography operates on a very simple principle: ink (which is oil based) and water don’t mix. First, each of the four separated colors are transferred to their own individual aluminum plate. During the printing process, each plate is dampened first by water, then ink. The ink adheres to the image area, the water to the non-image area. The image on the aluminum plate is then transferred like a stamp onto a rubber blanket creating a negative image, then the rubber blanket is rolled across the paper to create the final positive impression of that color onto the lithograph. When all four colors are layered onto the same paper sheet (and in proper registration) they combine to create the final image.
What are the “Care” instructions for artwork in my Disney Fine Art collection?
It’s important to observe a few simple guidelines which will keep your Disney Fine Art looking beautiful for many years.
Although each canvas print is treated with a UV coating to preserve the colors, the art should never be exposed to direct sunlight. Prints should be stored or displayed in a controlled environment where ideally the temperature is not below 60 degrees or above 90 degrees Fahrenheit and the humidity is not below 40% or above 60%.
Prints should be cleaned by brushing lightly with a feather duster or cotton towel. Never use any solvents or household cleaning products to clean the canvas.
What does “hand textured canvas” mean?
Giclées, for certain artists, may be produced on various types of hand textured canvas, which is meant to emulate the texture of their original artwork. This is a specialized process, done entirely by hand, and developed in collaboration with the artists. Because they are all done by hand, the texturing on each piece is similar, yet unique.
What does “hand-embellished” mean?
A hand embellished giclée is one which has received additional hand work on top of the printed image. This adds additional color and dimension to the piece and is done in collaboration with the artist and is consistent with the artist’s style and vision for the print.
What does “hand-deckled paper” mean?
The term “hand deckled” is used to describe the finished edge of certain giclées or serigraphs which are printed on paper. The edges of a hand deckled print undergo a “controlled tear” giving the edges a rough, jagged pattern as opposed to the clean straight edge of a print that is trimmed with a blade. An example of this type of finish work can be seen in the Toby Bluth portfolio. When framed, such prints are often “floated”, which places the matting well outside the edges of the paper so that the hand torn edges are visible.
What does “limited edition” mean?
This means that only a certain amount will be printed of any given edition, as indicated on the certificate of authenticity. The edition size is also frequently notated on the print itself. The edition size indicates the maximum number that will be reproduced. In addition to the edition limit, Artists Proofs (APs), Printers Proofs (PPs) and Hors d’Commerce (HC) proofs may also be printed, which stand above and beyond the limited edition size.
I am an artist; how do I submit my artwork for consideration?
Professional artists who have an established body of work in art, design or animation may submit a link to their online portfolio for consideration to [email protected]. Please do not submit image attachments of artwork or documents to the email; this will result in your submission being deleted without being read. We do not accept unsolicited ideas. Any works depicting Disney characters or film properties are ©Disney and owned exclusively by The Walt Disney Company.
Due to the volume of inquiries, we cannot guarantee a response to every submission, however if there is interest in the art/artist for potential publishing we will contact you. Be sure to include contact information with your submission.
NOTE: It is an infringement of U.S. Copyright law to market and/or sell any artwork that contains Disney intellectual property, without a license or other written consent from The Walt Disney Company.
I have an idea for a Disney painting that has always been very special to me. Do your artists ever do commissioned work?
Yes, our artists do accept painting commissions on a first come, first served basis. For more information on how to commission one of our artists to paint something especially for you, please email [email protected] to be connected to one of our Art Sales Representatives. Please note that all commission requests are subject to approval by Disney.
I have a piece of Disney Fine Art. Can you tell me how much it is worth?
We are unable to provide appraisals or estimates of value for any piece of artwork. If you wish to claim the value for insurance purposes, we recommend consulting your insurance provider for advice on how to best approximate the value.
Are there some pieces that I can only get at Disneyland or Walt Disney World?
Yes, there are a number of limited edition works that are exclusive to Disney Theme Parks. Those editions are often on display at various theme park locations. When visiting a gallery location at a Disney Theme Park, ask a Disney Cast Member for assistance and they should be able to guide you toward park exclusive editions, however, most of the time they are the editions that specifically feature theme park imagery, such as a scene from a park attraction.
How can I be notified when new artwork is released?
Join our Mailing List! There is a place to sign up in the footer of this website.. You’ll be updated with information about new releases and other news and information about Disney Fine Art. We also encourage you to follow us through our social media channels.
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Will you share my personal information with anyone else?
No. We will not share your information with any third party. For additional information on our privacy policy, click here.
