Category: Art: Inking

Mulan at 20

June 19, 2018 is the 20th anniversary of Disney’s Mulan. I couldn’t believe the time has passed so quickly. Mulan was the first movie I ever worked on, and as a result, it holds a special place in my heart.

I had landed a job at my dream company (Disney Feature Animation) a year before on July 7, 1997, and was able to work for the next year on this great movie. It premiered at The Hollywood Bowl on June 5, and it would be the last time the whole Disney crew was invited to the actual premiere – probably because the Hollywood Bowl can seat 30,000 people, and we only made a small dent in their seating capacity. Then, on June 19, it was unleashed on the U.S.A. movie-going crowd.

I was not an artist on the film, so there aren’t any old drawings of mine to share with you. However, I maintained a sketchbook that is filled cover-to-cover with sketches from my colleagues over the six years I worked on Disney movies. I chose this gorgeous sketch by Mulan co-head of story Dean DeBlois to show you. These days, Dean directs How To Train Your Dragon movies for Dreamworks.

 

 

Congratulations to the whole Mulan crew for a great achievement, and a special congratulations to co-directors Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft. You have brought honor to us all.

Categories
Art: Animation Art: Inking Disney Random Doodles Sketchbook

Colonial Mouse

Just one week ago I was in Philadelphia for the National Cartoonists Society’s annual Reuben Awards convention. I hadn’t spent that much time in that city in years, and I loved it. I love the history in that city, and wish that more of the colonial times had been preserved there.

I was disappointed that each day I tried, I could not get into Independence Hall. I just thought you could show up and go in like Nicolas Cage did in National Treasure. Turns out that you probably need to book your admission months in advance. Thanks for the misinformation Nicolas. Sigh.

Anyway, I got to doodlin’ in my sketchbook the other day, and came up with this man from the colonies with a stowaway on his rad ponytail. After finishing it, I realized it was an idea I had seen before in an old Disney cartoon called Ben and Me – the man & mouse part, not the ponytail set-up. Seek it out if you haven’t seen it – Benjamin Franklin owed all his achievements to a mouse.

 

If you thought the Liberty Bell was cracked, imagine this guy’s psyche after repeatedly trying to get rid of that mouse!
Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Art: Inking Art: Photoshop Character Designs Disney Illustrations Random Doodles Sketchbook

Drawn & Quoted: Patience

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.“

– Franklin P. Jones (1908-1980)

 

Experience vs. innocence.
Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Art: Inking Character Designs Drawn & Quoted Random Doodles Sketchbook

Monstrous Birthday Card

I recently attended the birthday party of a grown-up friend of mine who is quite the collector of things. What do you get such a person who probably already has most of the cool stuff out there? You make them their own custom birthday card, with added extra credit for making it monstrous.

So, here’s a card starring Frankenstein’s monster and his irrational fear of flame.

 

Fire also bad for paper cards.
Categories
Art: Drawings Art: Inking Cartoons Character Designs Frankenstein Monsters

Drawn & Quoted: Successful Failure

“Success is most often achieved by those who don’t know that failure is inevitable.“

– Coco Chanel (1883-1971)

 

The bear’s success comes at the price of the fish’s unknowing leap of failure. Perhaps not the intent of the quote, but certainly a truth from it.

 

Sometimes when I do these Drawn & Quoted pieces, I find a quote and do a drawing based on it. This time the drawing came first (ink in my sketchbook), then the search for a matching quote came after, which is usually the tougher way to go about it. I saw this image as having possible business applications, and started looking at quotes with that in mind. I also thoroughly enjoy utter silliness, so when this quote surfaced (pun intended), it made me laugh in the context of the drawing.

Why? Because the quote probably was meant to inspire someone to greatness by having them not be afraid to try something. However, it seemed to fit perfectly the goals and achievements of these two characters as they both attempted their goals in tandem. The bear achieved success at the price of the fish’s failure. Funny, right? Pain is often funny.

Categories
Animals Art: Inking Cartoons Character Designs Drawn & Quoted Random Doodles Sketchbook

Respectable Reptile

After three caricature posts in a row, perhaps it is time to return to the animal world. How about this Respectable Reptile?

A little over a week ago I saw the original 1960s Doctor Dolittle on the big screen (Rex Harrison was the star – not Eddie Murphy), and came away with animals on the brain. This dapper fella is a hand-inked specimen that came forth in my sketchbook, then colored in Photoshop.

 

Don’t get too close, or he may be puttin’ you on the Ritz cracker.

 

By the way, if you ever wondered what John Hammond from Jurassic Park looked like singing and dancing, do yourself a favor and check out that 50-year-old version of Doctor Dolittle. He’s the circus ringmaster. You’re welcome.

One of the highlights of the screening I went to was that the author of the screenplay and writer of the songs for the movie, the legendary Leslie Bricusse, was there for a Q&A along with Samantha Eggar, one of the stars of the film. It was so great to hear their tales from this film they spent a year making oh so long ago. Below is my favorite photo of the two of them that I took that day. What a treat!

 

Leslie Bricusse and Samantha Eggar photographed at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica on March 3, 2018.
Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Art: Inking Art: Painting Art: Photography Art: Photoshop Chad About Town Character Designs Illustrations Monsters Random Doodles Sketchbook

A Daughter’s Love

What better way to stay warm in the winter than by hugging your big daddy? Of course, here in Los Angeles we might have trouble relating to the frigid winters of Russia, but cold weather is not the only purpose for warm hugs.

 

Nothing can melt the snow like a daughter’s love for her daddy.
Categories
Art: Drawings Art: Inking Character Designs Random Doodles Sketchbook

Pygmy Pachyderms

The other day I needed a little repair to my car, so I took a sketchbook with me to the waiting room. Who knows why such a scene came to mind in that moment, but it did. These pygmy pachyderms came out of my pencil at the shop, and then finished with a little ink and paint in the studio.

So weird.

 

Never tick off creatures who never forget and carry a spear.

 

Categories
Animals Art: Drawings Art: Inking Character Designs Illustrations Random Doodles Sketchbook