Choosing the Moment

Each sculpture in the Walt Disney Classics Collection is prefaced with at least two questions: “Which film moments and characters shall be brought to life in this new form? Which ones touch people’s hearts and memories in a special way?” They are essential questions, for every decision – from pose to painting – will ultimately flow from the desire to capture the magic in each of the chosen moments. A development team selects a team and then chooses a memorable moment to bring the theme to life. Specific characters and scenes from classic Disney feature films (both the timeless treasures of Walt’s day and the modern masterpieces of Disney “renaissance”) and short cartoon classics are selected to awaken old memories and spark new ones as animation sculptures.
 

Researching the Artwork

After the moment is chosen, artists utilize the Disney animation research library to find the artwork which originally brought the characters to life. Hundreds of pieces of original Disney animation art including production drawings, character model sheets, beautiful film background paintings, video prints taken directly from the films, and finished cels are carefully studied for information about the characters´ personalities, their movement and the way they express emotion in the scenes.
 

Sketching the Concept

Disney artists begin to sketch drawings of the specific pose to be used for the sculpture. The artists study these drawings and use their own expertise to find a pose or gesture with the most appeal and greatest emotional impact. Sculptures are made to scale.
 

Sculpting the Magic

Final approved sketches move on to the sculptor, along with the huge body of reference material. Rough sculpts establish the general line of action and correct proportions for the body, head and limbs. A Disney animation-trained sculptor uses original reference and preparation material to bring characters to life. Animators, including original Disney animators where possible, provide invaluable input by reviewing the sculpting and whiteware, and put them through a series of animation checks to see if the sculpts “read” properly and are believable.
 

Materials

All pieces are handcrafted from a high-quality, low-fire semi-soft porcelain. This medium allows for the use of a wider and more subtle color palette which enables the use of more authentic colors. It also supports a more complex range of poses, enabling a sculptor a wider array of film moments to replicate. Each sculpt is created from as many as 40 separate pieces, which are hand assembled, with added details sculpted individually prior to firing.
 

Perfecting the Sculpture

As in the original animation drawing process, rough sculpts are done – and done again. Animators, often including those who worked on the original films, critique the drawings and the rough sculpts. The animators and sculptors look for ways to more fully capture the piece’s emotion.

Source: Product Education Program