MUSIC LAND Title Card

Impeccable production design reflected even in Disney's title cards. This one has a decidedly Art Deco feel with instrumental overtones.

MUSIC LAND (1935)

Presented here for your enjoyment, a digitally re-created pan background from the 1935 Silly Symphony MUSIC LAND.

Note the musical graphics integrated cleverly into the background art. The thrones include drums, tambourines, and saxophone bells, with cymbals hanging overhead. The burgundy, olive green and gold color palette is a delight to the eyes. The overall effect is both lavish and whimsical.


More to follow!

THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE (1935)

Gorgeous backgrounds digitally re-created from the classic Silly Symphony!

See POPPINS PENGUINS and DONALD DUCK too!

Check out this intriguing feature on "CELS AND SETUPS," our companion blog. Mysteries of the Art Corner revealed!

http://celsandsetups.blogspot.com/

GOOFY: HELLO ALOHA

This beautiful B/G has a lovely Polynesian tranquility, in stark contrast to Goofy's frenzied animated antics which transpire in front of it.

Luau, anyone?

The Saga of WIND WAGON SMITH (1961)

Disney goes modern with a vengeance! (Digitally re-created pan background.)

BLAME IT ON THE SAMBA

These recreated backgrounds are from MELODY TIME (1948).

The first two are unmistakably Mary Blair. The music-staff-themed B/G is a very different style.

Great stuff!

Don't miss DOC and THUMPER...

New artwork has been posted on our companion blog, Cels and Setups.

Please have a look!

http://celsandsetups.blogspot.com/

GOOFY: Two Weeks Vacation (1952)

Once again we can marvel at the level of artistry in the Disney short films. This terrific street scene features a wonderful building exterior, great play of light and shadow, and panache to spare.

Terrific, huh?

GOLIATH II (1960)

It's a safe bet that much of this film was a training ground for the forthcoming Disney adaptation of THE JUNGLE BOOK.

This incredible re-created pan background from GOLIATH II is imbued with strikingly similiar tropical details.

I have included the entire pan B/G, plus right and left sides so you can better appreciate the lavish attention to detail.

Gorgeous!

ARISTOCATS Interior

Here is yet another digitally re-created ARISTOCATS piece, inside Madame Bonfamille's mansion. The fascinating thing about re-creating pans is we get to see the entire piece of artwork at once, in a way we never see it in the movie. The elegant intricacy of this artwork is stunning.

Don't miss MICKEY on "Cels and Setups!"

Copy and paste this link in your browser to have a look:

http://celsandsetups.blogspot.com

ARISTOCATS: Street Scenes

These digitally reconstructed backgrounds are the cat's pajamas!

HUMPHREY THE BEAR

Less than daily posting

Just a quick note to my loyal readers...

Sorry about the brief interruption in daily postings. Career demands kept me tied up this week. Sunday you got three B/Gs, today you get two. Hope the multiples kind of balance things out.

More on the way. Especially, please be sure to stop by this weekend!

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME set a new standard for animation, even for the Walt Disney Company. Sophistication marked every aspect of this breathtaking film. This first set of digitally re-created backgrounds merely begins to suggests the beauty and scope of this modern Disney classic.

PAUL BUNYAN (1958)

Disney featurette PAUL BUNYAN featured color styling by Eyvind Earle, whose work on "Sleeping Beauty" created a whole new look for Disney. PAUL BUNYAN continues the stylized, modern lookr. The forest motif is beautifully rendered, as you can readily see. The background credits for PAUL BUNYAN belong to Walt Peregoy.

Sleeping Beauty: Eyvind Earle's Forest

The background art from SLEEPING BEAUTY had Eyvind Earle's paintings as a major component of the look and feel of this Disney classic. Note the distinctive style and texture!

That's Hot!

OK, the Paris Hilton quote is SO 2007... but this B/G from 101 DALMATIANS is indeed hot. Red hot! The background is a major contributor to the energy of Pongo's flaming pursuit of bad guys Horace and Jasper.

Great and stylish!

Don't forget, animation fans, that you'll have a rare opportunity to see the newly restored version of 101 DALMATIANS on the big screen at Hollywood's El Capitan Theatre, playing two weeks at the end of January.

See you there!

BIRDS IN THE SPRING (1933)

The Silly Symphonies were the training field for Disney artists as the studio was ramping up and into SNOW WHITE production. This background art is lovely evidence.

THE THREE CABALLEROS (1944)

Here are several very different backgrounds digitally recreated from THE THREE CABALLEROS.

This background was unusual, with (to me) a slightly FANTASIA feel to it...

Spotlights were featured heavily in the musical numbers, as well as two-toned backgrounds.


There are several wonderful street scenes such as this:

One set (background) pops out of a book!

The artwork for THE THREE CABALLEROS showed a lot of creativity, from the very simple color wash B/Gs to the more traditional (elaborate) Disney artwork.

As always, each works beautifully as the backdrop for Disney animation!

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS

Here's a digitally re-created pan background from the classic Silly Symphony.

Incredible artistry!

Don't Miss "SLEEPING BEAUTY" on Cels and Setups

http://celsandsetups.blogspot.com/2008/01/sleeping-beauty.html

Goofy's Living Room

From FATHER'S WEEKEND (1953)...

It's no secret I love the 1950s California suburb design of the background art in this era. So charming. Like a visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house!

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Snow White: Dwarves Cottage Interior Pan

Here is a digitally recreated pan background of the dwarves cottage interior, from Snow White.

The subtlety of the color palette is lovely. This would never be seen today, when explosively colorful color palettes are a must.

Sometimes less is more...

A Trip To The Beach!

What with winter storms thrashing their way across the United States, I thought y'all might enjoy a trip to the beach today.

This digitally re-constructed pan background comes from a Goofy short, "Father's Week-End" (1953).

BAMBI

What a lovely way to start the New Year, with a digitally re-created background from Walt Disney's masterpiece BAMBI.

The muted color palette and the impeccable composition make this a true masterpiece in the annals of Disney background art.