I was surprised to see some of my earliest character designs for The Black Cauldron being offered at Van Eaton Galleries. I haven't seen these sketches since I made them, around 1981.
Boy, if this doesn't take me back to my early days at Disney. I loved working with felt pen and magic marker colors.
Other things come to mind: LA was very smoggy in those days during summer, my English wasn't very good, and I rode a bicycle to the studio from my apartment in North Hollywood. (Didn't have a driver's license yet.) I remember ignoring a traffic light and making a swift right turn on my bike from Magnolia Blvd. on to Buena Vista St. without stopping. A policeman saw this and yelled after me. I thought, this is it, I am going to get deported.
Funny, the things you remember..
Here is the link to Van Eaton Galleries:
http://www.vegalleries.com/newart.html
This is really great stuff.
ReplyDeleteOne of the sketches looks like Quasimodo from the hunchback of notre dam
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts, exactly!
DeleteThank you for sharing these, Andreas. They are very charming.
ReplyDeleteAndreas, I love these concepts and got me the full colored Gwythaint...wonder if you would sign it for me. Best, Martin
ReplyDeleteOf course. Are you local ? Leave your email here.
DeleteVielen Dank, Andreas ... dummerweise nicht "local" ... Köln ;)
ReplyDeletemartin.gruhn@yahoo.de
Ich werde bei Van Eaton nachfragen, ob die Zeichnung noch nicht verschickt ist. Wenn nicht, werde ich sie schnell signieren.
DeleteThanks. They are closed Mondays, but now it is waiting for you.
DeleteAs you say, memories are a strange thing. For me the movie is forever connected to playing the Gauntlet arcade machine for the first time before the screening.
Both are milestones and even being a financial failure, Black Cauldron was always one of the Disney movies that sticks out (even if there is nearly none at all that I don't like).
Wasn't really aware yor character designs contributed so much to that.
btw. here are more (adore the witches): http://livlily.blogspot.de/2012/04/black-cauldron-1985-production-art_05.html
(also others by lesser known artists like Tim Burton)
Wow, what awesome poses in your Fflewddur drawings. So much acting in a simple sketch!
ReplyDeleteAwesome drawings!! Was wondering what you used to color them in, Thanks!!
ReplyDelete