Saturday, February 6, 2016

A Blast from the Past



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

11 comments:

  1. One of the sketches looks like Quasimodo from the hunchback of notre dam

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  2. Thank you for sharing these, Andreas. They are very charming.

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  3. Andreas, I love these concepts and got me the full colored Gwythaint...wonder if you would sign it for me. Best, Martin

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    1. Of course. Are you local ? Leave your email here.

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  4. Vielen Dank, Andreas ... dummerweise nicht "local" ... Köln ;)

    martin.gruhn@yahoo.de

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    1. Ich werde bei Van Eaton nachfragen, ob die Zeichnung noch nicht verschickt ist. Wenn nicht, werde ich sie schnell signieren.

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    2. Thanks. They are closed Mondays, but now it is waiting for you.

      As 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)

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  5. Wow, what awesome poses in your Fflewddur drawings. So much acting in a simple sketch!

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  6. Awesome drawings!! Was wondering what you used to color them in, Thanks!!

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