Design: Two Disney Concept Artists

This post is just the tip of the iceberg... see the bonus reason on our The Top Ten Reasons To Support The A-HAA for links to more great posts featuring animation art.

Today, we digitized more vintage model sheets on loan to us by Archive Alliance member, Van Eaton Galleries. (For our previous posting, see... Reluctant Dragon and Pinocchio Model Sheets.) Among the collection were some fascinating early concept sketches by two very unique designers... Albert Hurter and Charlie Thorson.

ALBERT HURTER

Albert Hurter was born in Switzerland in 1883. He came to America during the first World War and found work in the New York animation scene. He moved West and ended up working at Disney as a concept artist. His influence is seen in many of the Silly Symphonies and early features. His strengths were an unfailing solidity of drawing, and an eye for creating situations, not just designs. For more info on his life and career, see Bud Plant's Biography and John Canemaker's book, Before the Animation Begins.

Here are some inspirational designs by Albert Hurter...











CHARLIE THORSON

Until Gene Waltz's book, Cartoon Charlie: The Life and Art of Animation Pioneer Charles Thorson, few people had heard of Charlie Thorson, but once you see his work, it's hard not to recognize his unique style in many cartoons from the 1930s. Thorson was responsible for the first model of proto-Bugs' Bunny and the Porky Pig redesign at Warner Bros, as well as numerous characters in Disney Silly Symphonies and Fleischer Stone Age cartoons.

Here are two beautiful model sheets Thorson created for Disney's "Little Hiawatha"...




I'm not sure who did this next piece, but it impressed me with the amount of detail and refinement Disney allowed his concept artists to instill in their work... I'm sure when this concept drawing was created, no one had any idea how the delicate pastel rendering technique would be translated into ink & paint!



These original production photostatic model sheets are available for sale by Van Eaton Galleries for $50 apiece. If you decide to add any of them to your collection, tell the folks at the Van Eaton Galleries that ASIFA-Hollywood referred you, and they will donate a portion of your purchase price to the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive.

For more vintage Disney model sheets, see... Reluctant Dragon and Pinocchio Model Sheets. Thanks to the Van Eaton Galleries for their support of the ASIFA-Hollywood Animation Archive.

Stephen Worth
Director
ASIFA-Hollywood
Animation Archive

9.02.08
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