All about animation

The Art of Animation

It has been nearly 100 years since vaudeville audiences were introduced to the first animated film: The humorous Phases of Funny Faces, produced in 1906 by J. Stuart Blackton. As the field approaches its centennial, collector interest in vintage animation art has risen steadily.

While there are different types of animation, collectors concern themselves almost exclusively with "cell animation"- the type used in classic Disney and Warner Bros. cartoons. The name is derived from the transparent sheets of cellulose nitrate (used until the 1950s) and cellulose acetate on which animated images are inked and painted.

From a collecting standpoint, you can divide animation art into two categories: paintings on cellulose nitrate (used until the 1950s) and cellulose acetate on which animated images are inked and painted.

Cell art includes the "camera-used" images seen on screen, production cells not seen in films, and reproduction cells created for collectors. As collectibles, cells are usually found in "cell-setups" : one or more cells matted over an opaque background.

The "drawings" category covers everything else, including film-used background paintings, paper animation drawings from which cells are created, and layouts storyboards, and sketches made during story development.

Cells and drawings represent "two completely different aesthetics," says Leslie Combernale of Art insights, an animation art gallery in Reston, Va. "One is a moment in time from a cartoon, the other is artistry."

For years, cells dominated the collector market in terms of desirability and value, while drawings could be had for much lower prices. But in recent years, the appeal of non-cell art has risen. Why? Collectors have become more sophisticated realizing that drawings are the actual work of animators while cells were produced by painters who traced over the animators' work.
"Drawings are not always cheaper than cells anymore," Combernale says.

Even so, cells remain more popular, and the most desirable cells featuring popular characters still sell for anywhere from two to 10 times more than the price of comparable drawings. Vintage cells start at $2000-$3000, while vintage drawings of even the most popular characters can be found for $500-$600.

The Supply

Genuine vintage (that is, pre-1970) art from nearly every American animation studio exists somewhere. Nevertheless, the field of vintage animation art is over-whelming dominated by Disney, due in part to the timeless appeal of the studio's features and shorts- and due also to the fact that Disney was the only studio to archive all of its production art. The studio has released tens of thousands of cells to the public since 1938, when art from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was distributed through a San Francisco art gallery (see sidebar below). Between 1955 and 1970, cell-setups from many Disney films and TV productions were sod for a few dollars each at Disneyland.

Cells distributed by both the gallery and Disneyland were matted over custom-made, non-production backgrounds. That's the most common type of setup- not surprising, given that an animated feature's 50,000-75,000 frames require at least that many cells but may need only a few hundred backgrounds. Non-production backgrounds found in cell-setups may be hand-painted or lithographed.

On rare occasions, film-used cells are matted over their corresponding film used backgrounds to re-create a scene exactly as it was seen in a movie; these "key" or "matching" setups carry a high premium among collectors. Film-used cells may also be matted over other backgrounds from the same film to form "production" setups, or over backgrounds used in other films.
"I have people calling all the time trying to sell me limited as production cells," says Debbie Weitss of Wonderful World of Animation in Culver City, California, "I think they're simply misled."

Contemporary limited-edition cell-setups should be numbered, so look for an "xx/xxx" type mark (as in, "#15/250") somewhere on the piece. Genuine vintage setups often have studio markings on the backs of the backgrounds. Also, vintage cells tend to wear with age. The cellulose may shrink or discolor, and paint can chip or pool away from the cell. Restoration has little effect on sale prices, but should be disclosed.

As Always, it's best to buy from a reputable dealer who is willing to work with you. "Find somebody who will be your representative," Combernale suggests, Weiss concurs, "Look for a dealer who will try to find the right piece for you."

Popularity Poll

The most popular Disney cells feature title characters, princesses, and villains. All else being equal, front views are favored over side views, open eyes are better than closed eyes, and in character facial expressions (i.e., happy people smiling) are preferred. Finally, cells in which characters are stretched, distorted, or oddly colored for effect in a scene are generally frowned upon.

Is It Signed?

An autograph can add to the value of animation art-depending on who signed it. An authentic signature from Walt Disney himself on any Disney animation art is the holy grail: in top condition, it adds about $1,500 to a piece's value. But finding a genuine Disney autograph can be tricky, "At least finve people signed Walt's name for him," animation expert Leslie Combernale says,"The famous, loopy version of his signature is not his real signature."

Concept artists, voice-over actors, and animators themselves also sign animation art. "Some very famous animators have signed a lot recently," says dealer Debbie Weiss, "Those autographs add about $50 each." Of course, there are some collectors, particularly of cells, who believe that adding a signature detracts from a piece's value. To be safe, it's wise to get a signature on a matte, rather than on the piece itself.

Hobby History

The First Animation "Art"

In 1938, San Francisco art gallery proprietor Guthrie Courvoisier struck a deal with Walt Disney Enterprises to sell Disney animation cell setups. For about a year, a team of Disney artists created the setups, cutting characters and other images from production cells and affixing them to specially made non-production backgrounds, including wook veneers and watercolors. The group used more than 8,000 cells from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and about 5,000 cells from Disney shorts to make the initial matted Courvoisier pieces.

After Pinocchio (1940), the studio simply provided complete cells to Courvoisier's gallery, where a less-skilled staff laminated and matted the cells over simpler backgrounds. By the time the program ceased in 1946, between 15,000 and 20,000 Courvoisier setups had been produced.

When they were introduced, Courvoisier setups sold for $25 dollars each. Today, Courvoisiers in tope condition featuring popular characters start at about $3000, says Leslie Combernale or Art insights of Reston, Va. Setups with warped cells or peeling paint will sell for less, and the background can also be a factor in determining price. "A Courvoisier cell on a wood grain background would sell for less than the exact same cell on a prettier background," say Debbie Weiss of Culver City, Calif.- based Wonderful World of Animation.

Collectors value Courvoisier because they tend to feature popular characters and because their authenticity is relatively easy to verify. Still, Combernale warns, collectors should be wary of opportunists,” Some people out there will take a Courvoisier setup with three dwarves, cut them apart, put the dwarves on three backgrounds, and sell them as separate Courvoisier."
How do you recognize a true Courvoisier setup? Most have cream-colored mattes bearing the name of the character or film and the letters "WDE" or "WDP." Some bear a seal that reads "Original WDP", others a copyright label on the back. If in doubt, inquire about a Courvoisier's ownership history. Reputable dealers generally will reveal their sources.