Are you the type of fan who looks at the credits of a film or TV show and wonders who are those names we briefly glimpse scrolling past us? Disney Plus’s new show, Sketchbook, is putting faces to the names behind your favorite Disney Animated features as six artists inspire the next generation of illustrators in a show that’s part education and part slice of life.
During my recent visit to Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank, Sketchbook‘s executive producer Jason Sterman talked about the goal of framing a compelling, unintimidating narrative around artists creating static images. “It starts with the artists conveying you can do this [drawing], and through it they reveal things about themselves that are unique and universal at the same time. Our job was to present it in a way that never lets the audience detach the artist from the art.”
What viewers will notice is how wide the world of Disney Animation as a company is. These artists come from various ethnic backgrounds and different walks of life, showing you how Disney’s animated films hold up the mirror to a diverse society. In one episode, artist Hyun Min Lee explains how anyone, of any skill level, can draw Frozen’s adorable Olaf. In the same episode, we also learn so much about the artist who overcame the challenges of migrating to the United States and the confidence issues everyone aspiring to creative fields endures, while experiencing the loss of her supportive mother. The Asian artist expressed in our interview that the best part of this series will be the future that comes from it. “There’s definitely going to be the children like me who see art and animation and are like, I have to be part of this. I have no idea how it’s made, but I NEED to know now.”
Animation director Eric Goldberg shows audiences how to draw Genie from Aladdin and discusses how the icon Robin Williams influenced the studio’s approach to animating the character we got on screen. We spoke with Goldberg at the studio as he talked about animators having to draw in the acting for animated features. How that boils down to the balance of script and actor in animation. “Some of it was the script, some of it was Robin’s riff, and some of it was visual invention that we came up with. The energy of Robin and where he would go with lines challenged us and gave us license to be creative in how we conveyed that energy. “
One of the universal themes you’ll see across the show is perseverance. No stories convey this quite like those of storyboard artist Gabby Capili and animator Jin Kim, both of whom experienced multiple industry rejections, one even from Disney, before finally finding their place at the studio. Capili’s story also touches on the complicated reality of nurturing talent in minority families. Myself among those who grew up in a minority family where creative jobs weren’t a thing. In many minority families, art is encouraged as a hobby. Many parents of the older generation find it difficult to get away from the idea that the only careers that exist are doctor or lawyer. It can take time for kids growing up to find the courage to pivot as Capili did of shifting from studying marine biology to pursuing animation as a career.
The series blends learning about classic characters with newer Disney favorites; while Mark Henn teaches you to draw young Simba from The Lion King, Samantha Vilfort walks you through how to draw Mirabel from the newest sensation Encanto. Vilfort shared with us how Encanto was just coming out when this series was being produced. The Sketchbook producers let her showcase Mirabel because of how passionate Vilfort was, having spent nearly three years of her life on this character when no one else knew Mirabel even existed.
Disney’s Sketchbook aims to add a different type of family entertainment to the streaming service. Producers of the show talked about how, after having worked on this project so much, their production crew found their own courage to draw these characters with their families. Audiences will want to view these episodes multiple times, not only to get better at drawing characters but also because this goes far beyond instructional YouTube-style videos into the stories that make us feel as though we know the people on screen.
Sketchbook premieres exclusively on Disney Plus on April 27. Like us, if you’re inspired to pick up a pencil, share your art on social media using
#DisneySketchbook | @DisneyAnimation
@DisneyPlus | @DisneyPlus | @DisneyPlus
