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Drawn to Excellence Disney’s traditional artists are the subject of the fascinating new series Sketchbook. By Karen Idelson
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f you’ve ever dreamt of sitting with a master animator to learn how they made the magic that was part of your childhood, the new Disney+ limited series Sketchbook will feel a lot like wish fulfillment. The show, which premiered in late April, looks into the world of traditional hand-drawn animation through the eyes of the artists who create it. The series focuses on the techniques and the personal lives of six artists who’ve made tremendous contributions to the world of animation: Each episode spotlights one of the animators, their story, inspirations and how they view animation. Sketchbook is timed just ahead of the 100th anniversary of 2D animation at Disney, which occurs in 2023. The producers on the series are Walt Disney Animation Studios, with executive producer Amy Astley spearheading the project with the producers who brought us Chef’s Table, Jason Sterman, David Gelb and Brian McGinn. Sterman, Leanne Dare and Andrew McAllister directed the episodes. Famed animator and director Eric Goldberg draws The Genie from Aladdin and discusses collaborating with Robin Williams. Hyun-Min Lee draws Olaf from Frozen. Encanto story art-
‘The thing that really hit home with me about the series and the core of it is that anybody can draw, and anybody can have fun with drawing.’ — Eric Goldberg, supervising animator (Genie), Aladdin
www.animationmagazine.net 58
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june|july 22
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