Film Vault / Painted Stages
Between 1997 and 2002, I was fortunate to work as a traditional background artist at Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios—part laboratory and part graduate school—where improvement was encouraged at every level, and where celebrated artists were frequently invited to give lectures or lead workshops.
In painting the animated worlds, the background crew explored color, texture, space, and mood, as well as a range of painting styles and techniques. We studied master artists—from Claude Lorrain and Andrew Wyeth to Chinese watercolorists, the Harlem Renaissance, the quilts of Gee’s Bend, and influential filmmakers. We painted portraits of each another, shared influences, and carried forward a tradition of curiosity and collaboration.
Each film involved a team of 10 to 12 painters, creating over 100 scenes apiece. The work shown here was hand-painted from start to finish—but always developed as part of a larger pipeline of directors, story and layout artists, effects and character animators, all working toward a unified vision.
Because background art occupies most of the screen, it fundamentally defines a film’s sense of scale, depth, and production value. Thoughtful investment in backgrounds is crucial to a film’s visual impact. Background art is almost always meant to hold attention, rather than attract it. In that sense, they’re not unlike the work in the main galleries.
Imitation of Life
2013, Watercolor and Gouache
Independent short film, Duck Studios, Los Angeles
Color Key for Imitation of Life, watercolor—assembled using digital media. Geraldine Kovats
Created for the 55th Venice Biennale, Imitation of Life was conceived and directed by Austrian artist Mathias Poledna. He assembled a small crew of veteran Disney artists, including animation director Tony Bancroft, to help realize Mathias’ vision.
These watercolors helped define the film’s atmosphere and stylistic authenticity.
Exhibitions:
- Austrian Pavilion, 55th Venice Biennale (2013)
- Dreamlands, Whitney Museum of American Art (2016)
- Estate, Galerie Buchholz, Cologne (2015)
Editions in Permanent collections:
- LACMA
- The Art Institute of Chicago
Background art for Imitation of Life, watercolor and gouache, Geraldine Kovats.
Five Animated Features
Walt Disney Feature Animation Studios, Orlando (1997–2003)
From The Making of Lilo & Stitch (screenshot).
Lilo & Stitch
2002, Watercolor
When Chris Sanders made the decision to return to watercolor, our crew accepted the challenge with enthusiasm. For me, it was thrilling. I hadn’t worked in watercolor since art school, and suddenly we were reviving a legacy not seen since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Painted as one of Lilo’s “photographs”; a rare moment where the background artist painted characters into the scene.
2002 Walt Disney World Feature Animation Exhibition, Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Layout by Andy Harkness).
Walt Disney Animation Studios, The Archive Series: Layout and Background, Edited by John Lasseter.
Established the painted look of Hawaiian vegetation.
Another of Lilo’s “photographs”; ending sequence.
Color key, acrylics
I appreciate John Singer Sargent’s advice on painting with watercolors:
“Make the best of an emergency.”
John Henry
2000, Scratchboard and Acrylic
Inspired by the Harlem Renaissance, this film used two techniques: scratchboard and painted quilts. Illustrator Brian Pinkney shared his scratchboard skills in an engaging workshop.
Color Key Concept for intro; acrylics.
Brother Bear
2003, Acrylic
Painter, production designer, and fellow crew member, Xiangyuan Jie, trained us to create painterly environments of the Pacific Northwest. Director Bob Walker expanded the film’s aspect ratio to convey a sense of "big country."
Mulan
1998, Acrylic
Under production designer Hans Bacher, backgrounds were infused with the simplicity and grace of traditional Chinese watercolor painting.
Establishing background for the Emperor’s Palace. Includes 26 multiplane layers revealing interior levels and staircase.
Tarzan
1999, Acrylic
The environments in Tarzan required unprecedented detail. Nearly 50 background artists across Disney’s Los Angeles, Orlando, and Paris studios worked to create the density and lushness of the jungle—more than on any prior Disney film.
The photo below was taken for an in-house project, a funny Mulan “high school yearbook.” Our department, affectionately called the Art Club, is shown here with Background Supervisor Bob Stanton dressed as muse.
A few months earlier, I had asked Bob if I could paint his portrait. That painting rests beneath my hands in the photo. Bob passed away in 2021 and is deeply missed. He was a widely respected painter and mentor in the industry.
