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Traditional Disney background art—inspired by nature and fine art—traces its lineage to Claude Lorrain’s stage-like landscapes. I held onto that connection at work; I was grateful to be working with paints and brushes and am even more honored to have contributed to a hand-crafted legacy.

Outside of work hours and during “downtime” at the studio, I painted portraits of colleagues and joined a scrappy “secret society” of artists devoted to Disney’s old standards and the tradition of studying the masters.

Walt Disney himself collaborated with leading artists of his time to create distinct visual identities for each film—a tradition that continues today. Background paintings define a film’s atmosphere, with their quality often reflecting the spirit (and budget) of the production.

Each film’s background crew, typically 10–12 artists, produced 100–150 paintings each—totaling close to 1,000 backgrounds per feature. Below are examples of my contributions, painted with traditional brushes and pigments. For a deeper dive into the creative process behind this work, I recommend Hans Bacher’s Dreamworlds.

Lilo & Stitch, 2003, watercolors

In a break from Disney tradition, director Chris Sanders requested that the film’s backgrounds be painted in watercolor rather than the usual acrylics. The crew spent a year experimenting with tools and techniques, striving for a non-grainy look. This process included a workshop led by watercolor artist Thomas Schaller, whose expertise shaped our approach to applying the paint. The result was a distinctively hand-made, beautiful look. I found this project especially rewarding.

I appreciate John Singer Sargent’s advice on painting with watercolors, “Make the best of an emergency”.

John Henry, 2000, scratchboard and acrylics

This film took inspiration from Harlem Renaissance artists and the Gee’s Bend quilts. Illustrator Brian Pinkney generously shared his techniques and personal process with the crew.

Brother Bear, 2003, acrylics

Background artist Xiangyuan Jie, who later became the film’s production designer, led the team in crafting the movie’s lush, painterly aesthetic. Directors Aaron Blaise and Bob Walker adjusted the aspect ratio to create a sense of “big country.”

As part of our research, the crew traveled to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for an outdoor excursion with landscape painter Scott Christensen, followed by a color-focused oil painting workshop with Len Chmiel.