The Lion King
Released: July 15, 1994
One of my favorite artists from Disney’s contemporary era is Chris Sanders. You may not recognize him on the street or he may not be the subject of the latest tabloid gossip, but some of his stories and characters are quite memorable. In a throwback to Disney’s simpler design ideas of the 1950’s and perhaps influenced by Mary Blair mixed with a bit of Ken Anderson, the Lion King takes a unique animation style turn with the song and dance number, “I want to be king.” Here the young Simba, sings to the world his feelings for wanting to be king and takes us on a journey through his eyes in a very colorful, bold and symbolic African style. Nala of course is along for ride and adds to the fun of it all.
Concept Sketch Artist: Chris Sanders
Background Artist : Chuck Volmer
Original concept painting, watercolor and ink on board
Concept Sketch Artist: Chris Sanders
Background Artist : Chuck Volmer
Depicted here are two wonderful concept story paintings setting the scene for how the animators and artists needed to portray a free-spirited childlike sensibility on the screen. Setting the pace with modern Disney angle, Chris Sanders designed these paintings with energy and fun in mind. His nature to “round out” characters and their environments creates a safe place for the film to express the right emotion. The drawing for the first painting can be seen in Christopher Finch's book, "The Art of the Lion King" on page 40.
Painted by Charles Volmer, the bold patterns and colors lay the groundwork for the musical number in decidedly African flare. All of these elements blend together to make this sequence fun, energetic and entertaining from the child's perspective. As seen here, Simba greets Zazu with his mighty roar and begins his “mane” event.
Another fun little piece in the collection, is this concept drawing of young Simba with a quizzical surprise on his face. I think this could be a piece by Andy Gaskill based upon the loose drawing style and the blue/black ink combo that I have seen in some of his other Lion King concepts, most notably his work story sketches and workbook drawings. This piece was created during the production process and was perhaps posted on one of the many storyboards (as evidenced by the pin-holes in the corners) as the animators developed the look and feel of the characters. If you know something about this drawing let me know.
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Original concept drawing, colored pencil and ink on paper
Attributed to Sketch Artist: Andy Gaskill
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