Four artists have always been stuck in my mind whenever I'm creating a new character or animation and I want to highlight them and their work.
First and the one I have admired the longest is Marc Davis. One of Walt's Nine Old Men and one of the first Imagineers who helped bring Disney rides to life. The way he constructs and poses his characters makes them fun and whimsical while still feeling grounded and real. His character's expressions also perfectly compliment their actions. My favorite Marc Davis animation is Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty (1959).
Animation drawings of Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Concept art for an unreleased Disney film called Chanticleer (1960s)
Concept for the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland (1960s)
Second is Andreas Deja. Animator for the Walt Disney Studios before, during, and after the Disney Renaissance. His animations are over the top and elaborate but not in a grotesque or distracting way. It gives his characters more personality, especially through their head/eye/jaw movements. My favorite Andreas Deja animation is Scar from The Lion King (1994).
Animation drawing of Jafar from Aladdin (1992)
Animation drawing of Scar from The Lion King (1994)
Animation drawing of Hercules from Hercules (1997)
Concept for his own film called Mushka (TBA)
Third is Glen Keane. Another titan of the Disney Renaissance, Glen designed and animated Ariel from The Little Mermaid, my favorite Disney princess. His style allows so much fluidity and movement in a static 2D drawing. His bold lines draw you in and the wispy sketch lines keep your eye moving throughout the character. My favorite Glen Keane character drawings are Tarzan from Tarzan (1999).
Animation drawing of Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989)
Concept sketch of Beast from Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Concept sketches of Tarzan from Tarzan (1999)
Sketch of the characters from Tangled (2010)
Last, but certainly not least, is Jin Kim. Disney animator and character designer of the later Disney Renaissance up to the Revival. His characters show so much personality and emotion which makes them fun to look at and study. Their facial movements are exaggerated to clearly telegraph the emotion, but not so much that the characters feel like a caricature of what they should be. My favorite Jin Kim character drawings are Elsa from Frozen/Frozen II (2013/2019).
Character exploration of Hiro from Big Hero 6 (2014)
Expression sheet of Moana from Moana (2016)
Anna and Elsa from Frozen II (2019)
Character sheet of Mirabel from Encanto (2021)
