Once the character and scene are selected, artists pour over original drawings, model sheets, background paintings and finished cels. By studying all the movement detail and subtle cues in line and form, artists can discover the specific film moment that defines the essence of the character, capturing the personality that reaches beyond the one particular scene.
WDCC SculptureThe final drawing - and all of the reference material - then go to the chosen sculptor. Meticulously shaping the clay, the sculptor must ask "What does this character look like from every angle - including many that were never drawn before?" Disney animators help find the answer, and like the concept sketch, the clay sculpture is revised again and again before the final form is approved.
WDCC SculptureDisney Artists hand paint the whiteware using the original colors from the film. The paints are applied to the ceramic scupltures in several steps with a trip to the kiln after every layer. Each brushstroke breaths more life into the character and brings the sculpt back to its film origin. Because different ceramic colors react differently to heat, artists must research painting and firing formulas for each sculpt to control all the variables, so that the color is perfectly replicated.
WDCC SculptureEach sculpture has a backstamp with Walt Disney's signature and an incised or decal production-year mark that symbolizes a milestone in Disney history. Sculptures may carry different production marks if their series production continued over several years. Scuptures are released as either an Open or as a Limited Edition. Open editions are 'retired' and the plaster molds were destroyed on the day of their retirement.
WDCC Sculpture