Learning to Draw Dusty from Planes #DisneyPlanesBloggers

I was provided an all expense paid trip by Disney to Los Angeles.  All opinions are my own.

While visiting Disney ToonStudios I got a chance to meet with quite a few members of the team who are responsible for the successful Planes movie. I talk about my meeting with the Flight Team here, and the producer and director here.  I also get to meet some of the artists involved in the film, Dan Abraham, head of story, and Art Hernandez, story artist.  They talked about the long process of making the film, and even taught me how to draw my own Dusty!

The story artists are given a script, which is broken down into chapters.  They each artists is given a chapter, and has to take the written words and transform them into visual images.  What they decide on determines all the things that come after, like what the background looks like, whether they are doing a close up of the characters and kinds of details.

They have to figure out how to deal with making planes look like characters.  One of the big challenges they faced on this film is that planes can’t really pick things up, since they don’t have arms!  So Sparky and Dottie the forklifts had to be used any time things needed to be picked up

After the artist has a storyboard together they call a meeting with production staff and go through the sequence, doing all the voices and really trying to act it out and sell the sequence.  This is one of the most challenging parts for the sometimes solitary artists.

Usually when we think of artists everybody’s just in their little cubicle. They never talk to each other. They’re all introverted and just want to do their little drawings and little cartoons. But then this job you’re that. But then when you’re done with that part you have to like get out in front of everyone and pitch this sequence that you’ve done and do the voices and do the sound effects and really try to sell it!

They ran through pitch for us of a small sequence, doing all the voices, and it was lots of fun!  Then they gave us paper and taught us to draw Dusty!  Now I am not artistic at all, but Hernandez really broke it down one line at a time, so even I was able to come up with something that was recognizably Dusty.

Want to give it a try?  Watch this video of Art Hernandez and you will be able to amaze your kids with your artwork!

How to Draw Dusty – Planes on Disney Video

Planes has been out on DVD for a few days now, and I hope some of you have had the chance to pick up a copy !  It makes a great Holiday present for children on your shopping list.