“4 artists paint 1 tree” was originally a segment in a 1958 episode of “Disneyland” on TV. This short film served as a promotional spot for their upcoming film at the time: Sleeping Beauty. However, it goes much deeper than that. With Walt Disney’s narration we get a glimpse of the creative philosophy at Disney and the legendary artists working there at the time. This philosophy can be applied to what you’re doing even if you’re not in the business of animation. If you design websites, develop software, or even run your own small business you might take away something that will help you find your own way of doing things.
Advice to art students
Walt begins the segment by telling us that the Studio frequently receives letters from art students asking how one should paint and what styles one should imitate. Walt says:
Students become confused by honest admiration from one school of painting, mixed with the recognition of the success and popularity of another style, along with advice to follow a still different approach.
Walt’s advice is what artist Robert Henri says: “Be yourself. Don’t imitate anyone.”
4 artists 1 tree
Walt then shows us how the staff at Disney embodies this philosophy of Robert Henri. We meet a few of the artists working on Sleeping Beauty: Marc Davis, Eyvind Earle (my favorite), Josh Meador, and Walt Peregoy. Each artist has his own individual style and brought that when sketching out concepts for the main character Princess Aurora. Making an animated film is a cooperative effort, however, so each artist ultimately contributed to the final drawing of the Princess. The final result would not have been as great had it not been for each of the individual styles of the animation team.
These 4 artists then go out into a field to paint the exact same tree. They each narrate aloud their thought process and approach to painting the tree. One artist sees the tree as architectural form. Another sees the tree trunk detail and wants to focus on that. And so on. The resulting paintings as you might expect are very different. Walt says that each painter didn’t simply paint a tree but his own response to what the tree represents. He ends the film with another quote by Robert Henri:
The great painter has something to say. He (or she) does not paint men, landscapes or furniture, but an idea.
I wish this clip was available on the Internet somewhere, but it isn’t! It is available on the out-of-print version of the Sleeping Beauty DVD in the bonus features section. I’m not sure if it is available on the newly released version that came out this week. If you have the new version can you comment below if it contains this short film?
condor
on 09 Oct 08Great example of an important point. Trying to emulate someone successful is a good learning strategy, however to honestly master something, you need to find your own way there.
Samuel Clay
on 09 Oct 08I think one of the most interested historical facts about Robert Henri is not just his work and thoughts, but the men who he directly inspired.
He formed the Ash Can School of art, where painters such as Edward Hopper (famous for Nighthawks, Early Sunday Morning, and many images of alienation in NYC), George Bellows (Stag at Sharky’s), and a number of other fine artists. These artists were responsible for illustrating, in finely tuned and expertly Realistic (capital-R) detail, the struggles and reality of the working class in NYC.
If you like Robert Henri, take a look at the other artists of the Ash Can School. But don’t bother visiting his [mausoleum-esque] house in Nebraska.
RS
on 09 Oct 08I highly, highly recommend checking the short film out for yourself. It’s on the “Sleepy Beauty” DVD as Jamie mentioned. The style of this behind-the-scenes documentary is so different from what you see today. It’s especially different from the short films we see on the web, which tend to be collages without strong narratives holding each bit together. This Disney short, by contrast, has a very careful, scripted style, where every clip and every voiceover is carefully crafted to lead to the next. And as a whole, it’s just extremely digestible and educational, while retaining the fascination and mystery of watching artists at work. I found it very inspiring and can only recommend it.
John Gruber
on 12 Oct 08Yup, it’s on disc 2 of the new 50th Anniversary edition DVD. Terrific short.
heather gold
on 13 Oct 08Being yourself is absolutely the key. But the challenge is the fears that many often have with being themselves.
Any pleaser, or person who is getting their energy based off external response can very easily succumb to forgetting what their own voice is entirely.
I’ve seen this on the stage with comedy and I see it when I interview high school kids for Yale most years. They’ve spent so much time building a resume for what they believe will receive approval, that they’ve forgotten their own interests and voice. they literally don’t believe you when you tell them you’d like to know their real, personal feelings.
This discussion is closed.