Peter Pan 

This image of Peter Pan was made by Mary Blair, likely in the 1950s, with gouache on paper. Blair was an imaginative color stylist and designer for Disney, and her concept paintings informed the look of animated features like Peter Pan. Here, you see a range of techniques, from the flat blocks of color forming Big Ben, to the delicately brushed night sky. Blair’s approach, rooted in traditions of illustration and commercial art, emphasizes visual storytelling over strict realism. Consider how the opacity of gouache allows for layering and bold juxtapositions of color. The artist built up the image bit by bit, revealing the narrative. The composition invites us to consider the immense amount of planning involved in creating an animated film, an effort involving the work of many hands to translate concept into moving image. By looking closely at the materiality of animation art, we can better appreciate the artistic labor and creative problem-solving involved in mass media production.