How It's Done: Re-creating Digital B/Gs

I get emails from all over the world asking how I digitally recreate animation backgrounds.

I was looking at MARY POPPINS (yes, again) and found a perfect, simple scene with which I can demonstrate the process.

The first shot is Bert and Mary Poppins together. Most of the B/G is obscured.

In the last shot of the scene, Mary rides off, giving us nearly 2/3 of the entire B/G.

In Photoshop, I take this, layer it on top of the first, and erase the right third. The result is a great image of Bert, and most of the background art restored.

Since Bert stays in place through this scene, I was unable to digitally erase him, but this still concisely illustrates the recreation process.

It also makes a point of the difficulties... if a character doesn't move, there's no way to re-assemble the entire piece! And often, it takes several little pieces, stacked in Photoshop layers, to recreate the B/Gs. Sometimes upwards of 20 layers!

MARY POPPINS

Here's a surprise!

I thought I'd digitally reconstructed just about every possible MARY POPPINS background... until this afternoon.

I had a rare four days off this week. So, with the luxury of some unstructured time on my hands, out came the 1964 Disney classic.

Here for your pleasure (and five hours of obsessive Photoshopping later): a wonderful POPPINS pan B/G from the chalk drawings (fox hunt) sequence. To remove the animated hunters, horses and dogs, I had to layer nearly thirty sections and do some paintbrush work as well!

I was able to eliminate all the animated characters except the endomorphic equestrian at the far right. But most of the background is now revealed for your amusement and amazement (and mine as well)!

:)

POPPINS Reprise

In a final installment of previously unposted MARY POPPINS background art, we pick up where we left off, during the carousel horse sequence as JOLLY HOLIDAY segues into the fox hunt.

The first two backgrounds are less spectacular than some others, but still impeccably done and worth a look.


The texture of this one reminds me of Van Gogh:

The little red fox gives the hunting dogs a run for their money across this B/G. This beautiful B/G is pure POPPINS!

The next two recreated pan B/Gs lead us across the English countryside to the horse race track.


How about the perspective in this recreated pan B/G??!!!

Isn't the texture of the greenery gorgeous in this one:

Gotta say it... the artwork and the movie truly are SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDIOUS!

POPPINS Returns: English Countryside

With the carousel horses off and running, we see some beautiful English countryside.

POPPINS: The Carousel

Here is art easily overlooked in MARY POPPINS, the beautiful backgrounds in the carousel scene.

The first image is the carousel set piece, with the first glimpse of the lush greenery paintings. Incredible!

The middle image is a nearly complete digital recreation. I couldn't quite complete it it as the carousel horse head never completely leaves the lower center. I don't usually show incomplete artwork here, but I made an exception in this case because it was so close to complete, and the painting is so incredibly rich.

The third image is (I think) a masterpiece of background painting. The use of color, light and texture are all dazzling.

Don't forget you can click on the images to see a larger version.

Enjoy!

Poppins Returns: The Penguin Restaurant

After a brief look at SNOW WHITE backgrounds, we return to MARY POPPINS. With Mary and Bert seated and ready for afternoon tea, our little penguin friends appear to extend their special aviarian hospitality. They are certainly not the only actors/singers/dancers in show biz waiting tables, either!

The restaurant from which they emerge is beautifully designed and realized, amidst the lush foliage of the chalk landscape.

The second digitally reconstructed landscape shows the entire pan B/G for the right side of the Jolly Holiday penguin segment, from the restaurant to the edge of the staging area for their musical presentation.

Close scrutiny reveals two different takes of the same concept. again, perhaps diffferent artists? The long pan reveals much more detail... and more extravagant landscaping!

I must comment on the color palette too. I didn't adjust anything here, the original art is drenched with all these wonderful rich colors. Delicious!

Across The Bridge

MARY POPPINS: Trees Background

In yesterday's post, these trees were in the background... of the background! Here's a completely different rendition from the next edit of the film. These are behind Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke as they sing, right after crossing the pond. We barely notice this artwork, it lasts for only a sentence or two of the song.

Amazing!

MARY POPPINS: The Other Side of the Pond

MARY POPPINS: Across The Pond

Originally, hospitable animated turtles ferry a wobbly Bert and the always composed Mary Poppins across the pond.

It's another amazing treat for the eyes. The rich greens of the trees are beautifully played against the aquamarine water. Note the texture of the stones, and wildflowers in the grass and along the water's edge.

Just wonderful!

JOLLY HOLIDAY Part Five

This scene takes us through the forest to the river's edge.

As the deer remain in the entire first shot, they remain here, as well as a couple smaller woodland animals. It took some patience to digitally extract all those animated butterflies too! But most of the artwork is seen here, revealed for the first time. Note the extravagant use of color and richness of detail. Gorgeous!

The "river's edge" is the B/G where the turtles meet Mary Poppins and Bert to transport them acoss the river. They are in the whole scene, so they've stayed. But ths rest of this glorious B/G is revealed. The marsh-ey flora is a nice touch, and the chalk drawing texture continues with aplomb!

JOLLY HOLIDAY: Part Four

JOLLY HOLIDAY: Down On The Farm

Another highlight of the JOLLY HOLIDAY sequence is the visit to the farm with animated singing animals!

In the first re-created background, I was able to digitally remove all the animals except the cute little pig on the right.

The second B/G is a real knockout. The gate with umbrellas is real, as is the footpath. The rest is a beautifully rendered matte painting.

Down on the farm!

JOLLY HOLIDAY Part 2

Happy Valentine's Day!

I am posting the POPPINS B/Gs in consecutive order as they appeared in the film. Since today is all about love, including movies we love, I am sharing three new POPPINS B/Gs. While they are all impressive, the last is one of my very favorites.

Looking at these re-created B/Gs, it dawns on me that there is a radiant, Technicolor "Wizard Of Oz" vibe about them. Did you know Walt Disney acquired the film rights to the Oz stories? Maybe there was some direct inspiration from the 1939 MGM "Wizard" in this artwork.

Dazzling!

We're off on our Jolly Holiday: Landscape #1

Right after Jane and Michael jump into the chalk drawings, they go in search of the carousel. This is my first of an entire new set of digitally re-created MARY POPPINS backgrounds. This is one of my all-time favorite Disney films, and sequences. Seeing the artwork revealed for the first time is a revelation. These backgrounds took the songs and animation to a whole new level of "personality."

What fun!

BTW... it appears the paths in these are real, with the backgrounds dropped in via Ub Iwerks brilliant special effects. Any experts out there have more information on this process?

Also, the JOLLY HOLIDAY backgrounds are a very different stylistically from the Ellenshaw matte paintings. Anyone know the artist(s) responsible?

Trivia: Frank Thomas' wife told me recently that Ward Kimball animated the Pearlies for the "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" sequence.

Are You Ready for a JOLLY HOLIDAY?

Even when a day goes by that I don't post, you can bet I am at work digitally replicating background art!

I have some real treats coming up for you. I had reason to take a look at MARY POPPINS again this week. What an amazing movie. Practically perfect in every way!

I started in at the very beginning of the animated JOLLY HOLIDAY segment. Way at the beginning... in the park!

Technically, these do qualify as animation backgrounds. Remember the spectacularly colored dust when the POPPINS entourage jumps into the chalk drawings?

Here are two views of the park sets. Magnificent aren't they? We've never seen these without the cast... until now. I digitally removed the actors so we could see the impeccable designs. Take special note of the painted backdrops.

And if you think these are fun.... just wait 'til you see what's coming next.

Let's just say it will be supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!