For generations, the debut of each Disney animated feature film has ignited in the minds of thousands of individuals the desire to be a part of the marvel they see on the screen. We recently put these questions to Frank Gladstone, Manager of Animation Training for Disney, who works out of the Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World. Gladstone begins by explaining that natural talent will come out at a young age. Every parent knows that a child with an artistic bent considers the family home a vast and inviting canvas. They see Mommy and they try to draw Mommy.
Children go through different phases as they explore their skills.
The older child who is fascinated by visuals, who sees cartoons or illustrations and attempts to copy them as accurately as possible. The high school student who goes back to the beginning and gives free rein to the imagination, rather than adhering to straight copying. This is when someone may be a serious artist. They work very hard to get the eye right, and that's where a lot of people get discouraged. This is when many people's art career ends.