Friday, August 12, 2016

The Trouble with Cels




...is that the paint won't stick forever to the celluloid sheet. It's heartbreaking to see these Disney cels in a less than perfect condition. If you are a collector and have experienced deterioration on your treasured animation cels, you know how stressful it can be to see these hand made masterpieces go down hill. Tom Sito once said that if you own a cel you own a heartbeat of the movie.
Of course there are folks who restore the paint loss. I like it when the loose paint chips are pulverized, and with special added liquid, then re-applied to the cel. This kind of restoration process is an art in itself.











Nothing wrong with these two cels from Robin Hood. I am just adding them because they show how Disney tries out various color models before deciding on the final color combination. The last image represents the way Friar Tuck and King Richard appear in the film.






Some images Heritage Auctions