What is an animation cel ?
A cel, short for celluloid, is an individual hand painted original on a clear sheet of acetate. The picture is usually inked on the front and hand painted on the reverse.
In general there are three kinds of cels: production cels, limited edition cels and serigraph cels.
- Production cels are, as the name implies, cels actually used in the production of a cartoon. They are photographed onto a movie film, frame by frame, to make an animated cartoon. They are strictly unique and one of a kind.
- Limited edition cels are produced by animation artists specifically as fine art. The artists present the characters in classic poses and situations often reminiscent of the most memorable scenes from a cartoon. Some of the most popular being the Warner Bros cels by Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng.
- Limited edition serigraph cels are reproduced from original animation cels using the silkscreen process. They are printed in limited editions which sell out very quickly. Disney have produced some of the most popular.
In recent years they has been growing interest in pencil art for animation cels. These are the original sketches used to plot the cartoon, which are transferred (inked) to the acetates (cels). Fine examples are extremely rare, Disney again being the most popular. |
| | See also our Disney section for other art (gouaches, prints, posters, etc) associated with the Studios! |
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