The process itself occurs when a pencil drawing, full of expression and life, is transferred to a sheet of clear plastic, (or celluloid-cel for short) which is then colored in by a "painter." When dry, the cels are placed on a hand-painted background and photographed one at a time to create the individual frames of the animated short or full-length feature.

Definitions and Terminology

CEL

A broad term that encompasses most types of animation art. In its strictest interpretation, a cel is the plastic sheet, either cellulose acetate or cellulose nitrate, that animated characters are painted on. In practice, the term cel has come to mean that plastic sheet in combination with the outline and coloring of a character, object, and/or special effect. Outlines can be either hand-inked or Xerographically transferred to the sheet of plastic. Those outlines are then filled with color, either by hand-painting or a serigraphic process, to complete the cel.

 

12 or 16 Field

These terms are used to describe the size of a particular cel. They come from the size of the "field" of view of the camera photographing the artwork. For rough use, consider a twelve-field cel roughly 10"x12", and a sixteen-field cel approximately 14"x16". The actual framed size may differ.

ORIGINAL PRODUCTION CEL

These are the cels actually used in the production of a cartoon. They can have either Xerographed or hand-inked outlines, and are hand-painted at the studio. These cels are one-of-a-kind pieces of art, and their rarity makes them highly sought after by collectors. Because these cels were created to make an actual cartoon, each cel is a component part of a larger movement. Different cels from the same scene may be more or less desirable depending on a variety of factors: size, profile and expression of the character, any damage to inking or paint, and overall visual appeal.

LIMITED EDITION CEL

As with production cels, limiteds can have either hand-inked or xerographic outlines, and are also hand-painted. The major difference, as its name implies, is that the limited editions are created in limited quantities, generally in runs of 250 to 500 cels. Because of these small edition sizes, limiteds can also be very collectible. Some limiteds are exact reproductions of the frames of the film they represent. Others are based on contemporary interpretations of classic characters or scenes by their animators- Chuck Jones limiteds, for instance. Limited editions are always hand-numbered on the cel, and many are signed by the artists.

 

SERICELS

Sometimes called serigraph cels. The serigraphy process involves silk-screening each individual color to the cel, one at a time. Every distinct shade is a separate screen, and a separate pass in the procedure. As a result of this fine art operation, each color is flawlessly reproduced. Sericels are also created in limited quantities, typically 2500 to 5000 pieces. Because of their larger edition size, sericels are the most affordable type of animation art, ideal for the beginning collector.

PUBLICITY CEL

A cel, usually hand-painted, not actually used in a film or created for collectors, but made for publicity or promotional purposes.

CEL SET-UP

A combination of cels presented together. If the combination of cels match exactly, it is referred to as a KEY SET-UP.

ANIMATION DRAWING

These are the original, one-of-a-kind drawings, penciled by the animator, that cels are eventually made from. Drawings can be rough, or the more refined CLEAN-UP drawings. Sometimes, set-ups are available with matching drawings and the cel that was made from it.

STORYBOARD DRAWING

A drawing or story sketch made for the storyboard, which conveys visually the plot and action of a scene or shot. The storyboard serves as a preliminary guide for the artists.

MODEL SHEETS

Drawings, or studio reproductions of a character in a variety of actions used as reference by the animators during production.

BACKGROUNDS

Boy, is this a can of worms. We will try to cover the major types of Backgrounds you are likely to encounter, and what they mean.

Original Production Background

This covers a wide range of backgrounds that are original paintings, and were used in the production of a cartoon. It is important to note that it does not necessarily mean it is the same production that the cel is from. It may not even be from the same studio as the cel. If you see this term used, you will want to know what production the background is from.

---

Key Master Set-Up

This is the ultimate set-up, and the most rare. A key master set-up combines the original cel, or a key set-up of cels, with the background they were originally photographed over. When framed, this will look exactly as it did in the actual film or short.

---

Presentation or Hand-Painted Background

This type of background was specially prepared to complement the cel by an independent artist. Generally, it will be in the style of the original. Although it may enhance the visual appeal of the set-up, it adds little value or collectibility to the cel (unless the artist is famous in his or her own right).

---

Reproduction Background

This is the most common type of background. It is, as the name implies, a copy of a background. The reproduction can be by color Xerox, lithography, serigraphy or photography. In many cases, it is a reproduction of the original background.

LITHOGRAPHS/LITHOGRAPHY

Lithography owes it existence to the chemical principal that oil and water do not mix. The artist draws the image to be printed on a flat slab of limestone, metal, or plastic using a greasy crayon. The surface is then chemically fixed and wet with water, which does not adhere to the greasy image areas. When the surface is inked with a roller, ink adheres only to the greasy areas and not the wet area. Paper is then positioned over the plate and the press is manually operated to produce one impression. The process must be repeated for each color. It is not unusual for fine lithographs to be printed from 15 or more plates.

SERIGRAPHY

Serigraphy ("Seri", the Latin word for silk, and the word "grapho", a Greek term meaning "to write or draw"), was first recognized as a fine art medium in the late 1930s. Serigraphy utilizes a color stencil printing process, involving the direct transfer of an image when a squeegee is used to push ink through a screen onto a substrate. Each color requires a stencil. Using extreme pressure, the image is pressed onto paper. Passes or colors can range from 10 to 200 plus colors, depending on the complexity of the original that is being reproduced.

STONE LITHOGRAPHY

Stone lithography is one of the most prestigious traditions in the history of printmaking artistry. Pioneered in 1796 by Aloys Senefelder, the process is a highly skilled combination of a careful chemical mix and the masterful application of the image in a greasy medium to the face of the printing stone.

ETCHING

Perfected by Rembrandt, the etching process was originally developed over 300 years ago using copper plates and wax. It is a time-comsuming, hand-worked process, with the product being hand pulled and embellished by hand. Each etching is a work of art in and of itself, a creation of the combined efforts of the original artist's vision and the skilled mastery of the craftsman whose job it is to make that supreme vision a reality.

GICLÉE PRINTS

Creating Giclée fine art prints requires the utmost care and attention to detail. The French term "Giclée", literally meaning "spray of ink," is used to describe these prints. Four precision nozzles spray up to a million microscopic droplets per second on to fine art paper. Then, each piece of paper is individually hand-mounted. Displaying a full color spectrum, the prints are lush and velvety, capturing the subtle nuances of the original artwork.