How did old hand-drawn animation achieve such consistent color?

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Mainly wondering how they avoided discoloration or the presence of brushstrokes. Thanks!


Found in Technology.

13 Answers

Anonymous 0 Comments

RE the presence of brush strokes, they use a specific kind of acrylic paint that goes on very consistently. When I was really getting into sculpting I read about Cel-Vinyl paints that Kat Sapene (amazing sculpture painter) uses. Here’s what she has to say about it:

“KS: I like to use animation cel-vinyl to paint my projects. It’s very similar to acrylic paints. But because it was meant to be used to paint animation cels (the individual frames that make up cartoons), the paint is very opaque. This means fewer layers of paint that need to be applied and therefore I don’t have to worry about paint buildup distorting the original sculpt. Aside from being opaque, cel-vinyl dries quickly, keeps its color over time, and is slightly flexible. The flexibility allows for handling without much chipping. And the paint is very versatile. It can be used for a wash, a dry brush, or even through an airbrush. I love it!”
(https://www.darkhorse.com/Interviews/1629/Technically-Colored-Interview-with-Kat-Sapene-10-09-08)

So I went to the manufacturer and got those paints! Sure enough they are extremely even and bold, and because they supplied the painting professionals their colors were always consistent.

Edit: a words

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