Some Keebler Elves Backgrounds

Back in the 90's, I was a background painter for a commercial animation studio, Calabash Animation. This was the first job I had right out of art school. I am grateful for the experience I had there; it was where I really learned how to mix color, apply paint and where I learned the value differences between foreground, background and midground.

I was trying to organize my archives this afternoon when it occurred to me that I don't have any of this work online anywhere.

I have many backgrounds and production art (concept and color scripts) which I will post when I get around to photographing and scanning. Some of my backgrounds are incredibly long pan scenes, since our director, Wayne Brejcha, liked to do elaborate, sweeping camera moves. Scanning those are impossible really - so I will have to photograph them - at least the ones that I still have! (many were sold at an animation gallery in LA in the mid 90's).
 

These backgrounds are all traditional gouache paintings on illustration board. They were for a Keebler Elves commercial. 

This painting of the Keebler Elves tree was dropped into a live action scene.

All four elves were sitting on this couch with wonderful flickering light. Wish I had a copy of the commercial to post.

This scene had some live action footage dropped into the white area of the tv.





Keebler commercials were always a DREAM to paint!