Dick Duerrstein
Encyclopedia
Dick Duerrstein is an American
painter
of Disney Fine Art
, who worked as the Creative Director
for the Walt Disney Company's
Consumer Products Division
for more than 2 decades.
After graduating from the Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena, California
, Duerrstein took a job at the Walt Disney Company, where he soon worked his way up the ladder and became the Creative Director for the company's Consumer Products Division. It was here that he was able to work and study alongside many iconic Disney animators, including Ward Kimball
(a member of Disney's Nine Old Men, creator of Dumbo
, the Mad Hatter
, the Cheshire Cat
and Jiminy Cricket
) and Chuck Jones
(creator of Looney Tunes
and Merrie Melodies
).
After 22 years at Disney, Duerrstein left to pursue a career in Disney Fine Art. He comments on this decision in the July 2007 issue of Art Business News: "I got a wild hair to start doing characters in more artistic ways. It was difficult in the beginning because there wasn't any framework for doing this kind of work commercially." Nearly 10 years after making this decision, Duerrstein has succeeded in becoming one of the most collected painters of Disney Fine Art.
In homage to the original character construction, Dick first draws the figure onto canvas using a light blue line, exactly like an animator would do. After this, he begins to layer the thick hues of oil and acrylic paint on top, yet he still lets the original blue line peek through. This allows each piece to still remain true to the original creator's concept while allowing for Duerrstein's trademark energy and movement to come through.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
of Disney Fine Art
Disney Fine Art
Disney Fine Art is a term used to describe works of art portraying Disney Characters, painted by professional artists who are often animators, background artists, or production designers....
, who worked as the Creative Director
Creative Director
A creative director is a position often found within the graphic design, film, music, fashion, advertising, media or entertainment industries, but may be useful in other creative organizations such as web development and software development firms as well....
for the Walt Disney Company's
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
Consumer Products Division
Disney Consumer Products
Disney Consumer Products is a division of The Walt Disney Company that engages in merchandizing of the Disney brand and Disney properties, Lines of business under DCP include Disney Fashion & Home, Disney Food, Health and Beauty, Disney Toys & Social Expressions, Disney Publishing Worldwide and...
for more than 2 decades.
Biography
Like most artists, Dick Duerrstein found his calling early in life. He remembers that his "mother's shopping list always included a note to buy [him] another ream of white paper to draw on."After graduating from the Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design
Art Center College of Design is a private college located in Pasadena, California, and was cited by BusinessWeek as one of the 60 best design schools in the world. The college’s industrial design program is consistently ranked number one by both DesignIntelligence and U.S...
in Pasadena, California
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, Duerrstein took a job at the Walt Disney Company, where he soon worked his way up the ladder and became the Creative Director for the company's Consumer Products Division. It was here that he was able to work and study alongside many iconic Disney animators, including Ward Kimball
Ward Kimball
Ward Walrath Kimball was an animator for the Walt Disney Studios. He was one of Walt Disney's team of animators known as Disney's Nine Old Men.-Career:...
(a member of Disney's Nine Old Men, creator of Dumbo
Dumbo
Dumbo is a 1941 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and released on October 23, 1941, by RKO Radio Pictures.The fourth film in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, Dumbo is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and illustrated by Harold Pearl for the prototype of a...
, the Mad Hatter
Mad Hatter
Hatta, the Hatter is a fictional character in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and the story's sequel, Through the Looking-Glass. He is often referred to as the Mad Hatter, though this term was never used by Carroll...
, the Cheshire Cat
Cheshire Cat
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat popularised by Lewis Carroll's depiction of it in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Known for his distinctive mischievous grin, the Cheshire Cat has had a notable impact on popular culture.-Origins:...
and Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Walt Disney version of "The Talking Cricket" , a fictional character created by Carlo Collodi for his children's book Pinocchio, which was adapted into an animated film by Disney in 1940...
) and Chuck Jones
Chuck Jones
Charles Martin "Chuck" Jones was an American animator, cartoon artist, screenwriter, producer, and director of animated films, most memorably of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts for the Warner Bros. Cartoons studio...
(creator of Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
and Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies
Merrie Melodies is the name of a series of animated cartoons distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures between 1931 and 1969.Originally produced by Harman-Ising Pictures, Merrie Melodies were produced by Leon Schlesinger Productions from 1933 to 1944. Schlesinger sold his studio to Warner Bros. in 1944,...
).
After 22 years at Disney, Duerrstein left to pursue a career in Disney Fine Art. He comments on this decision in the July 2007 issue of Art Business News: "I got a wild hair to start doing characters in more artistic ways. It was difficult in the beginning because there wasn't any framework for doing this kind of work commercially." Nearly 10 years after making this decision, Duerrstein has succeeded in becoming one of the most collected painters of Disney Fine Art.
Style
Having such a long history designing a wide variety of projects at Disney has given Dick a heightened sense of design, which is apparent in his fine art pieces.In homage to the original character construction, Dick first draws the figure onto canvas using a light blue line, exactly like an animator would do. After this, he begins to layer the thick hues of oil and acrylic paint on top, yet he still lets the original blue line peek through. This allows each piece to still remain true to the original creator's concept while allowing for Duerrstein's trademark energy and movement to come through.