Tuesday, July 30, 2019

On "Ink & Paint": A Book Review



Title: Ink and Paint: The Women of Walt Disney's Animation
Author: Mindy Johnson
Genre: Non-Fiction, History, Art

About the Book...
Few names in animation history have had as much of an impact as that of Disney and a large part of this incredible history includes the ladies of the Ink and Paint department. Breaking it down by decade, Mindy Johnson explores the role that these woman had at the Disney Studios during each period, the shifts that occurred as the studio grew and changed with the times, and concludes each chapter with a section about other studios achievements or setbacks during that time and a section talking about Walt's family life.  

What I Think...

This book was well written and clearly well-researched. Johnson doesn't try to impose her own opinions or asides as to why something happened, but presents the information in a very factual way and that includes quotations from those who worked in Ink and Paint. I really liked that at the end of each chapter Johnson included what was going on at other studios during the time, which offered a comparative look at where the industry was as a whole. Additionally, the end of each chapter included an update as to what was going on in the Disney family and

I did feel the book slowed by the time it reached the 1960's (although, in all fairness, that's about three-quarters of the way through) and became far less interesting, primarily due to the changes that occurred in technology. 

It is coffee table size and has glossy pages, which is great for the multitude of images and photographs included, although this comes with the downside of it being too difficult to read in bed.

To Sum it All Up...
A very through look at the fascinating history of Disney's Ink and Paint Department from the start of the studio up to present. ♥️

2 comments:

  1. Does it talk about Mary Blair at all?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It does, although it focuses more on the art done in relation to the South American films than any of her other work.

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