Legendary animator Aaron Blaise has recently finished work on his new short film, Snow Bear. Inspired by the austere beauty of the arctic, and the graceful movement of bears in general and polar bears specifically, the soon-to-be-released animated short film centers around themes of isolation, found family, and the power of creativity.
Blaise worked on classic Disney films like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, the Lion King, Pocahontas, and Mulan, and also directed and got an Oscar nomination for Brother Bear. He’s known for his exquisite renderings of animals, able to combine natural, graceful movement with emotional expressions like few others.
And he’s been gracious enough to record several tutorials so you can learn how to do it, too.
How to draw dogs
“I was thinking it might be kind of fun to sit down and draw something that we’re all really familiar with,” Aaron says. “And a lot of us have pet dogs.” Along with his own dog, he breaks down his process, including thinking deeply about anatomy.
How to draw a wolf
Dogs are “man’s best friend,” but if you’re more interested in the wild or fantastical, perhaps you want to learn how to draw a wolf? Blaise has you covered:
How to draw a cat
Cat person rather than dog person? “Many people struggle with drawing animals but if you have a pet, such as a cat, you can get a leg up by studying and drawing you animal at home,” Blaise says. Either way, you can watch this tutorial to learn how to draw a cat:
How to draw a horse
Less common, and often very difficult to draw, is one of the most majestic animals, the horse. Here’s Aaron’s approach:
How to draw a polar bear
Blaise has a lot of experience drawing bears, including for his 2003 film Brother Bear. His most recent project, Snow Bear, focused on polar bears specifically, and in this video he breaks down his process:
About the artist
Aaron Blaise spent 21 years at Walt Disney Feature Animation, helping to create some of the greatest animated films ever made. During that time he worked as an animator or supervising animator on “The Rescuers Down Under,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin,” “The Lion King,” “Pocahontas,” and “Mulan.” In 2003 he was co-director of “Brother Bear,” for which he earned an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature Film.
After “Brother Bear,” he helped to develop several projects but ultimately left Disney to pursue an opportunity back home in Florida. Aaron is currently involved in a number of film projects for various studios. He also recently developed a short animated film called “Snow Bear.”
He publishes tons of video content and livestreams on his YouTube channel, and you can follow him on social media on X (Twitter), Instagram, or Facebook. He also has countless art tutorials and lessons on his website, Creature Art Teacher.
