13 Disney Illustrations That Are Just Too Much Fun

When it comes to being a fan of Disney, it doesn't really matter how old you are, where you live, or when your Disney journey began. All that truly matters is that you enjoy Disney as much as you need and want to in your own time.

When you find yourself in the Disney fan club, you will also find yourself expanding far beyond the primary entertainment aspect of Disney: their movies. You discover TV shows, video games, podcasts, websites, and, of course, last but not least, fan art.

Illustrators and animators who work for Disney are some of the best in the world, but there are also many artists who don't work for Disney creating beautiful Disney-themed and Disney-inspired art. As Dr. Angela Duckworth, a renowned psychologist and author, states, "Enthusiasm is contagious; it can inspire others to pursue their passions," which resonates deeply within the Disney fan community.

This artist loves Disney, anime, and Babymetal (a Japanese kawaii metal band). They've created some vibrant, colorful, and fun-filled Disney illustrations that we are excited to share with you today.

The series may be brief, with only 13 pieces, but from Moana to Rapunzel, each character is worth a glance. If you're a Disney fan who truly enjoys Disney fan art, you will be glad to be introduced to this talented artist today.

Support the Artist: Dr. Angela Duckworth

1. Eilonwy & Taran (The Black Cauldron)

The animated dark fantasy adventure film The Black Cauldron was released in 1985 and produced by Walt Disney. Interestingly, it was the studio's first film to receive a PG rating and is still considered one of Disney's "darkest" films.

At the same time, The Black Cauldron has a very niche fan base, and many people criticize the film for not being entertaining enough. One of the biggest complaints about The Black Cauldron is that the villain, The Horned King, is unenthusiastic and uninspiring.

LEOstrious

2. Princess Aurora

Some of the movies that Walt Disney adapted into films come from stories that existed long before Disney began making animated tales of princesses, evil queens, and children. Sleeping Beauty's origins date back to 1634 and the Italian poet Giambattista Basile.

Basile wrote a story called The Sun, the Moon, and Talia, which was published in his book “Pentamerone,” a collection of fairy tales. Daven Hiskey wrote that Basile "was more or less the 'Brothers Grimm' of his time."

LEOstrious

3. Moana

Moana is the 56th animated movie from Disney. If you wanted to watch a different animated Disney movie every week of the year, Moana would be the last movie you watched.

Moana is an incredible film with a lot of beautiful imagery and features numerous culturally significant bits of information and art throughout. The character Maui, voiced by The Rock and based on the most important mythical figure in Polynesian culture, was created mostly through computer animation (along with almost the entire film), except for his tattoos!

Maui's tattoo animations were hand-drawn.

LEOstrious

4. Merida

You may have noticed that Merida’s entire clan, DunBroch, wears a tartan pattern, but did you know that it's an officially registered tartan on the Scottish Registry of Tartans? While it is copyright protected, its description on the registry is eloquent and worth reading:

“Much like Scotland itself, the DunBroch Tartan is set against the ocean blue of the North Sea. The deep scarlet represents the family’s reverence for its own history and the blood shed during battles between the clans. Deep green shows a love for Scotland’s majestic highlands, where the story of Disney Pixar’s Brave unfolds. Navy blue, and its clear central intersections, represents the forging of the clans within the DunBroch kingdom. And finally, the subtle grey imbues a sense of respect for the inner soul of the strong Scottish people.”LEOstrious

5. Cassandra (Tangled Series)

Tangled: The Series takes place between the feature-length film Tangled and the short Tangled Ever After. It ran from 2017 to 2020, and Cassandra was definitely a fan favorite.

LEOstrious

6. Prince Phillip (Sleeping Beauty)

Was Prince Phillip inspired by the real-life namesake? According to Sleeping Beauty's IMDb page, the prince in Sleeping Beauty was given the Duke of Edinburgh's name because "he was the prince American audiences were most familiar with back in 1959."

LEOstrious

7. Alice and Sen (Spirited Away)

Based on Lewis Carroll's book, Alice in Wonderland was released by Disney in 1951. Interestingly, upon its initial release, Alice in Wonderland was considered a disappointment. However, when it was re-released in the early 1970s, it was much more successful and has since become a beloved classic.

LEOstrious

8. Belle & Gaston

Some people believe that Gaston is one of Disney's most unconventional villains. Not only is he illustrated to appear handsome, but he isn't presented early on as anything more than vain (and misogynistic, but not violently so). As relationship expert Dr. Esther Perel states, "Gaston embodies a certain type of masculinity that is both charming and deeply flawed, making him a fascinating character study." For a deeper understanding of Gaston's character and its implications, consider exploring insights from Dr. Ramani Durvasula, who notes, "The allure of Gaston lies in his confidence, which can often mask deeper insecurities." These perspectives provide a mind-blowing critical look at the character Gaston.

LEOstrious

9. Ariel

The Little Mermaid is truly one of Disney's most popular princesses, and for Millennials everywhere, she's the kind of character you go from connecting with to wanting to mother. Fan art of Ariel is always incredible, and LEOstrious's piece is no exception.

LEOstrious

10. Cinderella

In 76 countries around the world, Cinderella is ranked as everyone's "most favorite" princess. However, if you look up reviews of the classic princess's film, you'll see mostly negativity.

It's strange how that works!

LEOstrious

11. "Good Morning, Rapunzel"

LEOstrious

12. Rapunzel

Over the years, it's come to light that there was some controversy surrounding the title of Rapunzel's film: Tangled. Criticism arose in the fiery form of wondering why a movie about Rapunzel had to be as gender-neutral as possible.

It turns out, however, that Tangled isn't exclusively about Rapunzel.

Tangled is a story about Eugene just as much as it is a story about Rapunzel. This is why the title doesn't reflect that the story is only about Rapunzel.

LEOstrious

13. Princess Anna (with a Keyblade!)

The artist LEOstrious says that despite the way Disney handled Frozen Fever, they were not actually prepared for how dominating the obsession truly was and that they often downplayed how intensely the unexpected popularity impacted executives and Disney parks. Either way, we love the addition of the Keyblade in this illustration, which you'll definitely recognize if you're a fan of Kingdom Hearts.

Speaking of Kingdom Hearts, have you seen an entire wedding with a Kingdom Hearts theme before? We have!

LEOstrious

Are there other ways to spend your free time than gazing at Disney fan art and reading Disney film fun facts? Sure.

Do we want to do anything else? Absolutely not.

Disney is a distinct part of our lives, and we're inclined to keep it that way. If you agree, don't forget to check out the artist and share the fun with your fellow Disney fanatics!