Bringing Princess Ariel to Life with Disney Animator Mark Henn #TheLittleMermaidBluray

It’s hard to believe the beloved classic The Little Mermaid turns 30 years old this year! Ariel remains my daughter’s favorite princess and if I’m being honest – my hair color idol! And for the first time, The Little Mermaid is available digitally in HD, 4K Ultra HD and Movies Anywhere today!

One special treat for us during our Ralph Breaks The Internet Event a few months ago was a chance to hang out and do a few drawing demos with legendary Disney Animator, Mark Henn. You’ve probably never heard his name before, but his art and creations have been a part of your world (pun intended) for many years. In his 38+ year career in Disney Animation, he’s served as supervising animator for classic characters including Ariel in “The Little Mermaid,” Belle in “Beauty and the Beast,” Jasmine in “Aladdin,” Young Simba in “The Lion King,” Mulan, Pochahontas,” and Princess Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog.” He’s animated the charismatic “Mini Maui” tattoo in Moana and served as the 2D animation supervisor for the recent “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” bringing our favorite Disney princesses back to life! Just to name a few credits…

What I learned from Disney Animator Mark Henn

I’ll tell you 2 things I learned during our time with Mark Henn. The first I learned pretty early on and it’s that I really can’t draw. I mean it. It’s just not one of my talents in this life. Don’t believe me…

Just sat through a drawing workshop with legendary @Disney Animator Mark Henn. If I learned anything today, it’s that drawing is NOT my calling! ??? #WontQuitMyDayJob #RalphBreakstheInternetEvent pic.twitter.com/ToJqf9aI8J

— Ari Adams (@LovePeaceMommy) November 5, 2018

The second had to do a lot with the differences between hand-drawn animation and CG animation. Yes, we know that almost all of our classic Disney films are now being reimagined through CG Animation, but we also learned how the true essence of the art is still very much present.

Mark Henn is the guy who works closely with the next generation of CG animators, so he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise on the topic. The team at Ralph Breaks the Internet, for example, turned to him for guidance. He shared that hand drawn vs. computer is different, but the philosophy itself hasn’t changed. CG brings the benefits of subtleties, effects, layouts, and speed, but truly, animation is about “creating a performance that’s as strong and emotional on paper.” Even as he’s assisting the CG teams to reimagine our most beloved characters, he notes that the hallmark to Disney animation is in its ability to make you fall in love with these characters, so much so that you don’t even realize the technical aspects.

And 30 years later, we are still in love!