Disney and Pixar Are Offering Free Online Tutorials, So You Can Get Lessons from an Imagineer

published Mar 20, 2020
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If you’re spending more time at home due to the coronavirus pandemic and want to use your newfound free time to learn a new skill, Disney and Pixar are here to sprinkle a little pixie dust on your time spent quarantining. They’re releasing free online tutorials for those with a creative spirit who want to hone their artistic talents, so you can enjoy a bit of Disney magic right in the comfort of your own home whenever you need a break from your TV and movie-watching marathons.

First up, budding Van Goghs can learn how to draw their favorite characters via these easy-to-follow YouTube character tutorials. As reported by Disney Parks Blog, some of the Disney illustrators that have been bringing classic characters to life in the parks for years are sharing a vast collection of video tutorials online for anyone that wants to pencil their favorite animated Disney characters.

The cast members will guide you through each step, making these tutorials a great choice for art lovers of all ages. You can draw Mickey Mouse through the ages, from vintage Mickey in the roaring twenties (the 1920s, of course!) to Mickey in his modern-day form. There’s a sketch tutorial for everyone. Some of our top picks include unique characters like Sally from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, beloved favorites like Daisy Duck and Pluto, and of course, one of the newest princesses of the bunch, Anna from “Frozen.” Most of the clips are between 5 and 25 minutes, so they’re a perfect way to break up self-quarantine boredom.

If you’ve always dreamed of being a Disney Imagineer (aka the people that bring your favorite stories to life in the movies, TV shows, parks, and products), you’ll want to try the new Imagineering in a Box. This free online program was created in partnership with Pixar and the Khan Academy, a non-profit organization aiming to provide educational tools for students and teachers around the globe.

These interactive lessons, given by 32 real-life Disney and Pixar Imagineers, provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse into what it’s like to develop and create theme parks, from immersive attractions and shows to landscape design and costume design. Each lesson goes into the detailing involved with each aspect of the parks that so many visitors from around the globe flock to on a daily basis. So while it’s unclear when the parks themselves will re-open to the public, there’s no shortage of ways to get your Disney fix, while learning new skills and expressing your creativity, too.