Animation Cel - A cel (short for celluloid) is a blank clear plastic sheet used by the studio artist to paint an animated character or object based on the animator's original pencil drawing. The cels are then placed over a background and photographed in sequence to produce an illusion of life in the completed film or cartoon short. Every cel is different but this does not mean that every cel is unique. Often multiple copies of a cel were created by the Inkers as colour models in order to advance their technique and skills.

12 Field Cel - This refers to the size of the area on the artwork which falls within the sight of the camera. Measuring approximately 10.5" x 12.5" this is the standard size for cels, backgrounds and drawings.

16 Field Cel - This refers to the size of the area on the artwork which falls within the sight of the camera. Measuring approximately 12.5" x 16.5" this is the standard size for cels, backgrounds and drawings.

Production Cel - Any cel created for the production of an animated film, commercial or cartoon short. This does not necessarily mean that the piece appears in the film. Model cels and preliminary art are all production artwork.

Limited Edition Cel - A non production hand painted cel created for sale to the collectors market. It is produced in fixed limited quantities and is easily identified by a fraction (150/500) in the lower right hand corner. They were not used in films or cartoon shorts, and the original intent was to recreate the original production cels. Nowadays many studios release new images not based on production artwork.

Sericel (Serigraph) - A non production cel created by means of a printing process similar to silk screening. No work is done by hand, therefore no painting or inking is involved. They are often produced in limited quantities of 300 - 5000, and they are marketed as a low cost alternative to production and limited edition cels.

Animation Drawing - A drawing on paper in pencil, sometimes coloured which is created by a studio artist of an animated character or object for which the cels are later created.

Production Background - A background created for use in a production of an animated film. It must be noted that a production background may not necessarily originate from the same production that the cel is from.

Matching Master Background / Key master Setup - This is often referred to as a key master background setup, but is simply a cel or cels with the background from the same scene that were originally photographed. When framed these will look exactly as they do in the original film or cartoon short.

Lithograph - These images (prints) are created using a print process. They are produced in limited quantities, numbered and signed or are mass produced. Non limited pieces become discontinued and are harder to locate, therefore increasing in value.

Giclee - The French term "Giclée", literally meaning "spray of ink," is used to describe these prints. Four precision nozzles spray up to a million microscopic droplets per second on to fine art paper. Then, each piece of paper is individually hand-mounted. Displaying a full colour spectrum, the prints are lush and velvety, capturing the subtle nuances of the original artwork.

What is Animation Art? - Animation Art is more than just the cels and backgrounds seen by a camera in the finished version of an animated film, cartoon, short or commercial. It also includes inspirational sketches and paintings, story ideas, character models, and drawings used in the making of the animated film, as well as post production models and publicity work, and all other works prepared after its completion.

Why is Animation Art important? - Animation Art has become a universal art form that has entertained, informed, and instructed generations around the world for almost 100 years. Animation speaks to everyone in a universal language, regardless of age, creed, or nationality.

What makes Animation Art valuable? - Age and rarity are two important factors. What character(s) are in the Artwork, and what expressions they are showing. Figures in a full pose position are normally more sought after than a head shot or half body pose. Memorable scenes from classic films or cartoons create a high value. Villains and Princesses are also valuable. Signatures of artists connected with a specific production can often increase the value. Walt Disney's signature on the mount/mat will also increase the value, as he never signed the artwork itself.

Should I invest in Animation Art? - Collectors have purchased Animation Art for as little as one pound and sold it for hundred's or thousands of pounds. You can view past auctions at Christie's to see the value of vintage Disney and Warner pieces. The value of Animation Art is increasing more rapidly than any other Art form on the collectable market. Select and purchase Animation Art because it gives you pleasure. Enjoy it to the full, and you will receive the greatest return on your investment, the joy of owning a moment in film making history that will never be repeated again.

What is Premier Animation? - Premier Animation is an online gallery offering some of the finest vintage and contemporary Animation Art on the net. We are mail order only and do not have a brick and mortar gallery.

Are limited edition cels hand painted? - Yes limited edition cels are hand painted reproductions of famous scenes, or are sometimes newly created ones that often depict sports scenes, or mix characters together that ordinarily would not appear together. Some collectors also quite like the beautiful colour reproduction backgrounds that accompany the pieces as well.

How many cels are used in a typical cartoon? - A film runs at 24 frames per second. That number never changes. Therefore the most any cartoon can be animated to is 24 fps. Budget films usually run at 12 cels per second, each cel being shot twice. However, lower budget cartoons can, and usually do, use the same cel three or more times. The more a cel is used, the "jerkier" the final cartoon will look. For a high budget cartoon, that runs for 8 minutes, there are roughly 11,520 hand painted cels used...which is a lot of hard skilled work (just think how many cels are used in a full length feature film). There is a whole new question that arises from this, and that is how many collectable cels are available from an 8 minute cartoon? Alternatively, if an 8 minute cartoon is animated at 24 fps, are there 11,520 collectable cels for sale? The answer is simply no. Firstly, you must consider that about half of the cels could never be sold, due to the main character's eyes being closed, they are passing behind another object, their back is showing, or it is just an awkward non attractive pose. Therefore, the majority of the cels have gone, and the remainder are left to be either destroyed, damaged through bad storage or sold to the collectors market. By this time there are only about 10% of the cels available to purchase.