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ABSTRACT
A collaborative research project between the Getty Conservation Institute and the Walt Disney Animation Research Library investigated storage and conservation treatment strategies for animation cels. Animation cels are transparent plastic sheets inked on the front and painted on the reverse. Common damage observed on aged cels is cracking, loss of adhesion, dislocations, and losses of the paint. In practice, flaking paint of animation cels is often removed and repainted rather than consolidated. Being reverse painted, paint consolidation of animation cels adds another layer of complexity to established approaches to paint consolidation. One important component of this study has involved developing minimally invasive treatments for reattaching delaminating paints, which involved studying paint condition, characteristics, and properties. This paper presents recent innovations in paint reattachment that rely on the intrinsic hygroscopic properties of the cel paint formulations. The new treatment is a multi-step approach that manipulates paint properties by using precise levels of relative humidity, established within a humidity chamber, in order to reactivate the paint and reattach it. A major advantage of this method is that a consolidant is not necessary. Method development and a case study procedure are presented in depth. The method developed is effective for cel paints with the same or similar formulations.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Walt Disney Animation Research Library for making this part of the project possible. Especially we would like to thank Mary Walsh, Fox Carney, Victoria Cranner, Tammy Crosson, Douglas Engalla, Mathieu Fretschel, Richard Kanno, Tamara Khalaf, Tracy Leach, Marisa Leonardi, Bethany McGill, Sharon Mizota, Jamie Panetta, Thomas Pniewski, and Michael Pucher at the Walt Disney Animation Research Library and the team at the Walt Disney Ink & Paint Department for their insights and support on-site. For all their contributions we are deeply grateful to our colleagues Vincent Beltran, Dave Carson, Anna Flavin, Herant Khanjian, Anna Laganà, Catherine Lukaszewski, Michal Łukomski, Odile Madden, Gary Mattison, and Nicole Onishi at the Getty Conservation Institute; to our former GCI colleagues Jim Druzik, Suzanna Etyemez, Miriam Truffa Giachet, Luciana Murcia, Alan Phenix, Emma Richardson, and Ed Schoch; and to BJ Farrar at the Getty Museum.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Notes
1 Degalan® PQ 611 often known as Plexigum® PQ 611 is an acrylic polymer based on iso-butyl methacrylate.
2 All dates referred to relate to the productions surveyed.
3 In the process of making an animated movie there were several purposes for which animation cels were produced. Production cel refers to cels which were actually used in the production of the animated work (Getty Research Institute Citationn.d.).
4 The Xerox process equipment at the Walt Disney Ink & Paint Department spread over three rooms. In the first room, the animator’s drawing was illuminated. The second room contained the camera, which exposed the drawing onto a coated aluminum plate, and the resulting image was then coated with toner. In the third room, the toner was transferred and fused to a sheet by exposure to fumes of trichloroethylene.
5 Shell OMS: mixture of aliphatic hydrocarbons with a boiling range 175–205°C.
6 ShellSol A100: C9-C10 aromatic hydrocarbon.
7 See List of equipment and tools.
8 A compressed gas duster should be used with caution as condensation can occur on the outside of the can. To dust the object a manual dust tool should be used, such as an air bulb commonly used to dust camera lenses.
9 Equilibrium is reached at a given relative humidity once the paint properties do not change any longer. Based on experimental knowledge it takes about 1.5 h for a gum arabic-based paint to reach equilibrium (See section on Paint properties as a function of relative humidity).
10 The silicone tip tool is wrapped in Teflon® tape (also known as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) tape, thread seal tape, or plumber's tape) to avoid sticking of the paint to the tool and possible silicone residues on the cel.
11 A porcupine quill does not damage the sheet surface upon touching and can be sanded to a thin but sturdy tip, if necessary. All metal tools and needles will leave a mark upon touching the sheet surface, which becomes visible as a bump from the viewing side.
12 See List of equipment and tools.
13 A cleaned and dusted filter paper was choosen because it was found by experience to introduce the least amount of dust. Mylar instead carries too much static and thereby attracted more dust.