Art Inspiration Part 6: Lisa Keene

Lisa Keene is a background artist, character designer, and visual development artist who is known for her work in Enchanted, Tangled, Frozen, and many more. Lisa graduated from the University of Southern California and The Art Center College of Design. 

Looking at Keene's work, her art is truly phenomenal. We can see Keene creates a realistic look of the character by utilizing her fine art skills — like traditional painting — while using reference photos in creating beautifully detailed backgrounds, capturing a lifelike feel to her art (realism). 

Snow White painting by Lisa Keene | Photo by gallery one

Tangled concept art by Lisa Keene | Photo by Concept art world

Taking a look at the Tangled concept art, we can see how gorgeous the painting is. The overall background is very detailed and realistic, and I am feeling like I am being transported into a fantasy-like environment. The use of a color palette is also chosen very wisely where the background contains dull greens while using a pop of bright light pink as Rapunzel's dress which draws our eyes towards the main focus point — Rapunzel swinging. Lastly, I also love the dash of oranges that is added to the tree, creating a breathtaking feeling when we look at stunning landscapes in real life.  

Another aspect of Keene's art that I admire is her choice of the color palette. Keene's choice of color palette sets the overall mood of the piece. For example, in this Frozen artwork, mainly blues, and purples were used to create an overall feeling of chilliness and the cold from the snow. 

Frozen concept art by Lisa Keene

All in all, Lisa Keene is one of the most iconic fine art artists I know working for Disney since 1982, and she has shaped and contributed so much to the animation industry in a positive way. If you are interested and are inspired by her artwork like me, here is a link to her portfolio: https://lisakeene.com/