Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.  ~Oscar Wilde

If that is the case, then uh-oh.

Ever since we discovered the Animation Academy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – an attraction that is actually really easy to miss – we’ve been in love with it. For anyone who hasn’t experienced this, it’s essentially a 25 minute art class where a Disney Cast Member/animator teaches you to draw a Disney character. Each class focuses on a different character, so you can go through several times and draw something new each time. It’s now one of our favorite things to do at the Studios.

On our most recent trip, from which we returned just yesterday, we had a group of 10 people try their hand at drawing. The Cast Member gave us a few options to choose from, and the class eventually decided on Bolt. As is customary in this brief class, we began by drawing light guide lines and circles where the character would eventually take shape.

Only when we started to darken in the permanent lines, I was anticipating what I would probably be instructed to do. I was wrong. I made a few mistakes on my drawing pretty early in the process, which unfortunately would be difficult to cover up. So instead of stopping and just watching the rest of the class, I followed my muse.

Oh yeah, I’ve got a muse. And I followed it completely. I was so wrapped up in what I was doing, that the guy sitting at the light table next to me stopped what he was doing to watch. And point.

In the end, I had a drawing of Bolt that looked remarkably different from everyone else’s.

Here, I’ll show you a few from our group:

Here's Amy's drawing. Nice work, Mrs. Mousejunkie. She even did a quick sketch of Rhino.

Here's my father-in-law, David's work. Who knew he was such a good artist?

Here is my daughter Katie's drawing. Great job, Kate!

Here's the one the animator drew at the head of the class. She signed it and gave it to Katie!

And finally, here’s where my imagination took me. It’s a strange place, but once I screwed up I knew there was no going back.

I present to you my masterpiece:

Honestly, I didn't know what else to do.