Aaron Blaise

• Name — Aaron Blaise • Born — 17 February 1968 • Birthplace — Burlington, Vermont, U.S. • Education — Ringling College of Art and Design • Known for — * Painting • animating • illustrating • art education • Notable Works — Brother Bear (2003) • Website — creatureartteacher.com

Aaron Blaise was born on February 17 1968, in Burlington, Vermont. He grew up living in a small trailer in Florida near Corkscrew Swamp. When he was 17, his home was lost in a fire. He had plans to work in forestry, however his stepfather advised him to have an art career. He graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, as an illustrator in 1989. In the same year, he began working as an animator and supervising animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios for eight years on The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and Mulan. When he was 20, Blaise had begun working for Disney as an intern. His mentor, Glen Keane, was an encouragement to him. In the beginning, Blaise found it difficult to portray movement. Techniques like slowins were not coming easily to him until suddenly it clicked and he found his ability. Starting in 1997, he worked as a director for 12 years. During that time he co-directed Brother Bear, which was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 76th Academy Awards. The Disney studios in Florida, where 365 people worked, were shuttered. Blaise and nine other people were the only ones who stayed employed. They moved to the company's Burbank animation studios, where Blaise developed several projects. After his wife, Karen, died on March 11, 2007, he left Disney. In 2013, he worked at Paramount Pictures for less than a year as a visual development artist. From 2010 to 2014 he worked at Tradition Studios (Digital Domain) as a director on The Legend of Tembo but the company went bankrupt. In 2012, with his business partner, Nick Burch, he started CreatureArtTeacher, offering lessons and tutorials based on Blaise's long career.

• Year — Title — Credits — Characters • 1990 — Roller Coaster Rabbit (Short) — Assistant Animator • 1990 — The Rescuers Down Under — Wilbur • 1991 — Beauty and the Beast — Animator — Beast • 1992 — Aladdin — Supervising Animator — Rajah • 1993 — Trail Mix-Up (Short) — Character Animator • 1994 — The Lion King — Supervising Animator — Young Nala • The Lion King (Video game) • 1995 — Pocahontas — Animator — Pocahontas • 1998 — Mulan — Supervising Animator — Yao and The Ancestors • 2013 — John Lewis: The Bear & the Hare (Video short) — Supervising Animator, Character Designer • 2016 — The Dream Catcher (Short) — Creature Design • 2020 — Spread the Love (Short) — Animator — Bear Hugs

• Year — Title • 1999 — How to Haunt a House (Short) • 2003 — Brother Bear • 2025 — Snow Bear (Short)

• Year — Title — Credits • 2017 — Mum (Short) — Illustration / Painter • 2020 — Wolfwalkers — Concept Artist / Visual Development