Phyllis Barnhart
Encyclopedia
Phyllis Barnhart was an American
animator
and cel painter
. She was best known for her work on the 1982 animated film
, The Secret of NIMH
.
Barnhart was born on December 16, 1922, in Levan, Utah
. She began her career in animation at the Walt Disney Animation Studios during the 1940s. She later worked as an animator for such classic animation studios
as Filmation
, Hanna-Barbera
, Bandolier Films and DePatie-Freleng. She worked as one of the lead cel
painters for The Secret of NIMH (1982), which was produced by Don Bluth Productions.
Barnhart's husband, animator Dale Barnhart, died in 1996. He worked as a Disney layout
and background artist
on films such as The Jungle Book
and The Sword in the Stone
.
Phyllis Barnhart died at the age of 85 on February 6, 2008, in Salt Lake City, Utah
. She was survived by her daughter, Fontini, and three sons, Rhio, Roberleigh and Philo.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
animator
Animator
An animator is an artist who creates multiple images that give an illusion of movement called animation when displayed in rapid sequence; the images are called frames and key frames. Animators can work in a variety of fields including film, television, video games, and the internet. Usually, an...
and cel painter
Cel
A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate...
. She was best known for her work on the 1982 animated film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, The Secret of NIMH
The Secret of NIMH
The Secret of NIMH is a 1982 animated film directed by Don Bluth in his directorial debut. It is an adaptation of Robert C. O'Brien's 1971 children's novel Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The film was produced by Aurora Pictures and released by United Artists. While released to critical acclaim,...
.
Barnhart was born on December 16, 1922, in Levan, Utah
Levan, Utah
Levan is a town in Juab County, Utah, United States. The population was 688 at the 2000 census. It is often said that the name of the town derives from its location at the center of Utah, because the name is navel spelled backwards. Several other origins have been suggested for the name, from...
. She began her career in animation at the Walt Disney Animation Studios during the 1940s. She later worked as an animator for such classic animation studios
as Filmation
Filmation
Filmation Associates was an American production company that produced animation and live action programming for television during the latter half of the 20th century. Located in Reseda, California, the animation studio was founded in 1963...
, Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
, Bandolier Films and DePatie-Freleng. She worked as one of the lead cel
Cel
A cel, short for celluloid, is a transparent sheet on which objects are drawn or painted for traditional, hand-drawn animation. Actual celluloid was used during the first half of the 20th century, but since it was flammable and dimensionally unstable it was largely replaced by cellulose acetate...
painters for The Secret of NIMH (1982), which was produced by Don Bluth Productions.
Barnhart's husband, animator Dale Barnhart, died in 1996. He worked as a Disney layout
Layout
Layout may refer to:* Page layout** Comprehensive layout** In computer graphics, another name for a scene used to render 2D/3D graphics or animation* Layout , software that automatically calculates the positions of objects...
and background artist
Background artist
A background artist or sometimes called a background stylist or background painter is one who is involved in the process of animation who establishes the color, style, and mood of a scene drawn by an animation layout artist. The methods used can either be through traditional painting or by digital...
on films such as The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book
The Jungle Book is a collection of stories by British Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling. The stories were first published in magazines in 1893–4. The original publications contain illustrations, some by Rudyard's father, John Lockwood Kipling. Kipling was born in India and spent the first six...
and The Sword in the Stone
The Sword in the Stone
The Sword in the Stone is a novel by T. H. White, published in 1939, initially a stand-alone work but now the first part of a tetralogy The Once and Future King. A fantasy of the boyhood of King Arthur, it is a sui generis work which combines elements of legend, history, fantasy and comedy...
.
Phyllis Barnhart died at the age of 85 on February 6, 2008, in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. She was survived by her daughter, Fontini, and three sons, Rhio, Roberleigh and Philo.