A rare behind-the-scenes animation pencil test reveals the early visual texture of Disney’s Alice in Wonderland.
Today’s Tuesday Textures dives into a fascinating early animation moment from Alice in Wonderland.
The clip — known as the “Alice Shrinks” pencil test — dates back to around 1951, offering a rare behind-the-scenes look at the animation process before color, backgrounds, and final compositing were added.
Pencil tests were an essential part of the animation workflow at Walt Disney Productions, allowing animators to preview motion and timing using graphite drawings photographed frame by frame.
The sequence captures Alice shrinking after drinking from the mysterious bottle — one of the film’s most iconic and surreal moments.
Without the finished production layers, the craftsmanship becomes crystal clear. Every movement, expression, and bit of timing is built line by line, drawing by drawing.
It’s a reminder that long before digital animation pipelines existed, moments like this were painstakingly created one pencil stroke at a time.
Get into all the whimsy below!
Comment below. Do you enjoy seeing these behind-the-scenes animation tests from classic films?
