Disney Cats & Dogs Exhibition

Entrance sign for the Irving Penn exhibition at the de Young Museum featuring boxer Joe Louis.

I’m not a huge Disney fan, but that didn’t stop me from visiting the Cats and Dogs exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum in the Presidio. The show features some of Disney’s most beloved pets, brought to life through sketches, storyboards, and drawings that capture not only their look but also their personality.

The de Young Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park.

Wall display introducing the Irving Penn exhibition.

Bright banners and sidewalk signs guide the way, with exhibition-branded graphics. Great example of thoughtful wayfinding design.

Display featuring museum logo designed by local design legend, Kit Hinrichs.

Irving Penn’s photograph Coal Man, London, 1950.

The exhibition shows how animators studied real animals to capture movement, expression, and personality. They also studied themselves, using mirrors to sketch their own exaggerated faces and bring humor and emotion to the characters.

Crushed Dr Pepper can on the pavement.

Model sheets show how a character was drawn in different poses and expressions, helping animators keep designs consistent while still allowing personality—a kind of brand guide for illustration.

The rough style of these storyboards let artists focus on staging, mood, and flow before moving to finished animation.

A couple of nice pen-and-ink watercolor sketches of cats. Excellent use of line and soft color to capture their personality.