What does Zach Gracia draw outside of work?

Character studies, portraits and fan art made outside any brief. Zach trained in visual development and character design at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and the sketchbook habit he started before art school still feeds the stylization work he leads at Disney.

Illustration — Zach Gracia

01

Sketches

Pencil and blue-line first — figures, costume and attitude worked out before anything gets cleaned up.

Streetwear character study — full figure in cropped tee and track pants — **Fig. 1.1 — Streetwear study**Pencil

Cowboy character sheet — color bust and pencil full figure — **Fig. 1.2 — Cowboy**Character sheet

Blue-pencil portrait study of a woman in a kimono — **Fig. 1.3 — Blue-line study**Pencil

Fig. 1.4 — Profile studyBlue line

02

Illustrations

Finished personal work — portraits, graphic pieces and fan art, each one pushed until the shape language carries the character.

Female astronaut character in a bubble helmet — **Fig. 2.1 — Astronaut**Digital paint

Portrait of a woman with double buns in violet tones — **Fig. 2.2 — Double buns**Digital

Painted portrait of a woman in a teal collar — **Fig. 2.3 — Teal portrait**Digital paint

Stylized portrait of a blonde woman with freckles — **Fig. 2.4 — Freckles**Digital

Día de los Muertos catrina in monochrome with a red rose — **Fig. 2.5 — Catrina**Digital paint

Maleficent reimagined with Día de los Muertos sugar-skull makeup against green — **Fig. 2.6 — Maleficent catrina**Digital paint, 2014

Noir couple in fedora and wide-brim hat — **Fig. 2.7 — Noir**Grayscale

Graphic noir portrait of a woman with a cigarette — **Fig. 2.8 — Smoke**Graphic

Retro pin-up head in a circle emblem — **Fig. 2.9 — Pin-up head**Graphic

The Mandalorian walking toward the viewer in flat shapes and hard moonlight — **Fig. 2.10 — The Mandalorian**Flat shape

Pin-up illustration of a blonde woman in a pink robe holding a Vanity Fair cover over her face, signed Gracia 23 — **Fig. 2.11 — The Secret Life**Digital, 2023

Jackie Robinson, number 42, painted from behind — **Fig. 2.12 — No. 42**Digital paint

Baseball batter mid-swing — **Fig. 2.13 — The swing**Digital

03

Published works

Art made to be released — a Snow White piece for Disney’s Art of Snow White lithograph set, a limited edition of 1,000 sold through the Disney Store, and commissioned Coco artwork for Club 33 at Walt Disney World.

Snow White lithograph artwork — pencil drawing beside the final painted figure — **Fig. 3.1 — Snow White**Pencil to paint

Snow White lithograph final painted artwork — **Fig. 3.2 — Snow White · final**Lithograph art

Disney Art of Snow White lithograph set — limited edition of 1,000, gold-foil cover — **Fig. 3.3 — Art of Snow White · the set**Limited edition 1,000 · Disney Store

Back of the Art of Snow White lithograph set showing all 22 lithographs, including Zach’s piece — **Fig. 3.4 — The set · 22 artists**Published lithograph

Club 33 Walt Disney World keepsakes — Zach’s custom Coco artwork of Miguel and Héctor with the event card — **Fig. 3.5 — Club 33 · Miguel & Héctor**Commissioned art · Walt Disney World