Don "Ducky" Williams Biography

Don Williams, fondly known as Don “Ducky” Williams, has been a character artist for the Walt Disney Company for more than 30 years, and is especially known for his wonderful renderings of that irascible Donald Duck. Although he paints all the characters, Donald Duck is his favourite character, probably because of his temperament.

Drawing the Disney characters is more than a job. To Ducky, it’s a way of life. Like many people, he has been infatuated with the Disney characters since he was a child. In fact, Ducky wrote his first letter to Walt Disney when he was just 10 years old. He always wanted to be a Disney artist or animator. The Disney characters are more than characters - they are living, breathing personalities, and Ducky captures those personalities in his art work. The characters have to come to life on the page, and the only way to do that is to know the characters and their films inside out. Ducky’s artwork is round as opposed to flat, it has dimension and it has personality. It captures the mood and spirit of the film as well as the characters. He is known for painting the Fab Five (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Pluto) as well the feature characters (Snow White, Cinderella, Peter pan, Bambi, elaborate backgrounds etc).

Currently working for the Marketing Division, Disney Yellow Shoes, he creates advertising art, including billboards, signage, brochures and busses. Any area of the Walt Disney company can come to Ducky for character artwork - Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts. Those who have sailed on the Disney Cruise Line will immediately recognize Ducky, not from only his fascinating presentations on the cruise ships, but also from the special artwork he creates for new cruise itineraries. Ducky is particularly proud of one of his previous projects -- Tony's Town Square, the Lady & the Tramp themed restaurant on Main Street in the Magic Kingdom, for which he created all of the paintings, china, signage and more. You will also find his artwork at the main entrance to Walt Disney World.