Scott Watanabe

Scott Watanabe is an illustrator and award-winning animation character designer and art director whose work has helped define the look of some of the most beloved animated films of the past decade.

Most recently, Scott served as Character Art Director on K-Pop Demon Hunters, earning two Annie Awards for Character Design and Production Design. He led the design of the film’s iconic cast, including global girl-group phenomenon Huntrix and their rival heartthrob, Jinu. Scott spent more than thirteen years in visual development at Walt Disney Animation Studios, contributing to global hits including Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, Zootopia, Raya and the Last Dragon, and Encanto. He also served as Art Director of Environments on the Academy Award–winning Big Hero 6.

Throughout his career, Scott has specialized in creating characters and worlds rich with emotion, style, and cinematic storytelling. His illustration work carries that same spirit, blending dynamic character design with a deep love of visual narrative. He’s interested in work in picture books through adult interior and cover art, as well as graphic novels.

His artwork reaches a global audience of more than 110,000 followers online at @_scottwatanabe_. Scott lives in La Crescenta, California with his family, including Grumpaloosa’s author, Janet Wu. Find out more at scottwatanabeart.com.