What was the inspiration for this art style?

[Mythrill]

Hello, everyone. I know of a game called "Rayman Origins" that is wonderfully drawn in 2D – a rarity these days. The main characters are drawn using a simpler coloring style, but the background is far more complex. So, I kept myself asking: by what art style was this inspirated?

Here is the picture:

It seems to use some glaze-like style, but layering with an undertone doesn't give me the same saturated colors. Here is an attempt to simulate it with a blue underpainting and painting over with colors as if they were thin glazes (blend mode: color).

So, what do you guys think? By what style was this background inspired, and how to replicate it?

[Horsa]

It. Reminds me of the cells for classic Disney cartoons, back in the days when they hand painted on celluloid.

The background would be one layer and each moving element in front would be its own layer on a separate cell.

A lot of the colour effects in this look like watercolour to me.

[ameliewakelin]

Originally Posted by Horsa

It. Reminds me of the cells for classic Disney cartoons, back in the days when they hand painted on celluloid.

The background would be one layer and each moving element in front would be its own layer on a separate cell.

A lot of the colour effects in this look like watercolour to me.

exactly