It Was Fate!

Great news! I am related to Grim Natwick!! You know, the guy who illustrated Betty Boop, Snow White, and many other Disney characters? He's related to my uncle somehow. Ironic, isn't it??

(For those of you who don't know, in high school I was known as Snow White. The name was even on my letter jacket. I used to get that I looked like her all of the time. You know, skin as white as snow, black hair, absolutely gorgeous. :) It must have been fate that I turned out this way!)**

This guy is amazing. I googled him today, curious to learn more about the man, and the search results were full of pages that hailed him as the greatest animator that ever lived. He's a real animator's animator. People kind of worship him. He's kind of a big deal.

Honestly, I can see why, he was one of the most influential cartoonists that lived. I mean, just look at the pieces he's worked on. All new and exciting in their time, and most still out-do cartoons today, if you ask me. But I'm not biased :). Seriously, even before I knew of this relation, I really admired the style and simplicity of the cartoons back that I now know he was responsible for.

The great thing about this man and his cartoons is that, before simplifying the human body so drastically, he studied it hardcore for years. I've found some of his sketches from his studies in Europe online, very detailed and realistic. His cartoons work so well because of this intense knowledge of the body and the way it works, even though they are portrayed in the most simple forms possible. It is so easy to want to jump ahead in art without really studying and learning to draw things "correctly" first. But it pays off.


It is really inspiring to look at Grim's work, whether you are related or not. To see a few more images from Grim Natwick's drawings, try Boing Boing, a blog with a collection of his drawings. Or you could just Google the name. Do it.

**For anyone reading this who doesn't know me, the answer is no. I am not actually that full of myself.