Check out these great sketches by animator, cartoonist and designer Oscar Grillo.
You can see some of his influences and they are from all over the place, from impressionist artists to the Fleischers, Disney, John Held Jr. and humanity itself. Then he mixes it all up and adds a large dose of his own unique look at the world.
http://grillomation.blogspot.com/I remember first seeing his animation in the 80s and being impressed by how modern and traditional it was at the same time.
Seaside Woman is a music video he did for the McCartneys. In the bleak animation landscape of the 1980s, this stood out like a beacon of light. (Sorry for the crappy cliche, but it really did). It showed animation could still be fresh, fun, stylish and skillfully done without formula.
I wish I could find a clearer copy of it, but here it is:
This influenced and inspired me a lot - although he draws a lot better than I do.
