Standing on the shoulders of giants...
There are so many great artists throughout history it's overwhelming. Here are a few that Wally considers to the best of the best, and his greatest influences.
T.S. Sullivant
Funniest animal illustrator with beautiful pen and ink linework. Other masters of pen and ink are Heinrich Kley and Al Hirschfeld.
Wilhelm Eigener
Eigener helped Wally deconstruct animal anatomy for drawing and served as a resource. Eigener (1904-1982) was a German animal illustrator and graphic artist.
Ernest Shepard
Most famous for his illustrations of Winnie the Pooh, Shepard captured the humanity of character in his drawings. Wallace was especially influenced by Shepard's handling of anthropomorphic animals in Wind in the Willows.
N.C. Wyeth
Big stuff- a wonderful painter and storyteller who illustrated Scribner classics.
E.C. Comics
Great storytelling and superb art by John Severin, Harvey kurtzman, Wallace Wood and Jack Davis among others.
Albrecht Dürer
King of the Northern Renaissance, Durer's line work and devotion to drawing made him one of the best.