FATHER'S DAY

Here's to all the fathers out there who support, encourage, joke,
play ball with us and love us.

a rough draft of a drawing by Ralph C. Heimdahl while working in his studio

My dad is long gone, but he is remembered for his sense of humor, sense of honor, and humility. He was a highly skilled traditional artist, though he made his living drawing comic strip characters.

 He left behind many of his drawings. He had most fun drawing animals, 

but he could even imbue a robot with a personality.

Sketches by Ralph C. Heimdahl made in the late 1940s for a robot used
 in the Bugs Bunny comic strip

With a few quick brush strokes with his Winsor Newton #7 round, he made each character come alive.  He would work 8-to-10 days creating daily comic strips and the Sunday for Bugs Bunny. He spent his spare time drawing his own characters from the countryside and woodlands that he loved. He always hoped he could publish his own comic strip while he worked on the Warner Brothers characters  each day. He also shared his knowledge with his family. When he built his studio in our backyard, he included a long low shelf and stools for us where we could draw and paint and learn to type.

Character development by Ralph C. Heimdahl

Ollie the Otter, the main character of a comic strip that he hoped to publish.

He made sure he drew as many expressions for each character as he could.

My dad had several anatomy books, which my sisters and I scoured to understand what was underneath our skin. He knew body structure so well that he could capture a horse mid-air. He showed us the magic that paper, pen or pencil can create.

Sketch from real life by Ralph C. Heimdahl

For all you dads out there, I hope your day is full of laughter, hugs, and the understanding that you have many gifts to pass on to your children.

Happy Father's Day!