I think drawing came naturally, even though I wasn't that great at solid construction. I could render things pretty well, and see something in my head and put it on the page. I remember my classmates in elementary school frequently asked me to draw them.

A lot of animators were "that kid" in school - the one who could draw. I had other friends who could draw well, and we would hang out after school and just draw characters and stories all over sheets of Xerox paper.

I don't think I could draw 'classically' well until I got to college. At MCAD my fine art instructors really taught me how to build a drawing, to loosen up, construct it properly, and hone the skill of observing life. I still push myself to stay in that mindset. They also corrected my clumsy and awkward design skills. I'm very grateful for the education.