Frazetta

[halflife99]

Does he use reference?

[Elwell]

Sometimes.

[kev ferrara]

Sometimes.

[kingshaj]

Sometimes.

[Farvus]

Sometimes.

[jrr]

NEVER!
i mean Sometimes.

[Nam]

Thumtimes.

[enrigo]

About more than about more than 50 times.

[Chris Bennett]

some,

[Chris Bennett]

times.

[Zachro]

sometimes.
.semitemos
sometimes.
.semitemos
sometimes.

[Crush]

Spamtimes

[dcorc]

I'm Spartacus?

[CCThrom]

We're too funny!





Sometimes.

[kingshaj]

end times

[tensai]

but sometimes not

[Elwell]

but sometimes not

Egg-zackly.

So, Halflife, does that answer your question?

[LisandroG]

Frank Frazetta doesn't use reference, every painting he did, he was actually there while conan was fighting a giant serpent or something

...sometimes

[Recluse]

Not to break the topic on how he sometimes uses references ( :p ), anyone know when that new ImagineFX issue is sposed to hit the U.S.??

[Coinpurse]

Whatev...
:P

[Renegade89]

Not to break the topic on how he sometimes uses references ( :p ), anyone know when that new ImagineFX issue is sposed to hit the U.S.??

sometime...

[Recluse]

I walked right into that one.

[halflife99]

Egg-zackly.

So, Halflife, does that answer your question?



In these watercolors [referring to Frazetta watercolor book] Frazetta explores the beauty of simple gestures: a look, a glance, a smile, a certain attitude or pose. Frazetta's brush dips directly into his imagination; the original energy of his inspiration is immediately conveyed via line and color without the diluting reliance on models, studies, swipes or photo reference. This is the essence of genuine creativity, a very rare gift which is never derivative, never repetitive, and never boring. These are the creations that are born from a powerful imagination at play, indulging his powers for his own amusement and the delight of his family

Sort of.

[kev ferrara]

In these watercolors [referring to Frazetta watercolor book] Frazetta explores the beauty of simple gestures: a look, a glance, a smile, a certain attitude or pose. Frazetta's brush dips directly into his imagination; the original energy of his inspiration is immediately conveyed via line and color without the diluting reliance on models, studies, swipes or photo reference. This is the essence of genuine creativity, a very rare gift which is never derivative, never repetitive, and never boring. These are the creations that are born from a powerful imagination at play, indulging his powers for his own amusement and the delight of his family

Sometimes, mostly not, maybe.

[rpace]

On these paintings, maybe. On those paintings, maybe not.

[Micaiah Nelson]

I try to resist but...
Sometimes.
what he said.

[Saturns Gate]

I also sometimes wonder if he sometimes uses references or sometimes not... he most probably sometimes does though...
sometimes.

[dbclemons]

As I recall there was a written quote from the man himself in "Painting With Fire" where he said he doesn't swipe or use photos. I'm inclined to take his word for it.

[kev ferrara]

As I recall there was a written quote from the man himself in "Painting With Fire" where he said he doesn't swipe or use photos. I'm inclined to take his word for it.

He means he doesn't "slavishly copy" from photos, like a competitor of his who's name starts with a B, or is that not clear enough.

But the man is a camera nut. There are reference photos taken of him in various publications, for sword and sorcery pix, the Gauntlet Movie Poster, etc... But he just uses it like a good illustrator... as needed and at the service of the idea.

[Renegade89]

As I recall there was a written quote from the man himself in "Painting With Fire" where he said he doesn't swipe or use photos. I'm inclined to take his word for it.

This doesnt mean he doesnt use reference, just that he doesnt draw directly from a picture.

Is inevitable for anyone trying to resemble reality not to observe reality,unless of course Frazetta invented how muscles and snakes look like, in that case he wouldnt just be a great artist, he would be frigging god.

When you observe how something looks like and then you draw it, you are using reference, so yeah sometimes

Edit* Kev, last name starts with "V"?

[Elwell]

As I recall there was a written quote from the man himself in "Painting With Fire" where he said he doesn't swipe or use photos. I'm inclined to take his word for it.

I love Frazetta, but you have to realize there's quite a bit of self-mythologizing at work. The vast majority of his figures are indeed invented, but there is also the occasional element (ships, dinosaurs etc) where the source material is easily identifiable.

[enrigo]

I love Frazetta, but you have to realize there's quite a bit of self-mythologizing at work.
That's what I'm thinking, I've read a interview in a book about him and he said something that sounds like he learned anatomy overnight.

[Jacob Kobryn]

You mean this?

..." I really didn't understand what he meant by 'anatomy.' So Ralph handed me an anatomy book and when I went home that night I had decided to learn anatomy. I started with page one and copied the entire book–everything, in one night, from the skeleton up. I came back the next day like a dumb kid and said, "Thank you very much, I just learned my anatomy ..." - Frank Frazetta

[enrigo]

Yeah that's the one Jake. I think it continues with how everyone notice his drastic improvement.

[kev ferrara]

Yeah that's the one Jake. I think it continues with how everyone notice his drastic improvement.

All you have to do is look at what he was doing between 1952 and 1954 and you will see a warp speed improvement.

And he did indeed copy over Bridgman's anatomy book cover to cover, because his drawings from it are posted on his museum site.

Since many people including myself, have found rather quick improvement after 'doing our Bridgman", I would suggest it isn't just bullshit.

Truly Great Artists do a lot of Self-mythologizing. Sometimes their wives do even more, in order to run poster businesses.

Then again, if you look at the best of his sketchbook pen and inks, you will see, he does not need reference to do world class work. So a good chunk of the myth is true. All the reference in the world won't give an artist's work the dynamism of Frazetta's best work. There is no way around that.

For that reason, even if he referenced every single pose in every single painting, he would still be a genius.

It ain't about the ref.