Artist for the Month of April, Frazetta a Master of More Than Oils

 

If you mention the name of Frank Frazetta the images that come to mind are a multitude of brilliant oils depicting warriors, sensuous females, monsters, demons and gritty battle scenes. Yet, people seldom refer to his pen and ink work. A medium that Frazetta was a master of as well, and naturally so since his roots took place in the comic industry.

Before the public came knocking down his door for Frazetta to paint a cover for either their book, magazine or even movie poster, Frazetta had already established himself in the world of black and white comics. For instance in his beginnings Frazetta was the ghost artist for Al Cap on the widely circulated Lil’ Abner. He also did several western and fantasy comics during that era before gaining wide recognition for his Warren Magazine covers for Creepy, Eerie and Vampirella. Later came the Lancer Conan Paperback covers and soon Frazetta was the Norman Rockwell of the fantasy and horror industry.

I first became acquainted with Frazetta’s line work when the Science Fiction Book club decided to reprint the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ line and they hired Frazetta to not only do the covers, but do illustrations. Since color printing was expensive back then, the interior art was in black and white and I was amazed on how Frazetta was able to master the medium.

He never lost his iconic style of anatomy nor the sense of action that he was able to emulate in oils when he was working with pen and ink. His line work was always deliberate in creating a sense of motion and also retaining the ability to render texture.

The illustration on the right is from the John Carter of Mars series that was published by the Science Fiction Book Club. 

Below in his piece “Sheba” (below) look at the level of detail and line work and none of it takes away from the reclining figure, but accentuates it.

It’s no mystery on how Frazetta not only influenced the genre but also inspired many artists. He has a rich legacy that has stood the test of time. I followed his career since I was a boy and his popularity never waned. I remember as he grew older, as if to re-establish himself, or to show us he still “had it”, he released the “Death Dealer.” 

In his final days Frazetta suffered a heart attack that caused his right hand to become too shaky to paint with, he learned to paint with his left.

Frazetta’s status is not only well earned, but well deserved.

Currently reading "The Talisman" by Stephen King and Peter Straub. Soon to be a Netflix series.

Listening to "The Last Nail" by Dan Fogelberg

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