My Visit with Legendary Artist Larry Elmore
By Rob Romano My trip to I-Con 2007 found me running around throughout the dealers' lounge, where I found that legendary artist of Dragonlance and Dungeons & Dragons fame, Larry Elmore, was selling prints of his oil paintings and illustrations. A highly successful traditional artist, Elmore is considered an industry giant, and was inspirational to me in pursuing my studies in fine arts, first at New Paltz, and now here at Stony Brook. Larry started out using oil on illustration board. He stated that it helps the oil to go on very smoothly, however, because paintings have to be shipped elsewhere to be photographed, he new prefers to use Masonite, which is much more durable. Canvas can get holes punched into, illustration board bent, and for a fine artist, having the original painting in excellent condition is imperative if one wants to be able to sell it. Larry's favorite medium is oil paint. Larry uses live models occasionally, but largely he draws and paints from imagination. How can one find a live dragon to pose, anyway? Larry also teaches occasionally, and recommends to aspiring artists to keep building his or her portfolio and to keep sending it out. Also, he recommends that artists hone their digital skills, as most of the artwork, especially in the fantasy literature and RPG industry, is done digitally. He stated that digital artwork is taking over the industry, but when asked if he himself used digital techniques, he stated he did not. Larry still sticks with traditional illustration and painting, and he noted that as digital artwork becomes more prevalent in the industry that original pieces of artwork are becoming more valuable. For him financially this has been a big plus. The drawback, he noted, was that it is now harder for traditional painters to work and to get published in the industry. A colleague of his has gone over to doing completely digital work, and he has noted a decline in his fine arts skills. Finally, in concluding our brief conversation, as I was telling him of my own aspirations as an artist, he told me to keep on painting and wished myself, and in extension all artists, to keep it up and good luck! Larry Elmore obviously loves what he does, and reaching out to fans and aspiring artists alike was something he was more than happy to do. I hope he keeps up the great work, and being so approachable, I was considering sending him samples of my portfolio for feedback. All artists in the fantasy industry should be so open to the masses, and Larry is a testament to success and yet being down-to-earth and human. |
