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In 1995, I was at the World Fantasy Convention in Baltimore, MD. It was there that I met my first mentor, David Martin.
The "World" conventions are where sci-fi and fantasy professionals meet and swill and do deals - writers, editors, artists, art directors. I was with my wife as she is an author.
The art shows at these conventions are quite good as these are the cream of the crop in book cover, magazine, and game illustration - Michael Whelan, Steven Hickman, Steven Yule, Don Maitz, David Martin, etc.. Wonderful oil paintings with multiple figures and excellent detail.
I was not doing much art at the time, mostly airbrush southwest stuff, which, while graphic, was nowhere near the realistic figure work, I desired to do. I had come to a point of despair, as I could not find anyone willing to share information with me on technique so I could learn to do this amazing stuff. But I simply HAD to know how to do it - it made my heart ache.
So I decided to do something about it. I talked to an artist at the show and he advised me that if I wanted to learn, find an artist whose work you admire, and ask them if I could come and watch them paint.
David Martin was there, his work was wonderful, and he lived about an hour and a half from me. So I introduced myself, showed him some of my southwest slides, and we got to talking. The one thing I remember from that conversation is his statement:
"If you want to make real progress, then I recommend that you put your airbrush in a drawer and pick up a paint brush."
When I got home, I wrote him a letter asking him if I could come and watch him paint. He gave some additional advice to me, but politely said no.
I ran into him about a year later at yet another convention. We got to talking again, I asked him again and this time, he said yes. We did a total of about 12 sessions together where I learned the basics of oils and painting realistically. For the first 8 sessions, I did nothing but watch him work. For the last 4, we did a painting together where he painted about 60% of it and I did 40%. It was a painting from a Frank Frazetta pencil that Frazetta had never done as a painting using Frazetta's style and technique, and we did a dual painting where we painted the same image, but he had his canvas and I had mine.
I still have those paintings hanging in my studio and will likely have them forever. Even though they are not very good, they are special because they remind me of the valuable time another artist took to help me on my way.
I seem to be fortunate in that way as Bill Whitaker, may he live to be a thousand years old and never want, just did the same thing for me during three weeks last month.
Valuable time given up, dedication to helping another artist. A gift in the truest sense of the word.
Someday, when I am more confident in my ability, I hope to do the same for an artist just starting out. Pay it forward. I am so grateful.
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