Lawvere Art | Answers | Why I quit

"I hadn't picked up a brush for over twenty five years, although I did do some very occasional cartooning and illustration work since then, along with a variety of other professions including photography, acting, music, software development, and even owning a restaurant at one point. My giving up on Fantasy & Thrash art had to do with a lot of things, one being in large part with my reading that my hero, Frank Frazetta, hated his imitators and was brutally critical of their 'ripping him off'. I could have just gone on to other kinds of work, but I had that bug that bit many a young illustrator back then; I only wanted to learn to do Fantasy art - and do it like he did. Now that he's passed away though, I think emulating him becomes more a matter of love and respect - which is what it always was to me. It's also a matter of wanting to learn his techniques, as all great masters pass theirs on to the next generation. What you cannot pass on though, is the personality of the artist, which is what will always make him unique. Each of us who's inspired by him too, can't help but add our own selves to our work. So, the goal is to learn from the master, not become him..." Philip Lawvere - Interview 2014