Prepare To Be Amazed!!!

[Big Skyz]

My 11 year old's latest drawing. Completely free-handed and drawn quite a bit larger than the original picture he was looking at as a reference. Some of you will recognize this as one of Frank Frazetta's master pieces. He was and is my favorite fantasy artist. I figured trying to learn from his work would be a great challenge for my son. It appears he was up to the challenge.
http://i254.photobucket.com/albums/hh113/Huntzz/HunterAdamsAge11Frazetta_zpsa6253c94.jpg

[Buckrub]

Wow. He's VERY good.

That's a 'fact' I believe.

[Big Skyz]

He is quickly closing the artistic gap between him and his old man.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I am a Frank Frazetta fan too! He did some book covers for some pulp novels I used to read by John Norman called the 'Gor' series. Soon as I saw that drawing it rang a distinctive bell in my old brain.

BKB

[Captain]

That is very cool, and it sure takes major talent...
Wow!

[Thumper]

I'm speechless. I can barely write my name. :(

[HideHunter]

My son can do that.. and doesn't.. go figure. I have 0 natural talent at *anything*. I have said for years, "If I ever find anything I'm good at, I am going to do it every day." (Notice I'm doing something different everyday) ;)

[Arty]

Just "wow"....

[BarryBobPosthole]

My son can do that.. and doesn't.. go figure. I have 0 natural talent at *anything*. I have said for years, "If I ever find anything I'm good at, I am going to do it every day." (Notice I'm doing something different everyday) ;)

I would but my wife won't let me.

BKB

[Bwana]

It appears that Young Grasshopper is well on his way to becoming The Master!

[LJ3]

That's pretty dang impressive.

I have a question. When an artist draws a drawing of another piece of art, is it it's own little "niche" type of art in the genre? If so, is it called a recreation? interpretation? I assume each artist would put his own spin on in as everyone seems to see things a bit differently? Is this type of art a "stepping stone" to producing one's own work from nothing but imagination? Are the two things considered vastly different with different skill sets? or closely similar in that a picture in one's mind is no more or less clear than a picture in ones hand being recreated?

Forgive my ignorance :)

[Big Skyz]

Len the honest answer is that I could have 10 different students draw the same picture from the same reference and I would get back 10 different, but similar drawings. One's own personality and abilities affect the outcome. Copying other artists while young or just starting out is very good practice. The only thing that would be good is if they try to sell their work after copying someone else as that is plagiarism and also would violate copyright laws. However just for practice to improve one's skill set it's very effective. I used to copy Clark Bronson, Leon Parson, and Frank Frazetta, as well as, the Mad Magazine artists all through junior high and high school. It really developed and influenced my style even to this day. I haven't copied another artists work though since high school as evolved past that by the end of my senior year.

Funny related side note. I've taught for almost 24 years now. In that time I've had a couple thousand students. Two of those students were very feminine male students. I'm talking the type that the most feminine girl in school would be twice the man either one of them were. I've taught a number of feminine type males, but these two were unique in the following way. No matter what subject material or reference material I would give them every stinking thing they ever produced turned about as feminine looking as physically possible. I'm talking frilly-fruity-flowery every thing. It didn't matter if I asked them to draw an Indian chief or a rodeo cowboy, it always turned out just fruity as could be. So bad that it even drove the girls in class crazy. I mean to the point that girls often commented the boys art was 10 times more lady-like than anything they ever wanted to make. Neither of these boys ever met each other. I taught them nearly 20 years apart. I just thought it was odd how their personalities came through stronger in their work than just about anyone I've ever taught. I took it as a personal challenge to try and get either one of them to create something that would at least appear semi-masculine. I failed completely. So I quit trying and just let them do their thing. I have no idea whatever happened to either one of them, but odds are they found their nitch, and I'm sure they are still just is flitty-flighty as ever.