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Interview with Michael Apice
Featured Artist for December 2001
Would you introduce yourself and give a little personal background?
My name is Michael Apice; I have been an Illustrator for the last 12 or so years. I also art direct for Simon & Schuster, Modern Curriculum, and Scholastic. Currently, I am a full time Professor at Briarcliffe College in Bethpage, NY. I was born in Brooklyn, NY and grew up on Long Island. A great place to grow up. I come from a small Italian family with a strange desire to have big dogs live with us. A tradition, which I seem to have a hard time breaking. I now live in the same town that I grew up with a huge beast of a dog. Old habits die-hard.
How long have you been an artist? How long have you been creating fantasy art?
I have been drawing and painting all my life, although it wasn't really good at it until college. However, I just loved creating anything. I would try so hard to become better. I started drawing fantasy art immediately after seeing my first Frank Frazetta painting that my uncle showed me.
Have you had any formal training in the fine arts?
I have a BFA from the School of Visual Arts, I majored in illustration and minored in photography.
What are your biggest artistic influences and inspirations?
I know it sounds corny, but Leonardo DaVince is the biggest influence for all my creativity. The true Renaissance man. Not just in the way he painted but in the way he looked at the world and his life. People have said to me "how can you stray away from oils, you're not being true to the traditionalists/old masters". I say, the old masters, like Leonardo, were anything but traditionalists. They were the true innovators. Given a few more years, I bet Leonardo would have invented the airbrush, as well as the compressor for it. He is an inspiration for living a full and productive life, filled with such passion and ambition to be the best he could be. A man that was afraid of nothing. A leader that still leads us today.
Can you describe your creative process - how you come up with ideas for a new drawing and how you take those ideas and create a finished piece of art.
Well if the painting is for a commercial job, I have a lot input from the client. Based upon his needs and goals, I come up with the initial sketches from concepts that we discuss before hand. From there I submit a final sketch then paint.
When I want to create a painting for myself, I usually find inspiration in a model. I love to paint women as angels especially the women that are around me, because that's how I see them. These are my favorite painting because they come from the heart and not the pocket.
Do you have a favorite fantasy artist or an artist you admire?
OH yes, plenty. Of course Frank Frazetta is the reason I went to school of visual arts in the first place. His paintings were so exciting and he legitimized painting fantasy art.
What advice would you give to young artists who are just starting out?
ART SCHOOL/College. Not only will it give you a degree and respect, but also there are so many things you can't teach yourself especially in the same timeframe. Then being around other artists and their work/ideas/influences are just priceless.
Finally, what cartoons did you watch as a kid?
The Flintstones, Tom and Jerry, Popeye, Bugs Bunny (Looney Tunes), Woody Woodpecker.
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