Steve Ferris
Steve Ferris lived in a very zany and creative household. There was a piano in his house that they all pounded to oblivion. There were "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" books that sort of took hold of him. Steve would find his way back to them time and time again. Meanwhile, Steve and his brother Kevin were also into music, which took them into the local record shop. There, Steve became totally captivated by Roger Dean posters. At the bookstore, he came upon those incredible Conan paperbacks.
Steve's first recollection of doing a drawing that got a rise out of anyone was when he drew the cover of a "Casper the Friendly Ghost" comic book. His dad took the drawing over to Steve's aunt next door. Why Ferris chose Casper, he doesn’t know. He had friends that were really into The Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, but, even as a kid, Steve was always going against the grain.
Ferris's dad ran a top graphic arts special effects company that was the backbone of post-production for many New York ad agencies. The very top names in advertising, illustration, and design were part of dinnertime conversations. He felt very fortunate to be able to work at his dad’s shop during the summers, learning the biz and seeing some of the most famous and revered illustrations up close. One day, his dad approached Steve and said, "Come over here, I want to show you something." It was the original 18x24 painting of "The Berserker" by Frank Frazetta. They had the paperback at the house; Steve felt that this was absolutely incredible! He was dumbstruck for the rest of the day. Ferris knew at that moment what he wanted to do. He wanted to be able to draw and paint like that!
At Farmingdale State University, Steve was fortunate to have had a very good figure drawing teacher named Professor Rafael DeSoto. DeSoto was an acclaimed illustrator and a direct descendant of the famous explorer. He told stories of his days as an illustrator for Shadow Comics. He told the students about this new, young artist in the comic book world. He said that he was very full of himself but was the most talented artist he had ever seen. That artist was Frank Frazetta. What an inspiration it was for Steve to learn how to draw figures from a man that knew and worked in the same field as his idol! Ferris always had enthusiasm for the comic book genre, but Professor DeSoto told Steve that he had a better chance of finding work with book publishers. Ferris followed his advice and did just that.
After college, Ferris spent most of his time painting and drawing--hoping to enter into this competitive arena. He had many influences: Norman Rockwell, Roger Dean, Walt Disney, N.C. Wyeth, Frederick Remington, Tom Lovell, Bernie Wrightson, and Jeffrey Jones. However, he was so strongly influenced by the Great Frazetta that many people swore he could actually duplicate his look. But Steve knew that eventually his own style would emerge.
Then it happened. Ferris started to get published. He connected with an agent team and they promptly connected him with a few reputable art directors. Steve's first book cover was "Outlaw of Mars" by Leigh Brackett and, although the cover was well received, he was instructed by them to get away from that Frazetta influence.
His agents were very impressed with his raw talent but wanted him to paint the covers that were more photo-reliant. Ferris learned to paint and draw in a more vibrant and natural way and knew how to utilize photography as a reference tool, but they were looking for a completely photographic look. By following their lead, Steve was producing work he actually hated. After enduring about a dozen book covers, Ferris dismissed his agents and found the Nelson Doubleday Science Fiction Book Club on his own. He had some very good projects working directly with them. For Steve, it was fun, but also short-lived. He produced approximately 15 covers when the budget cuts of the mid-80s curtailed his projects.
Although Ferris was always yearning for fun Fantasy/Sci-fi-type projects, he had to pay the rent. That’s where editorial and advertising illustration saved him. He found many different clients with many different needs. For example, pencil drawings for ABC’s "Dynasty" or "Fall Guy", which took, on average, one or two nights of work, would pay three times more than a paperback book cover that entailed a few weeks of work. Suddenly, he discovered that his line art and airbrushing skills were no longer needed. He found that he had to know Quark Express, Adobe Illustrator, and Adobe Photoshop to continue to get illustration jobs. Ferris dug in and learned everything he could. He acquired some good clients using his new computer skills. Creating exploded views of machinery and products for prestigious clients like Readers Digest paid great--but giving up on what got him there in the first place was difficult. Ferris realized that he was unhappy because he had drifted away from the art form he loved.
One afternoon, Steve's brother, Kevin, called and told him that there was a Frank Frazetta show in the city. Of course, they went! It was held in the Alexander Gallery in Manhattan. All of Frazetta’s masterpieces were right in front of them. Some of the originals were for sale, but even his doodles cost thousands of dollars. If an artist ever needed a kick-in-the-butt about how to do it, this was it. Steve's brother, Kevin, actually bought some "Death Dealer" sketches. Because of his purchase, he got to know Alex, the gallery owner, and showed him some of Steve's paintings.
Alex lectured Ferris about throwing away the kind of talent most people only dream about. Steve assured the gallery owner that he wasn’t giving up, but that there were few paying opportunities to do quality work in fantasy illustration. Alex said that a real artist paints for himself, and told Steve to send his drawings to Frazetta and to call him. Then he handed Steve Frank's phone number.
On Christmas Eve, 1995, Ferris called. He spoke first with Ellie, Frank’s wife, just to say that he was a big fan and wanted to wish them a Merry Christmas and congratulate Frank on his show. Ellie said, "He’s right here and wants to talk to you."
Steve thought, "Me?" and was dumbfounded. It turned out that Mr. Frazetta had been looking at Steve's letter and work. The two spoke for an hour on the phone. To Steve, it was like chatting with a dear uncle, an old friend, or someone he knew his whole life. Ferris noted that it is rare in life when you get to meet your idol and he is exactly as you imagined. He was so giving of himself and was a storehouse of information. He answered all of Steve's questions. Ferris was high for days.
The official grand opening of the Frazetta Museum and Estate in East Stroudsburg was scheduled for Spring 2000. Steve's brother Todd, his ten-year-old niece Taylor, and a few friends made a visit with Steve before the official opening. They spent hours chatting with other guests. Ellie was there and sweetly took Steve's niece with her wherever she went. She even "assigned" Taylor to sit at the reception desk with her. Steve and his guests spent hours there and as they were leaving, they bumped into Mr. Frazetta who, incredibly, was outside doing some chores. He came into the museum at Ellie’s behest and spent what turned out to be another few hours with them. Mr. Frazetta asked if anyone had any artwork with him or her. Well, a few of them did.
What a wonderful opportunity! To sit with Frank and go over some of what Ferris learned from him was one of those freeze-frame moments that Steve will always savor. Frank went over to his works on the wall and started pointing to them. "One day!" he said. "One day is all that took!" Then the next one... "One day!" Then another... "One day!" Ellie chimed in dryly, "Don’t let him fool you!" Frank smiled and winked at Ellie, "OK! Maybe two days on that one!"
They went back for the official grand opening. Two of Steve's brothers, Kevin and Todd, accompanied him back to the Frank Frazetta Museum. That was the most spectacular day of all! Being there to share with Frank and all his friends in what was an historic day in the world of art was an immeasurable feeling to Steve. After all, Frank is a national treasure and the Frazettas are one hell of an American success story. That gorgeous sunny day on the beautiful estate, full of loving people who wanted to pay tribute to Frank was breathtaking. Steve felt blessed to have been able to partake in those events. He even gave Frank a pencil drawing-a tribute to his revered "Death Dealer" character. His comments, validation, and his wink were worth more to Steve than any Society of Illustrator inclusions, Spectrum inclusion, gallery shows, or publications of his work.
With the fire in his heart relit by Frank Frazetta, Steve is actively drawing and painting. Ferris is committed to creating fantastic imagery. He hopes that the world takes notice. The computer age has brought the skilled artist many marvelous new tools. It has also enabled the hack to get away with shameful image bastardization. Steve hopes that the level of skill and class Frazetta brought to the genre of fantasy art, usually found only in fine art and so-called higher-class illustration, can be restored.
One thing that Ferris would like to stress to the younger artist is to continue to draw with a pencil. Learn the dynamics of movement and the geometry of life forms. Use photography to enhance your work but don’t rely on the photo to do your work. Spend time with your family and friends-all the free time you can spare-because only then will your best work emerge. And lastly, love life. Seek the respect of intelligent people. Enjoy the sound of children’s laughter. See the best in others. And have a few friends that are elves. Then you are certainly a friend of Steve Ferris. His dad taught him that when he was young, and his words still ring true today.
