Boris Vallejo Quotations

You can not do what you want to do unless you know the correct technique. The only other way you can learn how to do it is by doing it yourself, which would take twice as long than if you went to school.

I find that acrylics dry very fast - which is supposed to be its charm; however, I find that because of that quality they don't blend as nicely as the oils. The oils, for one thing, are softer and more flexible than the acrylics. Also, the colors are brighter with oils.

There have been many different artists that have been inspirational. I suppose the question is directed to what was the reason why I went into fantasy illustration.

You can't do a machine without knowing something about how it's going to work. As for the romantics, the costumes bored me and I don't enjoy doing period clothes.

There's the possibility of someone doing it before me, but I personally didn't know it; then or now. So, as far as I am concerned, I originated it.

Learning and getting better with each portrait is what I strive for,

Everyone has a photograph of themselves, but not many have a drawing or portrait done by another human who captures their unique characteristics,

I actually think that there is definitely a value in studying art at an art school. I myself went to an art school for five years and I have to confess that I don't use, right now, any of the things that I supposedly learned while I was there; if I learned anything at all. I was very arrogant and I didn't feel that I should be studious because I felt that I knew more than they did.

A lot of portrait artists specialize in men, women or children,

I had a discussion with the editor of the magazine and he said that he wanted to have a painting that would represent mankind - mankind meaning, of course, a man and a woman. We discussed the whole thing, I did some sketches and we came up with the drawing that culminated in that painting. So it was a combined effort of myself and the editor.