Interview by Mike Fredericks on his PREHISTORIC TIMES magazine (#88-winter)


PT: Fabio, please tell us about yourself, your art and life in Italy

FP: I was born the1st of June 1966 in Milan, where I live as a single man. I work in a deco-style house in the town center. Mummy, dad and sister live not too far from me. I obtained a degree certificate at the Art High School and the Higher Art School of Castello Sforzesco di Milano. I have always considered visual art the most direct, effective way to communicate. Annoying my mother, I was drawing on my room walls before I even learned to speak and walk. My first illustrated books regarded animals and dinosaurs. I was always attracted and fascinated by all types of images and observed them closely.
Together with my interest in art, illustration and movie-pictures, I developed my own aesthetic taste and passion for beauty, and what is more beautiful than what Nature has created? At the same time I started to be fascinated by all that is different, bizarre, horrible and in any way alien to everyday life; to even go so far as to see immense charm in “monstrosity.” Thus, as it happens to most children and to people who have no opportunity to study them, at first I saw dinosaurs as the archetype of monstrosity and diversity and I placed them outside of nature’s normality. Every culture has had its monsters and dragons. This is due to poor knowledge of the Natural World. This leads to irrationality and the less that is known, the more the limit between natural and supernatural becomes vague or undefined. However through scientific studies, we can learn to see dinos not as "bad monsters" but they can be easily introduced into the evolutionary cycle of nature, knocking down all myths, superstitions and prejudices, with the worst misconception being that man is the center of the Universe.
Regarding life in Italy, Milano is the town which offers the most work opportunities. Fortunately, with short trips, we can reach the sea and mountains; we can visit towns such as Venezia, Roma e Firenze which is a real open sky museum. Of course I also get to eat extremely good spaghetti and inimitable pizza

PT: If I thought eating pizza would help me paint as well as you, I’d happily be much fatter than I already am. Are dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals popular in Italy now?

FB: There is plenty of interesting paleontology in my "Bel Paese": from old pterosaurs (Eudimorphodon-Preondactylus) to mysterious theropods such as Saltriosaurus and a well-preserved and perfect anatomical connection Hadrosaurus called "Antonio" to a wonderful fossil of Ittiosaurs (Besanosaurus), the most exceptional is "Ciro"(Scipionyx samniticus) which contains perfectly fossilized internal organs. Also in Italy, in Gubbio, it as been individualized for the first time the K-T limit. Nonetheless, unfortunately dinosaurs are not so popular in Italy. Dinosaurs are considered for children. Institutions have little interest and do not provide the necessary funds to improve museums or to increase expeditions and studies. Some paleontologists (I mean those of the old generation)often criticize the "business" around paleontology, forgetting that the great revival and remarkable interest for this science is largely due to Jurassic Park’s success. Even considering the scientific errors in the film, it has awakened the public’s interest to dinosaurs again. Fortunately my young paleontologist friends have an up-to-date mind and I hope that, thanks to them, dinos will become a subject of interest for everybody.

PT: That’s too bad but I will say that after Canada and the U.K.; Italy (and Germany) have the greatest amount of foreign PT subscribers. Please tell us about being an artist.

FP: Before concluding my studies at age 17, I started to work as a freelance, super realistic advertising illustrator. It was 1980 and advertising illustration was greatly in use. I went on with this work for 20 years and had the opportunity to collaborate with the most prestigious advertising agencies, and with well known art-directors and film-directors. The most exciting work has been my work on three advertising films shot by the famous film maker Wim Wenders. They required a lot of my handiwork on set, including set designer, set decorator, backdrops, sculptor, make-up artist and special effects.
At 18 I started to teach at the High Art School of Castello Sforzesco di Milano. for their illustration course; 4 years later I became the headmaster. I stopped teaching after 17 years. But from the very beginning, dinosaurs have always been of great interest to me, filling my heart. However, I never thought that I could turn this passion into an occupation. Today, I work full time on dinos, even in my leisure time. My clients are publishers and paleontologists. Unfortunately work opportunities for an Italian paleoartist are infrequent and I should like to do much more. Thus, I also like to draw dinos for free when I don’t have a commission. It is the most free and daring way to do art, always utilizing the scientific knowledge that I have acquired with time and study, of course. Drawing, for me, is a mechanism for thinking and feeling emotions to help me understand the place I take up as a human being in the life cycle.

PT: I have seen your non dinosaur artwork and it is every bit as professional and well done as your dinosaur art. Tell me about the artists who have influenced you the most.

FP: Historically my artistic formation has been influenced by Leonardo DaVinci, Michelangelo and Salvadore Dali who are the greatest masters in my opinion. More contemporary (when I was young) Frazetta,Vallejo,Corben, Moebious always impressed me greatly.The most interesting artists that I love in our century are H.R.Giger and Stan Winston. For greatest paleoartist influence John Gurche has surely influenced me more than any others. It seems strange, but his work was my source of inspiration before I had devoted myself to paleoart, when advertising was my work. Our goals and the manner in which to reach them was very similar: to make a drawing credible, convincing and nice by using great realism.This does not mean to be a slave to technique but, on the contrary, to have full and total control and making good use on it. When young I was inspired by the Aurora Prehistorics Scenes plastic kits and I admired the illustrations of Knight and Burian. Later I was inspired by the art of the mystical masters Doug Henderson, John Sibbick, and Mark Hallett. Since I have subscribed to PT I have discovered many talented paleoartists and I think that quite a few have been a source of inspiration influencing my art. There are a lot: William Stout, Raul Martin, Julius Csotonyi, James Gurney, David Krentz, Shane Foulkes,Todd Marshall, Michael Skrepnick, Greg Paul and Louis Rey. I have never felt my self in competition with other paleoartists working today; I am in competition with myself, often dissatisfied with the result of my work, always searching for the best possible result.

PT: What type of medium and tools do you use to create your art? Please tell our artist readers about your studio.

FP: My studio and my flat are fused; an open space which allows me better control on what I'm working on. Lighting is very important: I have a 700 watt halogen lamp directed at the ceiling to reflect the light indirectly: it is very important because shadows are reduced (including those of my hands on the drawing). On the table I have an Artemide lamp to focalize the light on details. It is very important to draw in a comfortable room: I am surrounded by dinosaur and monster models which inspire me very much. Then, good music is really necessary for me! My techniques are the most fundamental and classical. I really like to use micragraphite on vellum for roughs and sketches; I first draw a rough, after I placed over another vellum in order to improve the drawing and so on till I reach the desired definition.Often I finish off the drawing directly on the vellum or I transfer it on Schoeller cardboard to advance with coloring. I use acrylic colors (Liquitex) with very small and sharpened marten brushes (Winsor&Newton). I go on watercoloring , putting on many coats until I reach the desired result. Often I use a razor blade for small details. I don't like to use white paint: I obtain light colors leaving the real white of the sheet. A lot of patience is required. Once I used airbrush (EFBE 0.5) but at present I try to resolve every thing with the paintbrush. A true artist must dirty his hands. Moreover I cannot say enough about the soft sensation of the brush on the paper, of the paint’s smell, and of the spontaneity I can express with a simple graphite.

PT: You make me feel like breaking out my paints right now and getting to work and yes, good music is so important. What references do you use to help create your paleoart?

FP: First off I start looking in my file (books-magazines-newspaper articles); then I look on the internet: I get information regarding the subject (family, period of life, environment, coexisting animals, nearest cousins, etc.).When starting my research usually I start with DinoData and Wikipedia, then I enlarge my research. Moreover, it's very interesting to see how the other artists have rebuilt the dino in question. In order to understand how it moved, it is important to study the anatomy of living animals today. The purpose of this study as to improve my knowledge, but also to build an intuitive sense. I am not a paleontologist but it is necessary to arrange information, turning them around in my own logical reasoning. After that I trouble my paleontologist friends for further help. I surround myself with pictures of animals living today, in order to have references regarding textures and colors. Often, the idea for the drawing appears to me like a flash in my mind, in the most unexpected moment of the day.

PT: I’m sure DinoData appreciates that free plug you just gave them. What is it about prehistoric life that makes you so interested in it?

FP: I am CRAZY about dinosaurs! The more I study them the more I hold a great fascination for them. I have admiration and devoutness for them. They were able to dominate all over the planet for an unbelievably long period and they are, for me, the symbol of a fabulous unpolluted and clear world: a real Eden! On the contrary man is the only species that in a very short time is on the wrong track towards self-extinction. It is very fascinating and interesting to know our planet’s natural story and realize how small man is, to learn from evolution, also to find a remedy for damages we are imposing on our dear Heart. I know, my thought is very romantic...

PT: I know your work is revered in the art community. Please tell us about that and where we can see it.

FP: Recently, I have found on internet blogs and paleo-sites, many opinions and remarks regarding my art. I did not expect to have so many fans. You ought to ask them why my work is revered, I cannot say.
Yet I can say that the best judgement I recently received is that in my drawings exists a good proportion between scientific quality and speculation with a personal touch that distinguishes an illustration from an artwork. Paleoartist work however must go right along with the scientific information, giving a certain limit to creativity. For instance, it is impossible to draw Dimetrodon decorated with squamae, spines and aculeus in order to make it more interesting, as paleontologists say that the skin of sinapsides did not have such a characteristic. I like to exaggerate the characteristics of each dino, with crests and powerful colors, but all the time respecting scientific info and credibility. The paleoartists must give a soul to dinos.
There are many websites which have a gallery of my works. I had the opportunity to illustrate the Italian magazine "Dinosauri"; an Encyclopedia regarding life evolution published by Utet, several issues by Bayard Presse-Paris and of course I have had the honor to publish my art in nearly all issues of PT. Last September some of my drawings were shown at "Congresso LatinoAmericano de Paleontologia de Vertebrados", in Neuquen, Patagonia(Argentina) where I have been honored with a special mention.

PT: Any words of advice for up and coming young paleoartists?

FP: Above all, drawing must not require an effort but be a true pleasure. Nothing is better than when our hobby becomes our work. It is important to travel, be up-to-date informed and to study. Above all, it is important to study general anatomy starting with a helpful book of Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy. Always cultivate your own imagination; never leave that kid which is inside us and keep the ability to be amazed and curious. Be a very quick learner, practice, always practice. Draw everything. Have good paleontologists as friends and have one of your fans be Mike Fredericks.

PT: I am definitely that. In every interview I am now asking artists this tough question; if you could magically go back to prehistorics times, what would you most like to see?

FP: Hmmm...It is a true dilemma to choose what I should like to see. I should like to be in the middle of a huge sauropod herd feeling small and powerless among such a majestic sight. I would also like to observe small feathered theropods such as a Meilong pair in a love affair. I really would like to see them in a loving and tender attitude, in gracious courting, like most of modern birds. I love Theropods: I consider them the most perfect and amazing creatures in nature. I would be among them and discover how they organized themselves and how intelligent they were - more than we think, I’ll bet.

PT: Thanks so much Fabio.What are you working on now and what can we expect to see from you in the future?

FP: At present I'm illustrating a newly discovered species in Patagonia, in order to illustrate an Italian website (ProgettoArgenDino), whose manager is dt. Paolo Gandossi that together with dt. Jorge Calvo has participated in excavations in Neuquen, Argentina. When the website is ready I'll let you know. Next year I will illustrate a Scipionyx monograph: dt. Cristiano Dal Sasso have long studied this precious fossil making new discoveries so get ready to see a new "look" at our dear Ciro. I also devote myself to personal projects, that when finished I'll add to my website:www.fabiopastori.it. I would like to have more occasions of commissioned works, but as I have said, in Italy opportunities are very few. I see that my American colleague friends have a lot of work opportunities and I admire them for their deeds. However I stay confident and keep busy, hopeful of obtaining interesting work in the future. For instance I would love to be so lucky to illustrate a new species for those paleontologists who love to see their creature come to life through a drawing, after many years of studies and research. Or else to illustrated a book, create murals for museums, work as a concept designer for a movie picture....and to receive Lanzendorf's award!! I AM DREAMING!
I close hoping that as famous artists have inspired me, my work can be a source of inspiration for young paleoartists. Fabio Pastori.•